Join self-confessed history nerd Dr. Noam Weissman on a journey through the fascinating and sometimes controversial events and personalities that have shaped Israel’s past and present. Each week, Noam explores the layers of Israeli history, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the cultural forces at play—drawing on a variety of sources and perspectives. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply looking to better understand this complex region, you’ll find a nuanced, authentic, and thought-provoking take on Israel—free from oversimplification and political spin.
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Sep 30, 2026 · 1:01:20
Due to a technical error, we are re-posting part 2 "The Fight for the Soul of Religious Zionism" here. In part 2 of his series on Religious Zionism, Noam traces a movement as it…
Sep 22, 2026 · 51:36
In Part 1 of our series on Religious Zionism, Noam Weissman traces how Jewish longing for Zion evolved into a religious movement that reshaped Zionism. From early rabbinic…
Sep 15, 2026 · 50:35
What does it mean to be a Zionist? Yossi Klein Halevi has asked, and lived that question in radically different ways. He tells Noam Weissman about his journey from the Jewish…
Sep 8, 2026 · 52:20
Tel Hai is a small historic site in the Galilee where, in 1920, a tense standoff between Jewish farmers and Arab fighters erupted into a deadly firefight. Among the dead was…
Sep 3, 2026 · 1:04:55
Will the war ever truly come to an end? Can two populations with so much pain find common ground? Or is the hurt too deep, too vast to overcome? There are no questions more…
Sep 1, 2026 · 33:56
Noam Weissman unpacks the firestorm around New York Magazine’s "Habibi City" issue and traces the deeper historical pattern behind it: the demand that Jews prove they belong by…
Aug 25, 2026 · 1:03:50
In August 2001, Jewish delegates arrived at the UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban expecting to fight bigotry. Instead they walked into what Tom Lantos called the most…
Aug 18, 2026 · 1:04:58
How do Israeli elections actually work? Israelis don't vote directly for prime minister, no party has ever won a majority, and a party with just a handful of Knesset seats can…
Aug 13, 2026 · 39:58
What do Jewish teens really think about Israel? Noam Weissman takes the podcast to Camp Tel Yehudah for a special live episode, exploring Israel, October 7, Jewish identity, and…
Aug 11, 2026 · 40:42
A little Israeli boy from a poor Yemenite family grew up, transitioned, and became the most scandalous, fabulous Eurovision winner in history: meet Dana International. In part 2…
Aug 1, 2026 · 30:59
Why does Israel compete in Eurovision if it's not even in Europe? In Part 1, Noam Weissman unpacks how Israel went from Eurovision newcomer to music powerhouse, exploring the…
Jul 28, 2026 · 43:44
It's summer. Where else do you want to be? Sleepaway camp, obviously. Unpacking Israeli History packed its bags and went to camp. Noam Weissman fielded questions from hundreds of…
Jul 21, 2026 · 35:32
A man is detained over a kippah bearing both the Israeli and Palestinian flags. Was it legal? Noam unpacks the surprising history of the Palestinian flag, why Israel once banned…
Jul 14, 2026 · 1:01:55
Noam sits down with Haviv Rettig Gur in Jerusalem to unpack why Israel feels like a tinderbox, whether it's time to retire the word "Zionism," the debate over Palestinian…
Jul 7, 2026 · 33:42
Fifty years ago, Air France Flight 139 took off from Tel Aviv on the morning of June 27, 1976. No one could have suspected that the soon-to-be-hijacked flight was about to lead…
Jun 30, 2026 · 1:17:06
Does identity define us or limit us? Noam searches for answers with Nuseir Yassin, better known as internet personality Nas Daily. Nas Daily, has 68 million followers and a media…
Jun 23, 2026 · 1:04:55
In June 1967, Israeli paratroopers fought one of the Six Day War's bloodiest battles to reunify Jerusalem. Ammunition Hill, a fortified Jordanian stronghold carved into the…
Jun 16, 2026 · 1:05:26
