Noam Shuster-Eliassi: “We are broken”

It's hard to find anyone in Israel who isn't shaken to the core by the magnitude of Hamas' attack on October 7. For many in Israel, their pain and shock has translated into support for bombing Gaza. But despite public pressure, some Israelis do voice opposition to the war - even people who have deep personal connections to the victims of October 7. One of these dissenting voices has been the comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi.

Since October 7, Noam has dedicated her social media platform not to comedy, but to painful, personal posts from her unique perspective as an Israeli Jew with a deep connection to her Palestinian neighbors. Noam grew up in Neve Shalom: a unique community in central Israel where Jews and Palestinians live together intentionally. In this episode, Unsettled producer Asaf Calderon speaks to Noam about her grief, her determination to speak out, and the possible consequences.

Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions. Photo credit: Lilach Raz.

Follow Noam Shuster-Eliassi on Instagram @noam_joon, on X @ShusterNoam, and on Facebook @therealnoamshuster. Read her recent writing for +972 Magazine, "Picking up the pieces of our grief."