Podcast Summary: Tangle – PREVIEW: The Friday Edition: Okay, let's talk about "The Jews."
Host: Isaac Saul
Date: December 12, 2025
Overview
In this preview episode, Isaac Saul directly addresses the topic of "the Jews," focusing on antisemitism, stereotypes, and the ways public discourse often fails to address these issues with honesty and nuance. Drawing parallels between racial and religious stereotypes, Saul advocates for open, critical discussion rather than avoidance or silence, highlighting the importance of historical context and personal experience in challenging ignorance and prejudice.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Deconstructing Stereotypes and Myths (01:56–06:58)
- Saul opens with a story from college: a friend's belief that Black Americans' dominance in basketball was due to a genetic legacy of slavery.
- He dismantles this as a myth, explaining that slavery was a chaotic, violent institution, not a selective "breeding" process (03:00–03:55).
- Emphasizes that athletic abilities arise over hundreds of generations, not merely a few (04:24–04:50).
- Notes that social and cultural factors—Black Americans being excluded from higher-status careers, building sports pipelines—are much more powerful for explaining such trends.
"All of this cultural pressure explains why a particular racial demographic outperforms others in professional sports, a highly meritocratic space." —Isaac Saul (05:12)
- Transition to the Jewish experience: Similarly, Saul argues, we must face antisemitic narratives head-on, not ignore them.
- Antisemitism “thrives when swimming in ignorance.” (06:32)
- Encourages Jews to use knowledge and honesty as defense instead of fear and secrecy.
Isaac Saul's Jewish Background & Personal Journey (08:02–11:22)
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Offers a candid history of his Jewish upbringing:
- Raised in a reformed Jewish household; mother’s side is Ashkenazi, father is a convert.
- Active in synagogue and religious events as a child, then rebelled as a teenager.
- As a college student, rekindled his Jewish faith through connections with a campus rabbi and participation in Shabbat dinners.
- Travelled to Israel, spent six months in a Baal Teshuva Yeshiva, deepening his religious and cultural knowledge.
"That experience of living in Israel, traveling in the Middle East and spending half a year as a religious observant Jew, it informs much of my perspective on topics like Israel, Judaism and faith more broadly." —Isaac Saul (10:33)
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Returned to the U.S., integrated into Orthodox communities in Harlem and New York, faced challenges due to cultural and political conflicts within Jewish spaces.
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Describes a phase of “roaming” between communities, with fluctuating levels of religious observance and doubt.
- Shares openly about periods of skepticism and faith.
"Some days I find myself eating kosher and putting a yarmulk on and studying Talmud in my free time. Other days I find myself cursing Hashem and refusing to do morning prayer and wondering how any of this could be by design. That's my honest experience, one I'm sure anyone who allows skepticism to creep into their faith has shared." (11:22)
- Shares openly about periods of skepticism and faith.
On the Rise and Nature of Antisemitism (11:38–14:35)
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Notes that antisemitism, which felt like a myth from childhood warnings, has returned in force.
- Recalls dismissing his mother's warnings as paranoia.
- Points out the “spotlight” on Jews in media, especially regarding Israel and antisemitism in the U.S.
- Expresses unease ("Ask any self aware Jew about whether it's good when the Jews are being talked about and the answer will probably be no, please stop talking about us.") (12:42)
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Explains that attention on Jews, even when positive (“Jews sure win a lot of Nobel Prizes”), can sooner or later become dangerous.
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Asserts that causes for the focus on Jews are often just "placeholders"—blaming the group for all varieties of global events or problems, regardless of context.
"These realities are fodder, but they are placeholders. How do I know this? Well, just take stock of things in the debate around Israel and Gaza. Jews are the villain. They're Israel, they're the victim... and the ones fighting the villain, Jews against genocide somehow all simultaneously." —Isaac Saul (13:02)
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Lists a wide array of issues for which Jews have recently been blamed, from world events (pandemics, political movements) to assassinations and even the weather, underscoring the irrational reach of antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Critique of Dialogue and Honest Exchange (13:47–14:35)
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Frustrated that discussions about Jews lack genuine exchanges of perspectives.
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Reflects on Kanye West’s public antisemitism and his own efforts to address both West’s valid observations and profound errors.
- Points out that noticing trends (e.g., the number of Jews in powerful positions) isn’t inherently antisemitic, but weaponizing such observations in conspiratorial or hateful ways is.
"Is he to be blamed for this observation which is generally true? No? Does stating such a thing make one an anti Semite? Not by itself, no. It becomes worrisome though, when that same person is accusing Jews of being the reason his wife cheated on him and tweeting promises to Go Death Gone 3 on Jewish people." —Isaac Saul (14:25)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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Deconstructing Myths about Race and Genetics:
“Basically, the only way this seemingly intuitive theory works is if you actually don't know anything about slavery at all, or genetics for that matter.” —Isaac Saul (03:55) -
On Facing Antisemitism with Honesty:
“We have nothing to hide. It's okay. All we need is defenders who know our history and aren't ignorant enough to be tricked by antisemitism.” —Isaac Saul (06:39) -
On Faith and Doubt:
“Some days I find myself eating kosher and putting a yarmulk on... Other days I find myself cursing Hashem and refusing to do morning prayer and wondering how any of this could be by design.” —Isaac Saul (11:22) -
Judging the Mood Among Jews:
"Ask any self aware Jew about whether it's good when the Jews are being talked about and the answer will probably be no, please stop talking about us." —Isaac Saul (12:42) -
On the Absurdity of Blame:
“Here's a short list of events and dynamics I've seen the Jews blamed for just in the last few years: a genocide in Gaza, anti-Jew hatred over the war in Gaza, mass migration, antisemitism broadly, pornography, Democrat success, Trump success, the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVID-19 vaccines, Charlie Kirk's assassination...” —Isaac Saul (13:15)
Important Timestamps
- 01:56: Episode begins – Isaac Saul launches into the core discussion, using a popular myth about Black athletes to introduce the topic.
- 06:32: Transition to Saul’s argument on antisemitism, ignorance, and critical thinking.
- 08:02–11:22: Saul shares his personal Jewish journey, beliefs, doubts, and experiences in various communities.
- 11:38: Increase in antisemitism and reflections on Jewish visibility in mainstream discourse.
- 13:15: Recitation of the “list” of things Jews are blamed for, demonstrating the irrational breadth of antisemitic conspiracy.
- 13:47–14:35: Critique of public dialogue surrounding Jews, referencing Kanye West and the challenges of honest exchanges about sensitive subjects.
Tone and Style
Saul’s tone is candid, self-reflective, sometimes wry, and always direct. He mixes personal anecdotes and broad historical analysis, seeking not just to defend against antisemitism but to promote honest, informed discussion—and to admit uncertainty and vulnerability when necessary.
Summary for New Listeners
This episode is both a personal essay and a cultural critique, offering insight into the persistence and pervasiveness of antisemitism as well as a rare, honest look at Jewish identity and faith. Saul’s approach is to pierce through taboo and euphemism, making the case that only open, informed dialogue can counteract old stereotypes and the renewed "curiosity" about Jews in public life.
Listeners are left with a challenge to address, not avoid, uncomfortable questions and to equip themselves with history and knowledge as the best defense against both antisemitism and the ignorance that fuels it.