By the time you mentioned a synagogue board meeting I about lost it. I am a Buddhist with a jewish wife, and two of my four children are jewish. Until 5 years ago I had little concept of what being jewish was, but I knew the history. I am Romanyi and have learned a strong kinship, even with differences in faith. I highly recommend this for those who who want to understand a bit more that is on the surface. Well done brother. Shchasty Arkadi

Fantastic podcast. Unpacks myths and misinformation while providing clarity, background information, analysis and balance. I just finished listening to the Kishinev episode and I LOVED the personal story in the introduction and how Noam related it to the subject of this episode. As a psychotherapist I help clients to go back to the origins of their childhood stories which created their present reactivities because the haven’t been refreshed! These stories stayed as whole and sacred truths to live by, though the child had grow into an adult. The retelling of the Kishinev massacre was horrifying, while the greater historical impact of recovery and (some healing) are inspiring. Thank you for putting it all in perspective. It really helps to understand things more fully. Keep up this excellent work. יישר כוח!!! Dita Teitelbaum

Excellent history and commentary.

Lots of in-depth information, and also very thought-provoking. I’m hooked. I listed to this on my commute.

As a Jewish history teacher im obsessed with this pod and its content !!

Wonderfully interesting show, filled with information! Big thank you for all the people who work to bring us such good podcasts!

I am probably not your typical listener (as I am not Jewish) but I have come to really enjoy this podcast. I wanted to learn more about Israel after reading Daniel Gordis’ book on Israeli history (Concise History of a Nation Reborn) and this podcast really delivers. Noam is a superb and engaging host who continually provides context and detail beyond the history that is books. Thanks again for this and look forward to many more seasons! Rob Franson

My only complaint is that you don’t have enough content !

Wonderful way to learn about Jewish history. The podcast is very informative. I learned so much and on topics I never knew. Great production and picks on interesting topics. At this time of revisionist history i it refreshing to have an honest and fair representation of the history. Keep up the Great work!!!

Shalom Noam, Unpacking History (Israel) is very informative especially for me, a JBC. This has affirmed my knowledge of Jewish history and encourages me more to want to share with my fellow Jews and non Jews in Israel’s history and formation. Toda.

Fair and balanced with compassion for all sides. Highly recommend!

excellent production! Well researched history and well presented. Very informative and concise. (And the host has a sexy voice ;-)

I came across 1 episode and ended up binge listening for 4 episodes. As an Israeli and American, it’s hard not to feel singled out with anti-zionist rhetoric that is a form of todays modern antisemitism to delegitimize the pursuit of being Jewish. The episodes were interesting, factual and human. Great work, I look forward to more episodes and topics!

Amazing podcast! I learned so much !

Simply a great podcast. Noam’s enthusiasm is infectious!!! Thank you

This is a great way to learn about many of the news items you continue to hear about today.

Noam does a fantastic job providing a wealth of information, while also keeping it entertaining and focused. While the scope of the show is Israeli history, Noam makes sure to provide a balanced view of past events, including alternate perspectives. Well done!

Love this and I’m learning so much. I still want to learn more about the Holocaust survivors afterlife in Israel.

I am an older Jewish woman with little knowledge of my heritage. Since listening to this podcast I have learned so much. The topics are well chosen. Most importantly, Noam presents each topic in an interesting and very understandable way. Keep up the good work!

Super informative and interesting!

My mom was raped by the IDF in the 70’s, before she came to the US. My mom is traumatized because of her life in Palestine once her town was occupied. It’s horrific. Have a Palestinian on. I dare you

The fight for freedom is long and hard. Ultimately uniting the stateless Jews to overthrow their colonial overlords and provide a safe haven for a tiny minority of people discriminated against throughout the world.

Ever found yourself listening to someone speaking about a subject you are passionate about but wondering if that person is pursuing a specific agenda and giving you only the facts pertaining to that agenda, exaggerating certain events while minimizing others. This is the first podcast about Israel I have ever heard that is giving you the facts just the way they are! No exaggeration or minimization! And you get ALL the facts about a particular subject! Truly Exceptional Research work! Well Done!

Best way to learn the important stories of Israeli history in an engaging and entertaining way that covers all angles while introducing new and relevant insights for todays modern israel

Jewish history has never been so interesting. For someone who always falls asleep in history class this pod has taught me so much. Can’t wait to continue my binge.

