Can Israel Learn the Lesson of 70 AD? - with Gidi Dar and Rabbi David Stav
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What historical events does the film “Legend of Destruction” depict and why are they relevant today?
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We need to be hysterical. I think now is the time to panic. I say we have one advantage on the Jews two thousand years ago. We saw what happened to them. So we might learn from that because yeah, many times people who see the films ask me, Why didn't they stop at all kind of crossroads? And I say, Because they didn't believe it's gonna go so far so quick.
Now talking to American jury, but it applies to everybody, urging world jury to strengthen the voices in Israel that seek for dialogue, that urge for inclusiveness, and not to help and not to invite the voices that are divisive, the voices that put Israel on the edge, from the right or from the left. The Israeli society needs needs to recover from its injuries in the last couple of years. And a part of our responsibility is to help to strengthen the voices the United Courage, the American jury, to help these forces.
It's eight AM on Monday, September fourteenth here in New York City. It's three PM in Israel, where Israel's election campaign is kicking into high gear. Before today's episode, a quick housekeeping note. On Thursday, October 22nd, just five days ahead of the Israeli elections, Call Me Back will hold a live taping at the Stryker Center in New York City, where I'll sit down with Dan Shapiro, Dahlia Scheinelin, and Brett Stevens to discuss what's at stake in Israel's 2026 election and what its results will mean for the US-Israel relationship. Tickets have gone on sale, so if you want to Join us, please follow the link in the episode description. Now on to today's episode. Nearly two thousand years ago, in the year seventy, Jerusalem fell.
The Romans destroyed the Second Temple and ended Jewish sovereignty for many, many generations, who dispersed around the world. But in Jewish memory, the story of seventy AD has never really been about Rome. It's mostly about what happened inside Jerusalem before the Romans broke through its walls. As Jewish factions turned on one another, an internal conflict consumed a society facing an existential enemy. That history is the subject of Legend of Destruction, a remarkable animated film by Israeli filmmaker Giddy Dar, told through thousands of individually painted images and featuring the voices of Oscar Isaac, Evangeline Lilly, Elliot Gould, and Billy Zane. The film has just been released on major streaming platforms.
The film asks an uncomfortable question. What happens when political disagreement turns into blind hatred? It's a question that feels particularly urgent in Israel. Today, as the country heads towards an election after years of political upheaval. October 7th, war and deep divisions over religion, democracy, the military, who serves, the courts, and Israel's future. History rarely repeats itself neatly, but many Israelis are asking, what are the lessons that Israelis should take from that history and where does the analogy break down? My guests, filmmaker Giddy Dar and Rabbi David Stav, come from very different parts of Israeli society. Giddy comes from Israel's liberal world, more secular world, and Rabbi Stav is a leading voice in the religious Zionist community.
But they share a deep concern about where these divisions can lead. One note before we begin, Call Me Back received rare and exclusive permission to include several extended scenes from Legend of Destruction in this episode. So I strongly recommend watching this conversation on our YouTube channel rather than just listening to it. You can find a link in our YouTube channel in the show notes below. My conversation with Giddy Dar and Rabbi David Stav right after this short message. This episode of Call Me Back is brought to you by the Jewish Communal Fund, JCF. The high holidays are a time to reflect on what matters most, including the impact we hope to make in the year ahead.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What historical events does the film “Legend of Destruction” depict and why are they relevant today?
0:00–7:54
2
How does Gidi Dar describe his personal journey from a young filmmaker to creating an animated retelling of 70 AD?
7:54–16:20
3
What were the main political and religious factions in Jerusalem before the Roman siege, and how did their conflict lead to civil war?
16:20–21:39
4
Why does the film focus on the internal “War of Brothers” rather than the Roman conquest itself?
21:39–27:39
5
How does Rabbi David Stav explain the role of Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakai in preserving the Torah after the Temple’s destruction?
27:39–32:17
6
What parallels does Gidi Dar draw between the 70 AD civil war and Israel’s current political polarization ahead of the 2026 election?
32:17–40:05
7
How do both guests propose that Israeli society can move from division to dialogue and inclusive governance?
40:05–46:21
8
What final messages do the hosts and guests share for listeners as they reflect on history, identity, and the upcoming High Holidays?
46:21–52:39
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