Identity/Crisis

Aner Shapira, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ariel Reich, Shahar Friedman, Dvir Barzani, Ben Zussman, Oriya Ayimalk Goshen, Almkan Tarfe, Rabbi Avi Goldberg, Yuval Shoham, Yinon Fleishman. These names, of men lost in the last 15 months of war, are known to many – but for Jeremy Stavisky, longtime educator at Himmelfarb High School in Jerusalem, they were his students, his colleagues, and in the case of Yinon Fleishman, his son-in-law. This week on Identity/Crisis, Stavisky opens up to host Yehuda Kurtzer about the ways this national crisis has impacted his life, his family, and the Himmelfarb community — where, even in the shadow of grief, the work of educating towards life must go on. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

What do we gain and what do we lose when we attribute so much to one specific moment – like the October 7 attack in 2023, or the 1929 Hebron massacre? In a fascinating and difficult conversation about her new book, Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, guest Yardena Schwartz and host Yehuda Kurtzer discuss the roots of the century long conflict, their implications today and how they shape the future of the region. This episode of Identity/Crisis was recorded in front of a live audience as part of Salon@475, a series of in-person events at the Shalom Hartman Institute in New York. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

As we enter the first year of a new yet familiar U.S. presidency, American Jews are reflecting on their relationship with governance and power structures as individuals and as a collective. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish History and Director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University. They discuss the historical relationship of Jews to people in power and explore how history can guide us through this new era.

With right-wing ultranationalism on the rise in Israel, how can the left reclaim a language of safety and morality? Yair Golan, leader of the Israel Democratic Party, has some ideas. This week he joins host Yehuda Kurtzer for a surprisingly frank discussion of the complicated (or in Golan's view, not so complicated) challenges facing Israeli society and its leaders.. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

How do the books we read shape our memories? To close out the year, we're bringing you a special episode from The Five Books Podcast, a new podcast that celebrates the role of books in our lives, featuring Yehuda Kurtzer.   Each week on The Five Books, host Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen speaks with a Jewish author about the books that have shaped them, shifted their perspective, or guided their journey. They delve deep into conversations about growing up, books as cultural touchstones, and what it means to live, write, and read as a Jewish American today. Listen to more episodes of The Five Books HERE. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

The relegation of Hanukkah merchandise to a tiny corner of the grocery aisle can cause Jews to feel excluded or marginalized by the Christmas holiday season. But the impact of Jews on the history and culture of secularized Christmas is deeper than you might think. In this exciting new Yuletide episode of Identity/Crisis, host Yehuda Kurtzer and American composer and music commentator Rob Kapilow sit down at the keyboard to better understand the relationship between Jews and Christmas through the holiday music that Jewish composers have contributed to the canon. Read Maoz Tzur at the End of Christianity Listen to the accompanying episode playlist HERE Partner with us as we address the big issues facing contemporary Jewish life. Make a gift now. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

In times of turmoil, Jewish communities rely heavily on their leaders for guidance. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, guest host Claire Sufrin, editor of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, sits down with Rabbi Elka Abrahamson to discuss her article in the new Fall/Winter 2024 issue about how Jewish leaders are rising to the challenge of this moment and guiding their communities through turbulent times. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

This political moment may cause American Jews to ask: “Where have we seen this before?” In this episode recorded live in NYC, Yehuda Kurtzer challenges the impulse to reach backwards for old frameworks to describe our current situation, and instead offers a vision for a new era in American-Jewish politics – one shaped by a culture of compromise and defined by an embrace of kindness. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

Donald Trump's presidential comeback has many fearful for the future of American democracy. As with most recent election cycles, last week's process was mired in a discourse of absolute and incompatible truths, creating conflicts in local communities that many are struggling to reconcile.     Yehuda Kurtzer approached six Hartman faculty, fellows, and staff with the question: What should be the agenda for the American Jewish community in working to repair our democracy in the wake of these elections? In this week's episode, hear responses from Justus Baird, Deborah Barer, Flora Cassen, Michael Koplow, Akiva Mattenson, and David Zvi Kalman.    You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

