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What is Jewish identity without zionism? We talk to professor and rabbi of Fire Island Shaul Magid about the big question that’s dividing Jews all around the world.

In his new book, Shaul tries to decouple zionism from the state of Israel — making the point that zionism is detrimental to Israel and should become obsolete.

We talk to him about the importance of the diaspora and how he thinks Judaism has to become the center of American Jewish identity rather than what is now: Israel and Jewish nationalism. Shaul agrees with Yiddish writer Isaac Singer that if Jews hadn’t dispersed throughout the world, they would’ve been a small Arab tribe that would likely have disappeared centuries ago. As for the debate about whether Israel has a right to exist, Shaul points out that no state has a right to exist — it exists, it’s a country like other countries.

—The Russians

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