Podcast Summary:

New Books Network – Yael Leibowitz, "Ezra-Nehemiah: Retrograde Revolution" (Maggid, 2025)
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Michael Morales
Guest: Yael Leibowitz

Episode Overview

This episode features an enriching conversation between host Michael Morales and Israeli educator Yael Leibowitz, author of the new Maggid commentary “Ezra-Nehemiah: Retrograde Revolution.” The discussion delves into the significance, historical backdrop, interpretative challenges, and enduring lessons of Ezra-Nehemiah—a biblical book often perceived as underappreciated. Leibowitz offers insights into how the text wrestles with themes of hope, disappointment, community, land, and peoplehood, especially in the context of contemporary Jewish identity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Author Introduction & Motivation (03:29–04:08)

• Yael Leibowitz’s Background: Grew up in New York, immigrated to Israel over a decade ago; teaches at prominent Torah institutions for women.

• Why Ezra-Nehemiah?

  • Chosen because it’s been “understudied for a very long time,” especially before the modern state of Israel.
  • Now resonates more, as issues of national restoration and rebuilding feel newly relevant.

  "Ezra Nehemiah just felt very much like the natural choice. You know, it's a book that has not been studied, actually. I think it's understudied for a very long time..."
  —Yael Leibowitz (03:35)

2. Historical Context of Ezra-Nehemiah (04:08–05:58)

• Narrative Timeline:

  • Israelites enter Israel (~1200 BCE), northern tribes exiled (722 BCE), Judah & Benjamin exiled (586 BCE).
  • After the Babylonian exile, Cyrus the Great allows exiles to return (~539 BCE).

• The Return and Rebuilding:

  • Focuses on reestablishing Jewish community, identity, and connection to the land.
  • Covers ~150 years of turbulent return and reconstruction.

  "Redemption is something that we do, that we rebuild, and we take sort of all of the historical contingencies that were met with, and we make the most of those moments."
  —Yael Leibowitz (06:03)

3. Favorite Passages & Core Themes (06:03–09:19)

• Bittersweet Rebuilding:

  • Leibowitz selects the account of the Second Temple’s foundation as a favorite.
  • Describes the mingling of joy and grief—elders weep for the lost grandeur, the young rejoice in new beginnings.
  • This duality is emblematic of the Jewish historical experience: progress is painful and imperfect but also filled with hope.

  "The sounds of jubilation mixed with the sounds of [...] sadness. [...] There is pain and [...] rebuilding is not always perfect and it's not always utopian [...] and at the same time, the joy and the ability to look forward and [...] optimism..."
  —Yael Leibowitz (08:42)

4. Intertextuality with Prophetic Voices (09:19–10:49)

• Comparison with Haggai & Zechariah:

  • Similar and divergent perspectives among biblical authors are vital for appreciating the Bible’s richness.
  • Emphasizes that “multiple truths” coexist, rather than one monolithic biblical message.

  "We could have simultaneous, you know, multiple truths coexisting all at once. And the job of a Bible student really is to be able to look at each work individually..."
  —Yael Leibowitz (09:36)

5. Major Messages & Contemporary Relevance (10:49–13:44)

• Central Themes:

  • Land: The Bible ties Jewish identity inextricably to the land—but sees it as a privilege, not a right.
  • Peoplehood: Post-exile reality introduces a permanent diaspora; maintaining ties between homeland and diaspora is a new challenge.
  • Moral Criteria: Living in the land entails ethical and societal responsibilities.
  • Cohesion: Ezra-Nehemiah negotiates tensions between central homeland identity and dispersed communities.

  "Living on the land is you don't own the land, the Bible says, and [...] you earn the right to live there."
  —Yael Leibowitz (11:53)

  "Those two ideas, the idea of land and the idea of peoplehood, and maintaining cohesion between those two ideas was really one of the most important things that motivated the writing of the work."
  —Yael Leibowitz (13:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Historical Reality vs. Prophetic Vision:

  • "The gap between those utopian visions [...] and the reality on the ground was really quite wide." (06:03)

• On Redemption:

  • "Redemption isn’t something that falls down, you know, from the sky. Redemption is something that we do, that we rebuild..." (06:54)

• On Community After Exile:

  • "It was the first time after the exile, some Jews went back to the land, but many, many did not. And so the very, very sort of careful balance that the leaders in that period needed to thread was, on the one hand, speaking about the centrality of the land in Israel and at the same time, recognizing that peoplehood is no less of an important value." (12:53)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [03:29] – Yael Leibowitz introduces herself and her motivation for writing on Ezra-Nehemiah
• [04:08] – Historical context of Ezra-Nehemiah and the return from exile
• [06:03] – Discussion of favorite passages: joy and sorrow at rebuilding the Temple
• [09:36] – Value of studying Ezra-Nehemiah alongside prophets Haggai and Zechariah
• [10:55] – Thematic focus on land, peoplehood, and ethical society—contemporary relevance

Structure & Flow

The episode maintains a warm, engaging tone, with Morales guiding the discussion and Leibowitz providing clear, thoughtful analysis. The conversation moves seamlessly from background to literary reflection and from textual nuance to modern application, always foregrounding Ezra-Nehemiah’s profound, sometimes challenging vision for collective identity and ethical renewal.

For Listeners New to the Text

This episode is highly accessible to those unfamiliar with Ezra-Nehemiah, offering both foundational knowledge and rich interpretive insights. It highlights why these “restoration” books matter—not just historically but also for ongoing questions of home, identity, and community.