Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas

Boundless Israel, Inc.
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When it comes to Israel, antisemitism, and American Jewry, the conversations are seemingly endless—there are so many perspectives and so many difficult questions that it can be hard to know where to start.That’s why we created Boundless Insights—to bring you thoughtful, in-depth, and engaging discussions to help make sense of the issues.Our goal is to become your trusted source for insights that are not just informative, but also empowering – giving you the confidence to start conversations of your own.

  1. American Antizionism - With Shaul Kelner

    11H AGO

    American Antizionism - With Shaul Kelner

    Sociologist and Jewish studies scholar Dr. Shaul Kelner joins Dr. Rachel Fish to examine the rise of antizionism as a distinctly American political and social movement. Kelner argues that contemporary antizionism is less an intellectual critique of Zionism than a political mass movement defined by praxis: the othering and exclusion of Jews through social and institutional action.  Their conversation explores why debates over whether antizionism equals antisemitism often obscure more than they clarify, the distinction between 'anti-Zionism' and 'antizionism', how ambiguity about end goals of the pro-Palestine movement enables broad coalition-building, why higher education became especially fertile ground for this movement, and more. Further Reading Shaul Kelner, “American Antizionism,” Sources Journal Isabella Tabarovsky, "The Cult of 'Antizionism'," Tablet Magazine Isabella Tabarovsky, "Zombie Anti-Zionism," Tablet Magazine David Hirsch, "'Anti-Zionism' and 'Antizionism'," Australia/Israel, and Jewish Affairs Council Guest Bio Shaul Kelner is a Professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology at Vanderbilt University, specializing in the study of contemporary Jewish life.  His latest book, A Cold War Exodus: How American Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews received grant support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and won a National Jewish Book Award.  Prof. Kelner has been a Fellow of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute for Advanced Studies and the University of Michigan’s Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies, a visiting scholar in Tel Aviv University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology and a resident scholar at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. He has served as a board member of the Association for Jewish Studies and of the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science recognized him with an Innovative Teaching Award for Creating Engaging In-Person Learning Environments.

    41 min
  2. A Muslim Zionist’s Case for Peace – with Loay Alshareef

    5D AGO

    A Muslim Zionist’s Case for Peace – with Loay Alshareef

    We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. Host Aviva Klompas speaks with Loay Alshareef, an Arab Muslim peace advocate whose personal journey challenges some of the most entrenched assumptions in the Middle East. Raised in Saudi Arabia in an environment steeped in anti-Jewish narratives, Loay describes the beliefs he absorbed growing up and the profound turning point that reshaped his worldview after living with a Jewish family in France. That experience led him to reexamine what he had been taught about Jews, Israel, and history and ultimately to dedicate his life to countering extremism and misinformation. Guest Bio Loay Alshareef is an Arab Muslim peace advocate, historian, and social media influencer dedicated to building understanding between Muslims and Jews and advancing peace in the Middle East. Born and raised in Saudi Arabia to a Saudi-Egyptian family, Loay underwent a profound transformation after living with a Jewish family in France in 2010, an experience that reshaped his worldview and set him on a path toward reconciliation. He has worked in education, history, and cultural tourism, and is now a leading voice in interfaith dialogue, known for his support of Israel’s legitimacy and the Abraham Accords. Based in the United Arab Emirates, Loay combines deep historical knowledge — including expertise in ancient languages and scripts — with a modern digital platform to promote coexistence and challenge entrenched narratives.

    21 min
  3. Terror in Australia

    DEC 21

    Terror in Australia

    Please donate to support and the families affected by the Bondi Beach terror attack: www.charidy.com/supportsydney We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas. Aviva speaks with survivors of the terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead and dozens wounded. What began as a public gathering to mark the first night of the Jewish festival became one of the deadliest attacks on Jews in Australia’s history. Sorella’s fundraiser for Rabbi Eli Schlanger: Charidy.com/Elischlanger Chavi’s organization: Theempoweredjew.org

    26 min
  4. Hanukkah in the Shadow of the Australia Attack – with Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis

    DEC 16

    Hanukkah in the Shadow of the Australia Attack – with Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis

    We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. In this episode, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis reflects on what Hanukkah asks of us this year, in the wake of the antisemitic attack on Jews in Australia. He explores how an ancient story of courage, conviction, and spiritual resilience speaks to a moment when Jewish communities are confronting rising antisemitism, deep communal strain, and the challenge of remaining visible in difficult and frightening times. The Chief Rabbi discusses the enduring meaning of the festival, what it takes to keep Jewish identity proud and vibrant in the face of threats, and how individuals and communities can bring light into a world that often feels shadowed by fear and uncertainty. Guest Bio: Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis is only the 11th Chief Rabbi of Great Britain since the office was introduced in 1704. He is the religious figurehead for Jewish communities right across the Commonwealth, from Hull to Hong Kong and from Cardiff to Cochin. He was installed on 1st September 2013 in an historic ceremony attended by His Majesty King Charles III, then The Prince of Wales. Born in South Africa, he previously served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland and Rabbi of the Western Marble Arch and Finchley (Kinloss) Synagogues in London, making him one of the UK’s most respected community Rabbis. As Chief Rabbi, he is a primary representative of the Jewish community to government, other faiths and civil society as well as being responsible for oversight of crucial parts of the UK Jewish community’s religious infrastructure. Chief Rabbi Mirvis is known as a principled leader who has broken new ground in the fields of interfaith and social responsibility as well as tackling a number of particularly complex or controversial issues including the welfare of LGBT+ students in Orthodox Jewish Schools and antisemitism in the British Labour Party. Chief Rabbi Mirvis serves as Associate President of the Conference of European Rabbis, President of the London School of Jewish Studies and was made a Knight Commander of the British Empire, by His Majesty The King in 2023.

