Mijal Bitton: Purim, Amalek and Navigating Evil Today

About this episode

Justin Pines and Dr. Mijal Bitton discuss the challenges facing the Jewish community in the context of Purim and modern societal issues.

In this episode of Jewish Insights, Justin Pines welcomes back Dr. Mijal Bitton for a raw and sophisticated look at the "new reality" facing the Jewish community on occasions of Purim and Shabbat Zachor. Two years after their conversation following October 7thhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzQrygsFtT0], they move past the initial shock to explore what it means to build resilience when the "clarity of evil" transitions into the "ambiguity of the everyday." Dr. Bitton uses the contrast between the explicit commands of Shabbat Zachor and the hidden, dizzying narrative of the Megillah (the Scroll of Esther) to provide a framework for our current moment. Together, they tackle the "illiberalism" of modern campuses, the mutation of antisemitic conspiracy theories across the political spectrum, and the difficult challenge of raising resilient, proud Jewish children without burdening them with constant fear. Dr. Mijal Button is a spiritual leader, public intellectual, and sociologist. She serves as Scholar in Residence at the Maimonides Fund and Rosh Kehilla of the Downtown Minyan in New York City, and co-host of the podcast Wondering Jews…

People in this episode

Host: Justin Pines

Guest: Dr. Mijal Bitton

Topics covered

• Purim
• Amalek
• Jewish community
• resilience
• antisemitism
• Jewish identity
• modern campuses

Keywords

• Purim
• Amalek
• resilience
• antisemitism
• Jewish children
• Shabbat Zachor
• modern campuses

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Maimonides Fund, Downtown Minyan, Wondering Jews

Books & works: Megillah, Substack

More episodes of Jewish Insights with Justin Pines

• Let My People Know: Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s Son on His Father’s Legacy · June 10, 2026 · 59 min
• Bruce Pearl: Faith, Basketball, and Israel · June 3, 2026 · 59 min
• A Father’s Faith: Rav Tamir Granot on Loss, October 7th, and the Soul of Israel · May 27, 2026 · 1h 1m
• The Book of Ruth: The Choices That Define Us | Dr. Raizi Chechik | Illuminating Torah 3 of 3 · May 20, 2026 · 56 min
• What Is God Really Afraid Of? The Tower of Babel with Shuli Taubes | Illuminating Torah 2 of 3 · May 13, 2026 · 60 min
• Moses, Angels, and the Torah's Hidden Secret with Yaffa Epstein | Illuminating Torah 1 of 3 · May 6, 2026 · 58 min