Shows / Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis
Israel from the Inside is for people who want to understand Israel with nuance, who believe that Israel is neither hopelessly flawed and illegitimate, nor beyond critique. If thoughtful analysis of Israel and its people interests you, welcome!
danielgordis.substack.com
Episodes
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisWhen was the last time you saw three newscasters holding back tears?
For those of us who didn’t hear the news until after Shabbat, it was an intense Saturday night. The three additional hostages, it turned out, had been…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisIsrael's SNL, "Eretz Nehederet" [Beautiful Country] Takes on the Red Cross.
Eretz Nehederet, Israel’s more-or-less SNL, did a piece on the Red Cross this week that it clearly wanted the Red Cross and the international community to…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"The Builder's Stone," by Melanie Phillips
I recently had the pleasure of reading a pre-publication copy of Melanie Phillips’ new book, The Builder’s Stone: How Jews and Christians Built the West—and…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"I can't wait any longer." Aviva Siegel watches Yoni Bloch's music video.
Yesterday, we shared Yoni Bloch’s now viral song and music video, “Good End,” which envisions an Israel at peace, a region united, a future radically different…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisYoni Bloch releases a new single and reminds Israelis to dream
What’s the mood here? What are Israelis feeling? Everything. Unbridled joy at the sight of returning hostages, worry about what we’re going to see when the…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisThe hostage return: images sacred and somber
Today, one haunting image and a brief video. We’ll come back to the video above, which is a clip share by Amit Segal, a highly regarded Israel journalist…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisThe national conversations we should be having, but aren't
A number of weeks ago, I had a conversation with Sruli Fruchter of 18Forty, in a series called “18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers.” We posted the audio of the…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisWhat this moment in Israeli history means, and what it teaches us about ourselves
A number of weeks ago, I had a conversation with Sruli Fruchter of 18Forty, in a series called “18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers.” We posted the audio of the…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisAlahn gets out of the hospital
On July 27, 2024, just about half a year ago, Hezbollah fired a projectile that hit a soccer field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams Israel’s north. The toll…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisDoes the West still believe in itself enough to win? We're going to find out.
Yesterday, we shared a recording of a talk I gave to a group of Christians visiting Jerusalem, all of them very dedicated to Israel who have been here on…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisWhy everyone who cares about Israel should who know who MK Gilad Kariv is
Today’s post is a clip from the Knesset channel of a speech given last week by MK Gilad Kariv, to which we have added subtitles for our readers. Gilad Kariv is…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"October 7th has to become the tectonic event that shapes the Zionism of my generation."
Before we get to today’s podcast. There are photos that shouldn’t exist. Period. This one is of the entrance to our shul, a small community, with the names of…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisExhausted by war, Israelis want one (or two) more front(s) addressed before it's over
Early Shabbat afternoon, we were chatting with friends who asked, “Did you hear about Tel Aviv?” We hadn’t. As we were off the grid for Shabbat, we had no idea…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"If there's still hope in the world ... I'd give everything for it."
When we first launched Israel from the Inside’s podcast several years ago, I turned to a student at Shalem College, Shaked Jehuda, and asked her if we might…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisA National Day of Appreciation for the IDF Wounded
A quick note regarding yesterday’s post, which included a Google-translated Facebook post by our podcast guest, Professor Moshe Koppel. Google-translate, quite…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"We were born into the opportunity to build this state. Whatever happens, how could I choose not to participate?"
Before we get to today’s podcast, I’m taking the liberty of remembering a treasured teacher, colleague and friend. Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson, who served for…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"We were born into the opportunity to build this state. Whatever happens, how could I choose not to participate?" [Excerpt]
Before we get to today’s podcast, I’m taking the liberty of remembering a treasured teacher, colleague and friend. Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson, who served for…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"We're winning!", people now say. There's a bounce in Israelis' steps once again.
About three weeks ago, I was rather aimlessly going through my Facebook feed, when I saw an ad for a kosher trip to Vietnam. I stared at it for a few minutes —…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisThe Himmelfarb School's chilling list
The Himmelfarb School, founded more than a century ago, is one of the best-known “religious-Zionist” schools in Jerusalem. In other words, it’s what would be…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisDekel Shalev reflects on the Israel she knew, the Israel that was, from her new home in Denver, CO
In July, Dekel Shalev, who along with her husband and three children, survived the attack on Beeri by hiding in a safe room for fifteen hours, told us her…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisAnnexation? Draft the Haredim? Or build a non-denominational rabbinical school to build bridges? In Israel, people advocate for all three.