Noam Weissman joins Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab over at Jewish History Nerds for a special crossover episode on Yitzhak Rabin through the lens of Itamar Rabinovich's Yitzhak…
Jun 9, 2026 · 45:02
To understand why Iran and Israel are fighting, you have to understand Hezbollah. Noam Weissman revisits the story of Iran's proxy in Lebanon, which has been causing trouble for…
Jun 2, 2026 · 43:35
In 1954, a group of young Jewish idealists in Egypt were recruited by Israeli intelligence to plant bombs in Western institutions, only to be betrayed by their own double agent…
May 26, 2026 · 32:39
The scandal that changed Israel forever began with a failed secret operation in Egypt in 1954. Young Egyptian Jews, recruited by Israeli intelligence, were sent on a mission…
May 21, 2026 · 40:18
Israel is no stranger to self-examination. In 1948, Ben-Gurion distributed a poem accusing Israeli soldiers of murder. In 1982, hundreds of thousands demanded accountability…
May 19, 2026 · 56:51
Journalist Haviv Rettig Gur joins Noam to respond to Nicholas Kristof's New York Times column alleging sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces. They examine the…
May 12, 2026 · 51:02
How did an ancient story of mass suicide become the cornerstone of Israeli national identity? In Part 2, Noam traces Masada's unlikely revival, from forgotten footnote to…
May 5, 2026 · 46:05
A mountaintop. A siege. A mass death that became legend. But what if the story of Masada isn’t what we think it is? In this episode, we go back 2,000 years to the final days of…
Apr 29, 2026 · 1:09:36
When Rachel Goldberg-Polin buried her son Hersh, she heard part of herself go into the ground with him. Recorded live before nearly 1,000 people at Temple Judea in Miami, Rachel…
Apr 28, 2026 · 1:11:56
Scott Galloway is one of the most influential voices in the world. He's a professor, bestselling author, and podcaster with millions of followers. What most people don't know:…
Apr 23, 2026 · 36:13
Hasan Piker weaponized Albert Einstein on Pod Save America to condemn Zionism. But he left out most of the story. Noam addresses Piker's troubling statements about Einstein by…
Apr 21, 2026 · 1:13:51
Why did Israel's enemies, Sinwar, Khamenei and Nasrallah, all believe Israel was on the verge of collapse? Israeli philosopher Micah Goodman joins Noam to reveal the deep…
Apr 14, 2026 · 59:07
Host Noam Weissman sits down with Ittay Flescher, educator and education director at Seeds of Peace in Jerusalem, for an honest conversation about whether Israeli Palestinian…
Apr 7, 2026 · 38:48
We're revisiting one of our most important episodes: the story of Operation Opera, Israel's 1981 surprise airstrike on Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor, because the questions it…
Mar 31, 2026 · 1:07:31
In this special live episode from Atlanta, Noam Weissman sits down with journalist and author Yardena Schwartz to explore two of the most contested places on earth: Al-Aqsa and…
Mar 24, 2026 · 39:43
A listener question about Israel's currency sends Noam on a fascinating journey through Jewish history. From secretly printing Israel's first bills in New York to battling…
Mar 17, 2026 · 36:52
In Part 2 of our series on the history of the kibbutz, Noam Weissman explores how these communal villages helped shape Israel’s borders, identity, and culture. From frontier…
Mar 12, 2026 · 56:10
As war between Israel and Iran intensifies, Noam Weissman sits down with journalist Haviv Rettig Gur to unpack what’s really driving the conflict. Is this about stopping Iran’s…
Mar 10, 2026 · 35:44
What is a kibbutz, and why did it play such an outsized role in Israeli history? In Part 1 of this two-part series, Noam Weissman traces the origins of the kibbutz movement back…
Mar 3, 2026 · 26:58
Missiles in the sky. Purim on the calendar. As Israel confronts Iran, Noam steps back from the headlines and turns to the Book of Esther, a story of genocide threatened, courage…
Mar 3, 2026 · 52:31
In the finale of our five-part series on the Jewish people’s ancient relationship to the Land of Israel, we move into the modern era, when Israel’s deepest challenges emerged not…
Mar 1, 2026 · 51:50