In addition to their responsibilities as leaders and shapers of local Jewish communities, rabbis are responsible for leading the Jewish people forward into the future. The weight of this work is heavy, but the number of people who choose the rabbinic profession is dwindling. In the third and final episode of Rabbinic Identities/Rabbinic Crises, our guests discuss the boundaries of the Jewish tent, the importance of interfaith relationship-building, and the future of the rabbinic profession. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

North American Jews are seeking different types of belonging, marked by a steady decline in synagogue membership over the last several decades. What are people searching for in their Jewish communal lives? And how are rabbis adjusting their work to accommodate these new communal needs? In this second episode of Rabbinic Identities/Rabbinic Crisis, our guests discuss the considerations in finding the perfect shidduch between a rabbi and a community, and how they approach drawing the boundaries that define their communities while shaping warm and welcoming environments. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

For rabbis, the line between the personal and the professional is not always clear cut. As leaders of communities, they are in the public eye and trusted as models of Jewish living, while also living in and among the community. In this first episode of Rabbinic Identities/Rabbinic Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer explores our guests' paths to the rabbinate and the challenges and blessings of working in and leading a community as both a professional and a private individual. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

In the hours following October 7, 2023, Yehuda Kurtzer reached out to friends and colleagues in Israel, both expressing his concern and support and asking them to share their personal experiences following Hamas' deadly attack. He gathered their responses in A Nation That Can't Sleep, released on October 11. This year, Yehuda reconnected with those same friends and colleagues, inviting them to reflect on the unimaginable year that has since passed. Their interwoven stories reveal the profound struggle to extract meaning from memory as time relentlessly marches forward and history unfolds with unstoppable force. Click here to view and download the resource developed by the Ritual Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem to commemorate October 7, 2023 throughout the month of Tishrei. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

As we gather in synagogues across the world for Rosh Hashana this week, we confront human mortality with the fresh memory of so much violent death since October 7, and the threat of more to come. This week Yehuda Kurtzer spoke with Yair Furstenberg, Professor of Talmud at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, about how Jewish tradition can help us confront death's senselessness.     You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

November is rapidly approaching, and with it the end of the tumultuous U.S. presidential election cycle. In this week's episode, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Aaron Dorfman, Founder and Executive Director of A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy, about his efforts to mobilize the American Jewish community to strengthen U.S. democracy, what's at stake in this election, and how American Jews are uniquely positioned to contribute to—and benefit from—a healthy democracy. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

At a time when society feels more divided than ever, Yair Zivan, diplomatic advisor to Yair Lapid and author of the new book, The Centre Must Hold, is advocating for centrism. On this week's episode, Yair chats with guest host and Shalom Hartman Institute Vice President Justus Baird about topics ranging from the politics around hostage deals to the American two-party divide and shares his vision for a viable path forward.    You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

The recovery of the bodies of six hostages over the weekend, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin z”l, brought with it a fresh round of mourning in the ongoing collective grief for Israelis and Jews around the world since October 7. In this week's episode, Yehuda Kurtzer explores the personal, political, and ethical questions that emerge during this painful and uncertain moment. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

This episode was originally released on January 16, 2024. The relationship of many Jews to top tier American universities has recently undergone a transformation from an aspiration to study at an ivy league institution to a desire to join more hospitable campuses. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Mark Oppenheimer to examine the longstanding and evolving relationship between Jews and American universities as well as antisemitism, civil discourse, and belonging on campus. Gatecrashers, a Tablet podcast hosted by Mark Oppenheimer You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

With the fall academic semester just around the corner, guest host Claire Sufrin, Editor of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, shares two of the winning essays from the first student writing contest in the summer issue, Jewish on Campus. In the first essay, Princeton University senior Stephen Bartell rejects the claim that the Israel-Hamas War can only be understood in black-and-white terms in his piece, Celebrating Simultaneous Truths. In the second essay, Lilah Peck, a junior at UCLA, unpacks what it means to live in a pluralistic Jewish housing co-op on campus in Building a Bayit: Holding the Particular and Personal with the Universal and Communal.  Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas is an award-winning print and digital journal published by the Shalom Hartman Institute that promotes informed conversations and thoughtful disagreement about issues that matter to the Jewish community. Find more at sourcesjournal.org, where you can read the complete Summer 2024 issue and subscribe to the beautiful print edition.  You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

