Jewanced

This week on Jewanced, we host the 2nd part of our exclusive 2-part series to find out which presidential candidate would be "better for the Jews".

We take a deep dive into issues of concern to Israel and the Jewish community in the upcoming presidential election, offering each side a platform to present its case in depth. 

In today’s episode, part 2, we are honored to host Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN), National Chairman, Board of Directors of the Republican Jewish Coalition. 

Sen. Coleman delves into his upbringing in Jewish Brooklyn alongside other notable political figures, his rise through the world of local, state, and national politics, his switching of party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, behind-the-scenes cooperation in the Senate, and his heartfelt perspective on why President Trump and the Republican party are better for Jews, America, and Israel. You won't want to miss this!

Link to the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Link to watch the FULL EPISODE on our YouTube channel.

As always, make sure to subscribe to Jewanced on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

For more information, visit us at http://www.jewanced.com

Starting this week on Jewanced, we host two special guests for an exclusive 2-part series to find out which presidential candidate would be "better for the Jews".

We take a deep dive into issues of concern to Israel and the Jewish community in the upcoming presidential election, offering each side a platform to present its case in depth. 

In today’s episode, part 1, we are honored to host Halie Soifer, Executive Director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America and former national security advisor to VP candidate Sen. Kamala Harris. 

Halie offers her impassioned argument for why these elections are critical for our future, and why the Jewish community (and all Americans) must vote for Biden/Harris. We talk about anti-Semitism, handling of the Covid-19 crisis and of course, Israel. You won't want to miss this!

Link to the Jewish Democratic Council of America

And, for the first time, Jewanced is available in VIDEO - on our website www.jewanced.com and on our YouTube channel - because we know you wanted to watch our pretty faces live in action. Check out the FULL EPISODE!

Next week on the podcast (Thursday, Oct. 15), we air part 2 when we will be honored to host former Senator Norman Coleman (R-MN), National Chairman, Board of

Directors of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

As always, make sure to subscribe to Jewanced on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

For more information, visit us at http://www.jewanced.com

2020 has been a challenging year for all - but did you know that Israel is also at the global forefront of solving some of the world's biggest problems and, in the process, greatly improving lives everywhere?!

On today's episode of the podcast, Dan and Benny sit down with the undisputed oracle of optimism, superstar author AVI JORISCH for a truly inspiring conversation about world-changing Israeli innovations and why Israel seems to be atop the innovation world. Avi talks about his recent book - Thou Shalt Innovate - and his upcoming book on the optimistic future of humanity. They also take a side journey into Middle East developments, including Avi's first book about Hezbollah's popular television station and his journey into Beirut to research it.

Avi Jorisch is a seasoned entrepreneur and the author of five books, including Thou Shalt Innovate: How Israeli Ingenuity Repairs the World (2018), which, by 2021, will appear in over 40 languages. A former official in the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Defense, Avi is a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, a member at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). He is also the founder of IMS, a merchant processing company that works with clients nationwide. In the past two decades, Avi has lectured around the world and has published articles in nearly 50 influential outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Affairs, and has appeared on CNN, CSPAN, Fox News, MSNBC and the 700 club.

Links:

• Buy Avi’s book, Thou Shalt Innovate: How Israeli Ingenuity Repairs the World on Amazon

• Avi’s website

• Video clip of Avi Jorisch – Thou Shalt Innovate – Israeli innovations changing the lives of billions

As always, make sure to subscribe to Jewanced on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

For more information, visit us at http://www.jewanced.com

Ahead of Yom Kippur, Dan and Benny sit down with the fascinating Dr. Moshe Weinstock for a deep dive into the origins and meaning of the annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to the grave of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, in the Ukrainian town of Uman!!! This event, in recent years, has attracted tens of thousands of Jews - Chassidic, Haredi, Dati, Mizrahi and secular, and we wanted to learn why. Moshe takes us on a virtual tour of Uman, explores deeper trends at play and dispels common myths (drugs and prostitutes?). 

Moshe literally wrote the book on this (in Hebrew), "The Israeli Journey to the Grave of Rebbe Nachman from Breslov", having spent years researching the phenomenon and visiting Uman multiple times. 

As it turns out, Moshe is also a teacher of Jewish philosophy and an expert and pedagogical consultant to virtual learning start-ups, something relevant to all of us these days as schools across the world have gone virtual. He previously served as Head of Pedagogical Affairs at Israel’s Ministry of Education until 2018.  

