BOOK NOW FOR OUR LA SHOW - Nov 12 at Sinai Temple with special guest Ronen Bergman. Last stop for 2025! Use the coupon code UIH20 to get a discount on your tickets: https://unpacked.bio/UIHLA25
In one of the most powerful episodes of Unpacking Israeli History, host Noam Weissman sits down with Eli Sharabi, survivor of 491 days as a Hamas hostage, to share his story of faith, endurance, and unimaginable loss. In his bestselling memoir Hostage, Eli recounts life 50 meters underground—facing starvation and terror while clinging to small acts of hope.
He speaks about refusing to abandon his Jewish identity, finding strength through prayer, and rebuilding life after learning his wife and two daughters were murdered on October 7 and burying his brother, murdered in Hamas captivity. Eli’s message—for Jews and non-Jews alike—is clear: stand united against terror, confront ignorance with truth, and never let despair win.
Hostage, by Eli Sharabi
Check us out on Youtube. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.
-------------------
For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:
Jewish History Nerds
Soulful Jewish Living
Stars of David with Elon Gold
Wondering Jews
--------
40:27
--------
40:27
How It Feels to be Israeli Right Now: A Conversation with Sarah Tuttle-Singer
BOOK NOW FOR OUR LA SHOW - Nov 12 at Sinai Temple with special guest Ronen Bergman. Last stop for 2025! Use the coupon code UIH20 to get a discount on your tickets: https://unpacked.bio/UIHLA25
So much of what we read about Israel is politics and war. But this episode explores a different angle: what does it feel like to live through this moment? Noam sits down with writer and Times of Israel editor Sarah Tuttle-Singer, author of Jerusalem Drawn and Quartered, for a raw, empathetic conversation about daily life in Jerusalem after October 7. They talk about euphoria and grief around hostage returns, the “toxic resilience” many Israelis carry, and the small acts of kindness that still break through. Sarah describes how she vacillates between hope and rage and urges American Jews to come visit Israel to talk a wide-range of people and experience what life is really like.
This episode of Unpacking Israeli History is generously sponsored by Debra and Avi Naider.
BREAKING: Deep Concern Grows for Susan Sarandon, Mark Ruffalo, and Roger Waters
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/sarah-tuttle-singer/
Jerusalem, Drawn and Quartered: One Woman's Year in the Heart of the Christian, Muslim, Armenian, and Jewish Quarters of Old Jerusalem
Check us out on Youtube. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.
-------------------
For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:
Jewish History Nerds
Soulful Jewish Living
Stars of David with Elon Gold
Wondering Jews
--------
47:23
--------
47:23
An Empty Chair for 251 Hostages: Two Years After October 7
BOOK NOW FOR OUR LA SHOW - Nov 12 at Sinai Temple with special guest Ronen Bergman. Last stop for 2025! Use the coupon code UIH20 to get a discount on your tickets: https://unpacked.bio/UIHLA25
Two years after October 7, 2023, host Noam Weissman reflects on how Israel—and he himself—have been haunted by absence and by loss. Now the last living hostages are home and a ceasefire begins. Noam shares the story of an empty chair at his family’s Shabbat table. The chair began as a symbol of hope for the 251 hostages. It became a mirror of a nation’s grief, endurance, and faith that “a new day will rise.”
Check us out on Youtube. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.
-------------------
For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:
Jewish History Nerds
Soulful Jewish Living
Stars of David with Elon Gold
Wondering Jews
--------
20:45
--------
20:45
Two Years Since October 7th: A Conversation with Amir Tibon (Re-release)
BOOK NOW FOR OUR LA SHOW - Nov 12 at Sinai Temple with special guest Ronen Bergman. Last stop for 2025! Use the coupon code UIH20 to get a discount on your tickets: https://unpacked.bio/UIHLA25
It's been two years since October 7, 2023—the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. To commemorate, Noam revisits a powerful conversation (originally aired on Wondering Jews) with award-winning journalist Amir Tibon, author of The Gates of Gaza and a survivor of the attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz. They discuss the day itself, Noam Tibon’s rescue, the ongoing hostage crisis, and what heroism, memory, and rebuilding means for Israel and the Jewish world.
The Gates of Gaza
One Day in October
Check us out on Youtube. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.
-------------------
For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:
Jewish History Nerds
Soulful Jewish Living
Stars of David with Elon Gold
Wondering Jews
--------
41:54
--------
41:54
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib: Palestinian Statehood and the Power of Recognition
BOOK NOW FOR OUR LA SHOW - Nov 12 at Sinai Temple with special guest Ronen Bergman. Last stop for 2025! Use the coupon code UIH20 to get a discount on your tickets: https://unpacked.bio/UIHLA25
Gaza-born activist Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib joins Noam Weissman for the series finale and a fierce, heartfelt debate on Palestinian statehood. While they grapple with the meaning and limits of Palestinian statehood, Ahmed shares his vision of “radical pragmatism,” shifting from resistance to nation-building. Ahmed and Noam take a look back at the history and possible transitional paths forward in a conversation grounded in friendship and a shared hope for dignity and security for both peoples.
Check us out on Youtube. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.
-------------------
For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:
Jewish History Nerds
Soulful Jewish Living
Stars of David with Elon Gold
Wondering Jews
Join self-confessed history nerd Dr. Noam Weissman on a journey through the fascinating and sometimes controversial events and personalities that have shaped Israel’s past and present. Each week, Noam explores the layers of Israeli history, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the cultural forces at play—drawing on a variety of sources and perspectives. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply looking to better understand this complex region, you’ll find a nuanced, authentic, and thought-provoking take on Israel—free from oversimplification and political spin.
Canada - english