# Franklin Foer on why fatalism isn't a strategy for American Jews

An episode of [Unholy: Two Jews on the News](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1548441108), 26 May 2026, 42 min.

Audio: https://afp-899544-injected.calisto.simplecastaudio.com/70fb862c-2808-4216-99a0-c0553bdc5e7f/episodes/930779b9-ced1-42bd-a0c5-d8acd66d98d9/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=70fb862c-2808-4216-99a0-c0553bdc5e7f&awEpisodeId=930779b9-ced1-42bd-a0c5-d8acd66d98d9&feed=oYXzB8F5

Franklin Foer is the man who declared that the golden age of American Jewry is over - or at least ending. Two years on — in the aftermath of October 7th and the Gaza war, collapsing bipartisan support for Israel, a wave of antisemitism from both left and right, and a military misadventure in Iran — he thinks he underestimated the problem. This week, Yonit and Jonathan sit down with Foer, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the landmark piece that became required reading in Jewish communities across America. They discuss whether the anti-AIPAC pledge that has become a feature of Democratic primaries is classical antisemitism in new clothing; how a forgotten Jewish genius from Odessa might explain what American Jews are supposed to do now; and why Foer refuses — loudly — to bow to fatalism. Also: Bob Dylan's existential crisis, Abraham Joshua Heschel's ode to the Sabbath, and how soccer helps explain at least one aspect of modern Jewish life. Guest: Franklin Foer, staff writer, The Atlantic ⏱ CHAPTERS: \[00:00\] Intro — Franklin Foer joins Unholy, The golden age Jewish Americans, what it was, why it's ending \[04:46\] The Impact of October 7th on American Jews \[11:25\] The Connection Between Israel and American Jewish Identity \[22:32\] Fatalism vs. persuasion — the Cold War argument \[28:35\] How do you persuade non-Jews that antisemitism is bad for them? \[32:56\] Top 3 Jewish Americans: Pichelis, Dylan, Heschel 🎙️ Unholy — honest conversations with people who have something real to say Watch us on YouTube: Follow Unholy and learn more about the pod: https://unholy-podcast.lovable.app/ Join our Patreon community to get access to bonus episodes, discounts on merch and more: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. 🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com 💛 Become a friend of the pod: Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon 📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/ X: https://x.com/unholypod Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social 🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W 🎙️ THE HOSTS Yonit Levi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/ X: https://x.com/LeviYonit LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/ Jonathan Freedland Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social 📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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