“It Didn’t Start in 1917” is available for synagogues, JCCs, Hillels, and Jewish community organizations.
A source-based presentation for Jewish audiences who want a clearer historical frame for Israel, Palestine, exile, return, and decolonization.
Based in Philadelphia · Available in New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Connecticut, Maryland, and beyond
A 55-minute presentation with Q&A, covering five historical facts that are usually left out of the modern conversation about Israel and Palestine. The talk uses primary sources, visual evidence, and a decolonial framework to show that the Jewish connection to the land predates Zionism by millennia — and that understanding this history is essential to honest conversation.
The presentation includes a companion handout with sources.
This talk is designed for Jewish audiences who care about justice and want to understand their own story better. It’s not a rallying cry or a defense brief. It’s a context-setting exercise — restoring the historical foundation that makes genuine conversation possible.
To book this talk for your synagogue, JCC, Hillel, or Jewish organization, get in touch.
Available for in-person or virtual presentations.
Ed Weinberg is an American writer who’s written about the antisemitism of Hanukkah gnomes for The Forward, the legacy of Soviet antizionism for Times of Israel, the problem with calling Jews white for Newsweek, and many other things for his day job writing about the stock market. His father was the president of Alden Films, a Jewish documentary film distribution company. Ed also runs the personal history company Timekeeper Archives.