Best Haviv Rettig Gur Podcasts (2025)

1
Feeling Hopeful This Yom Haatzmaut with Haviv Rettig Gur 49:33

9d ago49:33

49:33

Celebrate Israel’s 77th birthday, as Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman welcome Times of Israel political correspondent Haviv Rettig Gur for a candid Yom Ha’atzmaut conversation. In this episode, recorded at the close of Yom HaZikaron and on the eve of Independence Day amidst national wildfires and an ongoing conflict, we unpack: What it feels like to …

1
Bereaved mother Elana Kaminka: End the Gaza 'forever war' 39:14

3d ago39:14

39:14

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Elana Kaminka, peace activist and bereaved mother. On October 7, 2023, Elana's firstborn son, Lt. Yannai Kaminka, 20, a commander in the Home Front Command, was killed battling against Hamas a…

1
Ask Us Anything: Zionism, Israel, and the Books We Love 27:01

3d ago27:01

27:01

Mijal and Noam have asked you to get in touch. This week, they are answering some of your questions, straight from their inbox. From unpacking the layered differences between Zionism, political Zionism, and religious Zionism, to reflecting on how American Jews can honestly and constructively talk to their kids about Israel’s complexities, this epis…

1
The Economics of Tariffs and Trade (with Doug Irwin) 1:32:53

3d ago1:32:53

1:32:53

Is the United States victimized by trade? What causes trade deficits? Are higher tariffs a good idea? Can manufacturing jobs return to the United States? Economist Doug Irwin of Dartmouth College answers these questions and more in this wide-ranging conversation with EconTalk's Russ Roberts.By EconTalk: Russ Roberts

1
A Look Back at Trump’s First 100 Days 43:03

6d ago43:03

43:03

Today on the show, prominent historians Niall Ferguson and Jon Meacham join the show to break down the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term. They discuss the administration’s foreign policy and whether there are any historical parallels to Trump 2.0. Then, former Canadian Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff speaks with Fareed about ho…

1
Episode 12: How Qatar gets a free pass for Islamist radicalism, a conversation with Dr. Jonathan Schanzer 1:02:06

8d ago1:02:06

1:02:06

Qatar has just 330,000 citizens but controls vast wealth due to its plentiful natural gas. It has used that wealth to support radical and violent terrorist groups and regimes throughout the Middle East and to wield enormous influence in the West, including among American politicians and universities.In today's episode, I asked Dr. Jonathan Schanzer…

1
BONUS: What the Heck Is the World Zionist Congress and Why Am I Being Asked To Vote? With WZC President Tova Dorfman 36:34

8d ago36:34

36:34

Ever wondered how Diaspora Jews help decide the fate of a $1 billion fund in Israel? Join Noam Weissman and special guest Tova Dorfman, President of the World Zionist Organization, for a fast-paced guide to the World Zionist Congress elections—who’s on the ballot, what’s at stake, and why every Jewish voter needs to make their voice heard by May 4t…

1
What Matters Now to The Times of Israel: That all Oct. 7 fallen are remembered 28:12

10d ago28:12

28:12

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with the coordinator of The Times of Israel's Those We Have Lost project, Amy Spiro, for this special episode in honor of Israel's Memorial Day to Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror. We explain …

1
Episode 11: Iran is imploding - A conversation with Dr. Sharona Mazalian Levi 50:51

12d ago50:51

50:51

As the Trump administration tries to strike a deal curtailing Iran's nuclear program, I turned to Dr. Sharona Mazalian Levi, an Iran expert and proud Persian Jew, to try to take us past the headlines and political elites to the conditions and hopes of ordinary Iranians. Dr. Mazalian paints a dire picture. Desperate shortages of clean water, electri…

1
The Past and Future of AI (with Dwarkesh Patel) 1:36:44

12d ago1:36:44

1:36:44

Dwarkesh Patel interviewed the most influential thinkers and leaders in the world of AI and chronicled the history of AI up to now in his book, The Scaling Era. Listen as he talks to EconTalk's Russ Roberts about the book, the dangers and potential of AI, and the role scale plays in AI progress. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the a…

1
Zanny Minton Beddoes and Ray Dalio on America’s Flailing Economy Under President Trump 42:56

13d ago42:56

42:56

Today on the show, Fareed speaks with The Economist’s editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes and hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio about America’s economic turmoil in the first 100 days of the Trump administration and President Trump’s problems with Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Next, Victoria Nuland, a former senior State Department official, joins the sh…

1
What Matters Now to Prof. Manuela Consonni: How women resisted the Nazis 31:27

17d ago31:27

31:27

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Prof. Manuela Consonni, director of Hebrew University's Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism. Consonni, a leading scholar of Holocaust memory, gender, and post-war …

