Liel Leibovitz

In this wide-ranging conversation, Liel Leibovitz confronts the moral and ideological crossroads facing both American conservatism and the global Jewish community. From the hollow language of “belonging” to the failures of modern Jewish leadership, he challenges listeners to reject performative politics and return to principle. Liel argues that Jewish and Western survival hinge on moral clarity — in faith, in warfare, and in the courage to lead. He dissects how DEI culture has diluted Judaism’s ethical core, critiques the erosion of conviction in U.S.–Israel relations, and calls for a renewed understanding of identity rooted not in victimhood but in purpose and victory.

UATX Distinguished Fellow Liel Leibovitz on how to defeat the anti-American barbarians. This lecture was delivered on October 8, 2025. Apply Now⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ uaustin.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack⁠

Can we maintain the highest ethical standards without betraying national solidarity? As the war in Gaza surpasses 700 days and the High Holidays approach, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore what it means to love Israel unconditionally while grappling with the challenges of moral responsibility during time of war. They discuss maintaining ethical credibility while under attack and advocate making space for the "troubled committed"—Jews who refuse to choose between loyalty and ethics—concluding that the hardest questions often come from the place of deepest love. From the episode: “Our season of reckoning: Israel’s moral crossroads in Gaza” by Yossi Klein Halevi, Times of Israel “The Troubled and the Committed” by Liel Leibovitz, Tablet Magazine “Liberal Zionism and the Troubled Committed” by Donniel Hartman, Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, Fall 2021 As the Gaza war reaches day 703 and the High Holidays approach, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi wrestle with the challenge of moral reflection in wartime after a painful week. How do you maintain ethical standards without betraying solidarity? They address soldiers’ sacrifices, the fate of hostages, Gazan civilians, and the stakes of a potential ceasefire decision, exploring what it means to love Israel unconditionally while grappling with difficult moral questions. They discuss the "troubled committed" - Jews who refuse to choose between loyalty and ethics, and why making space for their voices strengthens rather than weakens support for Israel. A raw, honest conversation about maintaining ethical credibility while under attack, and why the hardest questions often come from the deepest love. From the episode: “Our season of reckoning: Israel’s moral crossroads in Gaza” by Yossi Klein Halevi, Times of Israel “The Troubled and the Committed” by Liel Leibovitz, Tablet Magazine ---- Yossi’s article: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/our-season-of-reckoning-israels-moral-crossroads-in-gaza/ Tablet Article: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/uja-gaza-donation-troubled-committed-liel-leibovitz Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel . Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org . For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org , or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST . Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

Podcasts are ruining our lives. That, at least, is the thesis of the sometime podcaster, Liel Leibovitz . It’s the insidious charm of chat, Leibovitz believes, that is behind the faux intimacy of popular podcasters like Joe Rogan. Speaking from Tel Aviv, the Tablet magazine editor-at-large argues that what began as a revolutionary medium for deep, unfiltered conversation has devolved into the same shallow journalism that plagues mainstream media. Podcasters, Leibovitz contends, have traded meaningful discourse for chummy celebrity interviews, creating parasocial relationships that feel intimate but deliver little substance. The medium's unique power to reach listeners in their most vulnerable moments—while doing dishes, walking dogs, working out—has been weaponized into artificial friendships that replace genuine human connection with performative conversations designed to maintain access rather than pursue truth. So what should wannabe podcasters and their audiences do? You could, of course, stop listening to podcasts like this one or Leibovitz’s once popular Unorthodox show. Alternatively, as he suggests, you could start your own militantly anti-podcast Podcast (as he is planning with his revamped Unorthodox show), thereby reuniting the medium with the message. 1. Podcasts create dangerous parasocial intimacy Listeners develop artificial relationships with hosts they've never met, epitomized by the fan who named her cat after Leibovitz. This faux intimacy makes audiences trust podcasters more than they should, replacing real human relationships with performed ones. 2. The medium has abandoned its revolutionary potential What began as a way to have deep, unfiltered conversations unavailable on mainstream media has devolved into the same shallow access journalism, with podcasters prioritizing celebrity guests and maintaining chummy relationships over pursuing truth. 3. Intimacy doesn't equal authenticity The failure of Clubhouse (which offered real interaction) versus the success of podcasts (which offer performed intimacy) proves people don't actually want genuine connection—they want the feeling of intimacy without the work of real relationships. 4. There's still hope for the medium Leibovitz argues we're at a "Fred Friendly moment"—ready to discover what podcasting can truly accomplish beyond its current limitations. He believes audiences will respond to genuinely substantive content when offered it, citing positive reactions to rare moments of real questioning. 5. AI will increase the value of authentic human voices As artificial content proliferates, genuinely human storytelling, conversation, and analysis will become premium commodities—making this the perfect time for serious podcasters to distinguish themselves through authentic, meaningful discourse. Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

