Identity/Crisis

Latest Episodes:

Why America Protects Hate Speech – with James Loeffler Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

In an age of rising hate speech, can liberalism protect the Jews?

Yehuda Kurtzer and historian James Loeffler explore why antisemitism has remained a persistent feature of American life, even during periods when Jews appeared more secure and accepted than ever before. Drawing on Loeffler's new book, Exceptional Hatred: Antisemitism and the Fight over Free Speech in Modern America, they trace the history of antisemitism in the U.S. and consider its latest manifestations on college campuses, in politics, and across public life. What can this history teach us about the strengths, limits, and responsibilities of American democracy today?

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Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week:

Join us for the ordination ceremony of the first graduates of Rabbanut North America.

Israel/Today: Israel’s Elections, Netanyahu’s Shadow – with Tamar Ish-Shalom Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

With Israel's elections just weeks away, what vision for the country's future will ultimately prevail?

In this episode, the third installment of our Israel/Today mini-series, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Israeli journalist Tamar Ish-Shalom. They examine Benjamin Netanyahu's enduring political strength despite mounting public criticism, Israel’s international isolation, and unresolved questions of accountability following October 7. Together, they explore the forces shaping voter behavior, the growing influence of fear and conspiracy thinking, and the competing visions for Israeli society three years after October 7.

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Vote in the Signal Listener’s Choice Awards for our podcast mini-series Thoughts and Prayers by October 15!

Israel/Today: How October 7 Changed the Jewish Story – with Yossi Klein Halevi Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Three years after October 7, what are Israel’s possibilities for healing, renewal, and a different future?

In this episode, the second of our mini-series Israel/Today, Yehuda Kurtzer and journalist Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on how trauma, memory, and fear have reshaped Israeli society and Jewish identity. They examine the competing stories emerging from October 7, the tensions between power and victimhood, and the moral challenges facing Israel as it approaches a pivotal election. Along the way, they consider what a renewed Zionist vision might look like and how October 7 may ultimately be remembered by future generations.

We want your questions and comments for our upcoming listener mailbag episode.

Send voice memos and emails to identitycrisis@shalomhartman.org

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. 
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Israel/Today: The Politics of Settler Violence — with Dahlia Scheindlin Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

What does the rise in settler violence in the West Bank reveal about the future of Israel?

In this episode, the first of our mini-series Israel/Today, Yehuda Kurtzer and political scientist and public opinion expert Dahlia Scheindlin, author of The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel, explore why this violence is escalating and whether it can truly be separated from the broader settlement project. They discuss the role of the Israeli government and military, shifting Israeli public opinion, and the limits of condemning violence without confronting the deeper realities of occupation and annexation. Together, they consider whether Israeli political leaders can chart a different path forward.

Stay tuned for the rest of Israel/Today: a mini-series from Identity/Crisis on the high stakes of Israel’s historic election, the choices facing Israel’s citizens, and the potential consequences for the Jewish diaspora.

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Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Register here for the Hartman Leadership Conference in San Francisco.

Jewish Religious Freedom and the Supreme Court – with Michael Avi Helfand Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Are religious liberty and liberal democracy a natural match or are they destined to be in conflict?

As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments about religious liberty, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with legal scholar Michael Avi Helfand to discuss current cases affecting Jewish religious freedoms. In Grand v. University Heights the Court will consider whether local officials can stop an Orthodox Jew from hosting a minyan in his home. And, in a case from Colorado, religious schools contend that accepting public funds for universal Pre-K should not require them to surrender their religious autonomy. Together, they explore the growing tension between freedom of religion and fears of religious dominance and how that’s testing the constitutional limits of state power.

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High school seniors: learn more about and apply to our Hevruta Gap-Year Program!

Feminism, Jews, and the Legacy of Gloria Steinem—with Judith Rosenbaum Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

What does it mean to plant seeds for a future you may never see?

Following the death of Gloria Steinem, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Judith Rosenbaum, educator, historian, and CEO of the Jewish Women's Archive, to reflect on Steinem’s legacy, the power of feminism, and the long arc of social change. Together, they explore how Jewish women helped shape the feminist movement, how feminism transformed Jewish life, and why movements must balance urgency with patience. As a new generation inherits this work, they talk about what it takes to sustain change, resist backlash, and build a future beyond one's own lifetime.

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Learn about the scholars and the work of our Kogod Research Center.

Don't Believe in God? Try It Anyway – with Noa Kushner Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

What might happen if, instead of demanding certainty, we allowed ourselves to "pretend" belief and see where the journey leads?

Ahead of the High Holidays, Yehuda Kurtzer welcomes Rabbi Noa Kushner, founder of The Kitchen, a synagogue and institute in San Francisco, and the author of Pretend That You Believe: How To Enter Religion, to explore what faith means in a skeptical age. Through a conversation about holiness, awe, humility, and religious imagination, they challenge the consumer mindset that often influences contemporary spirituality.

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Where Criticism Ends and Antisemitism Begins — with Dara Horn Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

In the face of rising antisemitism, what does courage look like?

Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with author Dara Horn about her new book, The Final Solution to the Jewish Question: A Love Story for the Living, and the intense experiences that led her to write it. Together, they examine antisemitism on college campuses, the limits of Holocaust education, the meaning of Jewish peoplehood, and the challenge of distinguishing legitimate criticism of Israel from hate movements that seek to exclude Jews from public life. At the heart of their conversation is a question about what this moment demands: more knowledge, or the courage to speak out and act.

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Who Is American Jewish Literature For? – with Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen, Naomi Firestone-Teeter, and Lauren Wein Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

What does today’s Jewish literature tell us about this moment?

Identity/Crisis is excited to present a special audio version of a conversation that first appeared in print in the Summer 2026 issue of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas. It’s moderated by Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen, host of the podcast The Five Books, with guests Naomi Firestone-Teeter,CEO of Jewish Book Council and Lauren Wein, Vice President and Editorial Director of Avid Reader Press at Simon & Schuster. They address the introspection and urgency driving Jewish writers to navigate questions of identity, trauma, Zionism, and community in the years since October 7. From Philip Roth to Taffy Brodesser-Akner, they discuss what Jewish books reveal about the ever-changing American Jewish experience. Claire Sufrin, editor of Sources and Hartman’s Director of Research and Publication, introduces and frames this episode.

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College students, apply now for the 2026 Edward Fein Winter Student Seminar!

People of the Shuk – with Adeena Sussman Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

Can a bite of food transport us across time and place?

After a walk together through Tel Aviv’s Shuk HaCarmel, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with extraordinary chef and cookbook author Adeena Sussman to discuss the relationship between food, memory, and the influences that shape contemporary Israeli cuisine. From Shabbat tables to Tel Aviv restaurants, they explore how ordinary acts of gathering, cooking, and eating can become sources of resilience and connection. Their conversation traces the journey of ingredients, recipes, and culinary ideas across borders and generations, while grappling with the complexities that often surround them.

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