In this special episode, Noam Weissman sits down with Middle East expert and former Israeli intelligence official Avi Melamed to unpack the forces driving the Israel–Iran–U.S.…
Feb 24, 2026 · 50:58
The dream came true. And then reality arrived. In the 4th episode of our epic series tracing the Jewish relationship to the Land of Israel, Zionism shifts from vision to…
Feb 17, 2026 · 51:41
As the modern world takes shape, the Jewish longing for Zion turns political. In Part 3 of this five-part series on the history of Israel, Noam Weissman explores how Zionism…
Feb 10, 2026 · 43:56
After the Second Temple falls in 70 CE, the Jewish story shifts from sovereignty to survival--and Zion becomes a memory carried through exile. In Part 2 of this five-part series…
Feb 3, 2026 · 53:31
Zionism didn’t begin in the 19th century. It didn’t start with pamphlets, politics, or Theodor Herzl. In Episode 1 of a five-part series, Noam Weissman goes back—way back—to…
Jan 27, 2026 · 38:39
In Part 2 of this two-part Unpacking Israeli History series on Israeli humanitarian aid, Noam Weissman follows IsraAid as it responds to the trauma and displacement inside Israel…
Jan 20, 2026 · 54:45
After October 7, stories about Israeli humanitarian aid can sound like hasbara—a Hebrew term for public diplomacy or advocacy meant to improve Israel’s image. So in Part 1 of…
Jan 13, 2026 · 1:10:20
In this follow-up conversation, Noam Weissman and emotional attunement expert Toba Hellerstein move from theory to practice—using real-world case studies to explore how people…
Jan 6, 2026 · 34:58
In this Open Mic episode, Noam responds to a listener, Aviva's question: what does it even mean to say “Israel has a right to exist”—and who gets to decide that “right”? Noam…
Dec 30, 2025 · 31:28
Noam revisits one of the most devastating episodes in Israeli history—the 1974 Ma’alot school hostage massacre—and explains why, after October 7, this story feels more urgent and…
Dec 23, 2025 · 55:54
How do you get people who don’t talk to talk? In this special live Unpacking Israeli History, Noam Weissman sits down with Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and Israeli…
Dec 16, 2025 · 25:33
Complete our 2025 survey: https://unpacked.bio/uihsurvey Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025 In…
Dec 9, 2025 · 41:20
Complete our 2025 survey: https://unpacked.bio/uihsurvey Book for the Jerusalem Marathon "Return, Reconnect, and Run for Resilience" tour: sababatravel.com Help us take Unpacked…
Dec 2, 2025 · 1:08:23
Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025 Noam Weissman talks with journalist and author Yardena Schwartz…
Nov 25, 2025 · 38:33
This week, we’re revisiting one of the most overlooked yet consequential chapters in the Arab–Israeli conflict: the 1929 Hebron Massacre. In just two days, 67 Jews were murdered…
Nov 18, 2025 · 32:35
In this Israel Open Mic episode, Noam answers two listener questions: What is the Green Line, really? And why does Israel have a President if the Prime Minister holds the power?…
Nov 11, 2025 · 56:46
Thirty years after Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, Noam Weissman sits with Journalist Haviv Rettig Gur to unpack what changed on November 4, 1995—and what didn’t. Was Oslo doomed,…
Nov 4, 2025 · 27:32
Thirty years after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated at a peace rally in Tel Aviv, we revisit one of the most defining moments in Israeli history. Originally released…
Oct 28, 2025 · 41:12
In one of the most powerful episodes of Unpacking Israeli History, host Noam Weissman sits down with Eli Sharabi, survivor of 491 days as a Hamas hostage, to share his story of…
Oct 21, 2025 · 48:08
So much of what we read about Israel is politics and war. But this episode explores a different angle: what does it feel like to live through this moment? Noam sits down with…
Oct 13, 2025 · 21:30
Two years after October 7, 2023, host Noam Weissman reflects on how Israel—and he himself—have been haunted by absence and by loss. Now the last living hostages are home and a…
Oct 6, 2025 · 42:39
