Call Me Back x Being Jewish Crossover! Dan Senor predicts the Jewish Future, plus A New Kind of Aliyah
6/16/202655 min
From Saudi officials to diaspora Jews, why are so many people listening to Dan Senor?
Dan Senor, host of the Call Me Back podcast and co-author of Start-Up Nation, joins Jonah for a deep dive on Israel, Jewish identity, and the future of Jewish life in the Diaspora. Senor explains how Call Me Back built a devoted audience organically, attracting diaspora Jews seeking trustworthy information, journalists looking for good-faith dialogue, and even international listeners, including Saudi officials, drawn to its thoughtful, long-form conversations about Israel and the Middle East.
Senor discusses how the October 7 attacks reshaped Jewish engagement, the sense of political homelessness many moderate Jews have experienced, and the opportunities emerging from one of the most consequential moments in modern Jewish history. He also emphasizes the need for a Jewish Renaissance centered on expanding access to Jewish day schools, Jewish summer camps, Israel programs, and lifelong Jewish learning. Senor argues that investing in Jewish education and community infrastructure is essential for Jews to flourish.
THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Jonah reflects on the importance of allies, why he'll sell tickets to future events in pairs, and why “ALLY-ah” may be just as important - if not more important - than aliyah right now.
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
00:07:30 — How Call Me Back Became the World’s Number One Israel Podcast
Dan on building the top Israel podcast organically after October 7th.
Call me Back Podcast - with Dan Senor - YouTube
00:10:45 — “Israel Was at War. The Diaspora Was Under Attack.”
Dan quotes Rabbi Ingber's defining line on October 7th: Israel was at war, but the diaspora had no army to fight back.
The toll of the Israel-Hamas War on diaspora Jews
00:15:09 — Would Dan Interview Former Allies Who’ve Gone to a “Dark Place”?
Dan considers hosting antisemitic voices to understand, not challenge, their logic.
00:27:33 — Why “Call Me Back” Audience Skews Left of Dan Senor
The “October 8th Jew” phenomenon and left-of-center Jews finding community.
A look at the October 8th Jews | The Jerusalem Post
00:31:42 — The Jewish Future Is Too Expensive. Here’s How to Fix It.
Dan on day schools, affordability gaps, and the case for a Jewish renaissance.
Why Jewish Living Feels So Expensive These Days | Kosher Money
00:43:37 — Where Do Adult Jews Without Kids Find Jewish Community?
Dan on Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the Hartman Institute, and adult entry points to Jewish life.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin on her Jewish faith and her slain son's spiritual quest
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Learn More about Dan Senor:
Call Me Back - with Dan Senor - Podcast
Credits:
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Sasha Nelson Production Intern: Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJonah Platt· Host0:00
[upbeat music] In our quest to diagnose and solve the scourges of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, AKA rampant racializing anti-Jew bigotry, the Jewish community continues to overlook one of the most important, if not the most important, ingredients necessary for our ultimate success. Think about all the major speeches and articles and infographics and initiatives of the past few years. The resounding question has been, what should we as Jews do? And the answers are myriad. Invest in security, invest in Jewish joy, invest in education, invest in Israeli tech, invest in social media, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, ad infinitum. And of course, all of these areas must be developed if we're gonna change our fortunes, no doubt about it. But let's zoom all the way out. From way up here, we see that all of those individual strands of investment are parts of a single cohesive thesis, invest in Jews and Jewish life as never before. Now, as I've said on this show many times, that mindset shift is paramount simply on its own merits, for the good of our own self-respect and dignity and flourishing, period, end of story. But what then? When I or others say the best antidote to Jew hate is a loud and proud Jewish community, why is that actually so? Jews being happy or proud or educated does not in and of itself magically remove anti-Jew bigotry from the universe. So what is the actual mechanism of that removal? That we can answer by examining some of the other successful social movements