Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

On this Independence Day episode, we're doing something a little different. Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan and we’re going to drill down into the roots of Israeli society.

As we know, Israel was officially founded on May 5, 1948. What was it like to be a European Jew the day before May 5, 1948, and what it was like the day after?

Then we talk about the next wave of immigration, the Arab Jews, and their less than warm reception.

And finally, Rettig Gur speaks briefly about Israeli society of 2022.

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IMAGE: An official shows the signed document which proclaims the establishment of the new Jewish state of Israel declared by prime minister David Ben-Gurion, left, in Tel Aviv at midnight on May 14, 1948. (AP Photo)

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