The Pluralist Podcast - with Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg

In this episode of The Pluralist Podcast: From Both Sides of the Ocean, we speak with educator and author Dr. Alex Sinclair about a moment that quickly went viral — when he was detained for wearing a kippah stitched with both Israeli and Palestinian flags, only to have it returned with the Palestinian flag cut out.

But this conversation goes far beyond one incident.

Together, we explore what it means to love Israel honestly at a time when many are struggling with the gap between their values and the actions of the state — and what it looks like to hold onto a vision of a more just, pluralistic future.

In this episode:

• What actually happened in the café — and why it resonated so widely
• The challenge of being a liberal Zionist in this moment
• The line between criticism, loyalty, and responsibility
• What gives hope, even now

Learn more from Alex Sinclair:

📘 Perfect Enemy (novel):
http://alexjsinclair.com/perfectenemy

📘 Loving the Real Israel:
https://a.co/d/06Ookd4H

📝 Alex’s original Facebook post:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18eLhedZ5v/?mibextid=wwXIfr

📰 Jerusalem Post article:
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-894260

📰 HAARETZ article:

https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-04-26/ty-article-opinion/.premium/a-kippa-with-israel-and-palestine-flags-got-me-detained-this-is-why-i-wear-it/0000019d-ca74-d11b-a7df-ef7e1aff0000?utm_source=App_Share&utm_medium=iOS_Native

As Israel marks 78 years of independence, the transition from Yom HaZikaron to Yom HaAtzmaut feels more complicated than ever. In this episode, Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg explore how Israelis and Jews around the world are grappling with grief, identity, and the challenge of celebration in a year shaped by war, loss, and deep political tension. Together, they ask: what does it mean to mark independence when so much feels unresolved—and how do we hold onto hope anyway?

IN THIS EPISODE

·       The emotional transition from Remembrance Day to Independence Day, especially since October 7

·       1 year since the Ra’anana synagogue Pogrom and what it reveals about Israeli society

·        The absence of accountability—and its impact on national mourning, reclaiming Zionism, the Israeli flag, and the Declaration of Independence

·       State Independence Day ceremony vs. alternative torch-lighting in Tel Aviv

·       How to stay connected and deepen engagement in a time of tension

·       Why “peace” must return to the conversation—and what that could look like today

After 16 years of democratic backsliding in Hungary, something shifted.

In this episode, Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg speak with Hungarian public figure and activist Peter Arvai about what it actually felt like to live through the erosion of democratic institutions—and what changed in the recent elections that led to a dramatic political shift.

This conversation goes beyond Hungary. It asks whether similar trajectories in Israel and the United States can be reversed, and what conditions make that possible.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• How democratic systems are gradually weakened from within
• What daily life feels like under long-term political erosion
• Why change seemed impossible—and what made people believe again
• The role of moral “breaking points” in political transformation

As Israel and the U.S. approach critical elections, this conversation offers a grounded look at what it takes not just to defend democracy—but to rebuild it.

Peter Arvai is a Hungarian public figure and longtime activist in civil society, Jewish communal life, and efforts to promote pluralism and minority rights. He has worked in both the financial sector and academia and has been deeply engaged in Hungary’s political and civic landscape, including service in local government in Budapest. He brings a firsthand perspective on democratic erosion—and what it takes to challenge it. Peter is Vice-president of the Szim Salom Progressive Jewish Community, member of the MAZSIHISZ general assembly, participates in the work of several international Jewish organizations (ARZENU), and a board member of the European Union of Progressive Judaism (EUPJ).

In this episode of The Pluralist Podcast: From Both Sides of the Ocean, Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg speak with Rabbi Dana Sharon of Rabbis for Human Rights about the rising reality of settler violence in the West Bank.

Dana shares her experience on the ground, providing protective presence to Palestinian communities facing increasing violence and displacement. She describes how these incidents are unfolding, why they are increasing, and the risks faced by those who choose to show up.

This conversation takes place at a difficult moment — during ongoing war, fear, and deep polarization. But it is also a moment that calls for clarity about values and responsibility.

As we approach Pesach, this episode reflects on the transition from vulnerability to power — and what it means to act on Jewish values in that reality.

In this episode

• What settler violence looks like on the ground
• Why incidents are increasing in recent months
• The risks faced by those who choose to show up
• What responsibility looks like in a violent reality

In this episode of The Pluralist Podcast, Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg speak with Samah Darwish, Director of IRAC’s Racism Crisis Center, and Yolanda Savage-Narva, Vice President for Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Union for Reform Judaism. At a time marked by war in Israel and growing fear within Jewish communities in the United States, this conversation explores how racism, extremism, and polarization are reshaping our societies. From legal advocacy and policy change to public awareness and shared society work, Samah and Yolanda offer a grounded, values-driven perspective on what it takes to confront racism today. This is a cross-ocean conversation about responsibility, leadership, and the challenge of holding onto democratic values even in moments of fear.

IN THIS EPISODE

• How racism is rising in Israel and the United States during times of crisis
• The work of IRAC’s Racism Crisis Center supporting victims and shaping policy
• Why fear and trauma can deepen division — and how to respond
• Where hope comes from: small victories, shared society, and everyday action

About the guests:
Samah Darwish is the Director of IRAC’s Racism Crisis Center, leading efforts to combat racism in Israel through legal advocacy, policy engagement, and public education. Yolanda Savage-Narva is Vice President for Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Union for Reform Judaism, where she leads work on racial justice and belonging in North American Jewish life.

