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Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas

New Books Network
Anti-Semitism
Ancient Jewish Food
Metamorphosis (natural History)
Common Knowledge
The Joy Of Solitude
Hannah Senesh
Nature
Anti-Zionism
Shoah
William Ury
Negotiation
Babylonian Talmud
Solitude
Laughter
The Mattering Instinct
Out Of the Sky, Heroism and Rebirth In Nazi Europe
Budapest, Hungary
Jerusalem, Israel
Still Here, A Story Of Living With Suicidal Ideation
Zionism

Interviews with thought-leaders about their new books. Support our show by becoming a premium member! newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/van-leer-institute

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Latest Episodes

A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, who eventually taught at the University of California at Berkeley, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. The True Believer: Thoughts on the... more

Children who grow up in troubled circumstances―experiencing

deprivation or instability, living in a dangerous neighborhood or an

abusive family―are more prone to aggression, recklessness, and sexual

promiscuity later in life. To most of us, the le... more

In contemporary discourse, antizionism is treated either as legitimate political critique or as bigotry only when it resembles recognizable forms of classical antisemitism. This article challenges that assumption. I argue that antizionism is a cohere... more

Was it one of the war’s most memorable feats of valor or an act of desperation, even madness?

In Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe (Spiegel & Grau, 2026), Matti Friedman unravels one of the strangest episodes of World War II: In 194... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Adam Louis-Klein
Anthropologist and scholar focusing on political theory, Jewish studies, and ideology
Independent scholar / Educator
Episode: Antizionism as a Distinct Anti-Jewish Bigotry with Adam Louis-Klein
Matti Friedman
Author of Out of the Sky, Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe
Author, Out of the Sky
Episode: Matti Friedman, "Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe" (Spiegel & Grau, 2026)
Bela Pasikov
Researcher
Episode: Matti Friedman, "Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe" (Spiegel & Grau, 2026)
Stuart Katz
Author of Still Here, Still Here: A Story of Living with Suicidal Ideation
Author
Episode: Stuart Katz, "Still Here: A Story of Living with Suicidal Ideation" (Independent, 2026)
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
Philosopher, novelist, and interpreter of ideas for a general audience
Author of The Mattering Instinct
Episode: Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, "The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us" (Liveright Publishing, 2026)
David Harris
Longtime leader in global Jewish advocacy and author of Anti-Semitism, What Everyone Needs to Know
Global Jewish advocacy, author
Episode: Antisemitism: What Everyone Needs To Know by David Harris
Tikva Blaukopf Schein
Lecturer in English literature, culture, and language at Shalane College
Shalane College
Episode: Laughter and Leadership: A Conversation with Tikva Blaukopf Schein, Ph.D.
Elias Messinas
Architect, researcher, and author focused on Greek Jewish synagogues
Independent researcher/author
Episode: Elias V. Messinas, "Synagogues of Greece: A Study of Synagogues in Macedonia and Thrace" (Bloch Publishing, 2011)
Steven Pinker
Cognitive scientist, linguist, and author
Episode: Steven Pinker, "When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life" (Scribner, 2025)

Host

Renee Garfinkel
Host of the Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 11 ratings
  • A hidden gem, truly special

    This podcast is a hidden gem. Renee is a great interviewer and brings out the best in all of the speakers/authors. The selection of books/speakers/topics is always at the cutting edge.

    The ideas I discover help me in various parts of my life, including my own scholarly work and activities. When I talk to or interview people, I will strive to emulate Renee.

    I find myself disappointed when I check the podcast app and don’t see a new episode from the Van Leer Institute of Ideas. Keep up the sti... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Professor R. Hinkley
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host is praised for excellent interviewing and pulling strong insights from guests.
Guests are described as cutting-edge and the topics are highly relevant for scholars.
Listeners appreciate the depth and scholarly rigor, with broad appeal to intellectual audiences.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Michal Govrin et. al, "But There Was Love―Shaping the Memory of the Shoah" (de Gruyter, 2025)
Q: Why replace Holocaust with Shoah in the title, and what meanings are gained or lost?
The shift foregrounds a Hebrew term with specific cultural and historical nuances, avoiding a gaze that outsiders project and reframing memory to stress resilience, dignity, and a more nuanced national and personal identity.
Robert J. Coplan, "The Joy of Solitude: How to Reconnect with Yourself in an Overconnected World" (Simon and Schuster, 2025)
Q: How do you distinguish healthy solitude from loneliness?
Loneliness is the negative feeling from a social mismatch, while solitude is a chosen space or place that can be used to reset, reflect, and recharge; quality and meaning of the solitude matter more than just time alone.
Robert J. Coplan, "The Joy of Solitude: How to Reconnect with Yourself in an Overconnected World" (Simon and Schuster, 2025)
Q: When did solitude first feel joyful for you?
Coplan recounts a period in his 20s when he pursued itinerant music while deciding whether to continue toward psychology, which became a formative experience shaping his view that solitude can be meaningful and growth-oriented.
Oren Harman, "Metamorphosis: A Natural and Human History" (Basic Books, 2025)
Q: How do you connect the biology of metamorphosis to culture and art across history?
He explains how philosophy, theology, and science have intersected with literature, theater, and visual art to explore transformation, leading to a shared human preoccupation with change and identity.
Oren Harman, "Metamorphosis: A Natural and Human History" (Basic Books, 2025)
Q: Oren, what first drew you to Metamorphosis, not just scientifically, but emotionally?
Harman describes a dream-driven, personal motivation linked to pregnancy and an emotional resonance with metamorphosis, which spurred a dual journey of intellectual inquiry and intimate self-reflection that shaped the book.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas

What is Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Thoughtful, literature- and idea-driven conversations with scholars, historians, philosophers, and public intellectuals who write and publish influential books. Episodes typically explore big ideas through a blend of theoretical framing and personal narrative, often highlighting memory, identity, ethics, and culture within Jewish thought, philosophy, science, and history. Notable is the emphasis on connecting classical texts and contemporary issues to everyday life, with a strong scholarly rigor paired with accessible storytelling that helps listeners gauge relevance to current debates. The format often features expert guests who bring deep research, balanced by the host's ability to contextualize complex topics for a general audience; spon... more

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Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas launched 6 years ago and published 169 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas?

Recent guests on Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas include:

1. Adam Louis-Klein
2. Matti Friedman
3. Bela Pasikov
4. Stuart Katz
5. Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
6. David Harris
7. Tikva Blaukopf Schein
8. Elias Messinas

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