ELL HubDaniel Lubetzky

Daniel Lubetzky

Episode 329October 5, 2026

Vocabulary

Definition:: Definition: to connect two people, groups, or ideas so they can understand each other
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “He leverages his unique background in Stanford law education to bridge deep societal divides, most recently launching the Builders Movement to empower citizens to overcome toxic polarization.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “We can bridge ideas by listening to each other.””

Definition:: Definition: very strong and extreme beliefs that can lead to harmful actions
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “But I've also built a lot of civic movements in the Middle East between Arabs and Israelis, Palestinians and Israelis working together in the United States, the Builders Movement, which is what this spin is about, to try to join forces against extremism and towards solving problems.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Extremism can make people stop listening to others.””

Definition:: Definition: causing people to disagree and split into different groups
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And it seems very logical because when I just shared this message, probably 99% of your listeners agree, but it's very easy for us to fall prey to social media algorithms, to divisive media, to divisive politicians, to foreign influences, to divisive rhetoric, to divisive curricula that frames things as victim versus oppressor, and that makes us think that it's us versus them.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “We avoid divisive topics at the party.””

Definition:: Definition: to hurt someone badly with words or actions and make them feel very upset
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And it's a choice that all of us have every day in how we live our lives, whether we're gonna try to solve problems together or tear each other apart.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The coach did not tear the player apart.””