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by Daniel Levine
My name is Daniel Levine and I am a Rabbi and Jewish History Lecturer at UC Irvine! I have conversations about the most pressing issues facing the Jewish community with professors, Rabbis, and politicians with a wide range of views.
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- 3 weeks ago1h 1m
Israel’s Next Election: Can Netanyahu Stay in Power? | Alon Burstein
Israel’s next election could determine whether Benjamin Netanyahu stays in power—and what direction the country takes. Rabbi Daniel Levine speaks with Alon Burstein, of the @Israel-Palestine-Report, about how Israeli elections work, the major political blocs, and the issues shaping the race.They explain Israel’s parliamentary system, proportional representation, and coalition negotiations, including why smaller parties can have significant influence. The conversation also explores Netanyahu’s appeal, Itamar Ben-Gvir and the far right, the opposition’s path to forming a government, and how judicial reform could affect Israel’s future.If you’re looking for an explanation of Israeli politics, the next Israeli election, or the debate over who will lead Israel, this conversation offers context and analysis.Subscribe for more conversations about Israel, Jewish life, politics, and the issues shaping the region.#IsraelElection #IsraeliPolitics #Netanyahu
- 3 weeks ago56 min
Debating an Anti-Zionist: Shaiel Ben Ephraim
Is anti-Zionism antisemitism? Rabbi Daniel Levine and Shaiel Ben Ephraim discuss Israel, Zionism, antisemitism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a candid conversation across deep disagreement.They explore whether criticism of Israel is sometimes conflated with antisemitism—and whether antisemitism also appears within anti-Israel activism. The conversation turns to accusations of double standards at the UN, U.S. support for Israel, Jewish self-criticism, Hamas’s goals and ideology, Palestinian civilian protections, and the future of Israel.Shaiel Ben Ephraim explains his evolving relationship to Zionism and argues for equal rights. Rabbi Daniel Levine challenges him on the historical comparisons, Hamas, and whether a one-state solution is realistic. They close by discussing Israel’s elections and the difficulty of having a serious conversation across ideological differences.Chapters00:00 The conversation and the earlier Gaza debate01:00 Antisemitism in anti-Israel activism06:52 Is anti-Zionism antisemitism?09:06 Israel criticism and claims of double standards10:21 Jewish self-criticism and Israel11:58 U.S. policy, the ICC, and arms14:00 U.S. ties with other countries in the region42:08 Historical comparisons and antisemitism44:09 Hamas, Israel, and civilian protections48:29 Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood52:27 Shaiel on Zionism and Israel’s election54:14 Equal rights and the one-state idea56:06 Closing reflections #Israel #Antisemitism #Zionism #IsraeliPalestinianConflict #Hamas
- Oct 11, 202628 min
Jewish Lesbian Candidate Says She Was Rejected for Supporting Israel | Tanya Tsikanovsky
West Hollywood City Council candidate Tanya Tsikanovsky joins Rabbi Daniel Levine to discuss why a lesbian bar canceled her campaign meet-and-greet after backlash over her support for Israel. She shares her experience as a Jewish lesbian in LGBTQ spaces, her family’s Soviet Jewish history, and why she left the Democratic Party after October 7.They also discuss antisemitism, Zionism, political identity, and the growing divide over Israel on college campuses. Chapters00:00 Meet Tanya Tsikanovsky00:56 Why her campaign event was canceled03:49 Jews and LGBTQ spaces04:50 Soviet Jewish identity and her political shift10:20 Intersectionality and LGBTQ activism18:44 Backlash in the gay community21:09 Jewish Democrats and political identity26:37 Antisemitism on campus#Antisemitism #Zionism #lgbtq
- Oct 6, 202650 min
Why Universities Failed to Confront Campus Antisemitism | Shai Davidai
Why did universities struggle to confront antisemitism on campus after October 7? Columbia professor Shai Davidai joins Rabbi Daniel Levine to discuss campus protests, Columbia’s response, and what Davidai calls “American intellectual antisemitism.”Drawing on his new book, American Intellectual Antisemitism, Davidai discusses the Columbia vigil that opens the book, the Mahmoud Khalil case, and why he believes university leaders failed to enforce their own rules. He and Daniel also talk about how Jewish students can respond to anti-Zionist activism, the limits of confrontational protest, and the political future of Israel and the United States.Subscribe to The Fifth Question for conversations about Jewish life, Israel, antisemitism, and the ideas shaping public debate.#ShaiDavidai #CampusAntisemitism #ColumbiaUniversity
- Sep 30, 202648 min
Debating a Religious Anti-Zionist: Is Zionism Anti-Jewish?
