LATEST POD: A RABBI SPEAKS OUT

on the perils of Zionism and a short primer

To some his comments will be unthinkable. To others he makes perfect sense. As an interviewer it’s rare to land a subject who has studied something so thoroughly — but that is what Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro has done. This highly regarded anti-zionist scholar warns that the relentless pursuit of a Jewish state actually makes Jewish people less safe. For some of you, that might seem a controversial statement but it is an idea debated in the mainstream though largely not in legacy media.

We will get to my interview in a minute but first I’ve included a short BBC video that offers the basics on the controversies around Zionism. Then you can dive into my talk with Rabbi Shapiro. I will be inviting him to comment here as well.

Here is a bit of biography:

Yaakov Shapiro is an international speaker, author, and pulpit rabbi for over 30 years, now emeritus. He has attained an enviable place in the arena of anti-Zionist public intellectuals, having constructed a unique oeuvre on the ideology of Zionism and its relationship to Judaism. After graduating high school at age 16, Rabbi Shapiro dedicated himself to full-time study of religion, becoming the protégé of some of the most well-regarded rabbinic scholars in Orthodoxy. Among his areas of research are religious philosophy, analytic theology, Talmud, Halachah, and Biblical exegesis. At age 19 he published his first book, משפטי הבירורים, a collection of original expositions on rabbinic principles of tort adjudication. His other books include חלקת השדה, a commentary on Judaic laws governing land disputes (2000); צדה לדרך, a commentary on Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato’s exposition of God as the Necessary Being (2009); and שופריה דיעקב, a compendium of original Biblical exegeses (2017).

His most recent work, The Empty Wagon: Zionism’s Journey from Identity Crisis to Identity Theft (2018), a 1381-page treatise on the differences between Judaism and Zionism, is the most comprehensive work written on the subject and considered by many to be definitive. Rabbi Shapiro’s videos on Zionism have been seen by millions of viewers worldwide and translated into several foreign languages. His 7-minute video on President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has been viewed over 1.8 million times. He has lectured for live audiences of thousands.

Rabbi Shapiro is a recipient of the Community Leadership Award from Agudath Israel of America; the Keser Torah Award from Yeshiva Torah Vodaath; Harbotzas Torah award from Yeshiva Bais Yisroel; Parent of the Year Award from Bnos Yisroel; and a post-rabbinical scholarship award from the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture.

Here is my interview with Rabbi Shapiro: (if it fails, then check link below)

And also here, since the iTunes site can be glitchy.

Hard at work on this week’s show.

Stay critical.

#truthbeforetribe