From the Yarra River to the Mediterranean Sea

Ittay Flescher
  • 4.9 (8)
  • POLITICS

This podcast seeks to be a conversation starter for those who seek to break beyond the binaries and labels of pro-Israel and pro-Palestine, exploring what it means to be pro-peace. Ultimately, it seeks to comfort the troubled and trouble the comfortable. Season 1 of From the Yarra was hosted by Hannah Baker and Ittay Flescher, a conversation between two Jews in Melbourne and Jerusalem about war and peace. It was recorded between December 2023 - October 2024.    Season 2 of 'From the Yarra' is coming soon, featuring exclusive conversations with Ittay Flescher about his new book, 'The Holy and the Broken.' 

  1. FEB 19

    The Journeys and Destinations of Young Jewish Anti-Zionist Jews

    In the increasingly fractured landscape of contemporary Jewish life, few subjects trigger as visceral a reaction as the rising tide of anti-Zionism among young Jews. For many in the mainstream community, this shift is viewed with a mixture of bewilderment, betrayal, and deep-seated alarm. Seeking to move beyond the high-decibel rhetoric of social media and op-ed pages, Robbie Gringras and Abi Dauber Sterne of the organisation For the Sake of Argument embarked on an ambitious qualitative research project. Their report, “The Journeys and Destinations of Young Jewish Anti-Zionists,” offers a sobering yet necessary look at the internal schisms threatening communal coherence.  While specifically focused on the schism happening in the US, based on interviews with 30 self-described anti-Zionist Jews, the report contains many insights that may be relevant for Australian Jewish families struggling with this question. In an interview with Robbie Gringras, an Israel educator with over two decades of experience in the field, he unpacked the complexities of the report and addressed the sharp criticisms directed at any attempt to engage with those who reject the Jewish state.  One of the most provocative aspects of the report is its systematic dismantling of common assumptions held by the pro-Israel mainstream about anti-Zionist Jews. Gringras emphasised that these were not assumptions the researchers set out to prove, but rather findings that emerged from the lived experiences of the participants.

    47 min

  2. 10/06/2025

    Two Years On - Moving from Yes But to Yes And

    This episode was recorded on October 7, 2025. A reflection of words and music, it explores what has been, the opportunities and challenges of the 20-point plan, and what can be when we refuse to accept what is, knowing what can be.

    18 min

  3. 08/26/2025

    Will peace ever be possible?

    This episode is a conversation that took place on August 10, 2025 as part of the Torah 2020 series established by Tamra Aviva Wright. Ittay was interviewed by Dr Lindsay Simmonds, a Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) where she has lectured, written, and convened courses for over 20 years, focusing on women in Biblical narrative, the Talmud, and Jewish Law.  In 2024, Lindsay completed a three-year project at the Religion and Global Society Unit at the London School of Economics (LSE), UK, where she led research on Women of Faith and Peacebuilding, examining the work of Israeli and Palestinian women peacebuilders. The conversation touches on a range of issues from empathy and humanisation to social media and hope.  Feedback is welcome at fromtheyarra@gmail.com For more resources on facilitating dialogue or deepening knowledge, visit https://www.ittay.au/what-can-i-do

    1h 3m

  4. 07/08/2025

    Dr. Sari Nusseibeh and Ittay Flescher in conversation

    Jerusalem Book Launch for The Holy and the Broken Dr. Sari Nusseibeh and Ittay Flescher in conversation at the Albright Institute on the evening of July 7, 2025. Introduction by Lana Ikelan from Kids4Peace, with closing remarks by Mahmoud Muna. The Educational Bookshop and the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research sponsored the event.  Feedback is welcome at: fromtheyarra@gmail.com For more info on upcoming book events in the UK, visit ittay.au

    39 min

  5. 02/25/2025

    Wrestling with Revenge

    This episode features a Dvar Torah for Parshat Mishpatim shared by Ittay at Kehilat Kolenu in Melbourne on February 21, 2025   It deals with issues of hostage-taking, revenge, justice and peace.

    10 min

  6. 02/23/2025

    Melbourne Book Launch - The Holy and the Broken

    This is a live recording of the Melbourne Book Launch of 'The Holy and the Broken,' hosted by the ACJC and TJI. It features music from Beth Riordan and Or Sagiv followed by a conversation between Sidra Kranz Moshinsky and Ittay Flescher. Thanks to John Circosta for arranging the sound setup at the Malvern Town Hall on February 9, 2025. 'The Holy and the Broken' is now on sale in bookshops across Australia and online. For more information on the book, see www.ittay.au Feedback is welcome to fromtheyarra@gmail.com

    58 min

  7. 10/01/2024

    Finale: The Holy and the Broken

    One year on from October 7, Hannah and Ittay reflect on the past year, expressing their fears, hopes and disappointments.  And a very exciting announcement: Ittay has written a book! "The Holy and the Broken: A cry for peace from a land that must be shared" is now available for pre-order at ittay.au  2025 Australian Book Tour Dates: Perth - February 2 Sydney - February 6 Melbourne - February 9 Podcast feedback is always welcome at fromtheyarra@gmail.com For more updates and special events, follow us at @fromtheyarra

    33 min

  8. 03/15/2024

    Episode 10: Conversations over cancelling with Ahmed Fouad Al-khatib

    In our tenth episode, Ittay speaks with Ahmed Fouad Al-khatib, a U.S. citizen from Gaza and a Middle East political analyst.  Ahmed has a master’s degree in intelligence studies from American Military University and has written and contributed extensively to publications on Gaza’s affairs in U.S., Israeli, Jewish, and Arab outlets. In this episode, Ahmed speaks to Ittay about his childhood experience attending the UNWRA schools of Gaza, which is a timely discussion as we have been hearing and seeing a lot about UNWRA in the news. ( For those unaware, UNWRA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees). Both Ittay and Ahmed touch on the many challenges facing Jewish-Palestinian dialogue groups at this time, and provide some suggestions as to how we can learn to build bridges so that we can move forward together. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Further reading: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/as-a-gazan-i-still-believe-israelis-and-palestinians-must-talk/ Comments welcome at fromtheyarra@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram at @fromtheyarra

    56 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

This podcast seeks to be a conversation starter for those who seek to break beyond the binaries and labels of pro-Israel and pro-Palestine, exploring what it means to be pro-peace. Ultimately, it seeks to comfort the troubled and trouble the comfortable. Season 1 of From the Yarra was hosted by Hannah Baker and Ittay Flescher, a conversation between two Jews in Melbourne and Jerusalem about war and peace. It was recorded between December 2023 - October 2024.    Season 2 of 'From the Yarra' is coming soon, featuring exclusive conversations with Ittay Flescher about his new book, 'The Holy and the Broken.' 

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