Your Soundtrack for Yom Ha’atzmaut 2018
Israel is 70 years old! Kol Cambridge is celebrating in the only way it knows how – great Israeli music. Make this show the soundtrack to your Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations!
Past Euphoria, Towards Wisdom: Amos Oz’s “The Meaning of Homeland”
Tonight marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. Moving past all the euphoria and towards attempts at wisdom, this episode will feature excerpts from the essay “The Meaning of Homeland” by Amos Oz.
Snatch Those Snacks!
This episode is about the root .ח.ט.פ, used in words like חטף (snatch), החטיף (beat up), and חטיף (snack). Why snacks? Guy explains this and more on today’s deliciously appetising episode of Streetwise Hebrew.
Israel and Hezbollah Get MAD
If another war breaks out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, it could “turn Lebanon into a car park,” and take down wholesale targets in Tel Aviv, says longtime journalist and Lebanon expert Nicholas Blanford.
The “Guns, Jews and Steel” Edition
We discuss: 1) Israel’s response to the “Great March of Return,” 2) a campaign persuading folks not to swap seats with ultra-Orthodox passengers on flights, and 3) a proposal to erect huge Stars of David across Israel.
Poems of Holocaust Remembrance
In honor of Yom HaShoah, we read the poetry of Paul Celan, born to a Jewish family in Czernowitcz in 1920. The death of his parents in the Holocaust, and his imprisonment in a Romanian work camp are the defining forces in his poetry and use of language.
Pride and Prejudice: The State of Israeli Democracy at 70
Ahead of the 70th Independence Day celebrations, Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, discusses the past accomplishments and future challenges of democracy in Israel.
This Week’s Israeli Soundtrack
Brand new music releases from Lior Narkis, Dudu Aharon, Idan Raichel, Moshe Peretz, and many more.
“Crossing the Red Sea”
Our debut episode of “Why, Why, Why!” features stories on the theme of “Crossing the Red Sea” told by Abe Silver, Jodi Davidovitch, Yaser Abu Areesha, Nancy Cahners, and Guy Sharett.
Bereavement: Jacqueline Shohet Kahanoff and “To Die a Modern Death”
This week, excerpts from “To Die a Modern Death,” an important essay for those caring for aging family members, especially during the holidays.
Check Your Connection
The root חב”ר is rich. It’s used in the Hebrew words for “composing”, “connecting”, “joining”, “adding”, and many more. In this episode, Guy explains this root and teaches us how to say the ever-important phrase, “I can’t connect to the internet.”
Imagined Religion: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Judaism
Daniel Boyarin, Professor of Talmudic Cultures at the University of California, Berkeley, discusses his forthcoming book “Judaism: The Genealogy of a Modern Notions”, in which he argues that Judaism, as a full-blown concept, is a modern creation.
The “Still Leaving Egypt, After All These Years” Edition
We discuss: 1) why each new revelation about Bibi’s alleged corruption is accompanied by an increase in support for him, 2) the accreditation of a private university to grant Ph.D. degrees, and 3) whether the story of Exodus hardens or softens our hearts, now that we are in a strong and secure state.
Your Israeli Soundtrack for Pesach
We are here to get you in the mood for Pesach with some holiday related tunes, featuring all new releases (including a banger from Eve & Lear).
The Day Before Passover: S.Y. Agnon’s “The Home”
In honor of Passover, this week’s episode features an excerpt from S.Y. Agnon’s story, “The Home.” Agnon is the only Hebrew-language writer to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature.
What a Pass!
‘Meser’ is defined as message or theme, as in the ‘meser’ of a story, or the main idea behind the text. But it also relates to text messages and to tradition. Guy explains this and more on today’s episode.
Oh Lordy: Reza Aslan on His ‘God: A Human History’
After writing books about the god of Islam and Jesus of Nazareth, religion scholar Reza Aslan takes on the biggest question of all: What does “God” mean, anyway? Aslan comes to a surprising answer which raises the question, does this make him a deep believer or an atheist?
The “Who Surveils the Surveillors?” Edition
We discuss 1) Israel’s new AI system for identifying lone terrorists before they act, 2) the work of an activist who’s been sorting through hundreds of hours of rabbi’s lectures and turning over the nasty bits to the press, and 3) the price tag of price tags.
Egypt, Interbellum: Jacqueline Shohet Kahanoff’s “Jacob’s Ladder”
In honor of Palm Sunday, this episode features an excerpt from Egypt-born author Jacqueline Shohet Kahanoff’s “Jacob’s Ladder”. The novel depicts life in Egypt between the two world wars and features a young child, Rachel, and her nanny, Miss O’Brien.
You Turn Me On!
The words daluk, nidlak, and lehadlik are all related to turning on electric devices. However, they could also mean ‘turn on’ in the sensual sense. To complicate things further, the word letadlek, from the same root, means to ‘refuel’ as well as slang for ‘to drink alcohol.’
Jews, Colonialism and Whiteness: The Latin American Case
Dr. Martina Weisz, a research fellow at the Hebrew University’s Vidal Sassoon Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism, discusses the place of the Jews in the Spanish and Portuguese colonial project, which started immediately after the momentous expulsion of the Jews from these countries, in the late 15th century.
The “Judaism: The Theme Park” Edition
We discuss 1) the horrid humanitarian crisis in Gaza and what to do about it, 2) activists’ demands to scrub a street name honoring a journalist who wrote that Sefaradi/Mizrahi immigrants were primitive in nature, and 3) plans for a new theme park dedicated to the wonders of Judaism!
Neighborhoods: Mahmoud Shukair’s “Jerusalem Stands Alone”
This episode features segments from the book “Jerusalem Stands Alone” by Mahmoud Shukair, a collection of tales narrated in a series of stand-alone observations, usually no more than a single page.
What Do You Think?
“Lahshov” means to think, a crucial word with an important root. From “One could think” to “without thinking twice” and “think about it”, this episode teaches all the thought-related expressions you can, well, think of.
The “Seventy Short Reasons” Edition
We discuss: 1) whether seeing IDF soldiers as “our kids” cloud our moral judgment? 2) a new exhibit of painting portray Sefardi men as oppressors of Russian immigrants. Is it racist? 3) on the occasion of our 70th anniversary, a round-robin of the top 70 reasons we love this place!