“Self-confessed history nerd” Noam Weissman goes behind the scenes of Israel’s rich, densely layered history in Unpacked’s fascinating podcast. Courtesy of Unpacked.Remember in Harry Potter how saying “Voldemort” was like cursing? It was like a topic you should prepare yourself for before asking about it because things may get “awkward” or sensitive for some strange reason? A long time ago, before I knew anything about Israel, it felt a little bit like that.
“What’s Israel like?” I think I asked someone once.
“Shh, no,” they responded. “Let’s not go there.”
“Why?”
“It’s just…there’s a lot to unpack there. Let’s not talk about it.”
I was so confused. Why were people either in love with Israel or would squirm if I brought it up? The big question seemed to be: what happened in Israel? Why the combination of happy smiles and scowls from so many people when this tiny country was brought up? What is the history of this place?
This year is nearly over, and I think we can all agree that 2023 was… yeah. There’s no denying the elephant in the room here: October 7th and its repercussions. The whole world, not just Jewish people, have been affected by the current events that have transpired in Israel. There are cries everywhere. Yelling. Tears. Protests. Antisemitism. Islamophobia. We all watch the news. We know what’s happening is heartbreaking, and we certainly know that everyone is devastated.
Since October 7th, it feels like the word itself, Israel, has been used more now than ever. Individuals who may have never even heard of this historic country, a place whose rich and expansive history continues to beguile and divide people of all faiths across the globe, are saying it loud and clear. The word is truly everywhere, and everyone has an opinion about it.
For those individuals who may not know what to say about the war, what should the plan be? In my opinion, the best thing to do is go back to the beginning of Israel’s history. UNPACKING ISRAELI HISTORY may not be the only solution, but it will definitely help.
After years and years of conflicting facts, ideologies, diatribes, opinions, essays, books, movies, and more, we now have a podcast, UNPACKING ISRAELI HISTORY, that tells everything in an unbiased fashion. This is not a pro- or anti-Israel podcast. Its host, Dr. Noam Weissman, a “self-confessed history nerd,” passionately talks about important events in the country’s history. While offering his own perspective on particular moments from the past, Weissman avoids falling into a controversial rabbit hole with his beliefs. This is not a podcast that’s supposed to get you riled up or loving Israel. With 30-45 minute episodes, UNPACKING ISRAELI HISTORY, is devoid of any contentious opinions, establishing itself as one of the most important podcasts in the world at the moment. EVERYONE, the entire planet, needs to listen to it.
“If you’ve ever wanted to know more about what Israel is all about – from multiple angles and viewpoints — this is the podcast for you,” reads the description on its Unpacked page. (Unpacked, for the record, is one of the coolest digital Jewish encyclopedias ever. Take a look at their website and I guarantee you will be scrolling through it for hours!)
Weissman is lucky to have both an extensive knowledge of Israel and a perfect podcast voice. He is the Executive Vice President of OpenDor Media, a non-profit whose mission is to “strengthen the understanding and enduring personal connection of all young Jews and their peers to Judaism, Israel and the Jewish people,” as well as “address the challenges young Jews face today.” Weissman’s passion of Israeli history, combined with his in-depth dive of specific events, makes UNPACKING ISRAELI HISTORY a fascinating lens into a country so small yet so sensitive to everyone.
Throughout the series, the host maintains his usual set-up of an episode. Weissman begins with a particular anecdote from a real individual related to the theme of the episode, followed by a plunge into the beginning, middle, and end of an event or broader history of something prevalent in Israeli history, such as the Hatikvah (Israel’s national anthem) or how the Hebrew language was originally founded. Accompanying his discussion is music and occasional archival recordings from subjects involved in the history he describes.
My favorite thing about UNPACKING ISRAELI HISTORY, however, has to be Weissman’s “Five Fast Facts” that he ends every episode with. I’ve mentioned before how sometimes I can have trouble with history podcasts because there are just so many facts being told at once. Weissman understands that things can get confusing, and so he summarizes everything in a clear and perfectly concise manner.
In his episode about the Hatikvah, for example, titled “Hatikvah: The story behind the anthem,” the facts are simply astonishing.
- Hatikvah was written in the 19th century long before Israel existed by Naftali Hertz Imber and was put to a tune by Samuel Cohen.
- Hatikvah became the official anthem of the Zionist movement in 1933 and the official anthem of the state of Israel in 2004.
- The song was a rallying cry for Jews in the Holocaust and has been a rallying cry for oppressed Jews throughout the world.
- There are Israelis who feel the anthem is not inclusive towards them.
- There have been recommendations and suggestions for how to revise Hatikvah to be more inclusive of all Israelis.
Who knew?! Well, I’m sure many history buffs know about this already, but Weissman goes farther
Into Israel, exploring what almost feels like undisclosed moments in Israeli history. We have all heard about the Yom Kippur War or the Munich Olympics, but Gush Katif? The Kastner Trial? Kishinev? The Demjanjuk Trial?
Everything is simply a fascinating listen on this show, yet behind all the knowledge and facts lies a deeper message in UNPACKING ISRAELI HISTORY, a reminder that all of us, regardless of religion or interest in Israel or not, needs to hear these facts before jumping to conclusions. This is a show that forces us to sit down and listen to the complexities of this country. In listening, we greater learn about the messy, substantial history of time in not just Israel but every country.
We may not be able to fix everything that has been going on this year, but we can certainly try if we listen and learn.
To learn more about the Unpacked, visit JewishUnpacked.com.
UNPACKING ISRAELI HISTORY is available to listen to on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.