#2 Against the Rule of the Sword — In Conversation with Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg

In this episode of the EPICON Podcast, Pascal Bernard (Political
Officer at the Candid Foundation) speaks with Shira Ben-Sasson
Furstenberg, Associate Director of the New Israel Fund. Together,
they explore Shira’s personal story, her faith, her work in Israeli
civil society, and her vision for peace in Palestine and Israel.
Drawing on her deeply personal family history – including the
remarkable stories of how both her grandmothers survived thanks to
the courage of others during the Hebron massacre of 1929 and the
Holocaust in Ukraine – Shira reflects on the power of human
solidarity across borders. As a modern Orthodox Jew, she is part of
a small but determined community that places compassion, equality,
and responsibility at the heart of Jewish life. In her role at the
New Israel Fund, she works for peace, democracy, and coexistence.
Shira’s voice – rare, courageous, and profoundly human – offers a
vision that is more urgent and necessary than ever.