My story of Jonathan Pollard

How I learned about Jonathan Pollard, met him, and then wrote about him.

I want to tell you a story.

The year was 2015. I was a senior at George Mason University, brimming with the youthful promise of hope for my future. Actually, I was full of anxiety and, let’s be honest, probably alcohol from the night before.

I was the president of my campus’s Israel Student Association, inspired by recent trips to Israel and all that I had learned about Israeli history, fully in support of and passionate about the Jewish State.

My Zionism in college was as abundant as my hair.

One day, I was tabling in the student center, touting the basic Israeli advocacy points: Did you know Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East? Did you know Israel invented cherry tomatoes and instant messaging? Did you know Arabs make up 20% of Israel’s population and they serve in the government?

These are all true points to share if you’re teaching about Israel’s technological contributions and democratic values, but cringey if you use any of them as a reactive debate point to “Israel is committing genocide.” Let’s be better than cherry tomatoes and fight claims with facts! But I digress.

One of my professors approached me at the table. He was my friendly terrorism professor (because a professor of terrorism has to be friendly). At the time, I was taking a terrorism class for my minor in criminology.

He and I were schmoozing until he asked me, “So, what do you think about what’s going on with Jonathan Pollard?” The question caught me off guard. Here I was, ready to discuss cherry tomatoes, and he’s asking me about, well, someone I didn’t know.

That someone, Jonathan Pollard, happened to be a key player in the biggest scandal between my home country and the one I was representing on campus. A former U.S. intelligence officer, Pollard was convicted of spying for Israel in the 1985 and sentenced to life in prison. That day in the student center was the day he made headlines for having been released from prison after 30 years and was returning to Israel. It was a big deal to Israelis and some Americans.

After an uncomfortable silence and a mumbling of “Who?” my professor walked away and I wanted to hide under my table in shame. You’d think my professor would want to make this a teachable moment, but I guess not!

So I did my research and discovered who this Pollard person was and formed my own opinions. That was when I realized to care about something means to embrace it fully: learning about its nuance, its complexity, its problems, and its cast of wacky and problematic characters. Kind of like family! Just kidding, Mom and Dad.

On a more somber note, this is an idea I’m constantly tackling, especially these days with Israel’s war with Hamas and its extreme right-wing leadership.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Seven years later, this realization hit me again like a ton of falafel balls as I was on a religious trip to Israel, and who did our group run into on the streets of Jerusalem on Shabbos?! No, not 2018 Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai off to shul (that was another group, and she was not going to shul), but Pollard himself. A bit reserved, the man had been living freely in Jerusalem. Our rabbi introduced us to Pollard, who he deemed a hero, and we all moved on. I haven’t thought about him since. Frankly, I don’t consider him a hero so I try not to.

Now, my Jewish life has come full circle. In my free time, I write for Jewish Unpacked, and when the opportunity arose to write about a new show covering the Pollard affair, I jumped at the chance. Just kidding, I was apprehensive. To cover a story about a man who damaged U.S.-Israel relations at a time during war, a man who is a walking dual loyalty stereotype at a time when nearly 1 in 4 Americans hold antisemitic views, seemed unsavory.

But then I watched “Pollard,” the gripping four-episode docuseries, and was not only hooked, but was pleasantly surprised by how unbiased the show was. While I don’t view Pollard as the hero many make him out to be, I felt even more connected to Israel and my own belief system while watching the show. And I learned so much more about his life that it made up for my prior lack of knowledge. Take that, professor!

You can stream “Pollard” on ChaiFlicks, the leading streaming platform for Jewish and Israeli television. But before you do, read my article on it where I interview the filmmaker, Omri Assenheim, below.

Other recent Unpacked articles of mine

The ultimate Jewish guide to Manhattan

Unpacking three standout films from the New York Jewish Film Festival

What do you think of the Pollard affair? Comment below!

Shabbat Shalom. May your Shabbat spark interesting and healthy debates,