Cantor Eyal Bitton

2024-08-08

1. PROUDLY JEWISH PODCAST

Antisemitism on Campus: Teaching the Holocaust Post Oct 7 – with Nancy Harrowitz

Prof. Nancy Harrowitz, the Director of the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies at Boston University and a member of Congregation Neveh Shalom, joins me to discuss the pressing issues of antisemitism on campus, exploring the steps taken to ensure student safety and how to evaluate schools for potential concerns. We also examine whether comparisons to pre-War Germany are alarmist or warranted, and discuss the effectiveness of Holocaust education in combating antisemitism in light of the events of October 7. We reflect on what October 7 has taught us about Jewish identity in America and consider new approaches to teaching the Holocaust in our current environment.

Nancy Harrowitz is the Director of the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies at Boston University, as well as the director of a new program in Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Studies. She has written on the confluence of antisemitism and misogyny in the nineteenth century, as well as on Italian Jewish authors such as Giorgio Bassani, Primo Levi, and Carlo Levi. Her most recent book is “Primo Levi and the Identity of a Survivor.” She served as Chair of the Working Group on Antisemitism and anti-Israeli Harassment at Boston University this past semester.

Watch on CNS’ YouTube channel.
Listen on Spotify.
Or listen on Apple Podcasts.

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2. Haviv Rettig Gur Discusses Israel, Hezbollah, & the Biden Administration

Haviv Rettig Gur has been the foremost intellectual providing astute analysis of the political landscape affecting Israel since October 7. Each of Gur’s perspectives in this 15-minute interview on Hugh Hewitt’s podcast is worth hearing. I would highlight two moments:

Regarding the USA
(timestamp 08:04)

If you tell the Iranians that the Israeli response to whatever they’re going to do is going to be contained by Israel’s allies you are telling the Iranians to go for a larger attack.

Regarding the Campaign Against VP Pick Josh Shapiro
(Timestamp 10:42 )

The campaign against him is so clearly a campaign against him being a Jew because, if you have other candidates who have said the same things about Israel and have said them in the same way and have said them more often in support of Israel and they’re not having this campaign, that wing of the Democratic Party has a Jew problem. And it has nothing to do with Shapiro’s own personal views.

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3. Here I Am – With Shai Davidai

Shai Davidai, a Professor at Columbia University, became well known for his viral speech against hate towards Jews on Columbia’s campus.

In this podcast episode, Shai interviews Shabbos Kestenbaum, discussing various topics including Shabbos’s background as a Modern Orthodox Jew, his experiences at Harvard, the challenges of being visibly Jewish in the current climate, especially post-October 7th, and more. They also touch on the antisemitic incidents at Harvard and Shabbos’s efforts to combat them, including his involvement in a lawsuit against the university.

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4. Rabbi David Wolpe on the Theo Von Show

Rabbi David Wolpe goes on the popular Theo Von Show to talk about the history of Jewish people in the world, the resiliency of Israel in the region, and what both sides could do to create peace.

Campus Antisemitism
(Timestamp 16:02)

If you’re protesting the war and you think Israel shouldn’t be fighting the war that way, or you think they’re being indiscriminate in their bombing, I may disagree with you, but I totally get that. That is, I mean, as legitimate a protest as you could have. As soon as you say, “Therefore, Israel shouldn’t exist,” that shades into antisemitism.

Watch the full interview: