Identity/Crisis

Latest Episodes:

The Great American Rabbi Shortage Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

There's deep instability in the field of rabbinic education. Fewer rabbis are being trained, and as a result Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) recently decided to shutter the rabbinic program at one of its four campuses. Andrew Rehfeld, President of HUC-JIR, talks with host Yehuda Kutzer about the future of educating Jewish clergy, civil discourse, and the politicization of Jewish Liberalism.

School, Shuls, and Hillels, Two Years Later Apr 12, 2022

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As we approach our third pandemic Passover, how has Jewish communal life fared? Rabbi Barry Dov Katz (Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale, NY), Tilly Shemer (Hillel at University of Michigan), and Stephanie Ives (Beit Rabban Day School) reunite one year later with host Yehuda Kurtzer to reflect on another year of life in the pandemic -- its personal toll, how COVID-19 has impacted their institutions, their leadership, and their mindset about the future.

A Musical Journey with Joey Weisenberg Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

Where does song end and prayer begin? Joey Weisenberg, founder and director of Hadar’s Rising Song Institute and author of The Torah of Music and Building Singing Communities joins Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss the spiritual role of music in Jewish communal life, what creating has been like in a time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to share some music that will uplift and inspire you.

Music included in this episode is listed below and at this Spotify playlist.
• Yonati (Song of Songs, 2:14)
• Gam Ki Eilech
• Shokhein Ad
• Ya’aleh Koneinu
• Lincoln’s Nigun / Yamin U’smol (Kabbalat Shabbat)
• L’eila (Kaddish)

It can be purchased through Rising Song Records.

Jews in the US Military Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

What does it mean to be a Jew in the United States military? Phil Lieberman, an Orthodox rabbi, professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt, and a decorated, active-duty military chaplain, talks with Yehuda Kurtzer about how success as a Jewish navy chaplain is not always measured by the size of community but in educating others about Jewish life. Ronit Stahl, author and associate professor at UC Berkeley, frames the larger historical context of Jews in the armed services normalizing Judaism as an American religion.

Seven Deep Purim Ideas Mar 16, 2022

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Two scholars who see the world quite differently offer a deep yet playful read of the Book of Esther. Speaking this week with Dovid Bashevkin, the Director of Education for NCSY, Yehuda Kurtzer proposes seven philosophical, literary, theological, political, and moral theses on the megillah to enrich your Purim conversations – or start new ones.

Remembering the Holocaust in Ukraine: Never Forget Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

“Never again” and “never forget” are not just slogans of Holocaust remembrance; they are a Jewish clarion call of civic responsibility. Paul Shapiro, Director of International Affairs at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, joins Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss what it means to put these phrases into action today, Putin’s distortion of the Holocaust as a justification for Russian aggression, the effort of the Ukrainian government to educate its population about the Holocaust, and the construction and near destruction of the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial.

Ukraine's Jews in the Middle of a War Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

As events rapidly unfold in Ukraine, the Jewish community around the world is mobilizing in support of nearly 200,000 Jews who call it home. Roman Shmulenson, Executive Director of the Council of Jewish Émigré Community Organizations (COJECO) and Nancy Kaufman, consultant and former CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), join Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss the prism of identities, the historic pains of Ukrainian nationalism and antisemitism, and ways to support Russian-speaking Jews in times of peace and in times of crisis.

The Hilltop Youth and Jewish Terrorism Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

Anti-Palestinian violence committed by disaffected young Israelis increased by 50% in 2021. Why do the IDF, the police, and society turn a blind eye towards these Jewish terrorists? Who is responsible for prosecuting their crimes?

Haviv Rettig Gur, Senior Analyst for The Times of Israel, sat down with Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss the violence perpetrated by the Hilltop Youth, the politics around holding them accountable, and how internal divisions in Israeli society create an environment in which this behavior can proliferate.

The Torah of TikTok Feb 08, 2022

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Miriam Anzovin is a millennial TikToker who is transforming Talmud study for the social media age. Her “hot takes” on Daf Yomi, where a person learns one page of Talmud every day, have drawn viral attention from supporters and critics alike. She joins David Zvi Kalman, a Hartman Scholar in Residence and Director of New Media, and Yehuda Kurtzer, to discuss the future and accessibility of Torah study, the whirlwind of going viral on social media, and sh*tposting on the Torah – literally.

The Making of an American Shtetl Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

How did a small contingent of Hasidic families establish a thriving, insular enclave with a powerful local government?

Authors Nomi Stolzenberg and David Myers join Yehuda Kurtzer to chronicle how the upstate New York town of Kiryas Joel created a world apart by using the very instruments of political and legal power that are uniquely American. They explore religious, social, and economic norms, delve into the roots of Satmar Hasidism, and uncover the American dream in the unlikeliest of places.

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