Eve wonders who decides what morality is and how we fight for a better world. The cruel murders last week in an “island of co-existence’ have again shaken her hope that mankind is inherently good.  Can we be suspicious without being racist?  The modern state of Israel is definitely an improvement over the last round of independence 2000+ years ago, but our enemies from without and within are challenging us daily.

Eve shares some thoughts after a busy Sukkot season of guiding to borders, celebrating unions and preparing for her upcoming speaking trip to the US.  Does Hashem’s maintenance arrangement keep us ready for the big moments?

Photo Credit: Wikipedia / This file was donated to Wikipedia courtesy of the Israel Police in the Facebook account (Israel Police).

Benjamin Balint joins Eve to discuss his hot-off-the-press book about Franz Kafka, or to be more precise, the court case that decided who owns the genius’s literary legacy. Involving Germany and Israel, issues of identity and religion, nationality and WW2, friendship and loyalty, the trial was much deeper than just a question of legal ownership of the papers of a writer who died nearly a century ago. Balint’s brilliant book on the 9 year ‘custody case’ raises fascinating questions that will resonate for many of us.

Rabbi Dr. David Z. Moster is the founder and director of the Torah learning site BiblicalCulture.org, and recently authored Etrog: How a Chinese Fruit Became a Jewish Symbol .  He joins Eve just before Sukkot to discuss the citron’s evolution to one of the holiday’s 4 species, an ancient sign of Judaism and a cure for tummy aches as well.  Who knew?
Also, Eve shares some thoughts on Ari Fuld’s murder and the week that was…

Is Freedom really the most important value?

Why does Utopia need to be overcome?

Are the European Union and United States imperialistic?

Dr. Yoram Hazony and Eve discuss his new book on nationalism and the Biblical political theory that birthed it via ancient Israel thru Protestantism.  The ramifications of Western civilizations’ low fertility, the disintegration of Judeo-Christian family values, ‘universal reason’, the rise of socialism and liberal imperialism are topics that must be studied intensively but are too rarely even discussed. Listen in as one of the foremost and brilliant philosophers of our time explains why some great dangers lurk in plain sight and why we need to deal with what’s real, not ideal.  Just as the Tanach did.

Rabbi Menachem Leibtag is a popular Torah educator both in Israel and around the world. He explains to Eve the personal, national and universal meanings of Rosh HaShanah and Tishrei, starting with why the 7th Jewish calendar month is the beginning of the year. Knowing the Torah- the ultimate book of principles- can lead to peace, mutual respect and understanding between peoples. This period of reflection and introspection can bring all of us closer to Hashem and to building just societies, and the shofar is the ultimate wake-up call. Many deep and thoughtful ideas from a brilliant on-the-field Zionist educator.
Shana Tova to all of our listeners.

Professor Moshe Koppel of the Kohelet Policy Forum wrote the first version of the Nation State Law back in 2004.  He discusses the much misunderstood law with Eve as well as the tremendous and undemocratic influence of Israel’s Supreme Court.  What is being done to modify the damage of Aharon Barak and how are justices selected?  Why doesn’t Israel have a constitution? Hypocrisy is good to acknowledge and it’s time for community leadership to step up. Listen in as a real Libertarian shares his thoughts.

Ascending the Temple Mount; leading a  peak-of-the-grape-harvest wine tour in the Shomron; studying the height-of-evil Croatian WW2 atrocities; attending a top level course on the Mid East muddle; jumping out of a plane over Israel at 12,000 feet.
Eve files her flight plan of the last 10 days.

Eve has just returned from a trip to Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia and Greece. She shares her thoughts on a fascinating, beautiful region whose climb out of fascism and sectarian warfare is still in progress. Why would someone look fondly back at communism? Is Croatia going the way of Poland in whitewashing Holocaust horrors? Where have all the Jews gone?

Whitewater rafting and never-ending forests; disturbing narratives and the Sarajevo Hagadah. The first in a series on Eastern Europe.