These are not necessarily easy times in Israel, but they are still fascinating times. Today, we meet Avi Dabush, a long time social activist in Israel, head of…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisWhat in the world is a "secular yeshiva," and how did such a place come to be?
Why is there a Jewish state? Sounds like a ridiculous question, of course, but it’s really not. Imagine for a moment that anti-Semitism disappeared, and the…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisGetting married? Want someone to pay for your entire wedding? Talk to Bank Leumi
Israelis (like everyone else, I imagine) find television ads very annoying. So much so that when you’re watching the news here, when they break for…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"If our past tragedies were overcome, we have every reason to believe that we will survive this time, too."
As we noted last week, Rabbi Irving (“Yitz”) Greenberg has been, for well over half a century, one of the most courageous, creative and influential voices in…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisHistory books will almost certainly point to November 5, 2024 as a pivotal day in Israel's history, and not because of the US elections
Remember this photograph, which all of us Israelis saw live on TV last night as Yoav Gallant saluted the soldiers still fighting, after he was fired by…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisThe "Stand Up Nation" has always reached out, never more so than today
It has been an excruciating week. Anyone following the goings-on in Israel knows that. A harrowing headline (Google translated screenshot) from YNet commented…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"Israel" was sending "shelichim" to America before there was an Israel. Who knew?
When many people hear the words “Jewish Agency,” what first comes to mind are the emissaries whom Israel sends to Jewish communities abroad. Those Israelis who…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisWelcome to heartbreak hill
We attacked Iran? It’s hard to remember. The costs of the war in Lebanon (and Gaza) are proving so grievous that the fallen fathers, teachers, principals…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisA word of profound thanks to a friend and colleague ... and a heartbreaking exhibition
I had occasion to visit StandWithUs’s exhibition called “Faces of October 7” yesterday at their center not far from the King David Hotel. Since there will be…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"This isn't your father's Ulpan anymore" ... a quiet revolution in how people are teaching—and learning—Hebrew
It’s getting dark here, and I don’t mean because the days are getting shorter. At least in my crowd, the WhatsApp flow is just sad. I was looking for a message…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisThe Israeli rock star who will be heard in many synagogues this Yom Kippur—and why it matters
The clip above, part of the longer video below, is a performance of Seder Ha-Avodah, the “Avodah Service,” by Yishai Ribo in Jerusalem a few years ago. In…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisRescuing food to save not only Israelis, but Israel, too.
’ With October 7th now behind us and Simchat Torah just weeks away, it is clear to most Israelis that the war we are fighting is going to drag on for a very…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"I know that I was lucky to have loved"
Last night, in what has become classic Israeli fashion, Israel divided into two as it marked October 7th. There was an official government ceremony, presided…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"The dust at the end of Tishrei" — On a horrific anniversary, a heartbroken nation sings and (partially) holds back tears
In the middle of the night last night, at around 2:00 a.m., I turned on the TV. The news had announced earlier in the day that over the course of the night…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"Morning has broken" — but we dare not forget the night
My mom used to tell me that she always remembered where she was when she heard that FDR had died. She was only ten, she would remind us, but she remembered…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisIsrael's great civic and Jewish awakening—is it good or bad for Israel's liberalism?
