Welcome to a new series we are calling "Sitting Down With..." where we speak for 20 minutes (max) with unique and well-spoken individuals in Israel.

Our good friend Eliyahu Pereira from Two Chassids in a Pod & The Alshech Academy joined us to discuss different spiritual efforts that can be made to help the Jewish people and Israel in this difficult time of war.

Joe Truzman is a research analyst at Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Long War Journal, focused primarily on Palestinian militant groups and Hezbollah.

He also contributes to FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP). Joe has assisted non-governmental organizations and policymakers in identifying Palestinian groups and their members. He has served on panels discussing Palestinian militant group activity in Gaza and has provided evidence to investigators at the United Nations on their activities. Joe’s findings have been cited in many news articles around the world.

Follow Joe on Twitter to get minute-to-minute updates of the situation as it unfolds in Israel: https://twitter.com/JoeTruzman

Noah Jacobson is the host of Unpacked's new channel, Big Jewish Ideas: "Big Jewish Ideas is well, a place for just that. We’re going to be looking for answers and exploring the spiritual side of Judaism. Beyond the basics of how to practice, we’re more interested in why people practice it and what it all means."

Noah is also a founding member of The Maccabeats, Jewish music and a cappella phenomena from Yeshiva University.

On today's show we are pleased to have Rick Richman. Mr. Richman is a writer and author who has frequently penned pieces for such publications as  the New York Sun, the Jewish Press and Commentary,  to name a view. He is the author of Racing Against History: The 1940 Campaign for a Jewish Army to FIght Hitler and in 2003 starting his own blog Jewish Current Issues, articles essays, books and comments relating to Current Jewish issues. His most recent book, And None Shall Make Them Afraid: Eight Stories of the Modern State of Israel, shed’s light on the life and accomplishments of 8 different Jews half of whom hail from Europe and the United States, recounting the trials and tribulations of their faith and fight to reclaim the Jewish spirit. A scholar of many hats who speaks with a singular voice and possesses an acute understanding of the relationship between history and memory,  Rick Richman sheds light on the historical intersections of Zionism and Americanism one figure at a time.

Itamar is an internally acclaimed screenwriter and playwright. An alumni of Yale and NYU Itamar has taught playwriting at both institutions. In 2018 Moses received the Tony Award for his work on The Band's Visit, based on the 2007 Israeli film of the same name which tells the story of a group of Egyptian musicians who get lost on their way to a concert in Israel, winding up in a small town in the center of the Israeli desert. Moses’s writing is not limited to musicals and has written for such shows as Men of a Certain Age and Boardwalk Empire. Now, Itamar is showcasing his latest work, an on-stage rendition of the kid's classic, "An American Tale, The Musical" at the Children's Theater Company in Minneapolis, MN.

Whether it's for stage or screen, Itamar Moses continues his prodigious output of creativity, dazzling theater and living room audiences one script at a time.

Screenwriter, app developer & guitarist— all in his own head. Rabbi @alamochabad & co-founder @YJSAtx. Long Island native. Dad of 7. Rabbi at @oneandahalfrabbis

Back on for the third time, we are pleased to have Ben M. Freeman back on the program. Ben is a Jewish studies educator and chief participant in the modern day Jewish pride movement. He serves as a Jewish Diplomat for the World Jewish Congress and a Research Fellow for the The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP). A frequent lecturer on the global stage, Ben has come to serve as a preeminent leader for Jews globally, representing the intersection between Jewish triumph and tragedy, illuminating the subtle yet symbolic nuances of Jewish identity required to bring about Jewish pride. 

We talk new Gregorian calendar, Israeli politics, the battle between Light & Darkness, and plans for 2023. See you soon for Season 4! 

Scott is an editorial writer, political advocate, Jewish rights activist, and in the past served as a newspaper publisher. He currently serves as Special Advisor to the Nassau County Executive on the Combating Antisemitism Task Force. An active participant in local politics, holding senior staff positions for the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate for over two decades; he is an active member within Israeli and Jewish spaces throughout Nassau County, serving the global Jewish community one day at a time.

You can find all of his published work on Times of Israel here

Follow Scott Cushing on Instagram here

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