Jewanced
83 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago -Jewanced is hosted by Dan Feferman and Benny Scholder, two guys who grew up in America and live in Israel.
They're curious. They want to discuss. They want to challenge popular conceptions, they want to think critically, examine independently, and most of all, they crave nuance.
Each episode features a different guest. All interesting and original people who strive to break boundaries. Together with Dan and Benny, take a deep dive into politics, foreign affairs, religion, science, technology, food, the arts, business – you name it. Explore the nuanced crossroads of Israel, the global Jewish experience, and beyond.
What's the goal? To create a daring platform where people share their stories, insights, creations, and visions. Jewanced has no talking points, no script, no agenda...just a deeper nuanced understanding of our existence.
Join them on a journey as they explore, think, debate and discuss …. And most of all, listen.
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Episodes
#66– Swords of Iron, Day 28: Col. (Res.) Dr. Eran Lerman
November 11, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBIn this special ‘War Edition’ of the show, Dan and Benny take a deep dive into the geopolitical context of the October 7th war with Col. (Res.) Dr. Eran Lerman. Together, they discuss the war’s progress, impact, and possible outcomes both near- and long-term. About Col. (Res.) Dr. Eran Lerman: Colonel (Res.) Dr. Eran Lerman is a lecturer in the Shalem College Departments of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and Strategy, Diplomacy, and Security and in the Tel Aviv University Departmen...
#65 – Swords of Iron, Day 19: The PR Battle
October 27, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 74 MBIn this special ‘War Edition’ of the show, Dan and Benny cover updates on the war as well as discuss Israel’s PR battle with special guests Joanna Landau, founder and president of Vibe Israel, and Haisam Hassanein, a fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies specializing in Israel’s relations with Arab states and Muslim countries. About Joanna Landau: Best-selling author of “Ethical Tribing: Connecting the Next Generation to Israel in the Digital Era,” Joanna is an expert on ...
#64 - Swords of Iron: The Simchat Torah War - Day 7
October 14, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 76 MBJoin Dan Feferman and Benny Scholder for the return of Jewanced as we present a special live podcast covering Swords of Iron - The Simchat Torah War. Taped Live on Friday, October 13, 2023, day 7 of the war, this will be the first in a series of episodes we're broadcasting to bring you ongoing updates and snapshots of the progress of this unfolding war - a horrific, devastating, and pivotal moment in the history of Israel and the Jewish People. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the thou...
#63 - Dr. Shlomo Fischer, JPPI Senior Fellow and Sociologist of the Jewish People
June 10, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 91.7 MBDr. Shlomo Fischer is a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute and teaches sociology in the School of Education at Hebrew University and at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev. He served as a research fellow at the Van Leer Institute. Fischer has worked in the field of education for the past 25 years. In the past 10 years, he has worked in the field of religion, democracy, and tolerance. He has edited (together with Adam Seligman) The Burden of Tolerance: Religious Tradition...
#62 - Rawan Osman, Peace Activist and Member of 1st-Ever Arab-Jewish Delegation to the March of the Living
May 23, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 83.2 MBRawan Osman was born in Damascus and raised in Lebanon. After high school, Osman moved back to Syria and in 2011, during the beginning of the unrest, left for France. In 2018, Osman moved to Strasbourg and started working on her first book, The Israelis, Friends or Foes. Osman is a contributor to Fikra Forum. A true believer in the potential for authentic and positive human interactions with Jews to change popular narratives in the Arab world and bring about peace, Rawan recently participat...
#61 - Joel Haber, Food Blogger, Culinary Explorer, and Guide
April 03, 2022 05:30 - 1 hour - 82.6 MBListener’s beware, this episode of the show is virtually guaranteed to leave you super hungry! NJ native and former screenwriter Joel Haber made aliya to Israel in 2009. Looking to leave his former profession behind in the Old Country, Joe did what anyone would do and became a licensed tour guide and soon found himself escorting travelers from all over the world to discover and uncover the wonder and beauty that is the Land and People of Israel. Joel grew up in a modern orthodox home wit...