It's been two years since October 7, 2023—the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. To commemorate, Noam revisits a powerful conversation (originally aired on Wondering…
Oct 3, 2025 · 1:19:26
Gaza-born activist Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib joins Noam Weissman for the series finale and a fierce, heartfelt debate on Palestinian statehood. While they grapple with the meaning and…
Oct 1, 2025 · 1:16:08
Noam Weissman sits down with Dr. Einat Wilf — former Knesset member, public intellectual, and one of Israel’s sharpest voices — for a provocative conversation about Palestinian…
Sep 30, 2025 · 1:05:28
In our two-part series on Palestinian statehood, we traced the history and politics behind decades of failed attempts. But for Palestinian activist and political leader Samer…
Sep 29, 2025 · 1:10:10
In this bonus episode, Noam talks with Michael Koplow, chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum. Michael traces the history of Palestinian statehood efforts, explains why…
Sep 25, 2025 · 45:31
In Part 2 in a series on Palestinian statehood, Noam Weissman picks up in 1967, showing how the Six Day War reset borders and assumptions—sparking debates over land, security,…
Sep 22, 2025 · 31:52
Why did Israel become a state but Palestine didn’t? Now that a rising number of nations, including Britain and France, have announced that they plan to recognize Palestinian…
Sep 16, 2025 · 58:32
BOOK NOW FOR OUR LA SHOW - Nov 12 at Sinai Temple with special guest Ronen Bergman. Last stop for 2025! Use the coupon code UIH20 to get a discount on your tickets:…
Sep 15, 2025 · 9:37
Noam Weissman reflects on the Charlie Kirk assassination and what Israeli history—from Rabin to Gaza—teaches about polarization, sacred listening, and building a culture of…
Sep 9, 2025 · 1:23:14
Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza? Host Noam Weissman and historian Gil Troy dive into the explosive debate in an important and difficult conversation. They break down the…
Sep 2, 2025 · 58:03
Who are the Neturei Karta? A recent Humans of New York article brought the fringe sect of ultra-Orthodox, anti-Zionist Jews into the spotlight. Now Noam Weissman explains the…
Aug 26, 2025 · 1:01:51
What wins hearts and minds — facts, or feelings? This week, Noam Weissman sits down with Toba Hellerstein, author of American Perceptions of Jews and Israel and a leading expert…
Aug 19, 2025 · 45:19
In Part 2 of a series on settler violence, Noam Weissman talks with Yirmiyahu Danzig (@that_semite) about the Hilltop Youth, Palestinian life in Area C, and the narratives behind…
Aug 12, 2025 · 58:29
Noam Weissman sits down with journalist Haviv Rettig Gur to tackle one of the most heated topics in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: settler violence. Who are the “Hilltop…
Aug 5, 2025 · 50:23
In the explosive finale of our 3-part series on the Suez Crisis, Noam Weissman unpacks the hidden aftershocks of Israel’s most underrated war. This episode reveals how the 1956…
Jul 29, 2025 · 42:47
This week, Part 2 of our Suez Crisis trilogy dives into the explosive events of 1956: Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal, enraging Britain and France. Behind closed doors, the…
Jul 22, 2025 · 37:37
Unpacking Israeli History kicks off a gripping 3-part series on the 1956 Suez Crisis—Israel’s most overlooked war. In Part I, Noam Weissman unpacks the roots of this conflict:…
Jul 15, 2025 · 1:21:35
Unpacking Israeli History goes live in Chicago! Join host Noam Weissman and historian, statesman, and bestselling author Michael Oren for an extraordinary conversation on…
Jul 8, 2025 · 1:08:39
This week, host Noam Weissman explores the heated debate over the right of return in part 2 in a series on the origins of the Palestinian refugee crisis. Noam traces how the 1948…
Jul 8, 2025 · 54:19
Host Noam Weissman dives into one of the most emotionally and politically charged topics in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the Right of Return. Noam breaks down key historical…
Jul 1, 2025 · 59:36
Host Noam Weissman sits down with acclaimed Iranian-American writer Roya Hakakian to trace the complex and often misunderstood history of Persian Jewry. Roya shares her personal…