What is the American covenant, and how does it connect to the Judeo-Christian idea of freedom? In this PragerU 5-Minute Video, biblical scholar and social commentator Liel Leibovitz explains why this unique covenant sets the United States apart from other nations. He explores how America's founding principles are rooted in biblical values, and why understanding this connection is essential to preserving liberty, national identity, and the future of the country. Get all our content ad-free on PragerU.com or download the PragerU app: https://l.prageru.com/45GvWlu Follow PragerU on social media: YouTube Instagram X/Twitter Facebook Rumble Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liel Leibovitz is an author and editor-at-large for Tablet Magazine and the host of its weekly podcast, Rootless. He is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. His work focuses on thinking about anti-Semitism as a national security threat.

#ads Stream any unabridged audiobook of your choice with premium access by starting your trial on: https://booksreader.space/al-1981/ Title: Fortunate Sons Author: Liel Leibovitz, Matthew Miller Narrator: Steve Marvel Format: mp3 Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins Release date: 02-11-25 Ratings: Not rated yet Genres: China Publisher's Summary: In 1872, China—ravaged by poverty, population growth, and aggressive European armies—sent 120 boys to America to learn the secrets of Western innovation. They studied at New England's finest schools and were driven by a desire for progress and reform. When anti-Chinese fervor forced them back home, the young men had to overcome a suspicious imperial court and a country deeply resistant to change in technology and culture. Fortunate Sons tells a remarkable story, weaving together the dramas of personal lives with the fascinating tale of a nation's endeavor to become a world power.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/127429 to listen full audiobooks. Title: Fortunate Sons Author: Liel Leibovitz, Matthew Miller Narrator: Steve Marvel Format: mp3 Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins Release date: 02-11-25 Ratings: Not rated yet Genres: China Publisher's Summary: In 1872, China—ravaged by poverty, population growth, and aggressive European armies—sent 120 boys to America to learn the secrets of Western innovation. They studied at New England's finest schools and were driven by a desire for progress and reform. When anti-Chinese fervor forced them back home, the young men had to overcome a suspicious imperial court and a country deeply resistant to change in technology and culture. Fortunate Sons tells a remarkable story, weaving together the dramas of personal lives with the fascinating tale of a nation's endeavor to become a world power.

On the first episode of our new flagship series, Liel Leibovitz puts the current wars in Israel in context. He is then joined by Amiad Cohen, Founder and CEO of Herut, a leading Israeli think tank, to discuss a novel argument for a path to lasting peace on Israel’s borders.

On the first episode of our new flagship series, Liel Leibovitz puts the current wars in Israel in context. He is then joined by Amiad Cohen, Founder and CEO of Herut, a leading Israeli think tank, to discuss a novel argument for a path to lasting peace on Israel’s borders.

Liel Leibovitz is an Israeli-American journalist, author, and media critic, currently serving as the editor-at-large for Tablet Magazine and the host of several of its widely followed podcasts. Born in Tel Aviv, he immigrated to the United States in 1999 and later earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 2007. In addition to his work in journalism, Liel has written several notable books that explore topics ranging from cultural criticism to Jewish thought. He is also a scholar in the field of video game studies.

For a while after October 7, the war produced an atmosphere of national solidarity in Israel, quieting some of the tensions that had divided Israelis from one another with a special intensity throughout the previous year. That quiet now seems to be ending. There was always bound to be a tension between two of the Israeli government's primary war aims: that of rescuing the hostages, and that of defeating Hamas until total victory. The government insists that it is pursuing both of these aims, but many Israelis don't believe it. Many of them are persuaded that Prime Minister Netanyahu is prolonging the war and foregoing opportunities to secure the hostages' freedom because the war keeps his political coalition together and that keeps him in power. Tens of thousands of Israelis, mapping more or less onto the tens of thousands of judicial-reform opponents seen last year, are now in the streets protesting. Then when, last weekend, the bodies of six more murdered hostages were retrieved from Rafah, the anger overflowed its bounds and spilled out onto the streets. In the protestors' view, it was Netanyahu who could have prevented these horrible deaths. Netanyahu could have gone along with Hamas's cease-fire terms. Netanyahu could have patriotically apologized and resigned. Liel Leibovitz, the editor-at-large of Tablet , thinks otherwise. Host Jonathan Silver speaks this week with Leibovitz about a recent essay analyzing the roots and effects of the protests themselves, "'Bring them Home' Is Bringing Us to the Brink." In it, Leibovitz looks at the protesters' motivations, at a style of politics he thinks has been imported from America, and deeper questions raised by the Israelis marching against their government. In their conversation, Silver and Leibovitz try to peer a little more deeply into the ongoing drama of modern Zionism and the meaning of modern Israel.