Live from Camp Tel Yehudah: Teens Talk Antisemitism, Identity, and Israel

**Noam Weissman** (0:00)
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I've even written for Sapir, and I quote Sapir often in this podcast because of the different thinkers that they highlight. If you appreciate this podcast and you've learned from this podcast, then Sapir might be for you. Here's the cool thing. You could receive four beautiful issues a year for free, right in your mailbox at home at no charge. It's free, you could get it. So subscribe today at sapirjournal.org/noam, completely free of charge. That's sapirjournal.org/noam.
And I'll spell it for you.
S-A-P-I-R-J-O-U-R-N-A-L dot org slash noam. N-O-A-M. I thought you would know how to spell that. And I figured you should know how to spell journal also. Anyway, click the link in the episode notes or just go to sapirjournal.org/noam. It's all there and I think you'll find it incredibly insightful. Hey, I'm Noam Weissman and this is Unpacking Israeli History, the podcast that takes a deep dive into some of the most intense, historically fascinating and often misunderstood events and stories linked to Israeli history. This episode of Unpacking Israeli History is generously sponsored by the Marcus Foundation. If you want to sponsor an episode of Unpacking Israeli History, or if you just want to say, what's up, be in touch at noam at unpacked.media. Okay, yalla, let's do this.
If you catch every episode of Unpacking Israeli History, which of course you do, you've already caught the live episode we recorded at Camp La Vie a few days ago. Well, only a few days later, we recorded a second live episode, this time at Camp Tel Yehudah, the official national teen leadership camp of the youth movement Young Judea. Zionism is in this camp's blood. It's named for a Zionist youth leader. Yes, the word Zionist, yes, I said it. And it has fiercely held on to that identity, even in years when doing so wasn't easy or popular. They wanted to remain Zionist. Well, today, I bring to you that Tel Yehuda episode. I want to let it speak for itself, but here's what got me. What got me wasn't just how much these teens knew. Yeah, they knew a lot of things. Not just that they expressed their opinions in a healthy way. That was great too.
It was how much they wanted to say. They didn't hold back, not at all.
What it's like when a friend says something hurtful about Israel. What it's like to be the only Jewish kid in a school that has 2,500 kids.
How they tell the difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, or whether or not they feel there is one or not. What it feels like to want to be seen and taken seriously as a teenager, as a young person with real convictions. These teenagers are capable.
They're competent. They're confident, and they're searching for meaning, not just fun. For me and my team, that's genuinely inspiring. As always, see what you think and email me at noam at unpack.media. I always want to hear from you.

**Avi** (3:56)
Okay. Without further ado, I want to hear a super loud, as loud as you can be, Camp Tel Yehuda. Welcome for the host of Unpacking Israeli History, the man, the myth, the legend, Noam Weissman. Take it away.

**Noam Weissman** (4:09)
What's up?

**SPEAKER_3** (4:12)
What's up?

**Noam Weissman** (4:13)
Amazing. Tell Yehuda, I am so excited to be here with you all. I love the opportunity to teach, to think, to talk about the story of Israel. I love it. I think it's so important.
But before we do any of that, I got to start at the beginning.
Thank you. Thank you to Tell Yehuda. So I want to try something with you. I want to try something with you. You have agreed, disagree cards. I want to try this out. Let's try a sports.
Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time in the NBA. Let's see. Okay. So here's what we're going to do. Now put it down. Now put it down. I need to hear, from one perspective, give me an agree, because can I get one agree? But I want to hear your thoughts on this. All right. Who's ready to say something?