Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

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What does grief actually look like, and what does it mean to live with it?

In this live conversation recorded at Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center on the eve of Yom HaZikaron, Rachel Goldberg-Polin joins Dan Senor to reflect on love, loss, faith, and the story behind her new book, about the loss of her son, Hersh, who was taken hostage on October 7 and later killed in captivity.

This conversation explores how Rachel understands suffering, why she rejects the idea that grief “gets better,” and how she holds onto faith, love, and what she calls “tragic optimism.” It is a raw and deeply human discussion about what remains when everything changes, and what it means to keep going.

Purchase Rachel’s book here: When We See You Again.

In this episode:

- Life before October 7 and the meaning of Shabbat in Rachel’s family

- The morning of October 7 and the moment everything changed

- What it was like to advocate for Hersh while he was in captivity

- The discovery that Hersh knew his family was fighting for him

- The night Rachel and her family learned he had been killed

- Why Rachel rejects the idea that grief fades over time

- “Toxic positivity” vs. “tragic optimism”

- What grief really is, and what it reveals about love

This episode is sponsored by American Friends of Israel Navy SEALs (AFINS). For a brief video on Buddy Line and to support the program, visit AFINS.us/warriorcare. 

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back to listen to our 4-part series with Ronen Bergman. 

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What do we owe the stories of people who sacrificed everything, even when they did not succeed?

As Israel approaches Yom Hazikaron after two and a half years of war, Dan speaks with author and journalist Matti Friedman about one of the most iconic and least understood stories in Israeli history: the parachutists of 1944. At the center is Hannah Senesh, whose name became synonymous with courage, even though the mission itself failed in military terms.

Purchase Matti’s book here. 

In this episode:

02:40 – The real story behind Hannah Senesh and the parachutists of 1944

06:20 – The 1944 parachutist mission

08:40 – How Israel turned this mission into a national myth

14:10 – Why the mission had no clear or achievable objective

17:00 – How the parachutists understood their role as shaping a future story

27:20 – What Hannah Senesh’s life and death reveal about sacrifice

29:00 – Why the parachutists chose to act despite knowing they would likely fail

32:10 – What this story offers Israelis after October 7

This episode is sponsored by the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization. Learn more and support their work at idfwo.org.

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

For the full episode, subscribe here to Inside Call me Back.

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This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call Me Back, the final installment of our four-part series with Ronen Bergman.

After the U.S. exits the JCPOA, Israel and the U.S. launch a campaign of sanctions, sabotage, and targeted assassinations, what Bergman calls “death by a thousand cuts.”

In this preview, Bergman details the AI-assisted assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist and why, despite the scale and sophistication of the operation, it was not enough to stop Iran’s nuclear program.

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Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back to listen to our 4-part series with Ronen Bergman. 

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If the shooting stops, is the war actually over?

Dan is joined by Ark Media contributor and VP of the Hartman Institute Dr. Tal Becker to explore whether the next phase will be driven less by military action and more by political pressure, economic leverage, and shifting regional alliances.

They unpack why there’s no clear definition of “victory,” what dynamics the war has set in motion, and whether Israel and its partners can turn short-term gains into long-term strategic advantage, all while the nuclear threat continues to loom.

In this episode:

- 03:42 – Why there’s no agreed definition of victory in this war

- 04:48 – How to measure success through objectives, cost, and long-term dynamics

- 06:45 – What comes after the ceasefire and the possible paths forward

- 02:00 – How war can continue through pressure without direct combat

- 09:06 – The case for a regional alliance against Iran

- 11:09 – How Gulf states are reassessing their strategy

- 26:00 – What happens if Iran races toward a nuclear weapon

- 33:15 – The legal debate over justification, self-defense, and imminence

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Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel

Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back to listen to our 4-part series with Ronen Bergman. 

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According to a recent CBS / YouGov poll, 41% of Americans think that the war with Iran is going well, while 59% believe it is going badly. 

Can a war be won when the country fighting it doesn’t agree on whether it’s going well?

As the U.S. moves to blockade the Strait of Hormuz following failed negotiations, the debate is no longer just about battlefield gains, it’s about strategy, legitimacy, and what success really means. Dan Senor brings together former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and FDD CEO Mark Dubowitz for a good-faith debate on where the war stands and where it should go next. From military progress to political will, and from alliance dynamics to endgame scenarios, this conversation unpacks the fault lines shaping the American debate.

In this episode:

Where do things stand after the failed U.S–Iran talks and the Hormuz blockade?

How Dan and Mark define whether the war is “going well”

What the U.S. and Israel have actually achieved militarily

Can the war be won if the Iranian regime remains intact

What economic, political, and human costs should Americans expect from this war?

How is the war affecting U.S. alliances and global standing?

Is the best path forward to escalate, contain, or shift strategy?

What happens if the war ends before achieving its core objectives?

This episode was sponsored by United Hatzalah. Donate today at IsraelRescue.org/CallMeBack. Add this number to your phone right now if you live in Israel – 1221, and for those visiting it’s 972-2-5-383838.

Listen to Mark’s podcast The Iran Breakdown.

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Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal

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Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel

Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo