About this episode
In this episode, I sit down with Zahava Feldstein, creator of Rabbi’s Daughter Rebellion, who describes herself as a “reformed anti-Zionist Jew.” We trace her journey from growing up as a rabbi’s kid in the American South and thriving in feminist Jewish day school, to becoming a staunch anti-Zionist at Scripps College through SJP/JVP organizing, critical race theory and ethnic studies — and then the moment it all began to crack when she sat down with her dad and the Encyclopedia Judaica and re-encountered Jewish history on its own terms.Along the way, we dig into why so many Jewish students are pulled into anti-Zionist spaces, why Hillel and Chabad feel so different on campus, how critical race theory gets mis-applied to Jews and Israel, and what it might look like to create psychologically safe spaces for Jewish students who are questioning Zionism without losing their Judaism.In this conversation, we discuss:Zahava’s story: rabbi’s daughter, feminist day school kid, then SJP/JVP organizerHow Palestinian ethnography, ethnic studies, and critical race theory shaped her anti-ZionismThe moment she realized her professors’ frameworks didn’t know or care about JewsWhy she now calls herself a “reformed anti-Zionist” rather than a simple Zionist or anti-ZionistThe California ethnic studies mandate, CRT, and where Jews fit (or don’t)How anti-Zionist spaces use “anti-normalization” to shun Hillel and campus rabbisWhy Chabad often feels “apolitical” and safe for radical left anti-Zionist JewsThe difference between criticizing Israel and erasing Jewish history and peoplehood“Right to exist” vs “need to exist” — reframing the core question about IsraelHow Jewish education often fails students on Israel, power, race, and empireWhy so many Jewish studies departments are unequipped to answer ethnic-studies-style attacks on JewsAdvice for rabbis, parents, and educators trying to support Jewish students on campus todayIf you’re a Jewish high school or college student, a parent, rabbi, educator, Hillel/Chabad professional, or just someone trying to understand anti-Zionism, Zionism, and critical race theory in the post–October 7 campus world, this episode is for you.➡️ See More From Zahava FeldsteinIf you want to dive deeper into Zahava’s work, writing, and research, check out the links below:🔗 LinkedIn ProfileZahava Feldstein — PhD Student in Antisemitism Studies (Gratz College), MA Stanford, MA University of ChicagoConnect with her professional updates here: / zahava-feldstein ✍️ Substack: “Rabbi’s Daughter Rebellion”Her long-form audio-essays on identity, ideology, antisemitism, and Jewish life: https://zahavafeldstein.substack.com/ 🔥 Related Post: “What the f** is campus antisemitism?”*A highly relevant piece if you enjoyed today’s conversation: https://zahavafeldstein.substack.com/... #palestine #israel #sjp #JewishStudents #campus #criticalracetheory