A Newly Arrived Economist’s Impressions of Israel

Having recently relocated to the Jewish state to serve as president of Jerusalem’s Shalem College, Russell Roberts discusses his experiences as an oleh ḥadash, or new immigrant, with his fellow economist and podcaster Tyler Cowen. Among the topics they cover are media, education, whether the IDF still needs universal conscription, the success of Israeli television, the benefits of ending the government monopoly on kashrut supervision, and why Homer’s Odyssey is the great book most relevant to becoming Israeli. Roberts, an Orthodox Jew, expresses his admiration for the piety of devout Muslims, and for Israel’s “vitality and national pride”—which he fears America lacks. (Audio, 77 minutes. A transcript is available at the link below.)