Links:

• Buy Moshe’s book, The Israeli Journey to the Grave of Rebbe Nachman from Breslov (in Hebrew) here
• Moshe’s Facebook page

• Video clip of the Achnasat Orchim in Uman

• Video clip showing highlights of the pilgrimage in Uman

As always, make sure to subscribe to Jewanced on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

For more information, visit us at http://www.jewanced.com

On this episode of the podcast, we at Jewanced have a special announcement and a special request...

This week, ahead of Rosh Hashanah, we had the pleasure of hosting the truly hilarious standup comic, screenwriter, and actor, Avi Liberman.

As many of you know, each year Avi organizes an amazing initiative – Comedy for Koby.

Comedy for Koby is an annual event that raises money for The Koby Mandell Foundation, which helps bereaved mothers, fathers, widows, orphans, and siblings who have lost loved ones to terror and other tragedies to rebuild their lives and create meaning out of suffering.

During normal years, Avi brings with him well known American comedians to Israel, where they play a number of shows around the country, with all proceeds raising money for this important cause.

This year, due to Covid-19, Avi came alone and did his best to hold a number of shows with local Israeli comedians and also by himself. With the new upcoming lockdown starting this Friday, Avi has had to cancel many of these fundraising shows he had planned.

So - we at Jewanced are hoping to help out. Instead of going to one of the amazing Comedy for Koby shows this year - check out the podcast!

During the episode, Avi hilariously describes his experience actually having contracted Covid-19, a behind-the-scenes tour of the stand-up comedy world, a preview of two fascinating scripts he’s written and is working to get produced as movies, comedy in the world of political correctness, and much more.

Perhaps most importantly, after you enjoy this awesome episode with Avi - please consider donating to the Koby Mandell Foundation!

Links:

·        Donate to the Koby Mandell Foundation at this secured link

·        Avi Liberman on Instagram

·        Avi Liberman on Facebook

·        Check out Avi’s documentary on Comedy for Koby, ‘Land of Milk and Funny’ here

·        Comedy for Koby’s official website

·        Comedy for Koby on Facebook

·        The Koby Mandell Foundation’s official website

As always, make sure to subscribe to Jewanced on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

For more information, visit us at http://www.jewanced.com (new and improved website coming soon!)

These days, China appears in the headlines A LOT! Whether in regard to its growing influence in international relations, competition with the United States, 5G and information technology rivalries with the West, or, of course, the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s impossible not to notice the incredible prowess and impact of the world’s most populous nation and second-largest economy.

That's why we decided to meet with one of the top China experts around – Carice Witte, Founder and Executive Director of SIGNAL (Sino-Israel Global Network & Academic Leadership) - for a deep-dive into... well... everything China.

We talked about China’s rich history, cultural identity, and international affairs, as well as China’s worldview and efforts to reshape the international order, the evolution and growth of China-Israel relations (of which Carice played a key role in fostering), and how the Chinese feel about Israelis and Jews.

Carice Witte is the Founder and Executive Director of SIGNAL (Sino-Israel Global Network & Academic Leadership), an Israeli policy organization that specializes on China-Israel relations.  Ms. Witte initiated Chinese-Israeli Track-II exchanges in 2011. Having led over 1,000 briefings in China and Israel, she established a semi-annual China-Israel and annual China-Israel-U.S. Track-II dialogue in 2017. 

In 2011, Ms. Witte initiated the founding of Israel Studies Programs (ISPs) at universities across China, including an annual program held in Israel for Chinese faculty on teaching Israel Studies. 

An expert on China and China-Israel relations, Ms. Witte is a leading contributor to defining this field of policy research in Israel. Ms. Witte has authored articles, research and policy analysis papers on Sino-Israel relations, trade policy, strategic communications, and global Jewry. Her research focuses on Israel’s perspective on Xi Jinping Thought and its potential implications for the Middle East, Israel and the BRI, China in the Middle East, and China’s foreign policy. 

Links:

• SIGNAL's website
• SIGNAL's Twitter
• Carice's most recent article in Calcalist, Israel's leading source of economic news.

As always, make sure to subscribe to Jewanced on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

For more information, visit us at http://www.jewanced.com

With the High Holidays right around the corner, Jewanced is happy to help get everyone in the spirit with a special holiday episode with Chazzan Daniel Schwartz.

Together with Schwartz, Dan and Benny totally geek out and take a deep dive into the rich world of traditional Ashkenazic Chazzanut (the institution of the Cantorate).  We learn about the amazing tapestry of history behind this art form that dates back millennia, possibly to the time of the 2nd Temple. Daniel guides us on an incredible journey through its origins, progression through Western & Eastern Europe to America, Israel and beyond, as well as introduces us to the world of nusach tefilah & some of the great Chazzanim of the 20th century (Leib Glantz & Jacob Barkin…need I say more?!). We invite you to join us and go behind the scenes as we try to capture the essence of a true craft that helps guide us through prayer and that, at times, leads us to tantalizingly touch the most nostalgic emotions of our youth. 

