The Karol Markowicz Show

Karol Markowicz sits down with Tablet Magazine’s Liel Leibovitz for a powerful conversation about Jewish faith, identity, antisemitism, and why reconnecting with the Torah may be more important than ever.

Liel explains the mission behind the Simchat Torah Challenge and why Jews of every level of observance can find wisdom, meaning, and spiritual strength in the Torah. He also shares his own journey back to religious Judaism, why modern life is facing a deeper spiritual crisis, and his surprisingly optimistic prediction that America could be headed toward a new golden age. 

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Karol Markowicz sits down with author and Storytime for Grown Ups host Faith Moore to discuss her new romantic comedy, Wooing Jane, a wildly original story that brings Henry VIII into the modern world to help two lonely people fall in love.

Their conversation quickly expands into a bigger question: Have men and women forgotten how to woo each other? Moore discusses chivalry, modern feminism, changing expectations between men and women, and why people can struggle to form meaningful romantic relationships in an increasingly online world.

Karol and Faith also explore dating apps, online friendships, parasocial relationships and the danger of comparing imperfect real people with idealized versions of people created online. Moore argues that while technology can help people connect, ultimately “reality is the most important thing.” 

Plus, Faith explains why she believes younger generations may begin putting down their phones and reconnecting with books, exercise, the outdoors and face-to-face relationships. And she closes with a simple piece of advice for building a better life: the things worth having are often hard—and you can do hard things.

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Karol Markowicz sits down with Dr. Yossi Sheffi, MIT professor and author of Unsafe at MIT: A Chronicle of a Campus War on the Jews, for a candid conversation about antisemitism, campus activism and what Jewish students have experienced at one of America’s most prestigious universities.

Sheffi explains why he decided to document events at MIT, including interviews with roughly 50 students, and argues that although conditions on campus have improved, an undercurrent of antisemitism and harassment remains. He describes Jewish students being excluded from study groups and discusses why that can have a particularly serious impact in engineering programs built around collaborative work.

Karol and Sheffi also tackle a question facing Jewish parents: Should their children still attend elite universities where antisemitism has become a concern? Sheffi discusses alternatives, the difference between undergraduate and graduate education, and efforts by Jewish faculty and students to build stronger communities and academic partnerships. 

Plus, Sheffi discusses the response he's received since publishing Unsafe at MIT, why he believes speaking out is worth the consequences, and the life philosophy that guides him: do the right thing regardless of whether people applaud or vilify you.

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Karol Markowicz sits down with education researcher and policy expert Jay Greene, Director of Research at Do No Harm and Senior Fellow at the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies, for a wide-ranging conversation about school choice, antisemitism, higher education, DEI, medicine, and the future of American education.

Greene explains his research into antisemitism and challenges the idea that greater education necessarily reduces anti-Jewish attitudes. He discusses an experiment designed to measure differences in how respondents treated Jewish and non-Jewish subjects and offers his theory about the political and social forces that can sustain antisemitism. 

Karol and Jay also dive into the dramatic expansion of school choice, including Greene’s role in developing what he calls the “Red State Strategy.” Greene explains why advocates shifted their argument toward parental control over children's education and discusses the growth of universal school-choice programs following the pandemic.

Plus, Greene discusses why he believes Jewish institutional life could experience a renaissance, his upcoming research, and why his advice for young people is simple: start adulthood early—work, marry, build a family, and avoid unnecessarily delaying adulthood. 

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Best-selling author and three-time National Jewish Book Award winner Dara Horn joins Karol Markowicz to discuss her new book, The Final Solution to the Jewish Question: A Love Story for the Living, and what thousands of years of Jewish history can teach us about survival, courage and refusing to bow to tyranny.

Horn explains why she sees Jewish civilization as a tradition built around questioning, dissent and individual agency—and why the Jewish people don't fit neatly into modern categories of religion, ethnicity or identity. She also discusses the rise of antisemitism since October 7, her experience serving on Harvard's antisemitism advisory group and the challenges Jewish students face on elite college campuses.

Karol and Dara also examine whether institutions like Harvard can change, why Horn believes some traditional approaches to combating antisemitism have fallen short, and her efforts to educate students about Jewish history through the Tell Institute.

Plus, Horn shares an optimistic prediction about the future of artificial intelligence and truth online—and explains why having the courage to speak up, even when doing so carries a social cost, can ultimately strengthen your integrity.

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Karol Markowicz is joined by Jordan Schachtel, publisher of The Dossier, to break down the growing debate over artificial intelligence, AI “doomerism,” and the push for greater government regulation of the technology.

Schachtel explains the concept of regulatory capture and why major AI companies could benefit from rules that make it harder for competitors to catch up. Karol and Jordan also discuss Mark Zuckerberg’s approach to AI safety, concerns that artificial intelligence could eliminate jobs, and why learning how to use AI may become essential for workers trying to stay competitive.

