Mijal Bitton: The Future Is Sephardic

Could the campaign against Israel be producing the exact opposite of what its opponents intended?Historian Jimmy Bitton sits down with sociologist and Jewish thought leader Dr. Mijal Bitton to explore how October 7 and its aftermath are reshaping Jewish identity, belonging, and the relationship between Jews and Israel.They discuss why anti-Israel activism may be strengthening Jewish consciousness rather than weakening it, why younger Jews are reconsidering what Jewish peoplehood means, and how Sephardic and Mizrahi traditions offer a very different model of Jewish identity from the one that has dominated much of modern Western Jewish life.What happens when Jewish identity is understood not simply as a religion, but as family, memory, tradition, peoplehood, and civilization?And why might the future of Jewish life be increasingly Sephardic?A conversation about Israel, assimilation, Jewish pride, belonging, and the changing character of the Jewish world.Sponsor:Pick up your copy of Crossing the Bronx, now available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4e6juOCMijal BittonSubstack link: https://mijal.substack.com/National study on sephardic/Mizrahi Jews: https://sephardicstudy.org/Article on Jews of Color: https://sapirjournal.org/diversity/2025/why-i-am-not-a-jew-of-color/Bio: Dr. Mijal Bitton is a spiritual leader, public intellectual, and sociologist. She serves as Scholar in Residence at the Maimonides Fund and Rosh Kehilla of the Downtown Minyan in New York City. A Visiting Researcher at NYU Wagner, she directed pioneering research on Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the United States.Bitton is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, a New Pluralist Field Builder, and a Sacks Scholar. She co-hosts the podcast Wondering Jews and shares weekly reflections on Jewish life, identity, and resilience in her Substack newsletter, Committed. Partner with Jimmy Bitton:[email protected] Jimmy Bittonhttps://jimmybitton.comEpisode Key takeaways:​The impact of anti-Israel sentiment on Jewish communal engagement.​How recent events have led to a resurgence of Jewish pride and Zionism.​The complexities of Jewish identity in the diaspora and Israel.​The historical context of Sephardic and Ashkenazi experiences in shaping Jewish identity.Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:32 The impact of activism on Jewish identity 01:12 Resurgence of Jewish pride 02:27 The changing perceptions of Israel 03:22 The role of October 7 in shaping views 05:06 The connection between Sephardic and Ashkenazi experiences 09:06 The importance of community and identityWhat's your biggest challenge with understanding Jewish identity today? Drop it in the comments!Subscribe for weekly insights on Jewish history and identity.#JewishHistory #Zionism #JewishIdentity👉 Support My Work — Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/echoesofjewishhistory