#60 Dr. David Gurevich - Archaeologist & Expert on Jerusalem and the 2nd Temple Period
February 04, 2022 07:00 - 2 hours - 112 MBDIG into history on this week’s episode of the show as Dan and Benny explore ancient Israel and the turbulent times of the 1st Jewish State and its destruction with guest Dr. David Gurevich, an archaeologist and expert on Jerusalem and the 2nd Temple period. Dr. David Gurevich is an archaeologist who studies Jerusalem and the Second Temple Period. His doctoral dissertation focused on the large water pools of Jerusalem and established the link between the Jewish pilgrimage to the Temple and ...
#59 Daniel Rakov - Expert on Russia and Russian Policy in the Middle East
January 17, 2022 07:00 - 2 hours - 128 MBAre we headed towards a Cold War – Round Two? Our guest this week, Daniel Rakov, might have the answer for that ominous question and it might not be what you think… Lt. Col. (Res). Daniel Rakov is an expert on Russian policy in the Middle East and Great-Power Competition in the region. He served in the Israel Defense Forces for over 20 years, mainly in the Israeli Defense Intelligence Division (Aman). From 2019-2021, he was a research fellow at the Russian Studies Program at the Inst...
#58 Len Khodorkovsky - The State Department's Secret Weapon
December 24, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 68.7 MBLen Khodorkovsky has one of those heartwarming American Jewish stories: A refugee from the Soviet Union finds safe haven in America, where he thrives, builds a family and reaches professional success… then helps the president of the United States tweet Game of Thrones memes. Len Khodorkovsky served at the State Department as a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs. He was also a Senior Advisor to the US Special Representative for Iran and the Chief Marketing Officer of Amer...
#57 Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, Terrorism Finance Analyst, Author, & Senior VP of Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
December 03, 2021 06:30 - 1 hour - 94.5 MBHow do China, Hezbollah, int’l NGO’s, Iran, Palestinian politics, Gaza, Israel, Jihadism, and illicit financial networks connect? Dan and Benny sat down with Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, terrorism finance analyst and Senior VP of Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies to find out! Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he oversees the work of the organization’s experts and scholars. He is also on the l...
#56 Omar Al Busaidy, CEO of Sharaka USA, Optimistic Opportunist, Entrepreneur, Author, and Futurist
November 19, 2021 06:00 - 1 hour - 85.6 MBThe Future is Now! Hey, Jewanced fans. We have missed you. Wondering where we went? Well, it all goes back to the Abraham Accords. We recorded this episode with our good friend (and Dan's colleague) Omar Al Busaidy. In case you are curious, Benny was about to head off for his first trip to the UAE. Omar, who usually lives in the US, was in his hometown of Dubai, and Dan just got back from Dubai and was getting ready to ship off to California (with Omar) to be a part of a Sharaka delegation ...
#55 Shakked Beery, The Wandering Jewess - Author, Tour Guide & Storyteller
October 22, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 138 MBJoin us on a journey of discovery into the heart some of Israel’s best kept gems of history! Our guest this week, Shakked Beery AKA The Wandering Jewess, spent this episode of the show as our expert tour guide as together we explored some of Israel’s most fascinating and least-known secret places – the ones most visitors to the country never get to see. Native to Israel for ten generations, Shakked's family arrived at the land more than 200 years ago and took an active part in reconstru...
#54 Dr. Tomer Persico - Author, Philosophical & Spiritual Thinker, Jewish Thought Leader & Scholar
September 17, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 102 MBNow, perhaps more than ever before in our lifetimes, humanity seems to be seeking answers to some of our biggest questions. What and where is God? How do spirituality and religion impact the uniqueness of humanity? What is the nature of reality? Will everything be ok? Fresh off the boat from Berkeley, CA, Dr. Tomer Persico takes us on a fascinating journey throughout the human landscape of the Jewish and Western worlds to help uncover the evolution of our shared spiritual, religious, and...
#53 Anat Sultan-Dadon - Israel's Consul General to the Southeastern United States
August 20, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 105 MBOn this episode of the show, we talk to Anat Sultan-Dadon, Israel's Consul General to the US Southeast and learn everything we’d want to know about how Israel's all-star diplomats strengthen Israel by building relationships at the state, local, and national levels across a wide range of diverse interests. As Israel’s Consul General in Atlanta, Anat Sultan-Dadon promotes bilateral relations between Israel and seven states covered by the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast: Georgia, ...