Plus, they examine the push to slow AI development, whether schools should embrace or restrict AI tools, the future of humanoid robots, and Jordan’s prediction for what the AI-powered world could look like five years from now.

The conversation closes on family, parenthood, and why avoiding envy and comparison can lead to a happier life.

EMAIL RYAN

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Karol Markowicz sits down with Wall Street Journal editorial board member Elliot Kaufman to discuss his new book, In the War Room: The Inside Story of Israel’s Fight Against Hamas and the Iranian Axis, co-authored with Jerusalem Post senior military analyst Yonah Jeremy Bob. The book reconstructs the internal debates and decisions that shaped Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks and the multifront conflict that followed.

Kaufman takes listeners inside the Israeli war cabinet as leaders debated whether to strike Hamas in Gaza or confront the potentially larger threat from Hezbollah in Lebanon. He describes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s initial hesitation over a ground invasion of Gaza, concerns that Israeli troops could be walking into a heavily prepared battlefield, and why it ultimately took 20 days after October 7 for Israeli ground forces to enter Gaza.

Kaufman also discusses Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah, including the internal deliberations surrounding Hassan Nasrallah and the decision not to give the Biden administration significant advance notice of the strike targeting him. According to Kaufman’s account, Israeli officials disagreed over whether Washington should be informed beforehand and how the United States might respond.

Karol and Kaufman also examine the Biden administration’s approach to Israel during the war, the relationship between Netanyahu and Israel’s military leadership, and what Kaufman and Bob learned through years of reporting and interviews with senior political, military and intelligence officials.

Finally, Kaufman discusses his path to journalism, his work covering Israel and Iran for The Wall Street Journal, his outlook for the American conservative movement, and why observing Shabbat has become one of the most meaningful parts of his life.

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On this episode of The Karol Markowicz Show, Karol sits down with Jennifer Van Laar, managing editor of RedState and a leading investigative journalist known for uncovering major political stories.

Jennifer shares her unconventional journey—from 20 years as a courtroom stenographer working on murder trials to becoming one of the most impactful investigative voices in conservative media. She explains how her courtroom experience taught her how to build cases, analyze evidence, and ultimately break major political stories.

The conversation dives into the investigation that exposed former Rep. Katie Hill, the year-long reporting effort that scrutinized RNC leadership and spending, and the pressures journalists face when reporting critically on their own political side. Jennifer also discusses the evolving mission of RedState, why intellectual honesty matters in political media, and how conservative outlets balance breaking news with opinion.

Karol and Jennifer also explore the future of California politics, the fallout from the Palisades fire, Governor Gavin Newsom’s leadership, and whether the political pendulum could swing back in the Golden State.

Plus, Jennifer reflects on her personal life—raising three sons as a single mother, finding purpose through storytelling, and why discovering your strengths and “staying in your lane” may be the key to long-term success.

Topics Covered in This Episode:

• Jennifer Van Laar’s path from court reporter to investigative journalist

• The RedState newsroom and conservative media today

• Major investigations that changed political careers

• Reporting on corruption within your own party

• California politics and the future of the state

• The importance of storytelling in journalism and life

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Karol Markowicz sits down with Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee, for a wide-ranging conversation about comedy, censorship, free speech, faith, family, and the future of artificial intelligence.

Dillon shares the unlikely story of how he became involved with The Babylon Bee, taking over the Christian satire site in 2018 and helping transform it into a major cultural force whose audience extends far beyond its original Christian conservative following.

He also takes Karol inside one of the most consequential chapters in the Bee’s history: its suspension from Twitter after refusing to delete a controversial joke. Dillon explains why the company was willing to risk losing access to the platform rather than censor itself—and how the controversy caught the attention of Elon Musk as concerns over online speech and censorship intensified.

Seth also opens up about fatherhood, the importance of speaking out even when there may be personal or professional consequences, and why serving others is one of his guiding principles. Finally, he looks ahead at how rapidly advancing AI and automation could fundamentally reshape the way people work, live and interact over the next five years.

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On this episode of the Karol Markowicz Show, Karol sits down with Amy Swearer, one of America’s leading voices on the Second Amendment, criminal justice reform, and mental health policy. Amy shares her journey from wanting to become a police officer to becoming a legal and policy expert shaping national conversations on gun rights, overcriminalization, and constitutional law.

They dive into the realities of gun violence, the role mental health plays in public policy, the future of Supreme Court battles over assault weapons bans, and why facts—not feelings—must guide policy decisions. Amy also opens up about marriage, ambition, and her philosophy on “strategic topography” — choosing the right hills to die on in life and politics.

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