In this episode of Boundless Insights, Dr. Rachel Fish is joined by Rabbi David Wolpe, Rabbi Emeritus of Sinai Temple and former visiting professor at Harvard Divinity School. Rabbi Wolpe shares his firsthand experiences with antisemitism on Harvard’s campus, his involvement and subsequent resignation from an advisory group tasked with addressing antisemitism, and his broader reflections on the challenges facing American higher education. They discuss the underlying ideological challenges at Harvard and other elite institutions and the urgent need for genuine viewpoint diversity and courageous moral leadership in academia. Rabbi Wolpe also reflects on the internal dynamics of the Jewish community, advocating for clear boundaries around anti-Zionism and urging resilience and courageous engagement.

Guest Bio:

David Wolpe, named America’s most influential rabbi by Newsweek and one of the world’s 50 most influential Jews by The Jerusalem Post, is the Max Webb Emeritus Rabbi of Sinai Temple. He is the ADL’s inaugural rabbinic fellow and a scholar in residence at the Maimonides Fund. Rabbi Wolpe has taught at leading institutions including Harvard and UCLA, and his writing appears in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Time. A frequent media guest and public debater on religion, he is the author of eight books, including the national bestseller Making Loss Matter and David: The Divided Heart, a National Jewish Book Award finalist now optioned by Warner Bros.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Harvard’s Antisemitism Report

Rabbi Wolpe’s essay in The Free Press: "Harvard is Spraying Perfume on a Sewer"

Host Aviva Klompas is joined by historian and former Israeli ambassador to the United States, Dr. Michael Oren, to mark the 600th day since the October 7 attacks. They delve into the profound challenges Israel faces both internationally and domestically.

Internationally, Israel finds itself increasingly isolated, with strained relations even with its closest ally, the United States. Domestically, the nation grapples with political dysfunction, social divisions, economic strain, and a growing crisis of faith in its institutions.

Dr. Oren offers a unique perspective, combining historical context with political analysis and personal insight, to assess whether this period represents a moment of reckoning for Israel. 

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to leave a review and share it with others.

Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

Host Aviva Klompas sits down with Brianna Wu—a progressive activist and tech trailblazer who’s made a name for herself by standing up to harassment and extremism in every form. Today, that includes speaking out for Israel.

Brianna is part of a small group of progressive voices willing to challenge the dominant narrative on Israel. While many on the left rush to condemn Israel and remain silent about Hamas and Hezbollah, Brianna has chosen a different path—one rooted in moral clarity, courage, and principle.

Aviva and Brianna dive into why the progressive movement is getting Israel so wrong, how it became politically toxic to stand up for the Jewish state, and what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the backlash. They talk about Brianna’s first trip to Israel, the shifting dynamics inside the Democratic Party, and what still keeps her proudly in the fight as a Democrat. Brianna also offers her message to young progressives who feel torn between standing for justice and standing with Israel.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to leave a review and share it with others. Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

Guest Bio:

Brianna Wu rose to national prominence during Gamergate, a flashpoint in the video game industry that pioneered many of the toxic tactics now common in online political discourse. She ran for Congress in 2018 as a progressive Democrat, but experienced a sharp break with her party following the October 7th Hamas attacks. Today, she is a prominent advocate for U.S./ Israel national security cooperation and a leading voice in the evolving debate over liberalism, extremism, and the future of the trans movement.

In memory of David Yair Shalom Naaman. Find his story here.

Two young Israeli embassy staffers - Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim - were murdered outside an AJC event in Washington, D.C. Their alleged killer reportedly declared, “I did it for Gaza.” This was not senseless violence - it was targeted, ideological, and part of a rising tide of antisemitism in America.

Aviva Klompas speaks with Ted Deutch, CEO of AJC, about who Yaron and Sarah were, how this attack reflects the normalization of Jew-hatred from both the far right and far left, and what must happen next—from political leadership to policy reform.

