The Israel Conversation

How did it come to this? Fourth elections in two years! Why did the current government collapse? Who are the major players in this story? What will happen next? Alan, Mike and Matt explain the headlines and all that you'll need to know to follow current events. Join us!

Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Michael Unterberg and Alan Goldman.

Makom Website

Please subscribe, listen to more episodes, and let us know what you think! We are happy to take topic requests and questions. And please rate and review us on Apple. Recommend us to friends.

According to the Talmud, Jews must love converts, and never mistreat them. Then why is David Ben Moshe, a Jew whose conversion was recognized by the Israeli Rabbinate, not being given Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return? Is it because of the criminal record in his pre-conversion life? Is it because he is a Jew of color?

This episode is longer than usual for our podcast, and the Israel issues come in about half way through. But we feel that David's personal journey of growth and repentance are a crucial prelude to understand the true injustice of denying his citizenship. And it is a fascinating, unique and deeply troubling story every step of the way. Please join us, and do what you can to help David in his struggle for justice and citizenship in the country he and his family call home.

Jpost Article

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Episode 115 about Israel's problems welcoming converts -  An interview with Rabbi Chashi Freedman of Nativ

Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Michael Unterberg and Alan Goldman.

Makom Website

Please subscribe, listen to more episodes, and let us know what you think! We are happy to take topic requests and questions. And please rate and review us on Apple. Recommend us to friends.

Why would Israel have assassinated Iran's leading nuclear weapon's expert? What could happen if Iran creates nuclear weapons? How will shifting American administrations change the dynamics in the region? Alan and Mike turned once again to expert Eran Lerman to help us understand this complex issue. Join us!

Eran Lerman

Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Michael Unterberg and Alan Goldman.

Makom Website

Please subscribe, listen to more episodes, and let us know what you think! We are happy to take topic requests and questions. And please rate and review us on Apple. Recommend us to friends.

With massacres in Northern Ethiopia on the rise, resolving the status of the last Jews there has become a matter of urgency. To explain the issue, Alan and Mike invited Uri Perednik, the founder and CEO of The Struggle for Aliyah for Ethiopian Jewry, an NGO that works with Jews in both Ghondar and Addis Ababa. Why are there Jews still left in Ethiopia? What is life like for them there? What more can Israel do to help them? What can we do? Join us to hear about this important topic.

Uri's Links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ethiopianjewryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethiopian_jews/Twitter: https://twitter.com/EthiopianJewryTelegram: https://t.me/ethiopianjewry

Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Michael Unterberg and Alan Goldman.

Makom Website

Please subscribe, listen to more episodes, and let us know what you think! We are happy to take topic requests and questions. And please rate and review us on Apple. Recommend us to friends.

Why are Israelis so focused on the NBA draft? Why does this sports news matter? What stories are being ignored? And what do we want to follow up on with Aaron David Miller? Join Alan, Mike and Benji for this news roundup!

Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Michael Unterberg and Alan Goldman.

Makom Website

Please subscribe, listen to more episodes, and let us know what you think! We are happy to take topic requests and questions. And please rate and review us on Apple. Recommend us to friends.

He was in all the rooms where it happened. Having worked for multiple American administrations, Aaron David Miller has tremendous access and insight into the world of Middle East diplomacy. In what way was having a personal relationship with Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat different than just watching him on the news? How do personal relationships shape diplomacy? What should the American team have done differently at Camp David? What were the pros and cons of the Trump administration's approach to diplomacy? What should we anticipate from a Biden administration?

All this and so much more! Alan and Mike learned so much, and we're sure you will as well. Don't miss this episode!

(note: we apologise for some glitches in Mike's sound quality this episode, but we don't think it will detract from the fascinating discussion)

Ha'aretz Tribute to Erekat

Aaron David Miller on Twitter, at Carnegie, and on Wikipedia.

Aaron David Miller is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former State Department Middle East analyst and negotiator in Republican and Democratic Administrations. He is a CNN Global Affairs Analyst and the author most recently of the End of Greatness: Why America Can’t Have (and Doesn’t Want ) Another Great President.

Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Michael Unterberg and Alan Goldman.

Makom Website

Please subscribe, listen to more episodes, and let us know what you think! We are happy to take topic requests and questions. And please rate and review us on Apple. Recommend us to friends.

Now that the dust seems to be settling on the American election, Alan and Mike invited Dr. Shany Mor to give them some perspective. Why are Israelis so focused on USA politics? What do changing administrations really mean for Israel and the Middle East? Join us for this enlightening discussion!

Shany Mor at the Israel Democracy Institute

Shany Mor at Tablet

Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Michael Unterberg and Alan Goldman.

Makom Website

Please subscribe, listen to more episodes, and let us know what you think! We are happy to take topic requests and questions. And please rate and review us on Apple. Recommend us to friends.

Alan and Mike wanted to know how Palestinians view the normalization of ties with the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan. They invited friend and colleague Firas Amad to share his thoughts. Firas is from East Jerusalem, and is a tour guide, educator and entrepreneur. We've invited him as a guest speaker to many of our students over the years. His opinions are his own, and they are informed and thought provoking. To understand any issue, it's crucial to hear out all sides and perspectives. That includes, maybe especially, perspectives that are very different from your own. From a Palestinian perspective, the new accords are largely irrelevant, and that becomes clear during the conversation. Join us for this engaging discussion!

Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Michael Unterberg and Alan Goldman.

Makom Website

Please subscribe, listen to more episodes, and let us know what you think! We are happy to take topic requests and questions. And please rate and review us on Apple. Recommend us to friends.

Calev Ben-Dor joins Alan and Mike to talk about his recent observations in Fathom. Is Israel an "I" culture or a "we" culture? How does that impact the fight against Corona? What is generating the weekly protests around the country? Is there a path out of the cynicism and distrust for institutions and leadership? Join us!

Calev's article in Fathom

Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Michael Unterberg and Alan Goldman.

Makom Website

Please subscribe, listen to more episodes, and let us know what you think! We are happy to take topic requests and questions. And please rate and review us on Apple. Recommend us to friends.