What Matters Now16 Sep 2025

What Matters Now to Daniel Gordis: The lonely man of Zionism

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Daniel Gordis.

Gordis, an author, scholar, rabbi, activist and sometime Times of Israel blogger, is the creator of the popular Substack blog and podcast, "Israel from the Inside." He recounts how he began the blog in 2021 to pull the curtain back on the Jewish state for those living abroad.

In this episode, we discuss the evolution Gordis's decision to be a pro-Israel, yet critical voice in a tricky global environment of rising antisemitism and uncertainty.

Wearing his rabbi hat, he speaks about how existential loneliness is a part of the experience of this season of High Holy Days and he further describes the loneliness of being Israeli at this time in history.

Gordis challenges American Jews to consider that Israelis are fighting for their homeland -- both in Gaza and during the ongoing protests in the streets.

And so this week, we ask Daniel Gordis, what matters now?

What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: Daniel Gordis (courtesy) / A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer detains a protestor while clearing a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel encampment after dispersal orders were given at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(100)

Yossi Klein Halevi: Why Jewish extremism is so seductive - and dangerous

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with author Yossi Klein Halevi. The Hartman Ins...

19 Aug 57min

Richard Priem: The ‘age of security’ has ended for US Jews

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with CEO of Community Security Service Richard ...

12 Aug 43min

Dan Ben-David: Israel is on the brink of a spiral of collapse

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with leading economist Prof. Dan Ben-David. Ben...

5 Aug 51min

Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz: Nothing is black and white in Israel's religious societies

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, th...

29 Jul 45min

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib: Hamas still holds two million hostages

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, the he...

22 Jul 49min

Haviv Rettig Gur: Why is Israel still the first campaign stop for wannabe US presidents?

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with The Times of Israel's senior analyst Haviv...

14 Jul 47min

Dr. Deborah Gilboa: The neuroscience of resilience

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Deborah Gilboa, MD, an expert in resilienc...

10 Jul 34min

Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook: The Israeli food we serve tells our story

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs Michael So...

1 Jul 49min