This is a sobering episode—and a call to act with clarity and courage.

Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

Guest Bio:

Ted Deutch is the CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. A lifelong Jewish and pro-Israel advocate, Ted served over a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he chaired the House Ethics Committee and the Middle East Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs. He co-founded the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism and was active in numerous interfaith and interethnic caucuses.

Power dynamics in the Middle East are shifting fast. From renewed nuclear diplomacy with Iran to a possible expansion of the Abraham Accords, the Trump administration seems to be betting on a strategy of regional realignment. But are we witnessing real strategic transformation, or just another cycle of regional maneuvering?

In this episode, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus – former IDF spokesperson and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies - to break down what’s really happening behind the headlines.

Don’t miss future episodes of Boundless Insights. Follow us for more expert analysis and deep dives into the issues shaping Israel and the world.

Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

Guest Bio:
Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on the Middle East and the host of The Bottom Line, a weekly summary of events in the Middle East. 

He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, as a military diplomat, foreign relations expert, and international spokesperson. He recently retired as lieutenant colonel. Jonathan was the first Israeli officer to be seconded to the United Nations (UN), during which he provided military and strategic analysis for UN peacekeeping forces.

In early May, Israel approved a sweeping new operational plan known as “Gideon’s Chariots.” The IDF has been given the green light for a major campaign in Gaza aimed at dismantling Hamas once and for all.

The plan outlines a full-scale incursion, the establishment of a humanitarian zone under Israeli control, and the controversial proposal to encourage voluntary emigration for Palestinians who wish to leave the Strip.

At the same time, the UN, international media, and even some governments are accusing Israel of orchestrating a famine in Gaza. So what’s actually happening on the ground — and what comes next?

In this episode, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus — former IDF international spokesperson and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies — to break down what’s real, what’s misunderstood, and what the future of Gaza may hold.

Don’t miss future episodes of Boundless Insights. Follow us for more expert analysis and deep dives into the issues shaping Israel and the world.

Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

Guest Bio:
Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on the Middle East and the host of The Bottom Line, a weekly summary of events in the Middle East.

He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, as a military diplomat, foreign relations expert, and international spokesperson. He recently retired as lieutenant colonel. Jonathan was the first Israeli officer to be seconded to the United Nations (UN), during which he provided military and strategic analysis for UN peacekeeping forces.

Info on Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT)

In recent weeks, U.S. foreign policy decisions have raised alarms in Israel. A ceasefire with the Houthis came with no demand they stop attacking Israel. Four rounds of nuclear talks with Iran have excluded Jerusalem entirely. The release of Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American hostage, caught even his family off guard. And now, the U.S. has dropped its demand that Saudi Arabia normalize ties with Israel as part of a nuclear deal.

Each move on its own might be explained. But taken together, they paint a troubling picture—one that suggests Israel is being bypassed, sidelined, or used as leverage.

Aviva Klompas speaks with Dr. Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to Washington, about what these changes signal for the U.S.-Israel alliance.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others.

Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

Host Aviva Klompas sits down with Izabella Tabarovsky to unpack how foreign funding and Soviet-era propaganda have shaped the crisis unfolding on American campuses.

Universities once seen as bastions of free thought are now flooded with billions of dollars from authoritarian regimes like Qatar and China — and the effects are plain to see. Students rally in support of terrorist groups. Jewish students are harassed without consequence.

Izabella explains how Soviet disinformation campaigns against Zionism laid the ideological groundwork for today’s anti-Israel narratives, why Jewish identity has been systematically distorted in academic discourse, and how foreign money buys influence over what students are taught and believe.

We also explore the broader impact of this infiltration beyond the university gates — on American democracy, civic culture, and the future of Jewish life — and ask what can be done to push back against it.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others.

Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

Referenced in this episode:
Qatar and China Are Pouring Billions Into Elite American Universities in The Free Press

Guest Bio:

Izabella Tabarovsky is a scholar of Soviet antizionism and contemporary antisemitism. She is a Senior Fellow with the Z3 Institute for Jewish Priorities in Palo Alto, CA and a Fellow with several prominent academic and policy centers, including the Comper Center for Contemporary Antisemitism at Haifa University; the London Center for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, and ISGAP. She is a contributing writer at Tablet magazine. Her writings have appeared in Newsweek, Sapir, Quillette, The National Interest, Fathom, Forward, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, as well as several essay collections, including The Rebirth of Antisemitism in the 21stCentury: From the Academic Boycott Campaign into the Mainstream;Mapping the New Left Antisemitism: The Fathom Essays; and Jewish Priorities: Sixty-Five Proposals for the Future of Our People.

Dr. Rachel Fish sits down with two leading voices in higher education - Dr. Jessica Liebowitz and Dr. Ron Liebowitz - to discuss the big questions facing the academy today.

How can universities reclaim their commitment to truth-seeking, intellectual integrity, and academic rigor—especially in a time of rising antisemitism and growing public distrust?

Jessica introduces an innovative AI-driven project designed to evaluate the quality of peer-reviewed scholarship in highly politicized fields, helping distinguish serious research from ideological activism.

Ron takes a broader view, examining the headwinds facing higher ed: declining enrollment, politicized classrooms, and the erosion of public confidence—and reflects on what real leadership and accountability should look like.

From academic publishing and AI to university governance, campus culture, and the role of trustees, this wide-ranging conversation offers insights and ideas for the future of higher education.

Guest Bios:

Dr. Jessica Liebowitz is a Research Scientist in Computer Science at Brandeis University, where she is co-founder and co-director of the Data Science Internal Internship (DSII) lab. Dr. Liebowitz also serves as the Chair of the Advisory Council of the Brandeis Hebrew Consortium, is a member of the Board of Directors of Fulbright Israel, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Following her role as lead telecommunications policy staffer for U.S. Senator Pete v Domenici, Liebowitz served as Adjunct Professor and Fellow at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information of the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. She holds a PhD from Harvard University, BA from Yale University, and Honorary Doctorate from Middlebury College.

Ron Liebowitz is president emeritus of Brandeis University and president emeritus of Middlebury College. He earned a BA from Bucknell University and a doctorate from Columbia University. As President of Brandeis University, Ron launched in the spring of 2023 an initiative to focus on antisemitism in higher ed, and also an initiative to deepen academic ties with institutions of higher ed in Israel as a response to growing BDS in the American academy. His scholarship has focused on the nationality question in the former Soviet Union and issues in higher education.  During his career, he has served as a department chair, dean of the faculty, provost, and president and was a trustee of a leading liberal arts college.

We’re diving into an issue that sits at the core of Israel’s security and its enduring relationship with the United States: foreign aid.

U.S. assistance has been a critical force in strengthening Israel’s defense capabilities. But as Dr. Michael Oren explains, it hasn’t come without costs. While aid has helped build Israel’s military strength, it has also created strategic dependencies and, at times, limited Israel’s autonomy on the global stage.

In this conversation, we explore how U.S. aid to Israel evolved from early economic assistance into today’s substantial military funding. We examine why aid, while beneficial, can also be a double-edged sword — tying Israel’s hands when it comes to innovation, defense exports, and strategic decision-making.

Dr. Oren also walks us through the shifting political dynamics in the United States, including the growing influence of progressive voices that are reshaping foreign policy and making support for Israel increasingly contentious. He offers a candid assessment of how these trends are impacting the U.S.-Israel relationship — and why Israel must be prepared to rethink its approach to American aid.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others. We’d also love to hear your thoughts! Write to us at [email protected]

Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

Referenced in this episode:
Dive deeper into the topic with Ambassador Michael Oren’s provocative 2021 article in Tablet Magazine: "Is U.S. Aid a Threat to Israel?"