This year on Tisha b'Av—the ninth of the Jewish month of Av—we're bringing you an episode from our podcast TEXTing featuring Hartman fellows Elana Stein Hain and Leora Batnitzky: Living through crisis propels us to reflect on historical crises and consider the consequences of our behavior on future generations. As Tisha B'av approaches, Elana and Leora study a text from Jeremiah (Yirmiyahu) chapter 32 about how we process cataclysmic events and imagine a future beyond them. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

This episode was originally released on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. The whole world is watching Israel's next moves in Gaza, particularly on the amplified information battleground of social media where images of civilian suffering and desolation abound. What is the ethical calculus at play for the IDF in continuing to conduct this war? In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks to writer and philosopher Rabbi Shlomo Brody about the conflicting moral imperatives at play in Israel's war with Hamas, social media during the fog of war, and where the Israeli perspective diverges from that of Jews in North America. Mentioned in this episode: ·     Shlomo Brody's recent book, Ethics of Our Fighters ·     And his WSJ op-ed, Rescue Israeli Hostages, but at What Cost? You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

This episode was originally released on May 28th, 2024. October 7th and its unfolding aftermath have triggered a seismic shift in Jewish communal life. In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Mimi Kravetz, Chief Impact and Growth Officer for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), to talk about JFNA's recent surveys on Jewish community engagement, vulnerability, and solidarity with Israel in the United States and Canada, and what Jewish institutions can do to adapt to these changes. Referenced in this episode: ·     ‘The Surge,' ‘The Core' and more: What you need to know about the explosion of interest in Jewish life by Mimi Kravetz, Sarah Eismann, David Manchester – eJewish Philanthropy ·     Data by Air Kelman – Sources Journal You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

With elections top of mind for Jews in the U.S, Israel, and around the world, growing threats to liberalism and the rise of religious fundamentalism, populism, and identitarianism beg the question – are we going back in time? This week on Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer and Tomer Persico discuss the current challenges to liberalism as a Jewish value and why its survival may be the only path forward for a moral future. Read Tomer Persico's article HERE You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

At a time when it can be easy to focus on the threats to North American Jewish life, it's important to remember that the current generation of American Jews benefits from more affluence, influence, power, and privilege than any other Jewish community in history. In this episode recorded in front of a live audience, Yehuda Kurtzer argues that we are heirs to a golden age of American Jewry, and that it is our responsibility to sustain this magnificent era in the face of those who may claim otherwise. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

The Democratic congressional primary in New York's 16th District was one of the most closely watched this year and ended with Representative Jamaal Bowman losing to George Latimer. Yehuda Kurtzer and J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami discuss Bowman's visit to Israel with J Street and the shift in Bowman's politics and strategy during his time in office. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

With looming threats and escalating violence from Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel is being forced to shift its gaze to the North. In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with journalist and author Matti Friedman about the rising tensions with Lebanon, Hezbollah's history and ethos, and the ideological and geopolitical challenges currently faced by Israel. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

The latest issue of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, centers around Jewish life on university campuses, where anti-Zionism and antisemitism have become frighteningly visible. In this week's episode, guest host Claire Sufrin, editor of the award-winning Journal, speaks with Adena Kirstein, Executive Director of Hillel at the George Washington University, about her article in this issue where she focuses on the importance of engaging Jewish students through joy instead of fear. They discuss how to respond to antisemitism on campus, how to relate to students with a range of perspectives on Israel, and how her ability to guide students emerges from her training as a social worker. A new issue of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas will be released in early July. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

This episode was originally released on November 7, 2023. Organizations and individuals throughout the world are responding to the October 7th massacre by Hamas, and Israel's military response, in sharp and vociferous contrast with one another. While one camp mourns the atrocities by Hamas and pools resources to aid the IDF, the other rallies to decry the suffering of Palestinian civilians caught in the war's crossfire. Few voices, it seems, give credence to both tragedies at once. This week, Yehuda Kurtzer and Mickey Gitzin, Director of the New Israel Fund in Israel, consider how it's possible to hold complexity during this time of intense polarization and the ways the political left in Israel differs starkly from progressivism globally. They explore the conflicting visions for the future of the region, the balance of criticism and solidarity, the state of shared society between Israelis and Palestinians, and the role of activists and NGOs like the New Israel Fund. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about the New Israel Fund here. In July 2021, Ben & Jerry's bid its parent company not to sell its ice cream in the occupied territories. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and is traditionally a holiday of immersive text study. Reflecting on the spirit of the holiday, this week's episode is a recording of an interview with Yehuda Kurtzer on “Jewish Insights” on Jewish Broadcasting Service. Yehuda and JBS host Justin Pines share how they each relate to the Torah and discuss how it informs the way they think today.  You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.   JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

