New Books Network: Interview with Adam S. Ferziger

Episode Title:
Adam S. Ferziger. "Agents of Change: American Jews and the Transformation of Israeli Judaism" (NYU Press, 2025)

Host: Drora Arousi
Guest: Prof. Adam S. Ferziger
Date: January 4, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores the central themes and findings of Adam S. Ferziger's new book: Agents of Change: American Jews and the Transformation of Israeli Judaism. Prof. Ferziger and host Drora Arousi discuss how American modern Orthodox immigrants have profoundly influenced and diversified Israeli religious Zionism, focusing on education, gender roles, and transnational cultural exchange. The conversation highlights the dynamic interplay between American and Israeli Judaism and the ways ideas are "imported," transformed, and sometimes sent back across the ocean.

Prof. Adam S. Ferziger: Background and Approach

[02:04–06:31]

• Personal and Academic Background
  Prof. Ferziger grew up in the US, studied in Israeli Torah institutions, and returned to the US for his degree at Yeshiva University, moving to Israel at age 22 to continue his academic work. He completed his PhD at Bar Ilan University, where he has taught for decades. His work covers modern Judaism, from central Europe to American Jewry and Israeli Jewry.

  • “I was trained as a historian of modern Judaism, religion. …I moved to work more on American Jewry and this book is actually about Israeli Jewry.” [05:42]

• Insider-Outsider Perspective
  Ferziger reflects on the challenges and advantages of writing as both a participant and a scholar, emphasizing the need for transparency, self-awareness, and respect for subjects.

  • “The question is… do you own it? Do you acknowledge it? …Anything that I write, my readers have to be able to check me out… I have yet to have anyone tell me that I treated them with lack of respect. And to me that's, that's critical.” [13:40–16:48]

Key Concepts: Religious Zionism and Modern Orthodoxy

[07:09–13:11]

• Religious Zionists/National Religious ("Ismo")

  • Groups blending religious observance with Zionism, historically minority but highly influential.
  • Emerged in response to the secular nature of early Zionism; some viewed Zionism as redemptive, others as a bridge back to tradition.
  • Post-1967: Movement inspired by victory in the Six Day War, leading to settlement, new yeshivot, integration of army service with Torah learning.

• Modern Orthodoxy (US Context)

  • Retains traditional Jewish law and values, deeply engaged with modern society, education, and scholarship.
  • Key institution: Yeshiva University, led by figures like Rabbi Dr. Joseph Soloveitchik.

• Bridge Between Worlds
  The book explores intersections and influences between these two spheres, using Yeshiva University and Bar Ilan University as touchpoints.

Book Structure and Main Arguments

[20:08–32:11]

• Research Question:
  Why did Religious Zionism in Israel become more diverse in the 21st century?

• Agents of Change: The “Eight Figures”
  Between 1965–1983, eight major North American Modern Orthodox immigrants (many disciples of Rabbi Soloveitchik) established or led Torah learning institutions in Israel. Initially perceived as "Martians," their ideas gradually influenced Israeli society.

  • “These Israelis were attracted to their American Modern Orthodox ideas… [and] recalibrated them for themselves as Israelis and for their Israeli constituencies.” [26:56]
  • Institutions produced hundreds of teachers and public figures, listed in the book’s appendix.

• Core Mechanism: Transnationalism and Education
  American-imported religious models incubated in Israel, then returned (the "boomerang effect") in new forms. Educational change is slow but profound:

  • “Education is about belief in those students, and it’s also about process and time… It just takes a long time… but in the long term, actually the impact is huge.” [30:40]

• Notable Quote:
  "Many of the Israeli formulations are more radical, actually, from a religious perspective than the ones that originated in America. If we’re talking about feminism, if we’re talking about intellectual pursuits…, these students ran with it." [30:15]

Case Study: Orthodox Feminism in America and Israel

[37:30–49:10]

• Roots in American Orthodoxy:
  Early Orthodox feminism—e.g., Blue Greenberg—born from exposure to secular feminism and non-Orthodox Jewish denominations.

  • “Orthodox Jews were in America integrated with fellow feminists… The rise of that movement… really has its roots in American modern Orthodoxy.” [41:03]

• The Israeli Context:

  • Israel now leads in expanding women’s roles within Jewish tradition: extensive Torah/Talmud study opportunities, some more radical than American precedents.
  • Example: Women serve in the army as part of religious commitment—a holistic approach less common in the US.
  • “There is influence, but again, it's Israelified. That's the recalibration and I think that's a good example of it.” [48:40]

• Notable Figure: Michelle Farber and Hadran

  • US-born, Israel-based. Founded Hadran, an international women's Talmud study group expanding thanks to Zoom, tying together women from Israel, the US, and Australia.
  • “There’s this transnational event that takes place on the screen that really was facilitated by the expansion of opportunities for women's study and women's roles that this ISMO… facilitated.” [49:10]

Transnationalism and the “Starbucks vs. McDonald’s” Analogy

[50:08–51:20]

• Adaptation vs. Importation
  Explains why American religious "imports" succeeded in Israel when adapted (like McDonald's localizing its menu), rather than imposed unchanged (like Starbucks).
  • “Starbucks just tried to take their American product… McDonald's did research and ... Israelified... their products. …Success of these American agents is where their students did the McDonald's version rather than the Starbucks version.” [50:08]

Further Research Directions & Closing

[36:11–37:06; 55:05–55:14]

• Haridi (Ultra-Orthodox) Influence
  Suggests future studies of American Haredi immigration and its potential for transforming Israeli society, as Modern Orthodoxy did.

• New Project: Jewish Responses to Cremation
  Ferziger’s next book will focus on the history and religious debates around Jewish burial and cremation, particularly modern developments.

  • “I'm writing a book about Jewish burial practices… particularly Jewish responses to the rise of cremation… What can this tell us about Jewish identity?” [50:54]

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Narrating as an “Insider-Outsider:”
  “Are you aware that you are a player in this? …If I'm not transparent, then I'm not a professional… I think that in that, on that level… the fact that I do have some connections to these worlds has helped me.” — Adam S. Ferziger [15:00–16:48]

• On How Change Happens:
  “Education is about belief in those students and… process and time… there's a space that really does influence society that just takes a long time, that has to simmer and has to gestate.” [30:40–31:40]

• On Transnational Feedback Loops:
  “Because of globalization… it goes back. And if you look at American religious Jewish society… the impact of Israelis, and many of them… products of those pioneers of change is remarkable.” [38:44]

• On Israeli Feminism:
  “The breeding ground, the source for much of the expansion of women’s roles within traditional Judaism is Israel… Most of the people who have become women Torah scholars in America… spent critical periods of development in Israel.” [41:22–42:18]

• McDonald’s/Starbucks Analogy:
  “Starbucks just tried to take their American product… McDonald's did research… and Israelified… So… the success of these American agents is where their students did the McDonald's version rather than the Starbucks version.” [50:08]

Important Segments — At-a-Glance

| Time | Topic/Description | |-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:04–06:31 | Prof. Ferziger’s academic and personal background | | 07:09–13:11 | Defining Modern Orthodoxy, Religious Zionism, Israeli context | | 13:40–16:48 | Challenges of writing as a participant-observer; academic transparency | | 20:08–32:11 | Main arguments: Agents of change, institutional impacts, educational transformation | | 37:30–49:10 | Orthodox feminism: US vs. Israel, the Hadran phenomenon | | 50:08–51:20 | Transnationalism: Starbucks vs. McDonald’s analogy | | 50:54–55:14 | Next project: Jewish responses to cremation |

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a rich, nuanced analysis of how religious and educational innovations shaped by American Jewry have transformed Israeli Judaism, especially within the religious Zionist sector. Prof. Ferziger's insights into the slow brew of educational change, adaptation across cultures, and the accelerating role of women’s leadership make the conversation essential listening for anyone interested in global Jewish life.

To explore more:
Agents of Change: American Jews and the Transformation of Israeli Judaism (NYU Press, 2025)