1
Holocaust Education is Broken. Dara Horn Knows How We Can Fix It 44:47

17d ago44:47

44:47

In this Yom HaShoah special, Mijal and Noam sit down with Dara Horn, acclaimed author of People Love Dead Jews, to discuss Holocaust education and why it matters more than ever. Dara explores the rise in Holocaust denial, antisemitism post-October 7th, and how Jewish sovereignty challenges popular narratives. They explore why many Holocaust educati…

1
Episode 10: Thirty years of traumatic peacemaking - what do Israelis really think? 1:02:38

18d ago1:02:38

1:02:38

Palestinian advocates like to quip that the current war "didn't begin on October 7." That's true, of course, though unhelpful. It didn't begin in any one specific place. There are no singular first causes in history. When we choose the beginning of the story, we choose its framing and meaning.For most Israeli Jews, the story of the current war migh…

1
Why Christianity Needs to Help Save Democracy (with Jonathan Rauch) 1:20:08

19d ago1:20:08

1:20:08

How does a nice Jewish boy who is also a gay atheist have the chutzpah to lecture Christianity on its obligations to democracy? Listen to author Jonathan Rauch talk about his book Cross Purposes with EconTalk's Russ Roberts as Rauch makes the case for what he calls a thicker Christianity.By EconTalk: Russ Roberts

1
Lee Bollinger on Trump’s Attack on Harvard and Academic Freedom 42:52

20d ago42:52

42:52

Today on the show, Fareed speaks with former President of Columbia University Lee Bollinger about the Trump administration’s attacks on universities and what America stands to lose in the rollback of academic freedom. Then, author Michael Lewis joins the show to discuss his new book, “Who Is Government.” As DOGE moves to dismantle government agenci…

1
What Matters Now to Israel Story's Mitch Ginsburg: A 1973 exodus from Egypt 1:32:26

24d ago1:32:26

1:32:26

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Mitch Ginsburg, a producer at the Israel Story podcast. Ginsburg, a former military reporter for The Times of Israel, brings us a special episode from Israel's flagship podcast series, called …

1
Special Crossover: The Star of David (Jewish History Nerds) 36:48

24d ago36:48

36:48

This week, Wondering Jews is sharing an episode from another great podcast produced by Unpacked: Jewish History Nerds. We hope you'll listen to the premier of season 4: The Star of David-The A Symbol That Means Everything—and Nothing. Hosts Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab explore the history of the Star of David, also known as the Magen David or h…

1
Rational and Religious (with Ross Douthat) 1:17:31

24d ago1:17:31

1:17:31

How can we explain the world's underlying order? How does consciousness emerge? And why do people from such different cultures have such similar near-death experiences? Listen as Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist and author of the new book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, argues that these and other unanswerable questions underscore …

1
A Debate on the Merits of Trump’s Tariff Policy 42:11

27d ago42:11

42:11

Today on the show, Fareed is joined by MAGA intellectual and founder of American Compass Oren Cass and former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers for a debate on the merits of President Trump’s tariff policy. Then, the Wall Street Journal’s Chief China Correspondent Lingling Wei joins to discuss the escalating US-China trade war and how Beijing is …

1
Bonus episode: This Passover, we find our freedom 16:43

29d ago16:43

16:43

Passover is upon us, the seder is Saturday night.Freedom, the Sages teach, is not an end, it is a path; no mere escape from Pharaoh's tyranny but a becoming, filled with substance and responsibility and devotion; no one-off achievement but a ceaseless struggle to secure and deepen who and what we are.This bonus episode offers a few short thoughts t…

1
Episode 9: Did Biden derail Saudi normalization? Breaking down the Abraham Accords with ex-NSC expert Shiri Fein 48:47

1M ago48:47

48:47

The Abraham Accords have the potential to transform the Middle East. The very fact that they survived the Gaza war proves their resilience. Indeed, trade between Israel and its Abraham Accords partners has risen dramatically and stayed high through the war.And now the “kit” of dozens of agreements drafted between Israel and the UAE, from the overar…

1
What Matters Now to hostage mom Idit Ohel: Let our captives go! 26:40

1M ago26:40

26:40

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host arts and culture editor Jessica Steinberg speaking with Idit Ohel, mother of hostage Alon Ohel. Ohel talks about her son, who was taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, from the Nova music festival. Ohel discuss…

1
A Passover Conversation with Rabbi Wolpe: Jewish Solidarity & Survival In a Difficult Year 41:02

1M ago41:02

41:02

In this special Passover episode, Mijal is joined by Rabbi David Wolpe to explore why Pesach continues to resonate so deeply with Jews around the world in 2025. They unpack timeless and timely themes: What makes the Passover seder the most observed Jewish ritual? Can a story be meaningful even if it’s not 100% historical? How do we talk about Israe…

