Peace Begins Before We Agree | 10@9 | 2026.07.15

I expected "The Future Is Peace" by Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon to challenge me. I didn't expect it to make me uncomfortable. The book asks something extraordinarily difficult of every reader: listen carefully to another person's story, even when every instinct inside you wants to argue, correct, or reject it. You don't have to agree. You don't have to abandon your convictions. But if we cannot hear one another's deepest experiences, we will never build anything beyond endless conflict. Peacemaking is not naïve. It is demanding. Those who pursue it are often mocked, dismissed, or accused of betraying their own people. Yet, as the authors write, "Ultimately, every conflict ends. It's up to us to decide how much blood must be spilled first." This episode explores the courage that peace requires - and why listening may be its hardest first step. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.