Jun 26, 2025 · 1:11:13
As a ceasefire takes tentative hold, host Noam Weissman sits down with Dr. Tal Becker — former Israeli peace negotiator and legal advisor — to unpack the complex war between…
Jun 24, 2025 · 46:09
As tensions erupt between Israel and Iran, we revisit one of our most powerful episodes: the secret story of Dimona, Israel’s nuclear program. In this updated re-release, Noam…
Jun 19, 2025 · 27:05
In this special episode of Unpacking Israeli History, Noam Weissman breaks from the usual format to reflect on what it means to live through history as a Jew, a Zionist, and an…
Jun 17, 2025 · 54:25
In this special episode of Unpacking Israeli History, host Noam Weissman shares a conversation with producer Rivky Stern, who unexpectedly finds herself in Israel with her young…
Jun 13, 2025 · 37:55
In this urgent crossover episode of Unpacking Israeli History and Wondering Jews, host Noam Weissman is joined by military analyst and author Yaakov Katz to break down Israel’s…
May 27, 2025 · 41:24
Unpacking Israeli History is coming to Chicago on June 8 for its first ever LIVE event! Buy your tickets now. DISCOUNT: Get 20% off your tickets using the discount code…
May 20, 2025 · 38:51
Unpacking Israeli History is coming to Chicago on June 8 for its first ever LIVE event! Buy your tickets nowDISCOUNT: Get 20% off your tickets using the discount code UIHCHI.…
May 13, 2025 · 53:15
Unpacking Israeli History is coming to Chicago on June 8 for its first ever LIVE event! Buy Your Tickets Now DISCOUNT: Get 20% off your tickets using the discount code UIHCHI.…
May 6, 2025 · 39:50
Unpacking Israeli History is coming to Chicago on June 8 for its first ever LIVE event! Buy your tickets now EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT: Get your tickets before May 19 using the…
Apr 29, 2025 · 40:10
This year has tested Israel and the Jewish people like never before. Amid devastating war, political chaos, and a global surge in antisemitism, Noam Weissman reflects on an…
Apr 22, 2025 · 40:43
Host Noam Weissman explores the powerful origins and evolving meaning of Yom HaShoah ve HaGevurah, Israel’s official Holocaust Remembrance Day. Why doesn’t Israel observe…
Apr 8, 2025 · 37:50
This week, Unpacking Israeli History is sharing an episode from another great podcast produced by Unpacked: Jewish History Nerds. We hope you'll listen to the premier of season…
Apr 2, 2025 · 45:52
Host Noam Weissman explores the controversial ideas, and long-lasting influence of Meir Kahane—American-born rabbi, founder of the Jewish Defense League, and pioneer of the…
Mar 25, 2025 · 59:50
Host Noam Weissman continues a powerful conversation with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian voice offering deep, honest insights into Gaza’s past, present, and future. In part…
Mar 18, 2025 · 57:22
What happens when a proud American, native Gazan, and pro-peace advocate joins Unpacking Israeli History? In this groundbreaking episode, Noam Weissman sits down with Ahmed Fouad…
Mar 11, 2025 · 55:14
Host and avid basketball fan, Noam Weissman takes us courtside to one of the most iconic moments in Israeli sports history — Maccabi Tel Aviv’s historic 2004 Euroleague…
Mar 4, 2025 · 36:15
Host Noam Weissman tackles one of the most complex and debated topics in modern history: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this 30-minute crash course, Noam distills over a…
Feb 25, 2025 · 21:42
Host Noam Weissman reflects on one of the most devastating periods since October 7, 2023-- the past week, which brought us the deaths of Oded Lifshitz and 3/4 of the Bibas…
Feb 18, 2025 · 32:04
Dive into the story of the 1946 King David Hotel bombing with part two in a gripping series on an event that re-shaped British policy in Mandate Palestine and influenced the…
Feb 11, 2025 · 36:26
UIH wants to hear from you. Please fill out this survey to share your thoughts and ideas about the show. Find the survey here. In the first episode of a gripping two-part series,…
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