Free Daily Podcast Summary
On the Nose: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Jewish Currents
On the Nose is a biweekly podcast by Jewish Currents, a magazine of the Jewish left founded in 1946. The editorial staff discusses the politics, culture, and questions that animate today’s Jewish left.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 5 days ago43 min
Does Abdul El-Sayed’s Win Signal the End of Jewish Establishment Power?
Over an election night that brought big wins for Democrats across the country, Abdul El-Sayed comfortably won his Michigan Senate race against Mike Rogers, despite prognostications that many Jewish Democrats would flip to Rogers because of El-Sayed’s unapologetic pro-Palestine stance and the eleventh-hour endorsement of Rogers by the staunchly pro-Israel Democrat Haley Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the primary. Some heavily Jewish Michigan districts did post softer numbers for El-Sayed compared to the 2024 vote for Kamala Harris or this election’s vote for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson, but the mass defection did not materialize, with El-Sayed garnering 60% of the Jewish vote, by some accounts. El-Sayed triumphed over around $42 million in AIPAC spending against him over the course of his campaign, as well as blatantly Islamophobic attacks by Rogers and Donald Trump claiming El-Sayed would implement sharia law. He also bested efforts from the Jewish establishment, which came together under the banner of a new organization called Nonnegotiable, threatening to withhold their votes unless El-Sayed changed his tune on Israel. He did not, and—buoyed by the Muslim, Black, and youth vote—he is heading to the US Senate.Our news desk has been reporting from the ground in Michigan this election cycle (sign up here to get their newsletter in your inbox!). On this episode of On the Nose, Jewish Currents news director Josh Nathan-Kazis and senior reporter Alex Kane join Arielle Angel for an examination of the Michigan election, and the ways pro-Israel actors showed their weakness.Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for editing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Links and Further Reading“In Michigan, the Pro-Palestine Movement Claims Its Biggest Prize Yet,” Mari Cohen and Alex Kane, Jewish Currents“The Election Cycle That Shattered the Pro-Israel Consensus,” Alex Kane, Jewish Currents“Could Jewish Democrats Actually Cost Abdul El-Sayed a Senate Seat?,” Mari Cohen, Alex Kane, and Josh Nathan-Kazis, Jewish Currents“In the Michigan Senate Race, Mike Rogers Is Stoking Jewish Fear. Will It Work?,” Alex Kane, Jewish Currents“Who Speaks for Black Voters?,” On the Nose, Jewish Currents“‘No, Sir!’ MS NOW Focus Group of Black Voters Says They’re Iffy on El-Sayed,” Morning Joe, MS NOW“Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed apologizes to Michigan Jewish Democrats,” Erum Salam and Nnamdi Egwuonwu, MS NOWADL election night statements“These Michigan rabbis couldn’t move El-Sayed. Undeterred, they’re starting a national movement.,” Andrew Lapin, JTA“Mamdani Says He Will ‘Discourage’ the Term ‘Globalize the Intifada,’” Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Lauren Hirsch, The New York Times“<a href="https
- 1 weeks ago50 min
The Inheritance of Defeat
From the Shoah to McCarthyism to the failures of the New Left, it has been a long 20th century for radical Jews. Each new iteration of the Jewish left finds itself building on a legacy that has been largely buried, learning from a history of defeat at the hands of much more powerful forces. Given those losses, what do we inherit from both our movement ancestors and our actual kin? How does their example shape the way we organize in the present? Are there models from which we might learn? Or must we create something new for every new moment? On this episode of On the Nose, recorded live from a panel at Jewish Currents Live on October 11th, Arielle Angel tackles these questions with artist and writer Molly Crabapple, author Harriet Clark, and poet and activist Irena Klepfisz.Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for editing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Links and Further Reading“The Hill,” On the Nose, Jewish Currents “Here Where We Live Is Our Country,” On the Nose, Jewish Currents “For Eli Jacobson” by Kenneth Rexroth “Beyond Grievance,” Arielle Angel, Jewish Currents “The Work of Love in Recollecting One Who is Dead,” Sören Kierkegaard, Works of Love
- 2 weeks ago55 min
The Impact of American Zionism on American Islamophobia
