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PodcastAustralia

Tensions Transplanted: Where to now for Australian Jews?

Life in Australia has been shattered by imported conflict. In this interview-based podcast, Isabelle Oderberg and Rob Kaldor look for answers.
The Jewish Independent
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Published: 9 September 2024

Last updated: 21 August 2026

Listen now on your podcast app

The Jewish Independent


Season Three: 2026: After the Bondi massacre

Season 3 - Episode 6- BONUS EPISODE

In “Episode 6- BONUS EPISODE,” hosts Rob Kaldor and Isy Oderberg reflect on the 3rd series of Tensions Transplanted by asking all the guests the same question- "When this period is written about in ten years, what will we have misunderstood?"

They are joined by Palestinian activist Hamza Howidy, Dr Hass Dellal AO, Chair of the Australian Multicultural Foundation; academic Professor Michele Grossman AM, pollster and social researcher Kos Samaras, Australian Human Rights Commission President Hugh de Kretser, Board member, creative and researcher Noe Harsel, Federal MP - Julian Leeser, award-winning journalist and academic Margaret Simons, commentator and author Van Badham and Movement Against Antizionism founder Adam Louis-Klein & educator and activist Zachary Schaffer.

Episode 5: How do we unf*ck it?

In “How do we unf*ck It,” hosts Rob Kaldor and Isy Oderberg turn from diagnosing Australia’s deepening social fractures to asking what it will actually take to repair them. They are joined by Dr Hass Dellal AO, Chair of the Australian Multicultural Foundation; academic Professor Michele Grossman AM, pollster and social researcher Kos Samaras, educator and activist Zachary Schaffer, board member, creative and researcher Noe Harsel, Palestinian activist Hamza Howidy, award-winning journalist and academic Margaret Simons, commentator and author Van Badham and Movement Against Antizionism founder Adam Louis-Klein.

Episode 4: Polarisation, Extremism and Mis/Disinformation

In Episode 4 of Tensions Transplanted, Rob Kaldor and Isy Oderberg explore how political disillusionment, extremism and online disinformation are fuelling antisemitism across the political spectrum. Through interviews with pollster and social researcher Kos Samaras, activist and educator Zachary Schaffer, Professor Michele Grossman AM, author and commentator Van Badham and Movement Against Antizionism founder Adam Louis-Klein, this episode examines the rise of One Nation, the limits of horseshoe theory, the different motives behind left- and right-wing antisemitism, and the way social-media algorithms amplify emotionally charged falsehoods and how you might unknowingly be contributing.

Episode 3: Media, social media and cancel culture

In episode three of Tensions Transplanted, Media, Social Media and Cancel Culture, Rob and Isy turn their attention to the creative spaces, news media, social media algorithms, misinformation, and the silencing effect of cancel culture. This episode features board member, creative and researcher Noe Harsel, academic Michele Grossman AM, academic and journalist Margaret Simons, commentator and author Van Badham, Palestinian activist Hamza Howidy and Australian Human Rights Commission President Hugh de Kretser. The discussion moves from the responsibilities of journalists — including who gets to speak for a community, the difference between objectivity and false balance and the hard work of verification, to the corrosive role of social media, where outrage is rewarded and misinformation travels faster than fact. At its heart, this episode asks what kind of public sphere we are creating, who is being pushed out of it, and whether it is still possible to make room for complexity, empathy and truth in a moment defined by fear, grief and polarisation.

Episode 2: Rule of law

In episode two of Tensions Transplanted, Rob and Isy examine the rule of law, the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, and the limits of law in confronting hate. Featuring Julian Leeser MP, former judge Ron Sackville AO KC, Australian Human Rights Commission President Hugh de Kretser, and Project Shema co-founder Zachary Schaffer, the episode explores hate speech, terrorism, coded language, Zionism, free speech, social cohesion and the difficult question of what governments, institutions and communities can do next. It is a conversation about the role of law, leadership and public language in a moment when Jewish Australians are asking not only what has gone wrong, but what meaningful repair could look like.

Episode 1: Start at the beginning

After the Bondi massacre, many Australian Jews were shocked — but not necessarily surprised. In the opening episode of season three of Tensions Transplanted, Rob Kaldor and Isy Oderberg begin with the question now facing Australian Jewish life: where to from here? Not by replaying the horror of December 14, but by asking what it exposed about safety, extremism, anti-Semitism, political rhetoric, social cohesion and who gets heard when fear takes over. Featuring terrorism expert Michelle Grossman AM, Julian Leeser MP, Project Shema co-founder Zachary Schaffer, social commentator and writer Van Badham and Palestinian writer and activist Hamza Howidy, this episode is a powerful primer for the season ahead: sharp, uncomfortable, deeply human and determined to move beyond slogans.

The Jewish Independent

Season Two: Tensions Transplanted tackles the election

Host Rob Kaldor joins TJI contributors, analysts and politicians to unpack election issues of particular interest to the Jewish community issues including antisemitism, the Muslim vote, and the electorates with significant Jewish voting blocks.

Episode 1 - Is antisemitism an election issue?
In this episode, Rob Kaldor examines the upcoming federal election with insights from political consultant Dean Sherr, who offers a rare insider’s view from Canberra. With a sharp focus on how antisemitism could shape the political landscape, Dean breaks down the key dynamics influencing the campaign.

Episode 2 - The end of bipartisanship
Rob speaks with Deborah Stone from The Jewish Independent about the collapse of bipartisan consensus on foreign policy and the growing political divide over antisemitism.

Episode 3 - The 'Jewish seats'

Rob takes a close look at the federal election campaigns unfolding in Goldstein, Macnamara, and Wentworth — the three electorates with Australia’s largest Jewish populations. He’s joined by author Julie Szego, journalist Michael Visontay, and The Jewish Independent's Editor Deborah Stone to unpack how October 7 and the rise in antisemitism are shaping campaign strategies, shifting voter sentiment, and influencing the political outlook in these pivotal seats.

Episode 4 - The Muslim vote

Rob is joined by Dr Josh Roose from Deakin University to unpack key marginal electorates, the rising political engagement among Muslim Australians, and the emerging — and sometimes uneasy — alliances with the Greens. Together, they consider how the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict is shaping political discourse in the lead-up to election day.

Episode 5 - Jewish voices in parliament: Julian Leeser and Josh Burns on Australia's future

Rob Kaldor sits down with Jewish MPs Julian Leeser (Liberal, Berowra) and Josh Burns (Labor, Macnamara) to explore how their Jewish identity has influenced their political careers — and how they each envision Australia's future post the 2025 federal election.  

The Jewish Independent

Season One: After October 7

Episode 1: October 7 and the Immediate aftermath
We examine the immediate fallout of the October 7th attacks, including the protests at the Sydney Opera House. He speaks with Mark Spiro, who was arrested for displaying an Israeli flag, and Deborah Stone, the Editor of The Jewish Independent. Rob interviews two members of Sydney's Lebanese community to gain their perspectives on the attack. 

Episode 2: Doxxing, Influencers and the Digital World
The impact of the Hamas-Israel war in Australia goes online. Rob Kaldor dives deep into the battle for dominance on social media as well as the dark art of doxxing. Rob speaks with well-known influencers including Clammy Fraud, Marnie Perlstein and hears the rationale of one of the doxxers. We also hear from some of the targets of the doxxing, including those whose lives were turned upside down through death threats and intimidation.

Episode 3: Schools, Universities and the Workplace
Rob Kaldor explores the impact of the Hamas-Israel conflict on Australian workplaces, with a particular focus on schools and universities. He speaks with Josh Burns, a Labor Federal MP, Noah Loven, President of AUJS, Dr. Avril Alba, a university lecturer, and Rabbi Yossi Friedman, known as The Rabbi on Demand. They discuss issues such as racism and campus encampments. The episode also shares personal stories from individuals whose lives have been significantly affected by the conflict.

Episode 4: The political landscape and social cohesion
Rob Kaldor explores the impact of the Hamas-Israel conflict on Australian politics, arts and culture. Rob speaks with a range voices including Josh Burns, Labor Federal MP, Allegra Spender, Independent Federal MP, Tim Hollo, Executive Director of the Green Institute, Jeremy Leibler, President of the Zionist Federation of Australia, Councillor Robert Samuel, journalist John Stanley, cultural leadership expert Sam Cairnduff and founder of 'Jews of Sydney',  Kevin Garber.Bonus content

Listen to the full Tensions Transplanted interviews with:

  • Mark Spiro, who was arrested for carrying an Israeli flag outside the Sydney Opera House
  • Lebanese Sydneysider Joe
  • Renowned wordsmith Kel Richards
  • Lebanese Australian Hala Abdelnour
  • Sam Cairnduff, cultural management specialist
  • Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler
  • The Green Institute executive director Tim Hollo

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