J100 Podcast

The Algemeiner
  • 5.0 (7)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Host David M. Cohen is joined by leaders from academia, government, business, think tanks, and the arts for a thoughtful discussion on the most pressing politics, policy, and culture issues facing Israel and the Jewish people today.

  1. 6D AGO

    The Fracturing Consensus: Matt Brooks on Israel and American Politics

    Is support for Israel still bipartisan — or has something fundamentally changed? In this episode of J100, Matt Brooks – CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition – speaks about the evolving relationship between the United States and Israel, Party divides, and American Jewish identity. They discuss the breakdown of old political assumptions, the rise of extremism across both sides, tensions on college campuses, and what actually drives Jewish voters today. At the center of it all is a deeper question: when the world feels less stable, what matters more — ideology, or security? A sharp, timely conversation about power, politics, and the forces reshaping the current moment. 00:00 – 00:48 | The Horseshoe Theory 00:48 – 02:43 | When the Ground Starts to Shift 02:43 – 06:06 | Matt Brooks’ Path to Politics 06:06 – 13:20 | The Pro-Israel Realignment 13:20 – 15:19 | Antisemitism Across the Extremes 15:19 – 19:33 | J.D. Vance and the Republican Future 19:33 – 23:51 | Campus Fear and Generational Blind Spots 23:51 – 29:22 | Jewish Resilience and American Optimism 29:22 – 34:52 | What Actually Moves Jewish Voters 34:52 – 39:32 | Tikkun Olam, Sinatra, and the Eagles

    40 min

  2. MAR 19

    The Self-Appointed Ambassador for Israel: Sylvan Adams

    Sylvan Adams joins J100 for a wide-ranging conversation on aliyah, antisemitism, sports diplomacy, philanthropy, and the future of Israel. From his family’s Holocaust-rooted story to his efforts to strengthen the Jewish state through major gifts and global cultural events, Adams offers a deeply personal vision of Jewish belonging, resilience, and responsibility. Chapters 00:00 The October 8 Awakening02:06 Sylvan Adams and the Battle for Israel’s Image03:41 Family, Home, and Living Through War06:29 Organized Antisemitism and the Global Narrative War18:47 Holocaust Memory and a Jewish Family’s Journey28:59 Love, Marriage, Business, and Aliyah39:49 Using Sports and Culture to Elevate Israel52:51 Giving, Rebuilding, and the Future of the Jewish State You can find the condensed transcript & summary of this episode and more episodes at  https://open.substack.com/pub/thealgemeiner/p/the-self-appointed-ambassador-for?r=5m0oyd&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true This episode of "The J100 Podcast" was produced by David Taragin.

    1h 5m

  3. FEB 26

    Resigning from the Heritage Foundation and the Courage to Disagree with Robert P. George

    Princeton professor Robert P. George joins J100 to examine campus antisemitism after October 7, the crisis of ideological conformity, anti-Semitism on both the left and right, and why a free society depends on forming truth-seekers—not partisans. ● 🎓 Campus After October 7: selective outrage, anti-Zionism, and when criticism becomes prejudice ● 🗣️ Teaching Without Indoctrination: why professors must form truth-seekers, not ideological loyalists ● 🤝 Friendship Across Difference: what Robert George learned from decades of teaching with Cornel West ● ⚖️ Public Service & the Constitution: suing a sitting president over principle ● 🧨 Antisemitism on the Right: why George resigned from the Heritage Foundation ● 🧭 The “Ancient Faith”: Lincoln, human dignity, and the moral core of American democracy ● 🪕 From Appalachia to Princeton — and why the banjo still matters Chapters 00:00 — Appalachia, Immigrant Roots, and Becoming the First to College 06:44 — The White House Call: Civil Rights and Public Life 16:38 — Presidents, Bioethics, and Moral Decision-Making 20:59 — Campus Culture After October 7 29:44 — Truth-Seeking vs. Indoctrination 37:47 — Cornel West and the Lost Art of Disagreement 42:20 — Antisemitism on the Right and the Heritage Resignation 50:17 — Conservatism After Trump: Ideas or Personality? 54:17 — The Banjo, Joy, and the Personal Thread You can find the condensed transcript & summary of this episode and more episodes at  https://open.substack.com/pub/thealgemeiner/p/resigning-from-the-heritage-foundation?r=5m0oyd&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true This episode of "The J100 Podcast" was produced by David Taragin.

    1h 4m

  4. FEB 12

    The Costs of Conformity: Immigration, Ideology, Israel with Lionel Shriver

    Lionel Shriver joins J100 from Portugal for a sharp, wide-ranging conversation on faith, dogma, and dissent. She explains how her religious upbringing shaped her suspicion of imposed moral certainty, why the arts have become politically homogeneous, how she separates column-writing from novelistic truth, and why Israel’s confidence—and survival—matters in a West increasingly ashamed of itself. Chapters 0:00 — Immigration “standards” / distinctions 01:42 — Intro + who Lionel is / new book 06:45 — Religious upbringing + resisting dogma 09:33 — Parenting, belief, and agency 14:20 — Woke as religion (judgment without mercy) 15:55 — Leaving America: Israel, Belfast, independence 26:13 — Arts conformity + bias: columnist vs novelist 41:26 — Israel, national pride, meaning, and closing Q’s You can find the condensed transcript & summary of this episode and more episodes at  https://open.substack.com/pub/thealgemeiner/p/the-costs-of-conformity-immigration?r=5m0oyd&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true This episode of "The J100 Podcast" was produced by David Taragin.

    1 hr

  5. JAN 29

    Why Stories Still Matter: Zibby Owens on Books, Belonging, and Jewish Life

    What does it mean to live—and write—with urgency? Author, podcaster, founder of Zibby Media, and literary community-builder Zibby Owens joins J100 host David M. Cohen for a conversation about loss, Jewish identity, and the slow, intentional work of creating spaces where people feel seen. From her childhood in New York and early dreams of becoming a writer, to losing her best friend on 9/11 and building one of today’s most vibrant literary communities, Owens reflects on how tragedy reshapes meaning, why storytelling still matters, and what it takes to hold people together in an increasingly fragmented world. The episode also touches on antisemitism on college campuses, the emotional impact of October 7, and the promise—and limits—of AI in creative life. 00:00 — Identity, belonging, and the “blister” moment00:28 — Why stories build community03:56 — Campuses, safety, and Jewish life after Oct. 711:27 — Faith, calling, and becoming a rabbi13:23 — Becoming a writer: books, ambition, and influence19:18 — 9/11, loss, and the urgency of time31:47 — AI, creativity, and the human voice37:51 — Building community, one room at a time You can find the condensed transcript & summary of this episode and more episodes at  https://open.substack.com/pub/thealgemeiner/p/why-stories-still-matter-zibby-owens?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web This episode of "The J100 Podcast" was produced by David Taragin.

    55 min

  6. JAN 15

    Britain Now: Protests, Policing, and the Line Between Speech and Incitement with Jonathan Sacerdoti

    As Britain grapples with mass protests, policing failures, and rising antisemitism, where does free speech end—and incitement begin? In this episode of J100, British journalist and Algemeiner contributor Jonathan Sacerdoti joins the show to examine how Western societies are responding to extremism in real time. From the collapse of debate at the Oxford Union to the everyday security realities facing Jews in the UK, this conversation explores protest culture, media responsibility, and the moral clarity liberal democracies need to defend themselves. Chapters 00:00 — Security & “alarmism” 00:27 — Intro: Britain Now / 2026 frame 03:24 — Jonathan’s background 07:07 — Family story / Holocaust legacy 11:19 — Why journalism 13:36 — British Jewry & community politics 18:01 — Oxford Union / debate breakdown 33:23 — Antisemitism now: speech, protests, policing 51:31 — U.S. vs. Europe / Trump & political swings 59:49 — Personal: pottery & creativity / closing You can find the condensed transcript & summary of this episode and more episodes at  Britain Now: Protests, Policing, and the Line Between Speech and Incitement This episode of "The J100 Podcast" was produced by David Taragin.

    1h 4m

  7. 12/18/2025

    Why America Backs Israel: Interests, Not Illusions with Walter Russell Mead

    Historian. Strategist. Myth-buster. Walter Russell Mead joins the J100 Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on the real foundations of the U.S.–Israel relationship—and why both supporters and critics often misunderstand what actually drives it. Mead argues that familiar narratives are backward: Israel didn’t become powerful because of an American alliance; America aligned with Israel once Israel became a regional superpower—at the moment Middle East oil and global order grew central to U.S. interests. From Truman and Stalin to Nixon and the Yom Kippur War, he shows how domestic myths (including myths about “Jewish power”) flatten a far more complex historical record. The conversation also explores post–Oct. 7 geopolitics, the strategic meaning of weakening Iran’s regional project, Qatar’s survival logic, and why arguments about “America First” often boil down to whether Americans believe the U.S. has interests beyond its borders. Along the way: a surprising first trip to Israel involving Yasser Arafat, a childhood shaped by faith and civil rights activism, and what writing columns teaches you that books never will. Chapters 00:00 — Why America Aligns With Israel 06:48 — Why Mead Wrote the Book 09:07 — Myths: Pro-Israel vs. Anti-Israel 15:02 — Israel’s Power, Not Jewish “Influence” 17:53 — America First, Antisemitism, and National Interest 22:10 — Oil, Order, and Keeping One Power From Dominating 29:11 — October 7, Iran, and Netanyahu’s War Leadership 46:10 — Arafat, Faith, Writing, and What Jews Miss About America You can find the condensed transcript & summary of this episode and more episodes at  https://open.substack.com/pub/thealgemeiner/p/why-america-backs-israel-interests?r=5m0oyd&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true This episode of "The J100 Podcast" was produced by David Taragin. Walter's recent WSJ Article: The Intifada Comes to Australia

    1h 1m

  8. 12/04/2025

    From Headlines to Courtrooms: How Narratives Become Lawfare with Natasha Hausdorff

    Barrister. Advocate. Relentless explainer of the law. London-based attorney Natasha Hausdorff joins the Algemeiner to unpack how international law and media narratives are weaponized against Israel — and what ordinary people can do about it. From elite London classrooms to Oxford law and Skadden, Hausdorff describes discovering how international law was being inverted to attack the Jewish state. She dissects the Al-Ahli hospital misreporting, the ICJ’s oft-misread provisional-measures order (“plausible rights,” not “plausible genocide”), and the ICC’s jurisdictional overreach. The conversation ranges from the UN’s structural bias to Israel’s judicial reform debate — and why refusing to engage legislatively breaks democracies. For listeners hungry to help, Hausdorff offers a practical brief: raise literacy in international law, challenge falsehoods, write, call, show up — and do it with confidence. This isn’t just Israel’s fight, she argues; it’s a defense of Western liberal values. Chapter Breakdown 00:00 – Modern Blood Libels & Lawfare 01:26 – Host Intro: Why This Conversation Now 04:40 – Meet Natasha & Her Algemeiner Connection 05:20 – London Upbringing, Israeli Roots & Discovering Lawfare 08:42 – The Only Zionist in School: UK Antisemitism & Ignorance 13:58 – How Ordinary People Can Fight Back with Law & Literacy 18:43 – Antisemitic Attack in DC & The “Death Cult” in the West 24:46 – Media War, Gaza Narratives & the Al-Ahli Hospital Lie 34:34 – ICJ Genocide Case, “Plausible Rights” & Legal Misrepresentation 42:59 – Lawfare, ICC, UN & the Battle for the Rule of Law 51:10 – Israel’s Judicial Reform, Democracy & Unity After Oct 7 58:13 – October 7th, “Both Hands Tied” & Renewed Resolve 1:04:27 – Life as a Barrister, Time Pressure & Personal Reflections You can find the condensed transcript & summary of this episode and more episodes at  https://open.substack.com/pub/thealgemeiner/p/from-headlines-to-courtrooms-how?r=5m0oyd&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueThis episode of "The J100 Podcast" was produced by David Taragin.

    1h 7m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Host David M. Cohen is joined by leaders from academia, government, business, think tanks, and the arts for a thoughtful discussion on the most pressing politics, policy, and culture issues facing Israel and the Jewish people today.

Information

  • Creator
    The Algemeiner
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Algemeiner
  • Show Website
    J100 Podcast

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