In this episode of The Pluralist Podcast, Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg are joined by Samah Darwish, Director of IRAC’s Racism Crisis Center, and Yolanda Savage-Narva, Vice President for Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Union for Reform Judaism. Together, they explore how racism is showing up in both Israel and the United States — and what it means to fight back in a moment marked by war, trauma, backlash, and growing polarization. From legal victories against discrimination in Israel to the broader challenge of confronting systemic racism in Jewish communal life, this conversation asks what meaningful action looks like now. It is also a deeply pluralist conversation across the ocean: between Israel and North America, between policy and personal encounter, and between pain and hope. At a time when fear can push societies inward, this episode insists on the moral and Jewish responsibility to protect minorities, build belonging, and choose equality.

IN THIS EPISODE

• How IRAC’s Racism Crisis Center fights discrimination through legal action, policy advocacy, and public education
• What racism looks like today in Israel and the United States
• Why trauma, war, and fear can deepen division — and how leaders respond
• Where hope comes from: small victories, shared society, and daily acts of courage
  

About the guest:
Samah Darwish is the Director of IRAC’s Racism Crisis Center, where she leads efforts to combat racism in Israel through legal support, policy advocacy, and public awareness. Yolanda Savage-Narva is Vice President for Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Union for Reform Judaism, where she leads work on racial justice and belonging in North American Jewish life.

Women’s rights are facing new challenges in both Israel and the United States.

In this episode of Pluralist: From Both Sides of the Ocean, Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg speak with Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch, CEO of Women of Reform Judaism, about the fight for gender equality, religious pluralism, and democratic values across the Jewish world.

Drawing on her long-standing connection to Israel, Liz reflects on the tensions many progressive Jews feel today: how to remain deeply connected to Israel while confronting policies that challenge the egalitarian values many in the Jewish world hold dear.

Together, they explore how women’s leadership, cross-ocean partnerships, and honest conversations can strengthen the fight for equality across the Jewish world.

IN THIS EPISODE

• The current challenges facing women’s rights in Israel and the United States
• The growing phenomenon of women’s exclusion from the public sphere in Israel
• Why progressive Jewish voices remain deeply connected to Israel despite political tensions
• How organizations like WRJ and IRAC are working together to defend equality and democracy

About the guest
Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch is the CEO of Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), representing tens of thousands of Reform Jewish women across North America and advocating for gender equality, Jewish leadership, and social justice.

As Israel faces a new phase of war with Iran, daily life has again become defined by sirens, shelters, and uncertainty.

In this special Purim episode of The Pluralist Podcast, Orly Erez Likhovski (Israel Religious Action Center) and Rabbi Josh Weinberg (URJ / ARZA) reflect on what it means to navigate a complex and painful moment — from both sides of the ocean.

This conversation is not geopolitical analysis. Instead, it models how Reform Jewish leaders think, wrestle, and remain grounded in Jewish values during moments of crisis.

Recorded during Purim — with the possibility of sirens interrupting the conversation — the episode explores how Jewish tradition, leadership, and moral responsibility intersect when the world feels unstable.

• What daily life in Israel looks like right now — sirens, shelters, and exhaustion
• How American Jews are experiencing the moment from afar
• How to navigate a complicated geopolitical situation when trust in leadership is low
• Why the story of Purim lands differently in the middle of war
• What Jewish tradition teaches about power, fear, and responsibility

At a moment when many voices are shouting certainty, this conversation offers something different: honest wrestling with complexity.

For generations, Jews around the world have faced Jerusalem in prayer.

Now, a bill in Israel’s Knesset could give the Chief Rabbinate the power to define which prayer is “acceptable” at the Western Wall — and potentially criminalize egalitarian worship.

In this clip from The Pluralist Podcast, Orly Erez Likhovski and Josh Weinberg discuss:

• Why dismissing this bill as “just politics” is dangerous
• What message it sends to liberal Jews worldwide
• Why the Kotel is more than a plaza — it’s the symbolic heart of Jewish peoplehood
• And what Israelis and Diaspora Jews can do now

At a time of rising antisemitism globally — and unprecedented support from Diaspora communities for Israel — this debate raises a deeper question:

Is Israel the homeland of all Jews?

🎧 Watch or listen the full episode and share it with a friend
📩 Send a letter to your representative: https://arza.org/send-an-email-to-your-local-consulate/

Violence in Arab communities in Israel has reached unbearable levels — and many people are asking: what is actually happening? 

In this episode of The Pluralist Podcast, Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg sit down with Lama Yassin of The Abraham Initiatives to unpack the rise in violence in Arab society, the policy failures behind it, and what would be required to reverse it. 

This is a conversation about policing, governance, shared society, and whether Israel is living up to its democratic commitments. 

In this episode, we discuss: 

• What daily life looks like under persistent violence in Arab towns and cities 
• The dramatic gap in murder-solving rates between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel 
• The dual reality of over-policing and under-policing 
• Poverty, land shortages, and structural neglect 
• What changed under previous governments — and what reversed under the current one 
• Why this crisis is not cultural — but policy-driven 

If you want to better understand the systemic roots of violence in Arab communities — and what can realistically be done — this episode offers clarity, data, and lived experience. 

▶️ Watch, listen, and join the conversation. 

Subscribe and share to help expand thoughtful discussions about Israel, democracy, and Jewish-Arab partnership. 

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