Seasons of Fury, a new book by the journalist Rozina Ali, tells a sweeping history of American Islamophobia through narrative reporting on four American Muslim families with varied backgrounds. The book reveals that American Zionism is integral to the story of anti-Muslim bias in the US. The legal structures for surveilling and criminalizing Muslims originated in US officials’ preoccupation with Palestinian militants in the 20th century, and Zionist organizations have been key participants in a broad civil society ecosystem pushing Islamophobia in the American mainstream. In this episode of On the Nose, senior politics editor Mari Cohen guest hosts to interview Ali about the book and her findings. They discuss how the targeting of Arab activists morphed into anti-Muslim sentiment; how the definition of terrorism changed in the 20th century and came to be associated with Islam; how the Anti-Defamation League has abetted Islamophobia; and how antisemitism and Islamophobia are pitted against each other in American politics. Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for editing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Links and Further ReadingSeasons of Fury: Four Families and the Rise of Islamophobia in America by Rozina AliDisciplining Terror by Lisa Stampnitzky “Painful memory for Muslims: Outrage over a proposed Islamic center in Manhattan,” Anne Barnard, New York TimesThe Feeling of Being Watched by Assia Boundaoui “How the ADL’s Anti-Palestinian Advocacy Helped Shape U.S. Terror Laws,” Darryl Li, The InterceptADL amicus brief in Humanitarian Law Project vs. Holder“Jewish Communities Must Root Out Islamophobia,” Donna Nevel, Jewish Currents “When ‘Jewish Security’ Meets Muslim Surveillance,” Asad Dandia, Jewish Currents ADL changes its tune on mosques, Justin Elliott, Salon The Anti-Defamation League and the Racial State by Emmaia Gelman
- Oct 8, 20261h 8m
Fact Versus Fiction in Claims About Antisemitism in Publishing
On July 9th, PEN America published an article called “A Silent Moratorium,” which asserts that Jewish and Israeli writers face “blatant hostility, discrimination, and hate” and attempts to chart the “impact on their freedom of expression.” The PEN article affirms a narrative advanced across Jewish media and mainstream press alike that—as the headline of a piece by James Kirchick in The New York Times put it—“a chill has fallen over Jews in publishing” amid the war on Gaza. The article has since been joined by other attempts to quantify the damage to Jewish letters: An article by the writer Meg Keene attempted to provide data to support the claim of a precipitous dropoff in Jewish books since 2023. The ADL recently added another report to the pile. Last week, we published a report written by Josh Lambert, director of Jewish studies at Wellesley College, and Dan Sinykin, director of graduate studies at Emory University—both researchers of publishing history, with expertise between them in contemporary Jewish literature and quantitative literary studies. The piece took on the claims of the PEN America article, about which they wrote, “Digging into its anecdotal reports of abandonment by agents and missing book deals, online harassment and review-bombing, we found that many of the claims were too vague to qualify as evidence, and that many accounts . . . turn out to be imprecise at best and entirely false at worst.” They also examined Keene’s data and ran some of their own; it turns out the picture of the number of Jewish titles being published looks very different with a more solid methodology. On this episode of On the Nose, Arielle Angel speaks with Lambert and Sinykin about what these accounts of anti-Jewish sentiment in publishing got wrong, and what it means about the current market for both Zionist and anti-Zionist books.Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for editing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Links and Further Reading“What PEN America Got Wrong About Antisemitism in Publishing,” Josh Lambert and Dan Sinykin, Jewish Currents“A Silent Moratorium,” PEN America“I gathered the data on Jewish fiction publishing. The trends are alarming.,” Meg Keene, JTAADL report on antisemitism in publishingJosh Lambert’s Jewish book column, “State of the Genre”Hunting in America by Tehila Hakimi “I'm not happy about it, but I wrote about PEN.,” Josh Lambert’s SubstackChad Post and the 3% rule “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/21/nyregion/powerhouse-book
- Oct 1, 202658 min
Naza and the Function of Perpetrator Cinema
Naza, a film by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, features interviews with 24 members of elite intelligence units in the Israeli military describing the mechanics of carrying out remote, indiscriminate mass killing in Gaza. Since news spread of a 25-minute standing ovation for the film at the Venice Film Festival, it has provoked intense debate, with some Palestinians expressing criticism of the way that Israelis’ confessions have made the genocide more “real” in the West than Palestinians’ own testimony. Meanwhile, in Israel, the film has elicited disturbing incitement against the filmmakers (who currently remain abroad), and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to revoke the filmmakers’ citizenship.What is the unique function of cinema focused on the perpetrators of genocide? How do we understand the concept of “evil” in listening to the voices of the murderers? And can these testimonies provoke a reckoning within global Jewry? To discuss these questions, Arielle Angel speaks with two filmmakers: Rami Younis, Palestinian journalist and co-director of the film Lyd, about the city in historic Palestine, now in the south of Israel; and Joshua Oppenheimer, director of the Oscar-nominated films The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, about the Indonesian genocide.Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for editing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Links and Further ReadingNaza, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel SzorThe Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer and AnonymousLyd, directed by Rami Younis and Sarah Ema Friedland“Gaza before and after: New Google Maps imagery shows destruction of the Strip,” José A. Álvarez and Anna Navarro, El PaísMosab Abu Toha’s post on X“‘NAZA’ is forcing Israelis to reflect. But we Palestinians are not your mirror,” Ayat Abou Shmeiss, +972 Magazine“The moment a human life becomes ‘collateral damage,’” Mahmoud Mushtaha, +972 MagazineMairav Zonszein post on X“Palestinian Suffering Must Pass Through an Israeli Voice to Be Heard,” Hanin Majadli, HaaretzRami Younis’s interview with Hany Abu Assad at Palestine Cinema“Watching 'NAZA' Shocked Me. So Did What Its Creators Left Out,” Raviv Drucker, HaaretzRaviv Drucker interviewing Yuval Abraham“'It hurts me' - Guardiola vows to speak up on conflicts,” Shamoon Hafez, BBC“<a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news
- Sep 24, 202651 min
Slam Frank's Hall of Mirrors
Slam Frank—the satirical play about a Latina “Anita Franco” stuck in the attic with a colorblind cast (à la Hamilton) of daft identitarians—reopened last week Off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre in Manhattan. While some audience members have reportedly been shocked by its irreverent take on a child hero of the Holocaust, some viewers on both the left and the right are convinced that the play reflects their sensibilities and political leanings. The play’s author, Andrew Fox, has declined to say anything about his personal politics, but touchstone books of Jewish reactionary grievance like David Baddiel’s Jews Don’t Count and Dara Horn’s People Love Dead Jews are part of the show’s dramaturgy.On this episode of On the Nose, Arielle Angel talks to theater critic Alisa Solomon and New York Times columnist M. Gessen about their differing interpretations of the play. The three argue about what the play actually intends to say about the contemporary left, whether the playwright’s own political leanings matter to the read of the play itself, and whether the proliferation of interpretations is a feat or a liability.Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for editing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Links and Further Reading“‘Slam Frank,’ a Daring Satire, and ‘Crooked Cross’ Demand Our Attention,” Laura Collins-Hughes, The New York Times“The Composer Making a Hip-Hop Musical About Anne Frank,” Kelefa Sanneh, The New YorkerInformation on Gazi Kodzo, the author of the original “Anne Frank/white privilege” tweetJews Don’t Count by David Baddiel, People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn, and a Jewish Currents review of both books by Linda Kinstler“Actress Dasha Nekrasova Fired By Gersh, Dropped From Movie Amid Backlash Over Podcast Interview With Far-Right Political Commentator Nick Fuentes,” Matt Grobar, DeadlineAndrew Fox on i24Slam Frank reviews in the Times of Israel and the Jewish Journal“Springtime for Hitler,” The ProducersSlam Frank’s Bondi post and Andrew Fox’s apology“Campus Politics Takes the Stage in ‘The Ally,’” On the Nose, Jewish Currents“Anne Frank, the Exhibition” a
- Sep 17, 202648 min
Kol Nidre's Sacred Border Crossings
As we make our way through the Days of Awe, On the Nose is turning over our feed to an episode of Ways of Awe, an exploration of the high holiday liturgy written by artist and educator Maia Brown and writer and organizer Shelby Handler, and based on translations originally shared with the Kadima Reconstructionist Community in Seattle, WA. This episode explores the “Kol Nidre” prayer recited on Erev Yom Kippur, in which all vows from the year before are nullified. In this episode, the hosts spoke with Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg and Rabbi Xava De Cordova.This episode was edited by Maia Brown, with audio engineering by Daniel Guenther. Thank you to Ross Kirshenbaum of Levoneh for composing our show music and to Peter Lippman and Jimmy Austin for playing on the track, and to Jenny Asarnow for their field recordings. Thank you to the Jack Straw Cultural Center Artist Support Program, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Smart Ventures Program, and Signal Fire Coop. Thank you to Hannah Epstein for design.Thank you to all those who lent their prayer-voices to the Kol Nidre episode including: Noraa Kaplan, Sharone Sayegh, Moyshe Oysher. Thank you to Jeannie Wells-Yablonsky from the Seattle Symphony for her rendition of Kol Nidre. An excerpt from “Kol Nidre,” performed by Sharone Sayegh in the Iraqi Sephardic tradition, was produced by Reboot in partnership with Hillel International for Higher Holidays 2020 and is reproduced here with permission.Links and Further Reading“Jewish Emptiness: Kavannot for Kol Nidrei,” Rabbi Xava De Cordova, RitualWell“The Case Against Kol Nidre,” Adam Soclof, JTA“Kol Nidre: Past, Present, and Future,” Richard-Steiner, Jewish Studies, an Internet JournalKol Nidre entry in the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia “A Brief History of the Kol Nidrei Prayer,” Cantor Deborrah Cannizzaro“Exploring Kol Nidre,” David Schwartz, Sefaria“The Geonim,” Eli Barnavi, My Jewish LearningThis Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared by Rabbi Alan LewRegister for JC Live!Register for the New Jewish Institutions Skill-building Boot Camp!Transcript can be found here.
