Episode 54: Religion Scholar Louis Newman Discusses Shattered Faith, the War in Gaza and Antisemitism on College Campuses

Evolve

For a certain generation of Jewish Americans, Israel and the memory of the Holocaust represented twin pillars of civil religion, argues Louis Newman, a scholar of Jewish ethics and religion. While these pillars may have shown cracks for decades, Newman says they came crashing down on Oct. 7,2023. Israel had failed its most basic function: keeping Jews and all its inhabitants safe. What does a people do when its faith is shattered? What can we learn from our history? Where do we go from here? Newman discusses all this and more in a thought-provoking interview. The author of a new book on how to succeed in college also gives his take on campus antisemitism, anti-Israel protests and what colleges might do to restore both safety and the free exchange of ideas and expression.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Louis Newman.

Support Evolve

Links:

• Read Louis Newman's Evolve essay, "Living in a Time of Shattered Faith"
• Where We Stand: The Reconstructionist Movement, Israel and Zionism
• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Support Evolve with a donation
• Explore Evolve's essays about the Israel-Hamas war
• Register for Evolve's upcoming web conversation, "The Right-Wing Extremists Are In Charge In Israel" — Rabbi Jonathan Kligler will discuss why he no longer supports a continuation of the war in Gaza despite his passionate commitment to a liberal, democratic Israeli state.
• Purchase Louis Newman's new book, "Thinking Critically in College"
• Read Louis Newman in Newsweek: "Look to the Liberal Arts to Lower the Temperature of Campus Culture Wars"
• Also by Louis Newman for Evolve, "The Other Jewish View of Forgiveness"
• Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001
• 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War
• 1949: The First Israelis
• Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict
• Read Rabbi Amy Eilberg's Evolve essay, "Lovingkindness in a Time of War" — Louis Newman is married to past Evolve guest and contributor Rabbi Amy Eilberg.
• Listen to Rabbi Amy Eilberg's Evolve interview, "Lovingkindness in a Time of War" — Louis Newman is married to previous Evolve guest and contributor, Rabby Amy Eilberg
• Book Review | Noah Feldman Explains Us To Ourselves