Let’s talk about Zionism ….
It might sound strange that Israel from the Inside would take on Zionism as a specific topic. After all, don’t Zionism and the questions surrounding it infuse everything we do?
Yes, they do, but there are moments when it is still worth tackling the subject head-on. So this week (barring unforeseen circumstances in Israel, which are not entirely unlikely), this is our plan:
TODAY: Today, we hear from Gil Troy, one of the world’s most prolific writers about Zionism. As North America and Europe have become increasingly hostile to Zionism, to Israelis and to Jewish supporters of Israel, Gil has become ever more vocal and intrepid, defending the importance of Zionism wherever he can and countering the arguments against it in his inimitable style. Today, Gil argues that dropping the term Zionism (which some people are advocating) would be a terrible idea, and he explains why.
MONDAY: (Part I of II) In the Atlantic, the Free Press and in numerous other publications, Matti Friedman has become one of the most important voices reflecting the soul of Israel and Israelis to the outside world. In his numerous bestselling books, he has brought his poetic prose to bear on some of the great mysteries and stories of the Jewish people in modern times. Matti has a new book coming out, and on Monday, we will hear him discuss Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe.
TUESDAY: As Gil Troy makes clear in today’s podcast, he believes that a core characteristic of American Judaism is a desperate desire not to offend, a deep commitment to fitting into American life, almost no matter what. A question that an Israeli journalist recently asked me raised a similar question, and we’ll share some thoughts on Israelis and American Jews at this critical juncture.
WEDNESDAY: (Part II or II): Matti Friedman joins us again, speaking this time not about his new book, but instead, answering my question about whether he believes that his grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren, will also grow up running to bomb shelters. His answer, I suspect, will surprise you.
A number of readers who heard Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman speak on our podcast about his new Haggadah and went to purchase it on Amazon found that Amazon could not guarantee delivery before Passover. The publishers suggested that people use this link to purchase the Haggadah: Echoes of Egypt: A Haggada and thus to get it on time.
Not that long ago, the idea that pro-Israel academics would advocate dropping the word Zionism would have been very surprising. But the argument is being made, by more people than one might imagine. Here, below, is but one example.
Alanna Cooper and Sharona Hoffman, both of whom are on the faculty of the Case Western Reserve University, are not nearly the outliers that their position might once have made them. Similar views have been expressed in Moment Magazine, and elsewhere:
Given that the subject keeps coming up, it seemed that we ought to hear from Gil Troy, who perhaps more than anyone today, is busy making the case for Zionism across the world. Our conversation with him follows below as today’s podcast.
In his role at the JPPI, Gil Troy has written these two “essential guides” that are available for free download at the following links:
The Essential Guide to October 7th and Its Aftermath
The Essential Guide to Zionism, Anti-Zionism, Antisemitism and Jew-Hatred
Gil Troy is a Senior Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, the Global ThinkTank of the Jewish People, and a Distinguished Scholar in North American History at McGill University currently living in Jerusalem, he is an award-winning American presidential historian and a leading Zionist activist. He is the author of “To Resist the Academic Intifada: Letters to My Students on Defending the Zionist Dream”.
President Isaac Herzog recently wrote: “With these timely, must-read, letters to his students – and to us all – Gil Troy confirms his stature as a revered teacher, a leading public intellectual, and one of today’s influential Zionist thinkers.” Israel’s former ambassador to the US, Michael Oren added: “Gil Troy’s work belongs in the core curriculum of all those willing to stand up and defend the State of Israel,” while Israel’s former Special Envoy for Combating AntiSemitism Noa Tishby says: “If you want to know Why Israel, Why Zionism, Why Liberalism, Why Americanism, Why stand up for yourselves – and how to fight the Jihadists and what he accurately calls The Academic Intifada – read this book… now.”
Troy also published “The Essential Guide to October 7th and its Aftermath: Facts, Figures, History,” a highly useful and important resource that I urge you to share.
Troy is the editor of the new three-volume set, “Theodor Herzl: Zionist Writings,” the inaugural publication of The Library of the Jewish People. In 2020, he and Natan Sharansky co-authored Never Alone: Prison, Politics and My People. This Memoirfesto or Manifestoire, as they call it, was published by PublicAffairs of Hachette. In 2023, an updated paperback edition appeared along with , as a Hebrew translation.
A more complete biography and a listing of Troy’s many books can be found here.
The link at the top of this posting will take free subscribers to an excerpted portion of today’s conversation.
For paid subscribers, the link at the top will take you to the full conversation; below, paid subscribers will also find a transcript for those who prefer to read, as always.
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