- Sep 10, 202652 min
UK Sanctions Settlements
On September 8th, the UK announced sanctions against Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including an import trade ban, sanctions on companies and individuals, bans on advertising the sale of stolen land, and restrictions on arms export licensing. They were joined in the adoption of these policies by France and Canada, and nine other European countries released a statement announcing intentions to support the effort. This unprecedented raft of policies was largely framed as an attempt to salvage the two-state solution and to counter planned settlement expansion into the E-1 Corridor, which would split the West Bank in two.On this episode of On the Nose, Arielle Angel speaks with Ryvka Barnard, deputy director of the UK-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign; Emily Hilton, international policy director at Diaspora Alliance; and Maya Rosen, associate editor of Jewish Currents, about these latest developments. They discuss the issues with limiting sanctions to the settlements in one-state reality, potential loopholes in implementation, and the reactions from the UK Jewish establishment and the Israeli settlement movement.Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for editing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Media Mentioned and Further ReadingJoint Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the Two-State Solution“UK, France among 12 states backing sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements,” Al Jazeera“Trump didn't oppose UK sanctions on Israeli settlements,” Barak Ravid, Axios“The Wrong Way to Fight Antisemitism in Britain,” On the Nose, Jewish Currents“Polling reveals Palestine a major factor in progressive voters ditching Labour,” Palestine Solidarity Campaign“The Making of a Coal Boycott,” Andreas Malm and Maxy Guedes, Jewish Currents“Burnham confirms top level government meeting to bolster security for Jewish community over High Holy Days,” Lee Harpin, Jewish News“America Should Follow UK and Sanction West Bank Settlements,” New Jewish Narrative statement“J Street Welcomes UK, France and Canada’s Decision to Ban Imports From West Bank Settlements,” J Street statement“What is the Police and Crime Bill and how will it change protests?,” BBC“The Settler Community Responds to UK Sanctions,” C14Register for JC Live!Register for the New Jewish Institutions Skill-building Boot Camp!Transcript forthcoming.
Get On the Nose summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
Tablet Studios
Explores Jewish identity, tradition, and culture through diverse podcasts offering insight for contemporary Jewish life.
Chosen People Problems
Two women—one secular, one Haredi—explore faith, tradition, and modern life through candid conversations.
Call Me Back - with Dan Senor
Discusses challenges and dilemmas facing Israelis and Jews worldwide.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah
ReformJudaism.org
92NY Talks
Recorded conversations from 92nd Street Y featuring prominent thinkers, artists, and leaders discussing culture, ideas, and society.
Mo News
Daily news coverage with analysis, interviews, and listener Q&A on global headlines from Mosheh Oinounou and Jill Wagner.
On the Media
Analyzes media narratives, misinformation, and bias to help listeners understand how news is shaped and reported.
Ask Haviv Anything
A history podcast shaped by listener questions, covering identity, conflict, and culture with moments of humor.
The Jewish History Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
A podcast featuring Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's lectures on Jewish history.
Into the Verse - A Parsha Podcast
Aleph Beta
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
A daily news podcast covering key developments in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world.
The Daily Zeitgeist
A daily comedy-news podcast where hosts break down the week’s biggest stories with sharp analysis and humor to help make sense of the chaos.
About On the Nose
On the Nose is a biweekly podcast by Jewish Currents, a magazine of the Jewish left founded in 1946. The editorial staff discusses the politics, culture, and questions that animate today’s Jewish left.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from On the Nose in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's On the Nose daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of On the Nose as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the On the Nose podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official On the Nose product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Jewish Currents.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does On the Nose release new episodes?
On the Nose publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does On the Nose cover?
On the Nose covers topics including News, Religion & Spirituality, Politics, Spirituality, Judaism, Culture, Society & Culture. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting On the Nose summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.