Episode
116: Simon Sebag Montefiore on the History — and Future — of British Jews
- Podcast
- Ask Haviv Anything
- Published
- May 17, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 6266
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Summary
What does it mean to be Jewish in Britain? What happens when centuries of hard-won belonging is suddenly called into question by destabilizing events? In this conversation on history and identity, we sit down with bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to trace the extraordinary story of British Jewry: from the arrival of Jews with William the Conqueror in 1066, through medieval blood libels and expulsion, to emancipation, empire, Zionism, civil rights and integration, and on to the modern crisis facing British Jews after October 7. We explore how British Jews became one of the most integrated and successful Jewish communities in the world, and why many now feel that a golden age is ending. Montefiore brings the sweep of history to the conversation, while confronting one of the most urgent questions facing Jews in the West today: Can liberal societies still protect Jewish belonging in moments of deep social fracture? -- This episode is sponsored by "The Frozen Chosen," Haviv’s supportive Minnesota community. It is dedicated to the memory of Tchelet Fishbein, who was murdered on October 7 at Kibbutz Beeri. She was 18 years old. Tchelet lived in Kibbutz Urim and worked as a babysitter in nearby Kibbutz Be’eri along the border with Gaza. When Hamas invaded Be’eri, she and her boyfriend Dor Rieder, 23, both sought refuge in the home’s safe room. In a different home, 500 meters away, her mother, brother, 94-year-old grandmother, and the grandmother’s caregiver took shelter inside a bunker. What we know about Tchelet is not only how she died, but how she lived — with an instinct to protect others. In the midst of terror, she warned others to stay safe. Her first impulse was care, responsibility, connection. In the midst of the turmoil, Fishbein relayed an urg…