Is(that)raeli?

Last summer, Kenan Insider Andrew Carlins (T’21) and recent graduate Grant Besner (T’19) spent 10 weeks together in Tel Aviv producing a podcast series entitled “Is(that)raeli?” Funded through the Sanford School of Public Policy (SOL) and the Duke Center for Jewish Studies, their podcast explores the nuances of Israeli identity through personal narratives in order to discover how macroscopic forces such as race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, and citizenship affect the lived experience of members Israel’s multiple micro-communities.

“Is(that)raeli has been a joy to produce… an incredible excuse to talk to amazing individuals and hear their stories. It’s added a level of intellectual curiosity to our lives, showed us the value of storytelling and reminded us of the importance of listening.”
–  Carlins and Besner

Episodes include interviews with investigative journalists, a Eritrean asylum seeker, NGO workers, the former International Advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister, and university professors. Grant and Andrew explain that “in doing this project, we hoped to gain a better understanding for ourselves, of what it means to be ‘Israeli’…really, as well as share our findings with those in the English speaking world trying to better understand this complex, tiny nation in the Middle East.”

You can check their podcast out here: Isthatraeli.com