Ep. 36 — The Dangerous Myth Driving Modern Antisemitism w/Rabbi David Wolpe

In this episode of Echoes of Jewish History, host Jimmy Bitton interviews Rabbi David Wolpe, a celebrated professor, speaker and author whose career spans Harvard, the Jewish Theological Seminary, American Jewish University and UCLA. Known for public debates with figures like Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris, he frequently contributes to publications such as The New York Times, Time, and The Atlantic. Newsweek named him the most influential rabbi in America (2012). Rabbi Wolpe is the Max Webb Emeritus Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. Together, they explore whether the long era of confident Diaspora life is entering a new phase after decades when liberal democracies seemed to have internalized the lessons of the twentieth century. Recent attacks on synagogues and increasing hostility on campuses have shaken assumptions that antisemitism had been marginalized. Bitton asks Wolpe to reflects on the historical pattern that life in the Diaspora is often precarious and asks whether Zionism’s call for sovereignty remains essential.The conversation also delves into the “American exception” thesis — whether the United States truly offers Jews unprecedented freedom and integration. Drawing on thinkers like Louis Brandeis, Jacob Neusner and Jonathan Sarna, they debate if America still stands apart for Jewish communities. Wolpe also responds to journalist Bret Stephens’s controversial call for Jewish communities to rethink how they allocate resources.Looking back to Heinrich Heine’s 1825 conversion and his observation that a baptismal font once served as a ticket of admission to European culture, the episode examines contemporary pressures that equate social acceptance with denouncing Zionism. Wolpe shares what concerns him most about the future of Jewish life and what gives him hope, challenging listeners to consider how Jewish identity, community resilience and moral clarity will shape the next chapter.This discussion blends Jewish history and modern politics to address diaspora identity, antisemitism, Zionism, assimilation and the challenges facing Jewish communities in North America.Learn more about David Wolpe:https://open.spotify.com/show/7JcLb3jkh60ybrtX7Awp0m?si=m5ETarSyQraq219oAzNR0Q—Follow Jimmy Bitton on LinkedInIf this gave you clarity, repost it so others see it too — and follow for more.If you want your brand in front of a serious, executive-level audience that actually listens, email [email protected] those who want to help sustain this work and keep it independent, you can do so here: https://buymeacoffee.com/echoesofjewishhistory