The Fifth Question

I recently appeared on the Don't Know Much About podcast with Naya Lekht to discuss my philosophy of Israel and Jewish Education.To listen to the last episode I did with Naya see here: https://youtu.be/bsodVJMFX-U?si=0PpJzK31WNX9Kb1V#holocaustremembrance #israel #orthodoxjudaism #reformjudaism #jewishidentity Jewish History, Politics, Israel, Antisemitism, and Zionism - I cover it all.If you appreciate these episodes please like, comment, and subscribe!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.levine.31/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rabbidaniellevine/#israel #rabbi #jewish #WhatisZionism #dojews ?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is often used to project modern political causes onto a man who can no longer speak for himself. In this episode, I take a closer look at how MLK’s legacy—particularly his clear support for the Jewish community and Zionism—has been reinterpreted, distorted, and in some cases erased by today’s activist movements.We talk about the growing trend of folding anti-Israel ideology into social justice spaces, the attempt to cast MLK as an anti-Zionist figure despite his own words, and why that framing collapses under even minimal historical scrutiny. From post-1967 geopolitics to campus activism, from media narratives to selective memory, this episode asks a simple question: why are people so determined to remake MLK in their own image?MLK was explicit about where he stood. Ignoring that isn’t progress—it’s revisionism.If you find this conversation valuable, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to help keep these discussions going.#mlk #blacklivematter #zionisme #israel #progressive #ice #abolishthepolice

For my first conversation with Rabbi Tarlan see here: https://youtu.be/g3Nnmh85gRg?si=VLydkG2nV6GuV8EcThere’s been a major communications blackout in Iran — and while most people in the West barely saw it on the front page (if at all), people on the ground and their families abroad are living it in real time.Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh joins me to talk about what she’s hearing from friends and community members, how people are getting information out (VPNs, Starlink, scraps of footage), and why the story is so hard to cover — and so easy to ignore.We also get into the bigger picture: why the outrage machine that dominated social media for years seems… oddly quiet now, how authoritarian regimes use scapegoats (yes, including “Zionists”) as a default playbook, and what it means when the most basic human-rights crisis doesn’t fit neatly into a viral narrative.And at the end, Rabbi Tarlan says something that genuinely stuck with me: she doesn’t think she’d have the guts to do what people in Iran are doing right now — and honestly, I probably wouldn't either.Chapters / Topics:Internet blackouts + what families are hearingStarlink and why tech suddenly becomes “life or death”Why this isn’t leading the news cycleThe double standard in human-rights coverageIran, proxies, and the propaganda ecosystemWhat people can actually do: amplify, share, don’t look away#iran #iranrevolution #iranprotests #palestine #gaza #columbia ______________________________Jewish History, Politics, Israel, Antisemitism, and Zionism - I cover it all.Politics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6QupJZ1HLY&list=PLQ3aQmFcYiCqqL-GSNw6NhSZWOvzaDdIKJewish History: https://youtu.be/1u4jHoZ8stM?si=0jZP4uhXlVEg2NOTAntisemitism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCgnEZ1d24Q&list=PLQ3aQmFcYiCqkU_aPIJGbE1xTKEbkh8euFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.levine.31/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rabbidaniellevine/#israel #rabbi #jewish # WhatisZionism #dojews ?

In this episode, I’m joined by Daniel Buchierz — a Republican congressional candidate with an extraordinary, hard-earned perspective on the criminal justice system, homelessness, addiction, and public safety.Daniel shares a visceral story from 1991: how a minor marijuana charge escalated into a jury trial and years in maximum security, despite having no prior record — and how he spent decades fighting what he says was a due process failure and a conviction that never should have stood. He talks about what he lost when he came home, how addiction and homelessness followed, and the moment in prison that he describes as a spiritual awakening that changed the trajectory of his life.From there, we zoom out to policy:Legalizing marijuana (and why Daniel supports it from a libertarian-leaning perspective)The real drivers of homelessness, including drug addiction, mental illness, and money managementWhy “housing first” fails if treatment and accountability aren’t part of the planDaniel’s proposal for a structured, supervised program that pairs detox + work + savings + long-term stabilityThe tension between personal freedom vs. public order, and where government responsibility begins and endsWe also discuss the fentanyl crisis, border realities, and the ways policymakers (especially in blue states) can misunderstand what the epidemic looks like on the ground. Daniel shares what he’s seen near the border, and why he believes enforcement without follow-through is a revolving door.Finally, we pivot to Israel and antisemitism in American politics. Daniel speaks directly about standing with Israel, the rise of antisemitic rhetoric online, and what it’s like to take public heat for being explicit about those views.Follow Daniel: “Buchierz for Congress” (spelled like “Buttress,” but with a B and one R)Chapters (rough):00:00 Intro + Daniel’s story00:45 False accusation, trial, and prison time04:10 Release, loss, addiction, homelessness05:10 Faith and rebuilding06:00 Homelessness: causes and solutions11:00 Freedom vs enforcement + accountability20:30 Fentanyl, border gaps, and policy disconnects31:00 Israel, antisemitism, and political realignment44:20 ClosingIf you found this conversation interesting, please like, comment, and subscribe — it helps a lot.#israel #criminaljustice #homelessness #fentanyl #addictionrecovery #bordersecurity

In this episode, I sit down with former U.S. Congressman and former NYPD detective Anthony D’Esposito, who is also a Trump-appointed nominee for Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor. We cover the intersection of crime, policing, immigration, antisemitism (including on the right), congressional bipartisanship, and what he believes comes next for the Republican Party after Donald Trump.We begin with New York’s shifting political landscape and the policing debate—from cashless bail and discovery laws to public trust, crime reporting, and the political consequences playing out in and around NYC. We also discuss the role of federal coordination (including task forces and the National Guard debate), and how D’Esposito thinks about border security vs. immigration policy.Later, we pivot to Congress: bipartisanship in practice, the George Santos saga, and why D’Esposito says accountability has to start within your own party. We also talk about antisemitism across the political spectrum, including what he’d say to disaffected young men drawn toward extremist figures online.Finally, we explore how his Catholic faith shaped his support for Israel and the Jewish community—and his view of what defines the GOP’s future.If you enjoyed this conversation, please like, comment, and subscribe—it helps a lot.Chapters00:00 Intro00:40 Crime, policing, and NYC politics04:00 Cashless bail, discovery laws, and “crime vs reporting”09:40 Federal involvement + National Guard debate14:30 Immigration vs border security (and crime narratives)17:40 Bipartisanship in Congress23:10 George Santos: accountability and expulsion24:45 Antisemitism on the right + online radicalization31:40 Faith, Israel, and pilgrimages36:20 The future of the Republican Party after Trump42:30 Rep. Juan Ciscomani story + closingTopics we discussNYPD, crime trends, and criminal justice reformCashless bail, discovery rules, and judicial discretionFederal-local coordination: task forces and intelligence sharingImmigration vs border security (and political messaging)Bipartisanship and governing with slim majoritiesGeorge Santos and intra-party accountabilityAntisemitism on the left and rightOnline extremism and disaffected young menFaith, Israel, and political convictionPost-Trump Republican Party identity#politics #newyork #crime #congress #immigration #Antisemitism #israel #podcast #mamdani #republicanparty