We get out of bed to talk with Rachel Feldman about messianic zionism and the Temple Movement, which wants to end Judaism as we know it and replace it with an Israelite theocracy in the Holy Land complete with animal sacrifices — to go back more than 2,000 years to before Rome destroyed Jerusalem and ended Jewish rule. We also discuss the core of Rachel’s research: Noahidism, a new global religion for non-Jews that’s being spread by messianic zionists, including Chabad rabbis, in support of this future Israelite theocracy.
Along the way we discuss the religious origins of zionist ideas, the unbroken chain linking secular and religious zionism, and the increasing radicalization of Jewish society in the direction of this messianic movement. This whole thing is a lot less fringe than you might think.
Feeling down this Election Day? Take a listen…maybe the End Times are just around the corner. So none of it will matter.
Rachel Feldman is a professor of religion at Dartmouth and is an anthropologist of Judaism. This talk is inspired by her new book: Messianic Zionism in the Digital Age: Jews, Noahides, and the Third Temple Imaginary. Check it out!
—Yasha