The whole world is watching Israel's next moves in Gaza, particularly on the amplified information battleground of social media where images of civilian suffering and desolation abound. What is the ethical calculus at play for the IDF in continuing to conduct this war? In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks to writer, philosopher, and rabbi Shlomo Brody about the conflicting moral imperatives at play in Israel's war with Hamas, social media during the fog of war, and where the Israeli perspective diverges from that of Jews in North America. Mentioned in this episode: ·     Shlomo Brody's recent book, Ethics of Our Fighters ·     And his WSJ op-ed, Rescue Israeli Hostages, but at What Cost? You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

October 7th and its unfolding aftermath have triggered a seismic shift in Jewish communal life. In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Mimi Kravitz, Chief Impact and Growth Officer for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), to talk about JFNA's recent surveys on Jewish community engagement, vulnerability, and solidarity with Israel in the United States and Canada, and what Jewish institutions can do to adapt to these changes. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

In honor of Memorial Day next week and the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, Yehuda Kurtzer brings together members of his family, all of whom have served in some capacity in public service, to share the story of his grandfather, a decorated United States military veteran who served during WW II. Yehuda, Daniel Kurtzer, David Kurtzer- Ellenbogen, and Jacob Kurtzer discuss their family's legacy of civic engagement across generations and the sacrifices they honor on these two solemn days.  You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS    

In a special crossover this week, Yehuda Kurtzer takes the guest seat for a change, as he is interviewed for the Fearless Interventions podcast by Hartman Teen Fellow, Max Alperstein and his co-host Jacob Finkel. Together they tackle a range of issues at the top of their minds, including navigating political polarization, exploring the boundaries of Jewish identity, and pursuing earnest pluralism.    Learn more and apply for the Hartman Teen Fellowship HERE. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

As university life becomes increasingly volatile for Jewish students, Jewish leaders and institutions on campus are faced with the challenge of supporting and empowering students in navigating tumultuous times. This week, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Jason Rubinstein, chaplain at Yale University and future executive director of Harvard Hillel, about the dynamics of Jewish student life and role of Hillels in creating spaces for Jewish students to learn, lead, and live in diverse and pluralistic communities. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

Celebrating Jewish redemption on Passover this year feels nearly impossible, while the Israel-Hamas war rages on and so many hostages remain in captivity. Can the Exodus story and the raw pain of the current moment exist together at the seder table? In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer turns to president of Hebrew College, Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, to share her thinking on intergenerational disagreements, communal boundaries, prayer, and freedom as we approach the holiday. In Every Generation Haggadah Supplements You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

As we mark 6 months since October 7 and approach the holiday of Passover, questions of communal memory feel more critical than ever. This week, guest host Sara Labaton speaks with Raquel Ukeles, Head of Collections at the National Library of Israel, about how the library is grappling with preservation, ownership, stewardship, and accessibility while creating a physical and cultural gathering place that represents all the communities whose heritage it houses.      You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

The organizations that constitute the Jewish world—schools, synagogues, social service agencies, philanthropic institutions, and more—keep Judaism alive,. yet not everyone who works in that world is Jewish. In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Darin McKeever, CEO of the William Davidson Foundation, about his experience leading a Jewish organization as a non-Jew, navigating Jewish culture, Israeli politics, and questions of identity and belonging.    You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

Jewish organizations are finding it increasingly challenging to represent the wide diversity of North American perspectives on Zionism. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with David Matlow about his lawsuit against the Toronto Zionist Council and the responsibilities of Zionist organizations in their representation of the voices of the Jewish people. This episode of Identity/Crisis is sponsored by the Howard and Irene Levine Family Foundation You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