#52 Dr. David Manheim & Dr. Rami Shanani: Covid-19 Update Show
August 06, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 119 MBOver a year and a half into the Covid-19 Pandemic, we find ourselves in a very different place than we did back in 2020. If you’re fortunate to be in the developed world, chances are you have access to vaccines and promising therapeutics are right around the corner. But does this new reality translate to a new roadmap as far as public health policy is concerned? How is the world handling the realities of its ‘new normal’ as we enter the latter half of 2021? On this episode of the podcas...
#51 Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum - Founder, Kehilat ZION & Jewish Spiritual Innovator
July 23, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 87.8 MBHi friends! This episode of the show was recorded as a Jewanced LIVE! discussion, sponsored by the Orange County Community Scholars Program (CSP). CSP is dedicated to bringing the best Jewish thinkers, writers, artists and musicians in the world to Orange County, California, the greater USA and the world! Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum is co-founder of the Beit Midrash for Israeli Rabbis, a joint project of the HaMidrasha Educational Center for Israeli Judaism and the Shalom Hartman Institu...
#50 Jonathan Elkhoury - Israeli-Lebanese Christian public diplomacy adviser, speaker, advocate for Israel, and commentator
July 08, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 125 MBMuch like an onion, sometimes life seems to be made up of layers upon layers of complexity. Our guest this week, Jonathan Elkhoury, definitely embodies a life of many such layers. Jonathan Elkhoury is a gay Christian Lebanese refugee who now lives in Israel. In 2000 when he was 8 years old, he and his family were forced to leave Lebanon for Israel after the Lebanese Civil War for their own protection because his father was a member of the South Lebanon Army (SLA), which was supported b...
#49 David Horovitz - Founding Editor, The Times of Israel
June 25, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 81 MBEXTRA! EXTRA! DAVID HOROVITZ – THIS WEEK ON JEWANCED In today’s media landscape where it’s increasingly difficult to tell facts from fiction and where finding a trustworthy news source seems as challenging as running a marathon (fake news anybody?), The Times of Israel’s founding editor David Horovitz truly is an anchor of authenticity and a real source of stability for our times. Listen to our fascinating interview with him on this week’s episode of the show. David Horovitz is the found...
#48 Seth Frantzman - Mideast Analyst, Journalist, Foreign Policy Expert, Truth Seeker, & Author
June 11, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 88.6 MB…So Much Trouble in the World… It isn’t just one of the greatest Bob Marley songs, it’s the truth. We live in a wild place during a crazy time. But, it helps to remember that ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’…things have by and large been ‘burning since the world’s been turning.’ Only now, we have the added benefit of social media, a decentralized media landscape, echo chambers, clickbait, hardcore polarization, the 8-second attention span, Q, Wokeism, endless conflicts abound (especially in th...
#47 Reuven Ben Shalom - IDF Military Affairs Expert, Cross-Cultural Strategist & Columnist
May 28, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 106 MBSo, there’s a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas…now what? In this special live episode of the show, we sat down with IDF military affairs expert Col. (Res) Reuven Ben-Shalom (nickname ‘Rabash’) to discuss the aftermath of Operation Guardian of the Walls (שומר החומות), the cease-fire, and how we move forward from here. What transpired was a fascinating, nuanced discussion about the nature of modern war in the Middle East, IDF contingencies and battle tactics mixed with a bit or concern...
#46 Dr. Steven Popper, Ph.D., Senior Economist-RAND Corporation & Expert on the Science of Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty
May 21, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 131 MBDecisionmaking for the future depends on anticipating change. And anticipating change is becoming increasingly difficult. How does a person make good decisions in the face of mounting uncertainty? What if that person is a CEO, legislator, prime minister, military general, or even the President? This week’s guest on the show, Dr. Steven Popper, Ph.D. is a Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation who is an expert in, among many things, the science of decision making under deep uncertainty. ...
#45 - Ariella Steinreich, Senior VP, Steinreich Communications talks PR, the Arab Gulf, and optimism for the future
May 14, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 91.6 MBAriella Steinreich is a senior vice president at Steinreich Communications overseeing the firm’s global corporate / issues practice and its Middle East division. On this episode of the show, we talk to Ariella about all things PR, the Arab Gulf, and what makes her (and us) so excited about the opportunities ahead for our region. Ariella brings over a decade of experience at major public relations firms where she created and implemented global corporate communications programs for leading...
#44 - Chaim Davids, proprietor of Prohibition Pickle & leader of the Ashkenazi soul food revival
May 07, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 92.8 MBThis episode of Jewanced with Chaim Davids was recorded live as a special culinary show at Prohibition Pickle - quite possibly THE BEST deli in Israel – where Chaim is the proprietor and pickle master extraordinaire. We tuck into how the Baltimore native has gone from running the Judean Hills greatest bootlegging operation since the 2nd Temple period to leading the country’s delicatessen renaissance …and along the way, learn all about (and eat) the best full sour pickles, smoked herring & ...
#43 Dr. Guy Matalon, Judaic studies professor, Rambam & Talmudic scholar & expert on Jewish philosophy
April 30, 2021 06:45 - 2 hours - 137 MB“Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it.” – Rambam To us, it seems that the Rambam might have been a guy who knew how to appreciate nuance! On this week’s episode of the podcast, we sat down with Dr. Guy Matalon and dived right into the Rambam, the Talmud, the mystifying world of Jewish philosophy, the place of faith and rationality in our world, and much much more. Dr. Guy Matalon i...
#42 - Dan Libenson, founder & president of The Institute for the Next Jewish Future & co-host of the Judaism Unbound podcast
April 23, 2021 07:00 - 3 hours - 177 MBWouldn’t you like to predict the future? Dan Libenson, gets up each and every day and does just that – for the Jewish world. Dan Libenson is founder and president of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future, co-host of the popular Judaism Unbound podcast, and co-creator of jewishLIVE, where he co-hosts the weekly live-streaming video series “The Oral Talmud” with Benay Lappe. He’s also the co-creator of “Text People,” a new project making Jewish texts maximally accessible to a broad audi...
#41 - Inbal Arieli, serial entrepreneur, tech influencer, business executive and author
April 16, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 133 MBAhead of Israeli Independence Day (Yom Ha'atzmaut), we recorded a special episode of Jewanced with superstar tech entrepreneur, acclaimed speaker and author Inbal Arieli. In it, she talks to us about her unique insights on life, society, the miracle of Israel's thriving tech scene, and the incredible impact it’s having on the world, as well as uncovers the secret behind how Israeli parents are raising generations of entrepreneurs. These unique insights led her to write the fascinating and...
Episode #41 - Inbal Arieli, serial entrepreneur, tech influencer, business executive and author
April 16, 2021 06:00 - 2 hours - 133 MBAhead of Israeli Independence Day (Yom Ha'atzmaut), we recorded a special episode of Jewanced with superstar tech entrepreneur, acclaimed speaker and author Inbal Arieli. In it, she talks to us about her unique insights on life, society, the miracle of Israel's thriving tech scene, and the incredible impact it’s having on the world, as well as uncovers the secret behind how Israeli parents are raising generations of entrepreneurs. These unique insights led her to write the fascinating and su...
#40 - John Daly, Jewish former skinhead & Neo-Nazi survivor
April 08, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 149 MBJewanced commemorates Yom Ha’Shoah – Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day - with the inspirational and shocking true story of John Daly’s incredible tale of Jewish survival - transforming and escaping from life as a closeted Jewish Neo-Nazi commander in the USA to living in Israel. Legitimately unlike any other story Dan nor Benny had ever heard before, John Daly’s riveting recounting of the details of the events of his youth spent in Ocala, FL joining an anti-racist skinhead (yes, that’s a ...
#39 - Mark Samarsky, co-owner & founder of Rose Valley CrossFit
April 02, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 132 MBIt’s almost inevitable that you've scrolled past a sweaty selfie of a friend, co-worker, or high school classmate bragging about their WOD and professing their love for CrossFit. What is Crossfit exactly? CrossFit is a global exercise phenomenon that started in the US about 20 years ago and has since spread across the world. There are roughly 13,000 affiliated gyms in 120 countries with countless others offering "Functional Fitness" and with many conventional gyms offering similar classes an...
#38 - Mickey Gitzin, Executive Director of the New Israel Fund in Israel
March 26, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 129 MBThe NEW ISRAEL FUND and the Israeli Left – Few other NGO’s in Israel conjure up stronger feelings than the NIF. Subversive anti-Israel front or patriotic agent for social change and justice? What really is the NIF (apart from one of the best examples of ‘Jewance’ that we can think of) and what does the organization truly stand for? Moreover, as we just had our 4TH ELECTIONS in Israel this week, what happened to the Israeli left and where is it going? We sit down with MICKEY GITZIN, Execu...
#37 Jennifer Abadi, Sephardic & Judeo-Arabic recipe preserver and cookbook author
March 19, 2021 06:00 - 2 hours - 121 MBWE HOPE YOU’RE HUNGRY! In today’s episode, we explore a RICH & DIVERSE culinary and cultural Jewish heritage as we take a journey through the heart of Jewish Syria, Iraq, Iran, Morocco, India, Turkey, and beyond with JENNIFER ABADI, a Sephardic & Judeo-Arabic recipe preserver & cookbook author. Together, we explore the diversity of the North American Jewish experience, discuss our feelings about the upcoming Pesach holiday, and along the way, discover some mouthwatering recipes that are si...
#36 Shmuel Rosner, cultural & political commentator, columnist, editor & think-tank senior fellow
March 12, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 123 MBIsrael’s 4th (yes, 4th!) elections in 2 years are nearly here. Like with every election in the world’s only Jewish democracy, Israel’s elections come with tons of questions. What are they about? Who’s running? Why are there always so many new parties running in every election?! What do polarizing terms like ‘left’ and ‘right’ mean in Israel anyways?! Are you new to Israeli politics? A veteran observer or participant? Find the situation confusing? (don’t worry, so do we!) Need a primer to...
#35 Maj. (Res.) Danny Citrinowicz, Iran Expert, Former IDF Intel. Officer & Deputy Defense Attache in D.C.
March 05, 2021 07:00 - 3 hours - 171 MBIS IRAN HEADED TOWARDS THE BOMB? With President Biden at the helm, will the US reenter the JCPOA (the ‘Iran Deal’)? If so, would that be good or bad? Would it be good or bad for Israel? What should Israel do? Are all options really on the table? With all the back and forth taking place over the past decade + about ‘the Iran deal’ and its politics, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s going on. It’s understandable, too. There are just so many moving parts to keep track of and so much noise ...
#34 Rabbi Alon Meltzer, Australian Jewish Community Builder & Leader
February 26, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 156 MBOn this episode of Jewanced, Dan & Benny sit down with Rabbi Alon Meltzer, an amazing Sydney-based Jewish community builder and leader to learn about the Jews of Australia and New Zealand. On the way, they discuss some of the unique challenges and features of life that come with being part of the world's furthest-most’ Jewish community, and wrap up with a fascinating conversation on the origins of Purim. Alon Meltzer is a community builder. Growing up in Auckland, New Zealand he was involv...
#33 Steven Shalowitz, host of The One Way Ticket Show & IsraelCast podcasts & real-life explorer
February 19, 2021 07:00 - 3 hours - 185 MBOn this episode of Jewanced, Dan & Benny sit down with Steven Shalowitz, real-life explorer and host of The One Way Ticket Show & JNF-USA’s IsraelCast podcast to talk about podcasting, radio, the power of travel, Israel, NYC, and so much more. “If I gave you a one-way ticket to anywhere, past, present, or future, where would you go?” That’s the question that Steven Shalowitz asks all of his guests at the start of his captivating podcast, The One Way Ticket Show where he hosts celebrities...
#33 Steven Shalowitz, host of The One Way Ticket & IsraelCast podcasts & real-life explorer
February 19, 2021 07:00 - 3 hours - 185 MBOn this episode of Jewanced, Dan & Benny sit down with Steven Shalowitz, real-life explorer and host of The One Way Ticket Show & JNF-USA’s IsraelCast podcast to talk about podcasting, radio, the power of travel, Israel, NYC, and so much more. “If I gave you a one-way ticket to anywhere, past, present, or future, where would you go?” That’s the question that Steven Shalowitz asks all of his guests at the start of his captivating podcast, The One Way Ticket Show where he hosts celebrities a...
#32 MK Ruth Wasserman Lande, Israeli Member of Knesset from the Blue & White Party
February 12, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBRuth Wasserman Lande is a Member of Knesset from the Blue & White party. Raised in South Africa, she is the founder and CEO of Ruth – Global Innovative Advisory, a diplomat, lecturer, columnist, and social activist particularly focused on the Arab population in Israel. She is also a Middle East affairs expert and commentator for various media outlets around the world. Wasserman Lande served as an advisor to the late President Shimon Peres, as the de-facto Deputy Ambassador at the Israeli em...
#31 - Laura Kelly, D.C. based foreign policy reporter for The Hill, covering Capitol Hill & the White House
February 05, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 127 MBLaura Kelly is a reporter for The Hill in Washington D.C. where she writes about the politics and policy surrounding U.S. foreign affairs, covering Capitol Hill, the White House, and the State Department. Laura began her journalism career in Israel in 2012 working for The Jerusalem Post and lived in the country until 2016. Her reporting has taken her all over the world covering conflict, culture, and natural disasters. This includes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Syrian Civil War, the...
BONUS Episode #30 - Jewanced LIVE! Meet the Emiratis, co-sponsored by the Minneapolis Jewish Federation & Partnership2Gether Rehovot-Minneapolis
January 29, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 96.1 MBJoin us on Jewanced for a very special BONUS EPISODE of Jewanced – MEET THE EMIRATIS - where Benny and Dan host a panel of truly amazing Emiratis to learn about life in the UAE and their feelings about their country’s new normalization with Israel under the Abraham Accords. This episode of the podcast was produced as a Jewanced LIVE! event, co-sponsored by the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and the Jewish Agency for Israel Partnership2Gether Rehovot-Minneapolis. Together with our Emira...
#29 - Prof. Gil Troy, US presidential historian, scholar, author, political commentator & Zionist activist
January 22, 2021 06:00 - 2 hours - 116 MBDan and Benny engage in a candid discussion with Professor Gil Troy, one of the world’s leading US Presidential historians, about the critical moment facing the United States, the world, and democracy as we transition from the Trump to the Biden White House. No less important, we also talk about American Jews and Zionism, the state of Israeli democracy, and co-authoring his most recent book with Natan Sharansky, Never Alone - Prison, Politics, and My People. A Distinguished Scholar of North...
#28 Dr. Natan Davidovics - Covid-19 Data Scientist & Director of R&D at BrainQ
January 15, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 76.9 MBOn this episode of Jewanced, Dan and Benny sit down with Dr. Natan Davidovics, Ph.D., Director of R&D at the game-changing Jerusalem-based biotech firm BrainQ and Covid-19 data scientist and dig through the data to better understand the trajectory of Coronavirus in Israel and the United States. Dr. Davidovics breaks it down for us and provides a bit of much-needed positivity about the impact of the vaccine, as well as raises some serious red flags and dire warnings about where things might b...
#27 - Roy Margaliot, Visual Artist & Illustrator
January 08, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 81.4 MBIn this episode of the podcast, Benny & Dan have perhaps one of their freest flowing conversations yet with visual artist and illustrator Roy Margaliot in which they embark on a deep journey into an artist’s mind. On the way, they explore the philosophy of the physical, metaphysical, and spiritual realms – including the source of creativity inside us, how to be ok with the uncertainty of our times, the fragile nature of the world, Jewish consciousness, Hasidic teachings, UFO’s and the possi...
#26 - Daniel Gordis, Senior VP of Shalem College, Author, Writer & Speaker
January 01, 2021 09:46 - 2 hours - 57 MBDr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President, Koret Distinguished Fellow, and Chair of the Core Curriculum at Shalem College. Previously the vice president of the Mandel Foundation in Israel and director of its Leadership Institute, Gordis was also the founding dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. Author of numerous books, a regular columnist for Bloomberg View and The Jerusalem Post, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times, The T...
#25 - MK Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israeli Member of Parliament from the Blue & White Party
December 25, 2020 08:38 - 1 hour - 34 MBMK Michal Cotler-Wunsh is a parliamentarian serving in Israel's parliament - the Knesset - representing the Blue & White party. She entered the Knesset less than a year ago as part of Israel’s implementation of the controversial ‘Norwegian Law’ when the recently-fallen National Unity government between her party and the Likud was formed. In a relatively short period of time, Cotler-Wunsh has become one of the country’s most outspoken MK’s on a variety of critically important issues such as i...
#24 - Russell Robinson, CEO of JNF-USA
December 18, 2020 08:57 - 1 hour - 46.6 MBRanked by the Jerusalem Post as one of the world’s top 50 most influential Jews, Russell Robinson is the iconic CEO of JNF-USA, one of the Jewish world’s largest and leading philanthropic organizations. Under his leadership, the JNF has proven over and over its influence and impact in Zionist advocacy and education, Jewish community development, environmental work, developing the Negev and the Galilee, Israel travel, and so much more. In this episode, Dan and Benny talk to Russell about...
#23 – Chanukah with Rabbi Professor Jeffrey Woolf, internationally renowned scholar & lecturer
December 10, 2020 11:35 - 2 hours - 67.1 MBChanukah O' Chanukah! This episode on Jewanced, we take a deep dive into everything Chanukah with Rabbi Prof. Jeffrey Woolf as we dig into real story behind how and why Jews celebrate the iconic 8-day festival of lights and the holiday’s fascinating evolution throughout the ages. We also ponder its meaning as we find parallel themes between the uncertainty and unrest of its ancient era to our current social and political landscape. Rabbi Prof. Jeffrey R. Woolf is an internationally known...
#22 - Melanie Maron Pell, AJC Managing Director, Regional Offices
December 04, 2020 10:04 - 1 hour - 54.8 MBThis week on the podcast, we’re joined by the amazing Melanie Maron Pell, the Managing Director of AJC’s network of 24 regional offices across the United States. Together with Ben & Dan, Melanie reflects on over 20 years of advancing AJC’s global mission, the rising significance of subnational diplomacy, the challenge of maintaining authentic nonpartisanship in a highly partisan world, the shifting nature of the US-Israel relationship, combatting shape-shifting Antisemitism, generational di...
#21 - Saar Wilf, Israeli serial entrepreneur & angel investor
November 26, 2020 15:29 - 2 hours - 57.1 MBJoin us for a thought-provoking conversation with serial entrepreneur and investor Saar Wilf. Saar Wilf is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor. Over his career, he has founded several technology ventures, his first back in 1997. Most notably, he founded Fraud Sciences (acquired by PayPal/eBay for $169m), where he served as CEO and Chief Scientist. He also co-founded ClarityRay (acquired by Yahoo), Trivnet (acquired by Gemalto for $35m), Pointgrab, Deep Optics, Creditstacks, Bzigo, Root...
#20 - Raymond Holcomb, FBI Special Agent, Counterterrorist, & Homeland Security Advisor
November 20, 2020 06:30 - 2 hours - 74.6 MBThis week, we’re bringing you an extra special episode of the podcast with former FBI Special Agent Raymond Holcomb, president and managing director of 1st Watch Global. Ray has over 30 years’ experience as a law enforcement and intelligence officer. He served for over 23 years as an FBI Special Agent; 8 as a Strategic Planner with the US National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and 4 as a state Homeland Security Advisor. His FBI career included 15 years investigating foreign espionage, ...
#19 - Jewanced Presents: Meet the Emiratis!
November 13, 2020 20:39 - 2 hours - 63.3 MBJoin Jewanced for an unforgettable conversation as Benny and Dan host a panel of young, influential Emiratis to learn about life in the UAE and their feelings about their country’s new normalization with Israel under the Abraham Accords. Following the ratification of the Abraham Accords, what can we anticipate for the people of Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, as well as for the broader Middle East? Topics covered include: o A day in the life of the average Emirati o Emirati culture and c...