Tamar Ish Shalom to host JPPI’s new podcast on American Jewry Post-October 7 – exploring the evolving relationship between American Jews and Israel, featuring conversations with influential leaders and thinkers shaping the future of American Jewish identity.
On Sunday, January 12, the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) will launch a new podcast, hosted by noted Israeli journalist Tamar Ish Shalom, focusing on the impact of the October 7th events and the ongoing war on the world’s largest Jewish community outside Israel – the Jewish community of the United States. Over the past year, unprecedented waves of anti-Israel protests have swept across the globe, including in the United States. On college campuses and beyond, voices condemning Israel – and even questioning its very right to exist – have grown louder.
Renowned Israeli journalist Tamar Ish Shalom will embark on a journey to engage with leaders and key figures in American Jewry to analyze how the war in Israel is reshaping American Jewish identity. Together, they will explore the challenges and opportunities facing American Jews and what the future holds for their relationship with Israel, especially against the backdrop of political developments in both the U.S. and Israel.
The podcast series, titled Jewish Crossroads: Jewish Identity in Times of Crisis, will be edited and hosted by Ish-Shalom and will feature notable guests, including Rabbi David Wolpe, one of the most influential rabbis in America, who recently resigned from Harvard University’s antisemitism advisory council; acclaimed author Nicole Krauss; and Julie Platt, Chair of the Jewish Federations of North America and interim Chair of the University of Pennsylvania, following the recent congressional hearing that led to the resignation of the university’s president.
Starting Sunday (January 12), the podcast will be available on leading audio platforms including Apple and Spotify, as well as with video on YouTube and the JPPI website.
This podcast will join JPPI’s lineup of podcasts, including The Jewish People’s Podcast, led by Yaakov Katz, and JPPI’s Hebrew podcast, hosted by Shmuel Rosner.
Tamar Ish Shalom, formerly the chief anchor of Channel 10 (later Channel 13) News for 11 years and more recently the host of Channel 13’s weekend news edition, has won several prestigious awards, including the B’nai B’rith Journalism Award for her documentary series on the evolving face of American Jewry and the Givat Haviva Award for advancing shared society between Jews and Arabs in Israel. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Jewish philosophy and a master’s degree in religious studies.
JPPI President Prof. Yedidia Stern remarked: “I warmly welcome Tamar Ish Shalom to our Institute and am confident that her work will yield significant insights into the dynamics of American Jewry, helping to strengthen the bonds between this vital community and Israel.”