Particularism enables agency and cohesion

The world feels unmoored. Identity is contested, nations are uncertain, and a technology-altered future feels increasingly abstract and vaguely threatening. So much is happening, so much is at stake. So why is everyone suddenly talking about the Jews?

In this episode, Haviv sits down with writer and Tablet magazine founder Alana Newhouse to explore a striking idea: that the global obsession with Zionism isn’t really about Jews at all. It’s about something the modern West has lost -- and isn’t sure how to rebuild.

From post-nationalism to technological upheaval to political extremism, we consider Alana's thesis that Zionism is less an ideology and more a kind of “social technology” for building meaning, cohesion and a future worth striving for -- and the uncomfortable but fascinating possibility that what looks like obsessive bigotry might actually be a kind of yearning.

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There are few if any publications like SAPIR, the quarterly journal of Jewish ideas edited by Bret Stephens from The New York Times. You might remember we've hosted a number of people on the podcast to talk about topics they've written about for SAPIR: Coleman Hughes, for instance, about antisemitism in the Black community, Danielle Haas about the ideological rot in the human rights industry. It's a beautiful publication not only in content but in physical appearance, and if you live in the United States you can receive it in print absolutely free. They won't even ask for your payment information. If you sign up now you'll receive the forthcoming issue on the theme of America in honor of this year's semiquincentennial (250th birthday). Lots of excellent stuff in this issue about the current political crises in both the Democratic and Republican parties, the decline of education, particularly history education, in the US, and tangible suggestions for, well, America as it turns 250. If you want to start receiving this excellent publication 100% free, go to https://sapirjournal.org/AskHavivAnything.

Thank you to SAPIR for sponsoring this episode.

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Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.