John Safran is one of Australia’s most beloved provocateurs. A multi award-winning author and documentary filmmaker, his new book is titled Squat: A Week Squatting At Kanye’s Mansion.
Our conversation twists and turns through a range of topics including his creative process, the impact attending Yeshivah College had on his life, Kanye’s esoteric ideas, Black-Jewish relations in America, the online conspiracy ecosystem, cultural silos, being ironic in the Woke age, advice for artists, and more.
John’s socials:
Buy John’s book today: Squat (Penguin Books)
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Ittay Flescher is Education Director at Kids4Peace Jerusalem, as well as a peace activist, political analyst and author. His new book is titled The Holy And The Broken: A cry for Israeli-Palestinian peace from a land that must be shared.
Our conversation spans a range of topics including the nature of Man, facilitating dialogue, what it’s like to be in the room at Kids4Peace, what the Oslo peace negotiations got wrong, alternative lenses to view the conflict through, and more.
Buy Ittay's book today: The Holy And The Broken (Harper Collins)
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Genetic study on Jews and Palestinians
Unapologetic: The Third Narrative podcast
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This episode has been proudly supported by Beit Midrash Oz.
If you want to support this podcast, please head over to Buy Me A Coffee.
Julie Szego is a writer of the popular Substack blog Szego Unplugged, and a former senior journalist at The Age and other major Australian publications. She has authored a book titled The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama which was shortlisted for both the VIC and NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.
Our conversation spans a number of topics including taking risks, activist journalism, liberals versus progressives, Islamism, Jewish identity, the state of liberal Jewry today, advice for writing and more.
Julie’s Substack: Szego Unplugged
Buy Julie’s book today: The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama
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YouTube
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Nathan Wolski is a lecturer in the Australian Centre of Jewish Civilisation at Monash University who has a special interest in the Zohar and Yiddish. He’s an author, translator and member of Di Farborgene Khalyastre (“The Hidden Group”).
Our conversation meanders through a range of topics including reality and the mystical experience, professional dreamers, Kabbalistic conceptions of God, rationalism vs mysticism, Aaron and Hillel Zeitlin, the overlap between physics and the Zohar, and more.
Books and concepts mentioned in today’s conversation:
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This episode has been proudly supported by Beit Midrash Oz.
If you want to support this podcast, please head over to Buy Me A Coffee.
Ghil'ad Zuckermann is a professor of linguistics who invented the field of revivalistics, a trans-disciplinary field of enquiry exploring "the dynamics and problematics inherent in spoken language reclamation, revitalization, and reinvigoration". He was named in 2024 as one of Australia’s Top 30 “Living Legends of Research” by The Australian newspaper.
This conversation spans a number of topics including hyperpolyglotism, revivalistics, his classification of Modern Hebrew as Israeli, reviving the ancient Aboriginal language of Barngarla, the future of language in an increasingly globalised and online world, and much more. Buy Ghil'ad's book today using promo code AAFLYG6 to receive a 30% discount
Link to Ghil'ad's resources:
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Raphael Dascalu is a quirky scholar with a special interest in Judeo-Arabic thought and literature. Currently serving as an Adjunct Research Associate at Monash University, he is starting Beit Midrash Oz (a House of Study) which is due to officially open in 2024.
Our conversation covers a range of topics including the vibe of the new Beit Midrash, conceptions of the Divine, ritual, revelation, the indigeneity question, the Jewish Diaspora, and more.
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David Solomon is a scholar and educator who holds a doctorate in translation studies from Monash University. His latest work, a monumental seven volume translation of the Tikunei haZohar, one of the Kabbalah's most famous texts, has been a decade in the making and is due for release next year.
This conversation spans a number of topics including David's translation project, the Zohar, the Kabbalistic mindset, Jewish eschatology, "pseudepigrapha", Hasidism, the nature of truth, and more.
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YouTube
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Simon Holloway is the Melbourne Holocaust Museum's Manager of Adult Education and Academic Engagement. He holds a PhD from the University of Sydney in Classical Hebrew and Biblical Studies, and a Masters in Ancient History.
This conversation spans a number of topics including how the Nazis used their interpretations of the Talmud to fuel their propaganda, antisemitism, anti-Zionism, Schrodinger's Whites, academic Biblical studies, truth, circumcision, and what Simon wishes to persist beyond his death.
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Zach Gomo is studying for his PhD in Education, and is currently serving as a Victoria Police Chaplain. He's been a Teacher and Assistant Principal, as well as a former Sergeant in the Israeli Defence Force.
This conversation spans a number of topics including the modern social and political movements replacing religion, the missing "third space", Judaism in modern times, the strengths and weaknesses of the Melbourne Jewish community, three qualities every good teacher must have, and why Zach believes his wife is more important than his kids.
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