In 1973, Leonard Cohen announced he was done with music for good. The same year, in October, war broke out in Israel.
The Yom Kippur War would become the bloodiest in Israel’s young history—and Cohen was there to witness it. As the war broke out, he left his home on the Greek island of Hydra to fly into the warzone.
Leonard Cohen never said much about why he went to the front. What we know is that in the months that followed, he would write “Who By Fire.” Five decades later, on Spotify and in synagogue, you can still hear the echoes of this trip.
So what was it that happened in the desert in October of 1973 between this depressed musician and these too young soldiers going off to battle? How did it remake Leonard Cohen? How did it transform those who heard him play? And how did the war transform Israel itself?
Those are just some of the questions Matti Friedman explains in his beautiful book Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai.
This episode aired last year on Honestly, and we’re thrilled to reshare it with you today, as we approach the 50 year anniversary of the war that remade a country—and one searching folk star.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The Subversion of the West
How ‘Vice’ Went from a $6 Billion Media Empire to Bankruptcy
Jerry Seinfeld on the Rules of Comedy—and Life
Is Israel's War Just? Eli Lake and Michael Moynihan v Briahna Joy Gray and Jake Klein
Nellie Bowles Knows Why So Many Progressives Lost Their Minds—She Almost Did, Too
Ozempic: Silver Bullet or Devil’s Bargain?
‘Small Talk’ with David Sedaris
Should the U.S. Shut Its Borders? A Live Debate.
Is Banning TikTok a Mistake? A Debate.
Rising Antisemitism and Choosing Freedom
Nicole Avant on Tragedy, Forgiveness, and Thinking Free
Iran Attacked Israel. What Comes Next?
NPR Editor Speaks Out: How National Public Radio Lost Americans' Trust
How the Working Class Became America’s Second Class
The Story of Someone Who Changed His Mind
Smartphones Rewired Childhood. Here's How to Fix It.
The Free Press in Israel Part 3: The Gathering Storm
The Free Press in Israel Part 2: Shattered Illusions
The Free Press in Israel Part 1: Running Toward Fire
Trailer: The Free Press in Israel
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
The Commentary Magazine Podcast
Conversations with Tyler
UnHerd with Freddie Sayers
heretics. | andrew gold
Making Sense with Sam Harris