We get out of bed to talk to Corey Robin about the evolution of Jewish politics in the United States and how this politics has regressed to an older European model. The Jewish mainstream now only looks out for its own narrow interests, working through centralized orgs to lobby for protection and has moved away from the egalitarianism that marked its politics before. Someone like Hannah Arendt would probably say it’s a return to a court jew-type approach…and it’s not something that’s good for Jews.
We also talk about President Biden’s unsettling statements that he can’t guarantee safety for Jews in America…about non-Jewish politicians being increasingly comfortable dictating to Jews what it means to be Jewish…and a lot more.
Our discussion was inspired by an essay Corey just published in the New Yorker, Two Paths for Jewish Politics. Corey is a Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center. Read his blog, buy his books!
Listen and have a good night.
