Adam Ferziger: Agents of Change [Israel & Diaspora II 4/4]

In this episode of the *18Forty Podcast*, we talk to Adam Ferziger, a historian of modern Jewish movements, about how American Jews have helped shape the evolution of Israeli Judaism. In this episode we discuss: —Why are Jewish religious boundaries in Israel often “more porous” than those in America? —Why did McDonald’s succeed in Israel while Starbucks failed? —What can Israelis take from the thick communal culture of American Judaism? Tune in to hear a conversation about Religious Zionism, American *aliyah*, and the emergence of a distinctly Israeli Judaism shaped by sovereignty, Hebrew culture, and modern religious life. Interview begins at 9:32. Professor Adam S. Ferziger is a historian of modern Jewish religious movements and responses to secularization. He holds the Samson Raphael Hirsch Chair at Bar-Ilan University and is a senior associate at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. He is the author of several influential books, including Beyond Sectarianism: The Realignment of American Orthodox Judaism, winner of the National Jewish Book Award. **References:** “Orthodoxy in American Jewish Life” by Charles S. Liebman Beyond Sectarianism: The Realignment of American Orthodox Judaism by Adam S. Ferziger Agents of Change: American Jews and the Transformation of Israeli Judaism by Adam S. Ferziger The Israeli Century: How the Zionist Revolution Changed History and Reinvented Judaism by Yossi Shain *18Forty Podcast*: “Shayna Goldberg: Inside Israel’s Religious Zionist Community” “Conan O’Brien on Failure and Conviction” **For more 18Forty:** NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: info@18forty.org WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18\_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.