EPISODE 57: The Ethics of Radicalism
“In pre-modern discussions of Judaism, identity is almost inextricably linked to observance. The whole notion of Jewish identity… it’s like a modern idea.”
— Dr. Elliot Malamet
The 1960s were about more than hippie fashion and flower power. Divisions over the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the beginnings of second wave feminism sparked civil unrest, fearmongering, political handwringing, and, eventually, necessary social change.
The 1960s also marked the emergence of the Jewish Defense League, and the rise of its founder Rabbi Meir Kahane as a controversial figure. Founded in 1968, the JDL advocated for an anti-Arab form of Jewish nationalism, one that denied all Palestinian claim to Israel, and preached violent resistance to anti-Semitism at home and abroad... including targeted killings.
The JDL was classified by the FBI as a right-wing terrorist organization and Rabbi Kahane himself was assassinated at the age of just 58.
This episode of the Living Jewishly podcast series is an instalment of What Would You Do? a podcast about Judaism and ethics.
Dr. Elliot Malamet is joined by Professor Shaul Magid, Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College and author of a Meir Kahane: The Public Life and Political Thought of an American Jewish Radical.
This conversation explores the ethics of radicalism and fanaticism, the DNA of Kahane’s desired revolution, and the lingering echoes of his rhetoric today.
“I don’t think that Kahane really cared too much about religious observance. What he cared about was the commitment to fight for Jewish causes.”
— Professor Shaul Magid
This episode discusses:
- The emergence of a Jewish identity non-reliant on observance — and how that tied into Kahane’s ideas of revolution
- The difference between a radical and a fanatic and how Kahane evolved over time
- The ideas put forward by Kahane that still live on today in many Orthodox populations