    27 min
  5. Netanyahu Wants a Pardon – with Dr. Michael Oren

    DEC 10

    Netanyahu Wants a Pardon – with Dr. Michael Oren

    We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. Israel is facing a moment without precedent: a sitting prime minister on trial for corruption is now asking the president for a pardon.  Benjamin Netanyahu has spent years fighting charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting gifts from wealthy associates. The trial has dragged on through political crises, judicial reform battles, and two years of war. He insists he’s the target of a political conspiracy. Others say the case is a test of whether Israel’s leaders can ever be held accountable. Now he argues the trial is hurting the country — and wants President Isaac Herzog to bring it to an end. The move has split Israelis. Supporters say a pardon would allow the nation to turn the page. Critics warn it would set a dangerous precedent and undermine public trust in the rule of law. And into this already charged moment stepped President Trump, urging Herzog to grant the pardon and calling the prosecution politically motivated. In this episode, Dr. Michael Oren joins host Aviva Klompas to break down the stakes: what a pardon would mean for Israel’s democracy and how it could reshape the political map.

    23 min
  6. A New Vision for Israel – with Dr. Einat Wilf

    DEC 3

    A New Vision for Israel – with Dr. Einat Wilf

    We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. In this episode of Boundless Insights, host Aviva Klompas speaks with Dr. Einat Wilf about her decision to launch a new political party in Israel and what she believes the country urgently needs right now. Wilf explains why she founded the Oz Party, arguing that Israel must move from what she calls “exile-consciousness” to true sovereign behavior — reclaiming clarity, responsibility, and strategic purpose in a time of political exhaustion. Their conversation explores Wilf’s insistence that any future peace depends on Arab and Palestinian recognition of Zionism and the legitimacy of the Jewish state, as well as her views on citizenship, military service, sovereignty, and the limits of the current political consensus. Wilf also addresses skepticism about her platform, the challenges of building a new coalition in a polarized landscape, and what kind of leadership she believes Israel requires to navigate its next chapter. Boundless relies on your support to produce courageous conversations and nuanced analysis at a time when clarity matters more than ever. If this episode helped you better understand the moment we’re living in, please consider making a donation at boundlessisrael.org/donate. Guest Bio Dr. Einat Wilf is a leading thinker on Israel, Zionism, foreign policy and education. She was a member of the Israeli Parliament from 2010 to 2013, where she served as Chair of the Education Committee and Member of the influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Wilf served as an Intelligence Officer in the Israel Defense Forces, Foreign Policy Advisor to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres and a strategic consultant with McKinsey & Company. Dr. Wilf has a BA from Harvard, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge. She was the Goldman Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. Dr. Wilf is the author of seven books that explore key issues in Israeli society. “We Should All Be Zionists“, published in 2022, brings together her essays from the past four years on Israel, Zionism and the path to peace; the co-authored “The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace”, was published in 2020

    35 min
  7. The Price of Alliance – with Dr. Michael Oren

    NOV 26

    The Price of Alliance – with Dr. Michael Oren

    We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org, or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas.  Boundless relies on your support to produce courageous conversations and nuanced analysis at a time when clarity matters more than ever. If this episode – or any of our work – has helped you better understand the moment we’re living in, please consider making a contribution at boundlessisrael.org/donate. Host Aviva Klompas sits down with Dr. Michael Oren to examine how the U.S.–Israel relationship has been reshaped over the course of the war — and what Israel may be conceding in the process. Together, they explore how shifting American leadership has transformed the boundaries of Israeli decision-making, from constraints on military operations to mounting pressure around Gaza’s future governance and a potential path toward Palestinian statehood. Dr. Oren unpacks the tension between strategic dependence and national sovereignty, and questions whether Israel is being nudged toward an uneasy reality in which Hamas survives by default. Their conversation also addresses growing concerns over Israel’s qualitative military edge, the implications of arms commitments to regional powers, and whether the alliance still rests on shared values or has evolved into a more transactional dynamic. Guest Bio Dr. Michael Oren is a historian, author, and former Israeli ambassador to the United States. A leading voice on Middle East strategy and Israeli politics, he has written numerous best-selling books and served as a Member of Knesset and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.

    26 min
  8. Gaza and Israel After Phase One — with David Makovsky

    NOV 24

    Gaza and Israel After Phase One — with David Makovsky

    Middle East analyst David Makovsky joins Dr. Rachel Fish to unpack the “phase one to phase two” handoff in Gaza: what the Trump plan actually changed, why returning the remaining hostages bodies still matters, and why an international stabilization force is unlikely to disarm Hamas.  Makovsky outlines a de-Hamas future for Gaza built on a West-Berlin model that pairs PA-Israel security coordination with technocratic Palestinian governance, while Arab states provide funding and public cover. They also map the Saudi calculus on normalization, the risks of delay, and how Israel’s coming election could reshape U.S.–Israel ties, regional alignments, and Israel’s democratic character. Further Reading David Makovsky and Shira Efron, For Progress in Gaza, Empower the Palestinian Authority

    45 min
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When it comes to Israel, antisemitism, and American Jewry, the conversations are seemingly endless—there are so many perspectives and so many difficult questions that it can be hard to know where to start.That’s why we created Boundless Insights—to bring you thoughtful, in-depth, and engaging discussions to help make sense of the issues.Our goal is to become your trusted source for insights that are not just informative, but also empowering – giving you the confidence to start conversations of your own.

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