Antisemitism on college campuses has seen a dramatic uptick in recent months. In an attempt to pressure U.C. Berkeley's administration to address this issue, Ron Hassner, a professor of political science and the Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel Studies, is staging a sleep-in protest. In this week's episode, Yehuda Kurtzer talks with Ron about his act of protest, what he wants from the Berkeley administration, and the importance of free speech, especially on university campuses.      You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

After the single largest attack on Israeli civilians in its history, Israeli music has taken on the complicated, often conflicting feelings of the country itself. This week, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Lior Zaltzman, deputy managing editor of Kveller, about how Israeli music has been used to express the emotions of the country throughout history, and the ways it has changed since October 7. A playlist of the songs discussed in this episode can be found at the link below.    Episode Playlist    Ruach Halochamot Tenatzeach (youtube)    Sponsor a podcast episode    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

Unlike past wars, the war in Gaza has been surrounded by so much media noise that even talking about it can feel paralyzing. As death counts rise, fear and anger breeds, and the endless news cycle drones on. In this week's episode, Yehuda Kurtzer reflects on his 3 trips to Israel since the start of the war, the changes he's witnessed in Israeli society, and how he is cutting through all the noise. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

The months since October 7th have brought tremendous grief, loss, uncertainty, and fear to North American Jewish communities. Jewish community leaders are working tirelessly to support their communities through these trying times. In early February, alumni of The Wexner Foundation's fellowships for Jewish professional leadership gathered at their annual conference. This week's guest host, Maital Friedman, spoke with seven of these leaders about the challenges they're facing, the questions they're asking, and how they are forging a path forward.     Guests featured on this episode: Ilana Aisen, CEO of JPro Jacob Feinspan, Executive Director of Jews United for Justice Erica Frankel, Executive Director of the Office of Innovation and co-founder of Kehillat Harlem Rachael Fried, Executive Director of JQY (Jewish Queer Youth) Dalit Horn, Executive Director of the Vilna Shul Daniel Olson, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research at the National Ramah Commission Adam Weisberg, Executive Director of Urban Adamah You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

What do we learn from reversing the genders of Biblical characters and reworking the text to center on the feminine? With their ambitious project Toratah – the Regendered Bible, Yael Kanarek and Tamar Biala seek to find out. They offer a matriarchal structure, female characters, and feminine divinity that contrasts with a sacred text that has been dominated by masculinity and male characters for millennia. Yael and Tamar join Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss the process of regendering the Torah and the new and unexpected perspectives that Toratah reveals through transformative language.    Read texts from Toratah and learn more about the project HERE.    Get tickets to attend the Songs of Toratah: Album Release Concert HERE.    You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

As Israeli society grapples with the aftermath of October 7th, Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum is among the religious leaders rising to the challenge of providing spiritual, pastoral, and psychosocial support to evacuees, wounded soldiers, families of hostages, and others affected by the trauma of the attacks and the war. In this week's episode, she joins Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss her recent experiences and personal insights as a rabbi navigating communal grief, maintaining a spiritual position towards peace, and digging into the Jewish tradition for answers.  Tamar's rabbinic work was highlighted on NPR's Morning Edition.     Sponsor a podcast episode    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

This week, Identity/Crisis is excited to share the first episode of Hartman's newest podcast: TEXTing with Elana Stein Hain. On each episode Elana delves deeply into the issues of our day through the lens of classical Jewish texts, in conversation with Hartman scholars Christine Hayes, Yonah Hain, or Leora Batnitzky.    In this first episode of TEXTing, Elana and Christine turn to the Talmud in tractate Hagigah to address the shock, disbelief, alienation, and despair Jews around the world are experiencing in the wake of October 7 and throughout the subsequent Israel-Hamas War.    We are grateful to the Walder Charitable Fund and Micah Philanthropies for their generous support of TEXTing.    This episode is also sponsored by Erica Schacter Schwartz    Episode Source Sheet    You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more.    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

Jews around the world hold deep moral commitments that are often in conflict. In the face of this kind of communal division, how can we foster a coherent sense of peoplehood? Is there an overarching narrative that deepens and enriches Jewish life while connecting Jews across oceans and ideological differences? Donniel Hartman tackles these existential questions of Jewish peoplehood in his newest book, Who Are the Jews — And Who Can We Become? In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer and Donniel discuss the book and the core issues it explores, ultimately addressing what it means - and what it takes - to be a Jewish people today.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS     Link to purchase the book 