Can a Jew reject Zionism on religious grounds? Rabbi Daniel Levine and Jacob Faturechi debate Satmar anti-Zionism, Jewish theology, and the history of the modern State of Israel.The conversation begins with a question that often gets blurred: What do we mean by Zionism? They examine the differences between political, religious, and cultural Zionism; how Jewish communities have understood sovereignty and exile; and whether the founding of Israel represents a break with traditional Judaism, a continuation of Jewish history, or both.Rabbi Levine challenges Satmar arguments about Zionism’s historical consequences while acknowledging that religious anti-Zionism has deep roots in Jewish thought. The discussion also turns to Chabad’s complex relationship with Israel and the tension between Jewish life in the Diaspora and Jewish self-determination.This is a long-form debate about where theology ends and historical argument begins—and whether people with sharply different views can still have a serious, civil conversation.Watch and share your perspective in the comments: Is religious anti-Zionism a legitimate Jewish position?#Satmar #AntiZionism #Zionism #Israel #JewishHistory #Judaism #Chabad #JewishTheology
- Sep 23, 202659 min
Should Jews Leave the Democratic Party? | Jenny Rae Le Roux
Are Jewish voters leaving the Democratic Party over Israel and antisemitism?Jenny Rae Le Roux, Republican candidate for Congress in California’s 47th District, joins Rabbi Daniel Levine for a candid conversation about the political realignment taking place among Jewish voters—and why she believes Orange County’s Jewish community could decide this election.Jenny Rae discusses her support for Israel, her disagreements with Congressman Dave Min, the Democratic Party’s changing relationship with Jewish voters, and whether Republicans have adequately confronted antisemitism within their own coalition.The conversation also covers Donald Trump, JD Vance, Tucker Carlson, January 6, abortion, tariffs, housing affordability, artificial intelligence, the future of young Americans, and Jenny Rae’s experiences visiting Israel.Is the Republican Party becoming a new political home for Jewish voters—or will disagreements over abortion, Trump, and other social issues keep most Jews aligned with the Democratic Party?Learn more about Jenny Rae Le Roux and her campaign:https://jennyraeca.comCHAPTERS:00:00 – Introduction00:39 – Why Jewish voters could determine the election01:46 – Is the Democratic Party still a safe political home for Jews?09:00 – Rabbi Daniel’s experience with Dave Min14:37 – Jenny Rae’s criticism of Dave Min’s Israel record18:26 – Why many Jewish voters remain Democrats23:03 – JD Vance, Tucker Carlson, Trump and Israel25:00 – January 6 and election integrity28:17 – Tariffs, free markets and the changing Republican Party32:00 – California’s housing affordability crisis35:55 – Abortion and the Jewish vote39:10 – The Jewish perspective on abortion42:58 – What matters to young voters?46:43 – Will AI eliminate young people’s jobs?50:20 – Jenny Rae’s experiences in Israel54:29 – The America First case for supporting Israel58:03 – A message to Orange County’s Jewish votersSubscribe for thoughtful conversations about Judaism, Israel, politics, history and the defining debates shaping Jewish life today.#JewishVoters #Israel #JennyRaeLeRoux #CaliforniaPolitics #RepublicanParty
- Sep 15, 202653 min
The Truth About “Settler Violence” in Israel | Adam Louis-Klein
Is “settler violence” an accurate description of a serious problem—or a political narrative being weaponized to demonize Israeli Jews and Israel itself?Rabbi Daniel Levine is joined by anthropologist and anti-Zionism scholar Adam Louis-Klein for a challenging debate about violence in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank.Louis-Klein argues that the phrase “settler violence” collectively portrays hundreds of thousands of Israeli Jews as violent, frequently removes Palestinian violence from the picture, and provides justification for international sanctions against Israel. He examines disputed media reports, the portrayal of the Hilltop Youth, anti-Zionist activism, and the political campaign linking Israeli settlements with state violence.Daniel pushes back: Can Jews forcefully condemn genuine acts of extremist violence without strengthening anti-Zionist propaganda? Does Jewish moral responsibility require confronting wrongdoing within Israel—even when Israel’s enemies exploit that criticism?For past episodes with Adam see here:Antizionism in academia: • Antizionism in Academia | Adam Louis-Klein What is Antizionism?: • Anti-Zionism Isn’t Political Debate — It’s... The conversation also explores:• Israeli settlers and Palestinian violence in the West Bank• Whether “settler violence” is a legitimate category• Media coverage and conflicting accounts of violent incidents• Israel sanctions and the international campaign against settlements• Liberal Jewish criticism of Israel• Anti-Zionism on the political left and right• Tucker Carlson, Hasan Piker, JD Vance and Josh Shapiro• Anti-Zionism and antisemitism in American politics• The influence of anti-Zionism within universities• Jewish unity, collective responsibility and internal criticism• Whether another intifada could exploit Israel’s political divisionsThis is a serious, nuanced disagreement about how Jews should discuss Israel’s real problems while confronting movements seeking to delegitimize the Jewish state.CHAPTERS:00:00 What does “settler violence” mean?03:13 Is the term inherently prejudicial?08:56 Can criticism of Israel be separated from anti-Zionism?12:02 Are liberal Jews internalizing anti-Zionist narratives?17:11 Should Jews publicly confront Israel’s failures?21:14 Settlements, Oslo and the two-state solution26:20 Who are the Hilltop Youth?31:13 The Huwara attack and Jewish moral responsibility34:53 Settler sanctions and international pressure37:04 Anti-Zionism in American politics41:19 Tucker Carlson and right-wing anti-Zionism44:57 Has anti-Zionism captured academia?48:49 Jewish unity and the danger of another intifadaSubscribe to The Fifth Question for thoughtful conversations about Israel, Zionism, Judaism, antisemitism, Jewish history and contemporary Jewish life.#Israel #SettlerViolence #AntiZionism
- Sep 10, 202645 min
Is Chabad the Future of American Judaism?
For original article see here: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-902968Is Chabad becoming the future of American Judaism?In this episode of The Fifth Question, Rabbi Daniel Levine speaks with Jerusalem Post writer Lev Stesin about the decline of the traditional American Jewish establishment—and whether Chabad is positioned to fill the growing leadership vacuum.They explore why Chabad continues to expand while many Reform and Conservative institutions struggle, how October 7 transformed Jewish communal politics, and whether Chabad can remain politically neutral while confronting antisemitism and anti-Zionism.The conversation also examines Chabad’s complicated relationship with Zionism and Israel, its history of political activism in Russia and the Soviet Union, its success on college campuses, and the tensions between Orthodox theology and the lives of most American Jews.Finally, Daniel and Lev discuss the movement’s future without a living Rebbe, the controversy surrounding Chabad messianism, and whether an organization without centralized leadership can truly lead American Jewry.Can Chabad become the dominant institution of American Jewish life—or would gaining power fundamentally change what makes Chabad successful?Subscribe to The Fifth Question for thoughtful conversations about Judaism, Israel, Zionism, Jewish history, antisemitism, religion, and contemporary Jewish life.#Chabad #AmericanJudaism #AmericanJews #JewishIdentity #Judaism #Zionism #Israel #Antisemitism #LubavitcherRebbe #JewishPodcast
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About The Fifth Question
My name is Daniel Levine and I am a Rabbi and Jewish History Lecturer at UC Irvine! I have conversations about the most pressing issues facing the Jewish community with professors, Rabbis, and politicians with a wide range of views.
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