The Times of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/matti-friedman/ News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:24:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2018/11/toi_icon_512-200x200.png Matti Friedman | The Times of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/matti-friedman/ 32 32 What Matters Now to authors Yossi Klein Halevi, Daniel Gordis and Matti Friedman https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-matters-now-to-authors-yossi-klein-halevi-daniel-gordis-and-matti-friedman/ Fri, 08 Sep 2023 06:00:34 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3090554 This week we present a playback of Monday's webinar - 'Diaspora Jews: Time to take a stand' - in which the trio answer readers' questions about what to do while Israel is in crisis

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]]> Leonard Cohen’s Yom Kippur War trip to Israel gets dramatic adaptation https://www.timesofisrael.com/leonard-cohens-yom-kippur-war-trip-to-israel-to-hit-screens-in-dramatic-adaptation/ Mon, 28 Nov 2022 22:11:13 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2884534&preview=true&preview_id=2884534 TV miniseries based on recent book by Matti Friedman is being developed by Keshet International, with filming slated to begin in 2024

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]]> Tickets here! J’lem, May 24: Matti Friedman on Leonard Cohen’s Yom Kippur War tour https://www.timesofisrael.com/join-us-in-jerusalem-for-the-times-of-israels-10th-anniversary-kickoff-event/ Wed, 11 May 2022 11:22:38 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2760390 Join us for the first evening in our ToI@10 series: Author Matti Friedman in conversation with ToI's David Horovitz at Jerusalem's First Station -- plus a Leonard Cohen cover band!

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]]> Why Leonard Cohen joined a war to sing for his brothers, and never spoke of it again https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-leonard-cohen-joined-a-war-to-sing-for-his-brothers-and-never-spoke-of-it-again/ Tue, 29 Mar 2022 08:15:02 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2717604 Using Cohen's own notes, and recollections of Israeli soldiers who heard him, Matti Friedman teases out the astounding story of the Jewish singer-priest on the Yom Kippur frontline

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]]> Rediscovered: Leonard Cohen lyrics of fighting with ‘brothers’ in Yom Kippur War https://www.timesofisrael.com/when-leonard-cohen-sang-of-fighting-with-his-brothers-in-the-yom-kippur-war/ Wed, 15 Sep 2021 20:00:50 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2617144 One verse of Cohen's song 'Lover, Lover, Lover,' written while he played for troops battling Egypt, deeply moved the soldiers who heard it, then mysteriously disappeared. Until now

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]]> Join author Matti Friedman to discuss his bestselling books and today’s Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/join-author-matti-friedman-to-discuss-his-bestselling-books-and-todays-israel/ Mon, 13 Jul 2020 13:22:29 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2345905 Gain access to Thursday's private webinar by becoming a ToI Community member today

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]]> 20 years after Lebanon pullout, docuseries dives into the ‘War With No Name’ https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-lebanon-pullout-docuseries-dives-into-the-war-with-no-name/ Mon, 25 May 2020 01:13:13 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2310795 Nearly 700 soldiers were killed during Israel's 18-year occupation of Lebanon; journalist Matti Friedman teamed up with the Kan broadcaster to tell their story

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]]> Jerusalem’s 8th Writers Fest goes digital during pandemic https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalems-8th-writers-fest-goes-digital-during-pandemic/ Mon, 04 May 2020 10:32:11 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2297630 The annual event featuring American, European and Israeli authors will be held online, May 10-13, with all events open to the public

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]]> Nobody hijacked Israel. It’s just not what its pioneers thought they’d created https://www.timesofisrael.com/nobody-hijacked-israel-its-just-not-what-its-pioneers-thought-theyd-created/ Mon, 29 Jul 2019 03:25:26 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2117631 It’s not European. And it doesn’t divide into right and left, religious and secular. Matti Friedman, author of a new book about Mizrahi spies, on why Israel baffles and infuriates

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]]> Decades before ‘Fauda,’ Israel’s first spies assumed Arab identities in Beirut https://www.timesofisrael.com/well-before-fauda-israels-first-spies-assumed-arab-identities-in-beirut/ Thu, 11 Apr 2019 11:40:07 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2055331 At a packed event, author Matti Friedman relates that a well-conjugated Arabic verb was the difference between life and death for the Jews who founded Israel's intelligence agency

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]]> Author Matti Friedman to launch real-life spy thriller in a live ToI interview https://www.timesofisrael.com/author-matti-friedman-launches-real-life-spy-thriller-in-a-live-toi-interview/ Tue, 02 Apr 2019 08:40:37 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2048223 Meet the writer at the Israel debut of his new book, hosted by The Times of Israel in partnership with Beit Avi Chai, in Jerusalem on April 10

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]]> How Israel welcomed Jews from Arab lands — as spies https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-israel-welcomed-jews-from-arab-lands-as-spies/ Sat, 09 Mar 2019 04:47:39 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2032959 A new book tells the story of Palmach's Arab Section, and its young Mizrahi Jewish agents who gained society's respect through their ability to cross borders undetected

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]]> The IDF is still a base for these two immigrant authors https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-idf-is-still-a-base-for-these-two-immigrant-authors/ Wed, 26 Apr 2017 10:45:08 +0000 http://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=1607284 Ex-North Americans Matti Friedman and Haim Watzman detail their aliyah experiences in a candid mutual interview

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]]> It’s fact and fiction at TOI event with two Jerusalem-based authors https://www.timesofisrael.com/its-fact-and-fiction-at-toi-event-with-two-jerusalem-based-authors/ Tue, 18 Apr 2017 14:49:31 +0000 http://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=1600815 Writers Matti Friedman and Haim Watzman to discuss their latest books on April 25 at the Tower of David

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]]> Natan Sharansky, Michael Oren headline season of live English events https://www.timesofisrael.com/natan-sharansky-michael-oren-headline-season-of-live-english-events/ Sun, 16 Apr 2017 16:20:55 +0000 http://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=1600782 Program features former Prisoner of Zion, deputy minister, Jerusalem authors and anti-terror lawyer

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