#2 Against the Rule of the Sword — In Conversation with Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg

In this episode of the EPICON Podcast, Pascal Bernard (Political Officer at the Candid Foundation) speaks with Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg, Associate Director of the New Israel Fund. Together, they explore Shira’s personal story, her faith, her work in Israeli civil society, and her vision for peace in Palestine and Israel. Drawing on her deeply personal family history – including the remarkable stories of how both her grandmothers survived thanks to the courage of others during the Hebron massacre of 1929 and the Holocaust in Ukraine – Shira reflects on the power of human solidarity across borders. As a modern Orthodox Jew, she is part of a small but determined community that places compassion, equality, and responsibility at the heart of Jewish life. In her role at the New Israel Fund, she works for peace, democracy, and coexistence. Shira’s voice – rare, courageous, and profoundly human – offers a vision that is more urgent and necessary than ever.