Jewish history is about to change. Though we don’t know how it is going to change, we do know without doubt that whatever the Jewish people looks like in fifty years or one hundred years, it will have largely been shaped by the Pogrom of Oct 7 and the still-very-much-unfolding events that followed.
This war doesn’t yet have a name, but I’ve heard more than a few people call it the “Second War of Independence.” Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, IDF International Spokesman, my conversation with whom we posted yesterday, refers to it that way. There are many reasons that this war, like the 1948 war, is an existential one, and we will address those in the days to come.
But it is already clear that one of the elephants in the room is “who will lead Israel after this war ends?” Some Israeli public intellectuals, like Ari Shavit for example, are convinced that Bibi will either step down or be forced out by massive protests. Others, without making predictions, are saying that he should resign with the reservists are sent home. Ran Baratz, once very close to Bibi, is among them.
I’m more dubious. I don’t see Netanyahu resigning without a fight, a fight that he might actually win. It’s hard to see, at least as of now, what would precipitate new elections, unless, indeed, there were protests that dwarfed those of the judicial reform days. Could it happen? Yes. But I’m dubious. We shall see.
One way or the other, though, when Israelis turn to rebuilding much of this country from the ground up, leadership is going to be one of the key issues. So today, we’re airing a podcast with Rick Richman, which we recorded before the war, about his book on critically important Zionist leaders.
If you’ve read Rick Richman’s previous books, you know that he is not only a serious historian, but is also a master story-teller. (And if you haven’t read them, it’s time for a momentary detour to Amazon!) It’s a rare combination. Richman’s new book is the story of how Zionism, supported by Americanism, created a modern miracle—told through the little-known stories of eight individuals who collectively changed history.
And None Shall Make Them Afraid presents eight historic figures—four from Europe (Theodor Herzl, Chaim Weizmann, Vladimir Jabotinsky, and Abba Eban) and four from America (Louis D. Brandeis, Golda Meir, Ben Hecht, and Ron Dermer)—who reflect the intellectual and social revolutions that Zionism and Americanism brought to the world.
In some cases, the stories have been forgotten; in other cases, they have been misrepresented or tweaked over the course of time. But these eight figures were all central to the miraculous recovery of the Jewish people in the twentieth century.
Rick and I spoke about his book, And None Shall Make Them Afraid, and the lesser known stories of three of the eight individuals covered in the book—people who were animated by profound commitments, and by sheer force of will, changed the course of history.
We’re going to need those kinds of people again, so this is the time to remember the leaders we once had.
The link above will take you to a brief excerpt of our conversation; the full conversation, along with a transcript for those who prefer to read, is being made available to paid subscribers to Israel from the Inside.
Rick Richman is a resident scholar at American Jewish University in Los Angeles. He has written for Commentary Magazine, Mosaic, the New York Sun, the Jewish Journal, Jewish Press, New York Post, PJ Media, and other publications. Rick wrote the chapter on Louis Brandeis in What America Owes the Jews, What Jews Owe America (Mosaic Books: 2016) and appeared in the documentary film, “Body and Soul: The State of the Jewish Nation” (DocEmet Productions: 2014).
Richman is the author of Racing Against History: The 1940 Campaign for a Jewish Army to Fight Hitler and his latest book, And None Shall Make Them Afraid: Eight Stories of the Modern State of Israel.
He graduated from Harvard College and NYU Law School, and lives in Los Angeles with his wife.
As explained above, Shalem College is making use of its financial infrastructure to help the Hamal (which we covered in a previous post) collect funds, and to get 100% of the funds to the Hamal immediately. To support the Hamal, use the link immediately below. There is a place on the web page to note that you want your contribution to be directed to the war effort.
If you’re just joining us, Israel from the Inside typically posts a written column on Mondays and a podcast on Wednesdays. That is obviously irrelevant for the time being.
We’ve delayed all the podcasts that were ready to go, because the people whose stories they tell deserve to tell them when we all have the bandwidth to hear. Hopefully, that will return some day.
In the interim, we’ll post as possible. Here in Israel, there are non-stop funerals to go to, shiva homes to visit, grandchildren to help care for while sons and daughters are in the army, so we’ll see.
Schedules are the least of our worries.
Impossible Takes Longer is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and at other booksellers.
Music credits: Medieval poem by Rabbi Shlomo Ibn Gvirol. Melody and performance by Shaked Jehuda and Eyal Gesundheit. Production by Eyal Gesundheit. To view a video of their performance, see this YouTube:
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