Every value has a boundary and every state a border, which means that often we have to fight to maintain them. Here is the story of Israel’s struggle against infiltration in the 1950’s and the moral complexity of retaliatory raids. Not an episode for the faint of heart.
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In 1949 Israel was in the dangerous position of winning the battle and losing the war. Though ceasefire agreements were in place, peace remained elusive. This episode opens an examination of the questions of international legitimacy, national cohesion and border conflicts which characterize the state even today.
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The commandment around which seder night revolves is the telling of the story of the Exodus. Many people today struggle with questions of historicity, meaning – did this really happen? Here is an episode on why the real questions of the Exodus lie in the future and not the past, along with some insights on…
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There are times in the history of peoples and nations when the decisions made shape the future. The three years after Israel’s foundation saw its population double through immigration, the way in which the immigrants were received set the mode for many years to come.
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In the first two years after Israel’s independence, the Jewish population doubled. Such massive immigration put almost fatal stress on the resources and social fabric of the young state. Before we can discuss the practical implications we need to consider the meaning of kibutz galuyot – the ingathering of the exiles. Help me make history…
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Hatred of the Jews is the oldest and most pervasive form of prejudice which humanity knows. In this episode Rav Mike uses the comments of Haman to ask not only why we are hated, but also what we can do about it. Help me make history by becoming a supporter at www.patreon.com/mfeuer Illustration attribution www.maxpixel.net/Aggression-Viole…ss-Attack-656795
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It is time to move away from the divisive question of who is a Jew to ask something more essential – what is a Jew? The first half of this episode offers Rav Mike’s thoughts on the subject. The second half is a conversation on the same with R’ Aaron Leibowitz, social activist and head…
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One could say that the Maccabees won the battle but lost the war. How is it that the heroes of the Hanukkah story went from the heights of spiritual power to the depths of corruption in less than 100 years? Here is an analysis of the three disasters that brought down the Hasmonean kingdom, and…
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Once World War Two ended all the promises of the allies were put to test – would they find a solution to the Jewish problem now that the war was won? This episode describes the escalation of the struggle against the British in the land of Israel in the wake of the greatest disaster the…
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