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Hannah Senesh is one of the most iconic figures of Israel’s pre-state history - a young poet and parachutist whose story has become part of national memory. But who was she beyond the symbol, and what can her story still teach us today?

Host Aviva Klompas speaks with Matti Friedman about his new book Out of the Sky, which revisits the story of Senesh and the Jewish parachutists who were sent behind enemy lines during World War II. Together, they explore the gap between the mythology and the lived reality of these young fighters, and what motivated them to act in a moment when the world largely stood by.

The conversation examines how Jews have historically understood vulnerability, responsibility, and the limits of relying on others for protection. It also looks at the tension between individual lives and the national narratives that are later built around them.

Along the way, they draw connections to the present: the persistence of old questions about identity and belonging, the limits of assimilation, and the ways Jewish history continues to echo in contemporary moments of crisis.

Guest Bio:

Matti Friedman is an award-winning author of five works of nonfiction, translated into more than a dozen languages. His newest book is Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe, published in 2026.

His previous books include Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai, a Vanity Fair best book of the year, Spies of No Country, which won the Natan Book Award, and Pumpkinflowers, a New York Times Notable Book.

A former Associated Press correspondent, his reporting has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Smithsonian. He now writes from Jerusalem for The Free Press.

Matti was born in Toronto and lives in Jerusalem with his family.