I was eager to listen to the pod so that I could listen to crash courses of Israeli history throughout my day and learn some lesser known historical events. It was marketed as a podcast that teases out the grey areas and gives a respectful look into each side of the Palestinian Israeli conflict so I was disappointed after listening to five episodes that the host does not offer the same apologies to Palestinians as he does to the state of Israel. I don’t think there is anything wrong with being apologetic to certain difficult decisions Israel has had to make in its short history, but you cannot do this without offering the same thing to Palestinians. I was particularly off put by the fake news diatribe at the end of the Deir Yassin massacre episode. The host literally said that in the end 100 Palestinians were murdered and then quickly segwayed into a hot take about how horrible this was for Israeli press and how he was confused/thought it was a shame that the media role out of one massacre could leave a legacy of distrust? Like babe…read that back first? Listening to this podcast is exhausting which is a shame because I genuinely wanted to learn more about Israeli history.

Please can the dramatic music!!!! It is WAY too loud and really makes it difficult to listen. I actually stopped listening to the lady episode because the music was so loud and annoying!!

One of the best podcasts out there. Love love love this show! I have learned so much and have been inspired to look further i to many topics covered on the show!

Thanks for a wonderfully informative podcast. It was as heartbreaking and exhilarating as the history itself. Loved your personal perspectives as well as the historical ones. Can’t wait until next season!

This is a “must listen” for anyone who cares about Israeli history!

Gives a great overview of moments in Israel history. Leans on Israel’s side and towards an Orthodox perspective, so good to mix with the opposite side of view and other podcasts, if you’re looking for the whole spectrum of thoughts on these issues.

Very informative podcast delivered in a style that easy to listen to, digest , understand and enjoy. Hope this continues. Even aficionados of Israeli history will learn something new!

I am not Jewish, but I’ve recently developed a strong interest in Israeli history and have been working to teach myself Hebrew. This podcast has been a great overview of history for anyone new to the major subjects. I’d suggest it to anyone looking for a straight forward take on Israel.

I’ve heard about a lot of these different events but I’ve never had somebody explain it to me without some kind of radical slant. I learned so much and the episodes are short. Highly recommend

Too often the telling of Israeli history is one sided and leads more to dispute than understanding. This wonderful podcast walks the listener through significant events in Israeli history with a dispassionate and calm voice. It’s a jewel.

As a 12 year old kid who loves history this is extremely easy to understand. A great podcast and would recommend to everyone! It’s my favorite podcast and I listen to a lot of podcasts so that says something

This terrific series fills in so many of the blanks of Israeli history for me. Highly recommended!!

Great content. Loved Episode 1-3. Loving 4 and 5 but the background music is killing me nearly makes it impossible to listen to. I hope that I can make it through Episode 5 because I am enjoying the content. Please stop with the low quality background music. Maybe if it was good background music and helped the telling of the story then great but the music you have is a distraction. Please consider changing it or removing it. Thanks for the great writing and performance.

Thank you for making Israel Education accessible and accurate. Noam does an incredible job teaching history with passion and makes it come alive.

All around great listen

Thank you, Noam, for such massive information in such bite sized pieces. I love learning about Israel’s history, but sometimes too much information can make it overwhelming, and I find myself tuning out. Not so with this podcast. Please keep up the great work. I listen every week when I’m going to sleep!

Noam Weisman is a master storyteller and teacher I highly recommend

This is a really high quality podcast. Well researched bits of history presented in a balanced way and delivered in easily digestible episodes. I am enjoying it very much and have recommended it to all my friends. Well done!

I am not sure how I found this podcast, but I am glad I did. Noam does an amazing job in going over the history of modern day Israel and tries to remain unbiased and attempts to bring a nuance understanding of all sides of the issues. If you wish to have a historical perspective on Israel, I highly recommend this podcast.

Don’t let this one pass you by! It’s a gem. Israel education can be so polarizing and fabricated in the political modern world, but here you get just the facts and the real story with a nuanced perspective. Would recommend for all ages and backgrounds!

Rarely do I find such a worthwhile listen when it comes to Jewish history. This guy knows what he’s talking about and knows how to keep me engaged. Thank you for producing such a fabulous production.

This is a MUST LISTEN for anyone looking for a nuanced and erudite Israel education. Really amazing stuff.

This podcast is so informative - straight and to the point. Extremely engaging. Can’t wait for the next one!

I’ve been looking for a podcast on Israeli history that goes into depth but isn’t boring. This is it!!! Also it feels nuanced, balanced and honestly pretty fun to listen to.

Very grateful for this podcast and the knowledge that is shared!