Links:

·       Cantor Daniel Schwartz singing Tal by Israel Alter

·       Cantor Daniel Schwartz with the Anim Zemirot Choir- Kahn's Kedusha

·       Cantor Daniel Schwartz – Hashir Shehalviim

As always, make sure to subscribe to Jewanced at https://open.spotify.com/show/6984NiP7H1ULW9lJeVt8Ie

on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7r6xLC1K4Zf29i9ttxbNFg

Confused about everything happening in the region? So were we!

That's why we decided to sit with one of the top Middle East intelligence and policy analysts around - Col (res.) Udi Evental - for a deep-dive into... well... everything.

We talked about the major forces shaping the region, Iran, US foreign policy, Lebanon, Russia, the Palestinians and of course, the UAE-Israel agreement.

While serving in uniform for 25 years, Colonel Evental served as head of the Strategic Planning Unit of the Political-Military and Policy Bureau of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Assistant to the Military Secretary of the Prime Minister (PM Office), Intelligence Attaché in Washington, D. C. and elsewhere. He has held various positions with the intelligence and planning directorates of the IDF and has extensive experience in the fields of intelligence analysis, strategy and policy planning, and military diplomacy. He is the author of "Spotlight: Israel & The Middle East" an IPS weekly brief on strategic issues facing Israel and the region and will soon be teaching a course on policy planning at the Interdisciplinary Center-Herzliya’s (IDC) Arison School of Government.

Links:

·        Links to Udi’s publications at the IDC’s Institute for Policy & Strategy

·        Link to the IDC’s Institute for Policy & Strategy (IPS)

·        Link to the official page of the IDC’s Institute for Policy & Strategy’s upcoming international online conference on ‘Israel in an Era of Crises – Where do we go from here?

Follow Col. (Res.) Evental on Twitter at @UEvental

On this very special episode of Jewanced, Benny and Dan sit down with Naftali Aklum, CEO & Founder of Yerus Project, which passionately educates Israelis and the world about the unique story of Ethiopian Jewry. Recorded live at his home in the Negev city of Be'er Sheva, Naftali takes us on a journey through the mind-blowing history and heritage of this unique Jewish community, from its origins over 2,500 years ago arriving from Jerusalem after the destruction of the 1st Temple to the highlands of Ethiopia. We then hear the incredible one of a kind and deeply moving account of its harrowing aliya-immigration/homecoming to Jerusalem and the Land of Israel as pioneered by his brother, the legendary Mossad agent Ferede Aklum. Ferede's heroic story is the basis for the Netflix hit movie Red Sea Diving Resort, for which Naftali consulted. Naftali then takes us through the present-day realities and challenges of modern life in Israel.

Together with Naftali, explore one of the Jewish People's most unforgettable tales of overcoming hardship, realizing age-old dreams, and succeeding beyond all odds. Naftali’s story of learning to take pride in his own complex identity is the story of Israel’s Ethiopian Jewish community. Finally, listen to Naftali share his personal views on the racial divide in the United States, Black Jewish American identity and some of the current challenges and obstacles facing Black Jews and the broader Jewish community in the U.S. today.

This episode is a part of a new collaboration with Tribe Herald, the premier media company focused on Jews of Color and those in the Jewish community whose unique needs and concerns are not always addressed by traditional Jewish media.

At Jewanced, we are all about exploring and seeking to understand Israel and the Jewish world from multiple and nuanced perspectives, and to challenge popular conceptions. Therefore, a platform that gives a voice to Jews of Color and those who feel marginalized by the mainstream Jewish community is one we are proud to collaborate with. 

After listening to the podcast, make sure to check out the feature article about Naftali and Jewanced on Tribe Herald later this week. www.tribeherald.com

Links:

• Yerus Project at www.jewsofethiopia.com 
• Donate to and support the Yerus Project here
• Tribe Herald's website
• View and listen to traditional Ethiopian Jewish music and prayers as sung by the community's religious leaders, the Kesim.
• The cover of The Power of One, the story of Naftali's legendary brother Ferede Aklum. The book is available for sale through the Yerus Project for $35 (includes shipping).

As always, make sure to subscribe to Jewanced at https://open.spotify.com/show/6984NiP7H1ULW9lJeVt8Ie on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to our