Whenever this war ends, whether that is in a few weeks (very unlikely) or a few years (quite possible), Israelis are going to have to return to the question of…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"From the liver to the knee"—edgy Israeli humor stemmed from a deep-felt hope that the tides might just be shifting
I was sitting in shul yesterday morning, bright and early at 7:30, early enough that most of us typically just nod an almost silent “Shabbat Shalom” to each…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisThe High Holidays during war? "That is what our tradition is built for"—a conversation with Tel Aviv's Rabbi Joe Wolfson
In the minds of many, Jerusalem is the Israeli city where “the religious stuff” happens, while Tel Aviv is, if not “sin city,” then at least a much more…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisThe High Holidays during war? "That is what our tradition is built for"—a conversation with Tel Aviv's Rabbi Joe Wolfson
In the minds of many, Jerusalem is the Israeli city where “the religious stuff” happens, while Tel Aviv is, if not “sin city,” then at least a much more…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisHealing Israel's souls: we share two very different sorts of projects
Today, we focus on the healing of Israel’s souls. We begin with the music video above by Udi Kagan. Udi is an actor and comedian. He’s been on a number of…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisAmerican Campuses, Zionism and Jewish (and non-Jewish) Students—Now for the Good News
A few months ago, in the early part of the summer, a friend who works with a massive American foundation called me to ask if I thought the war in Gaza would…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisThe Madwoman in the Rabbi's Attic—What the Women of the Talmud Have to Teach Us
“What is the purpose of Israel? What’s the reason for having a Jewish state?” The answer to that question is much less obvious than it might seem. Whenever I…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisThe People's Army Goes on a Charm Offensive
Yesterday was a bit heavy, so for today, something a bit lighter, something that might even make some readers smile. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi’s job was…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisJon Polin: "An Appeal to My Religious Zionist Brothers"
Barely a few weeks into this war, back at the end of October or the beginning of November, we had most of our kids around the Shabbat lunch table. Some have…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisWhat Does the "Right" Think is Right?
Before we get to the “right” and what it believes Israel needs most in these trying, often terrifying, turbulent times, we share the video above to give…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisVoices searching for faith and meaning, even in desperate times
This is supposed to be the moment that our souls heal. The period after Tisha B’Av is known as the sheva shabbatot nechemta, the Seven Weeks of Consolation…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisTisha B'Av one year ago: the good old days were already not so good; even last year, people were already weeping over what had happened to our country
The image above, which says שישה באב “Shisha B’Av,” or “The Sixth of Av,” went viral a year ago on Israeli social media, just three days before the Ninth of…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisLonely sits the city ...
There’s a seemingly strange story in the Talmud, which we’ll discuss tomorrow, in which during the siege on Jerusalem, a wealthy woman dies from stepping in…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisRESENDING: Are the Iranians really going to attack on Tisha B'Av? They wouldn't be our first enemies to understand our calendar
SOME READERS AND LISTENERS HAD DIFFICULTY ACCESSING THE RECORDING WE SENT OUT EARLIER TODAY. IT’S NOT CLEAR WHY, SO WE’RE SENDING THE ENTIRE POST AGAIN. Should…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisAre the Iranians really going to attack on Tisha B'Av? They wouldn't be our first enemies to understand our calendar
The pace of events is such that writing these words in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon means that by the time this goes live on Sunday (when we hope to be in…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisWhen your world is destroyed, where do you go? What do you do? Where do you build a future?
We heard on Monday from Dekel Shalev about the harrowing experience her family had to endure on October 7th. The hours in the safe room, with no food, no…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisDekel, her husband and her three young children survived in a Be'eri saferoom for 15 hours. This is her story
Many Israelis have put this symbol on their social media as a “temporary photo”. The Hebrew says “Our heart is with Majdal Shams.” That, of course, is the…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"Maybe Copernicus never knew what love is"
THURSDAY (7/18): It’s been some six weeks since the heroic rescue of the four hostages—and the tragic death of Arnon Zemora in that battle. In classic Israeli…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisThere's a home-front, too, and small Israeli businesses are getting some much needed help
Small Israeli businesses are struggling, and not always making it. When just a few people from a small business get called up to reserves and are gone for…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisAn Israeli Perspective on American Jews at this moment—hard choices, stark realities
While President Biden’s disastrous debate and the attempt on Donald Trump’s life last night have captured all the Israeli news about America’s upcoming…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisAn army increasingly under scrutiny, but still filled with extraordinary people
For today, we had planned to post something about what I thought was a fascinating exhibit at the Tel Aviv Museum, on alternative visions of Zionism. It’s a…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisNine months ...
Just as Shabbat was about to begin on Friday, as we were powering everything down, getting ready to light candles and head off to synagogue, our devices…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisIn today's Israel, there's no such thing as "just another Graduation"
Wishes to our readers in the United States for a happy and safe 4th of July. The video above, a tragic and heartbreaking list of names, is not how most…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel GordisIsrael has high birth rates, right? And that's great, right? Think again!
Israel has long taken great pride in its having the highest birth rate—even among secular Jewish women—of any country in the OECD. We take great pride that…
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"For me, the hardest thing is holding onto hope"
We’ll come back to hope and today’s podcast—which we’re making available to everyone—just below. First, a correction. We posted about Israel’s new unofficial…