The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl.
Buchdahl speaks about being a rabbinic figure and representative of the mainstream American Jewry, particularly while on book tour for her recently published memoir, "Heart of a Stranger, An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity and Belonging."
Buchdahl weighs in on the current rise in antisemitism entering the workplace and discourse, and how it has made Jewish identity rise to the fore as a kind of primary identity.
Speaking to the Times of Israel right before Passover, Buchdahl discusses the master narrative of Passover and the need to have faith in Jewish continuity and to hold on to resilience and grit in the face of oppression.
Buchdahl speaks about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the conversations she's held with people deeply connected to the mayor about her concerns.
The Central Synagogue rabbi talks about her congregation's Zionism, their reactions after the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and their deep connections to hostage families over the course of the two years of the war in Gaza.
She also speaks about her own connection to Israel as a second home, even when she takes issue with some of its policies and actions of the government.
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.
IMAGE: The sanctuary of Central Synagogue in Manhattan, New York, photographed in 2010, and where Rabbi Angela Buchdahl is senior rabbi (Courtesy)
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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
The US and Israel are trying to drastically weaken Iran, and maybe even bring down the regime, entirely from the air. They are certainly not the first combatants to strive for far-reaching goals through air power.
In fact, countries have tried to win wars from the air for over a century.
Airpower has a tendency to capture the imagination of civilian and military planners, leading them to believe that this time, new technology will give them the edge needed to transform warfare and avoid long, costly ground campaigns.
But strategic air campaigns almost always fall short of their goals. They do not topple regimes, do not cause the public to rise up (and often create solidarity among the enemy public), and achieve results that are anything but decisive.
Airpower certainly has its place, especially in destroying specific targets and supporting ground forces. Israel has taken that further, eliminating layers of Iranian, Hezbollah, and Hamas leadership from the air.
Can the two most capable air forces in the world win the war against Iran from the air? Or will this be the latest case study that shows how difficult it is to achieve strategic goals from the air?
Joined by diplomatic reporter Nava Freiberg, Lazar walks the listener from the 18th century, through the world wars, Vietnam, and Kosovo to explain what air power can accomplish -- and what mistakes overoptimistic planners continue to make.
Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.
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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Religion and archaeology correspondent Rossella Tercatin joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Tercatin discusses the efforts of Queen Farah Phalavi, the third wife of the former Shah of Iran, who used her art degree and wealth from soaring oil prices before the Islamic revolution, to assemble an art collection of masterpieces for the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, now hidden for much of the last 47 years.
She also reports on a new haggadah by Bar-Ilan University biblical scholar Prof. Joshua Berman that examines what the Torah and Haggadah tell us about Egypt and Egyptian culture, and their influence on the story of Passover and the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
One of the most inaccessible art collections in the world awaits liberation in Tehran
How the Exodus story subverts pharaonic texts to mock ancient Egypt
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.
IMAGE: A visitor walks past China's late leader, Mao Zedong painting series by American artist Andy Warhol at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran, Iran on October 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
As missile fire continues from Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis, we discuss whether the war with Iran may — or may not — be coming to a close.
US President Donald Trump has delivered various estimates for a timeline to end the war. Ahead of his expected speech this evening, Magid reviews recent Trump administration statements regarding the goals of the war and what has been achieved, as well as whether a deal needs to be made to finish it.
Trump also declared that Iran’s surviving stockpiles of enriched uranium did not concern him at all since they are buried underground and inaccessible. Magid attempts to unravel the rhetoric and discern what is happening on the ground.
We also delve into the US’s overt displeasure over the uptick in extremist settler violence in the West Bank, as expressed in a rare statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump: No deal needed to end the war, Iran won’t be able to obtain a nuke ‘for years’
Trump said to tell aides he’s willing to end Iran war without reopening Hormuz
UAE said pushing for military op to reopen Strait of Hormuz, is willing to take part
Frustrated with allies, Trump tells countries needing fuel to go to Hormuz and ‘just take it’
Rubio says US ‘concerned’ by settler attacks, insists Israel will ‘do something’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves and Ari Schlacht.
IMAGE: Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike hits a building near the airport road in Beirut, Lebanon, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
US President Donald Trump reportedly told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed and leave a complex operation to reopen it for a later date. At the same time, his administration is reportedly conducting negotiations based on a 15-point document presented to the Iranian regime. Berman attempts to unravel Trump's current strategic thinking, even as American troops are set to reach the region.
How do the Gulf states see this phase of the war? We hear who is on board with continuing the conflict, and who is working to end it.
As top Israeli leaders openly declare their intention to create another security zone in southern Lebanon, Berman reviews the Jewish state's historic trauma with a similar 18-year operation.
And finally, we learn about a now-resolved, but still damaging scandal that erupted this week as top Catholic clergy were barred from worshipping at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Four soldiers killed, 2 wounded in south Lebanon clash with Hezbollah
Trump said to tell aides he’s willing to end Iran war without reopening Hormuz
Israel shifts to hitting Iran’s economy, as it enters ‘completion phase’ of war
Facing a resurgent Hezbollah, Israel slouches back to a security zone in Lebanon
Holy Sepulchre Easter services to go ahead as Church leaders reach deal with police
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and Ari Schlacht produced and edited this episode.
IMAGE: A woman prays in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City, April 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalia)
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