157: Tuvia Tenenbom's Careful, Beauties Ahead! A year with Israel's ultraorthodox communities

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They told Tuvia Tenenbom, don’t go to Mea Shearim, Jerusalem’s ultra orthodox enclave, it’ll be dangerous, they’ll throw stones at you. 

But after living among Israel’s Charedi communities in Jerusalem and Beer Sheva, Tuvia found the community to be quite the contrary. 

And, he believes they’re more liberal and progressive than the world beyond. 

This is the story behind Careful, Beauties Ahead! Tuvia’s follow up book to the Taming of the Jew, eyeopening revelations on antisemitism is in Great Britain.

Now Tuvia, son and grandson of ultraorthdox rabbis returns to the communities of his upbringing and childhood in Israel. Have attitudes and practices changed in the years since he left? 

We talk about new pressures on the ultrareligious to join the IDF for the first time - and we unpack what Zionism means to them. 

And did the disaster of October 7th prove a truly unifying experience? Was it the realisation that finally, finally we are all the same? 

Using his fluent Yiddish, Tuvia gained trust to produce this one-off guide to a world he calls “of wisdom, humour and contradictions”. 

So poised with a packet of slims, Tuvia lights up ready for our interview. Enjoy this unique selection of stories from Israel.

Jonny Gould's Jewish State is supported by Dangoor Education.

Jonny would love your help. You can buy him a coffee while scrolling through all his previous interviews, right here.

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