This week, Avi and Sara discuss Britney Spears’ conservatorship and the Free Britney movement through a Jewish lens, one you never expected. It’s time to #FreeBritney. ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Sources https://variety.com/2021/music/news/britney-spears-full-statement-conservatorship-1235003940 https://www.etzion.org.il/en/shiur-09kevod-ha-beriyot-%D7%A0more-human-dignity ...

Ben & Jerry’s announced that it would end its sales of ice cream in the West Bank. How are Israelis reacting to this decision, and will this boycott influence other countries to boycott the settlements or Israel? How should we teach our students about boycotts against Israel and the settlements? ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/   Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Sources ...

Former Labor party leader and Jewish Agency head Isaac Herzog was sworn in as Israel’s 11th president in an elaborate ceremony at the Knesset. We unpack Herzog’s background as a member of a prominent Israeli family and the role of the Israeli president.   ~~~~   Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/   Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked   ~~~~ Sources   https://danielgordis.substack.com/p/they-sounded-the-horn-and-all-the ...

Following the creation of the state of Israel and the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, new questions emerged about whether and how to commemorate Tisha B’Av. Here’s why many Jews continue to view this as the saddest day of the year. ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Sources Mishna Taanit 4:6 Gittin 55 Yoma 90 https://www.etzion.org.il/en/shiur-16sinat-chinnamand-destruction-temple ...

Poland’s lower house of parliament passed a bill that would make it more difficult for Holocaust survivors and their families to recover property that was seized by the Nazis. Why did Poland pass this legislation, and what does it mean for the international Jewish community? ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Sources https://twitter.com/ADL/status/1408444874341355528 ...

The Jewish Agency appointed Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh to become its first-ever Druze emissary to the U.S. Why is an Israeli Druze woman representing the Jewish Agency, and who are the Druze community? ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  ~~~~ Sources https://unpacked.education/video/israeli-druze/ https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-why-israel-s-druze-community-is-up-in-arms-1.6316228 ...

Israel’s new government is made up of eight parties that don’t see eye to eye with one another on many key issues. Will this government of clashing ideologies actually work, and what can we learn from the theory of a “team of rivals”? ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: ...

Pew’s recent survey of American Jewry brought some odd results. Are we more religious, or less religious? More diverse, or even more siloed? Do we feel connected to Israel, or feel more apart than ever? This week, Avi and Sara unpack the Pew study, and ask, what is the future of Judaism in America? ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator...

Last week, a surprise coalition was formed between a motley crew of characters and parties from all over the political spectrum, all in an effort to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and usher in a new era in Israeli politics.   ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked    ~~~~ Sources https://jewishunpacked.com/who-is-naftali-bennett-and-what-does-israels-new-government-look-like/ ...

Last month, a wounded IDF veteran with PTSD set himself on fire in an act of protest, leading to a government plan to reform care for veterans with PTSD.   ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked    ~~~~ Sources https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-vet-with-ptsd-warned-he-may-hurt-himself-before-self-immolation-report/ ...

30 years ago, this week, was Operation Solomon, the famous Israeli airlift that brought more than 14,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel in less than 36 hours. We’ll remember Operation Solomon and ask, how has the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel fared in these 30 years? ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: ...

How did a small neighborhood in East Jerusalem lead to such a big crisis? Sheikh Jarrah has become a focal point for the current situation in Israel. Avi and Sara unpack the complex history of Sheikh Jarrah and how what started thousands of years ago is playing out in real time today.   We’re not trying to show that the Palestinians are wrong and the Israelis are right, or vice versa. We’re educators and journalists who try to dig into complex stories, and explain each one in a way that is...

Each week, we’ll unpack the most interesting, controversial news stories from Israel and the Jewish world. We’ll give you the history and context behind each story, and share multiple perspectives on the issue. We’re not here to prove a point, or tell you what to think; we’re here to uncover, excavate, and explore each story. And we guarantee you’ll leave each episode more informed, compassionate, and empathetic, with an expanded perspective of the people and ideas influencing today’s Jewi