The relationship of many Jews to top tier American universities has recently undergone a transformation from an aspiration to study at an ivy league institution to a desire to join more hospitable campuses. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Mark Oppenheimer to examine the longstanding and evolving relationship between Jews and American universities as well as antisemitism, civil discourse, and belonging on campus.     Gatecrashers, a Tablet podcast hosted by Mark Oppenheimer    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

How do we address the devastating intersection of legitimate war and human rights catastrophe? Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Yehudah Mirsky, professor, author, and former special advisor to the US State Department Human Rights Bureau, for a master class on the trajectory, impact, and underlying values of the human rights discourse. They explore what shapes our understanding and assumptions of human rights and where liberal, universalist ideals overlap with Zionism, Jewishness, and Jewish values on the world stage today.      Mentioned in this episode:     Hannah Arendt: The Rights of Man, the Political Community, Judgment and Recognition | SpringerLink By Hannah Arendt   Human rights died in Gaza - UnHerd  by Yehudah Mirsky    Believe Israeli Women - Identity/Crisis | Podcast on Spotify    #51: Genocide, Antisemitism, and the Nomenclature of Hatred - Identity/Crisis | Podcast on Spotify     (PDF) The Last Utopia: Human Rights in History by Samuel Moyn (researchgate.net)    (PDF) Durkheim's 'Individualism and the Intellectuals | steven lukes - Academia.edu     Why Hamas Killers Invoked God's Name, Not the Liberation of Palestine - Israel News - Haaretz.com by Anshel Pfeffer (behind a paywall)    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

During this tumultuous and difficult year, what have we learned about how we relate to Judaism, the Jewish people, Israel, and the world? In this final episode of 2023, Yehuda Kurtzer uses selections from Identity/Crisis episodes over the past year to guide us through key moments and ideas. Beginning with concerns over Israel's democracy, he explores what characterizes North American Judaism before delving into the devastation of October 7 and the subsequent war, ultimately reflecting on the lessons we have learned.     Previous episodes of Identity/Crisis mentioned in this episode:  Tehila Friedman, Hole in the Center of Israeli Society | January 17, 2023  Rana Fahoum, Envisioning Shared Society | January 10, 2023  Mishael Zion, How to Run a Seder | April 4, 2023  Matti Friedman, Zion's Roads are in Mourning |July 27, 2023  Rachel Isaacs, Small Town American Judaism |June 19, 2023  Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield, From Kharkiv to New York | February 27, 2023  Hannah Lebovitz, Lessons on Housing insecurity | September 27, 2023  Eliot Cosgrove, The Case for Commandments | May 9, 2023  Rabbi David Wolpe, The Art of the Sermon | September 12, 2023  Various voices, A Nation That Can't Sleep | October 11, 2023  Shira Berkowitz, When Jews Show Up | November 28, 2023  Eric Fingerhut, The Jewish Establishment and Its Critics | August 29, 2023  Gali Cooks, The Jewish Leadership Pipeline Problem | July 17, 2023  Tal Becker, Fighting a Just War |November 14, 2023  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

Today's episode involves discussion of sexual assault and other violent themes connected to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. Listener discretion is advised.     In the aftermath of Hamas's heinous televised attack, Cochav Elkayam-Levy, law professor and expert on international law, human rights, and feminist theory, became the Chair of Israel's Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children. One week after meeting with White House officials, she spoke with Yehuda Kurtzer about her work to compile a comprehensive accounting of gender-based violence committed by Hamas and the heartbreaking struggle for recognition that she is facing in the international arena.    Cochav Elkayam-Levy speaking before the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS     Sponsor an upcoming episode of Identity/Crisis. Click here to learn more. 

How did Hannukah transform from a story about a military conquest and temple rededication into the festival of lights that we celebrate today? In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer studies texts about Hannukah with Joshua Kulp, rosh yeshiva at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem and scholar of ancient Judaism. They argue about the meaning of Hannukah as they explore the rabbinic relationship with militarism as well as historical and religious interpretations of the events connected to the Hannukah story.    Source sheet coming soon.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS