Episode 348

The Politics of Antisemitism

A Conversation with Rabbi David Wolpe

January 5, 2024

Sam Harris speaks with Rabbi David Wolpe about the global response to the atrocities of October 7th, 2023. They discuss the difference between Israeli and diaspora Jews, the history and logic of antisemitism, the role of conspiracy theories, Great Replacement Theory, reasons for Jewish success, right-wing antisemitism, left-wing antisemitism, the response of Harvard to October 7th, the college presidents’ testimony before Congress, the future of DEI and civil discourse, the BDS movement, antisemitism vs anti-Zionism, Jewish acceptance at Ivy League universities, the antisemitism endemic to Islam, foreign funding of US universities, and other topics.

David Wolpe is a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Divinity School, a Rabbinic Fellow at The Anti-Defamation League, a Senior Advisor to the Maimonides Fund, and the Emeritus Rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. Rabbi Wolpe previously taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, Hunter College, and UCLA. He is the author of eight books, including the national bestseller Making Loss Matter: Creating Meaning in Difficult Times and  David, the Divided Heart.

Website: www.facebook.com/RabbiWolpe

Twitter: @rabbiwolpe