1
The Music and Magic of John and Paul (with Ian Leslie) 1:17:48

1M ago1:17:48

1:17:48

At the heart of the success of the Beatles was the creative chemistry and volatile friendship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Listen as author Ian Leslie discusses his book, John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs with EconTalk's Russ Roberts. It's a deep dive into music and friendship as well as a revisionist history about how John and Paul cre…

1
Former German Minster of Economic Affairs on Trump’s Tariffs 42:50

1M ago42:50

42:50

Today on the show, Fareed speaks with former German Minister of Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier about the impact of President Trump’s tariffs in Europe and around the world. Next, Ehud Barak, former Israeli prime minister, joins the show to discuss Israel’s renewed war in Gaza where Prime Minister Netanyahu is dividing up and seizing more territory…

1
Episode 8: Prof. Alexander Yakobson on what it means to "decolonize Palestine" 52:49

1M ago52:49

52:49

Is Zionism colonialism? Are Jews an authentic people, or merely a religion? What about Palestinians? What are Zionism’s moral costs, and what are those of opposing Zionism? I asked one of my teachers, Hebrew University historian Prof. Alexander Yakobson, some of the great questions now being advanced in Western academic and progressive discourses a…

1
What Matters Now to author Dara Horn: Why Jews are the eternal scapegoat 48:41

1M ago48:41

48:41

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with author and scholar Dara Horn. Horn is the author of novels and non-fiction, including “People Love Dead Jews,” “Eternal Life,” “A Guide for the Perplexed,” and now her first book…

1
Why I’m Not a Jew of Color: Mijal Bitton Unpacks Her Controversial Essay 39:18

1M ago39:18

39:18

Mijal and Noam take a deep dive into race, identity, and what it means to be a Jew of color in the United States today. The episode centers on Mijal Bitton's deeply personal essay, "Why I Am Not a Jew of Color," published in Sapir Journal. Mijal opens up about her background as a non-white Sephardic Jew from Argentina and Syria, and why she resists…

1
Do All Creatures, Great and Small, and Made From Silicon, Have Rights? (with Jeff Sebo) 1:16:13

1M ago1:16:13

1:16:13

Should monkeys have the same rights as humans? What about elephants, ants, or invertebrates? NYU philosopher Jeff Sebo makes the case for expanding your moral circle to many more beings than you might expect, including those based on silicon chips. Listen as Sebo and EconTalk's Russ Roberts discuss to whom and what we owe moral consideration, how w…

1
Trump’s Ambitions for Greenland 42:58

1M ago42:58

42:58

Today on the show, former Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt joins the show to discuss the Trump administration’s push to take over Greenland. She argues that the US could easily get more involved in the territory militarily without needing to take it over. Next, Alexander Dugin, Russian philosopher and the man often referred to as “Putin’s brain,” s…

1
Episode 7 - Judicial Reform: Is tribalism eating Israeli democracy alive? 57:25

1M ago57:25

57:25

What if everybody is right on judicial reform? Israel's highest court is immensely and unreasonably powerful. But if it is weakened, what other checks stand in the way of the tyranny of the majority, that great Achilles' heel of democracy since the dawn of Western civilization? This question is especially urgent for Israel, whose politics are more …

1
What Matters Now to Jonathan Dekel-Chen: US feels like the hostages' only beacon 39:58

1M ago39:58

39:58

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with arts and culture editor Jessica Steinberg hosting and speaking with Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of released hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen. Dekel-Chen, a dual Israeli-American citizen, was a vocal and visible hostage parent throughout th…

1
Faith Without Halacha? Jewish Practice in the Modern World 31:36

2M ago31:36

31:36

What does it mean to be a person of faith in Judaism, especially if you're not fully observant of Jewish law? Mijal and Noam tackle the question: Does spirituality require halacha (Jewish law)? From the idea of halacha as an evolving moral system, to the belief that it's a divine command, Mijal and Noam challenge assumptions about faith, practice, …

1
Episode 6: Why won't Israel fight for the Democrats? With Rep. Ritchie Torres 40:34

2M ago40:34

40:34

Abandoning the Democrats is a losing strategy for Israel, says Rep. Ritchie Torres, perhaps the most outspoken supporter of Israel in the US House of Representatives. The fight over Israel inside American politics is a proxy for a much larger battle over the future of the Democratic Party and the character of America, he argues. Those who don't lik…

1
Bird Brains, Bird Sex, and All Kinds of Beauty (with Matt Ridley) 1:16:45

2M ago1:16:45

1:16:45

Bright colors, long tails, and dances of seduction: they may hurt a bird's chances of survival in the wild, but they seem to increase the chances of reproduction. Is this all part of natural selection or is sexual selection its own force in the bird world? Is there such a thing as beauty for beauty's sake? What can we learn from birds about the hum…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Haviv Rettig Gur Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen