Identity/Crisis

Latest Episodes:

Live at JFN: What Ails American Judaism? - with Franklin Foer and Sarah Hurwitz Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

The future of American Judaism is uncertain, some might even say at risk. In this special episode, recorded live at the Jewish Funders Network Conference in Nashville, Yehuda Kurtzer, Franklin Foer, and Sarah Hurwitz engage in a dynamic discussion about what ails American Judaism, why we fear change, and what we want to strengthen and preserve for the future.

This live Identity/Crisis episode was made possible by Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies and the Jim Joseph Foundation, featuring theme music by SoCalled and additional music by Distant Cousins.

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. 

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Sources: Morality in Times of Fear – with Donniel Hartman Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

During times of war, when fear and self-preservation are front of mind, how do we make room for ethics? On this episode of Identity/Crisis, guest host Claire Sufrin, editor of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, sits down with Donniel Hartman, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute, todiscuss the importance of morality in the Jewish tradition and how ethics should inform our choices.

Keep an eye out for Donniel Hartman’s article in the Spring 2025 issue of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas about Jewish ethics in theory and practice.

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.

How Do You Raise a Jewish Adult? - with Stephanie Ives Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

How do you prepare your children for becoming citizens of the Jewish people? On this episode of Identity/Crisis, recorded just ahead of their third child’s bat mitzvah, host Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by his wife and hevruta Stephanie Ives to discuss the ways you can and can’t transmit your approach to Judaism to your children.

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Announcement: Purim Hiatus Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

Identity/Crisis will be taking a break this week and will return the Tuesday after Purim.

A Critique of American Judaism with Joshua Leifer Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

During an increasingly sensitive time for American Jews, how can we critically examine our own communities in ways that don’t feel disloyal? On this episode of Identity/Crisis recorded in front of a live audience, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Joshua Leifer, author ofTablets Shattered: The End of an American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life, who wrestled with this question while critiquing communities to which he feels deeply loyal.

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Persuasive Leadership in Divisive Times Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

What does it mean to lead the American Jewish community during this divisive moment? This week on Identity/Crisis, Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, joins host Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss the challenges of leading effectively and persuasively in the face of antisemitism, deep partisan divides, and a society focused on social media-driven discourse.

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On Being Palestinian in Israel Today Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

During wartime, it is especially hard to see the humanity in others. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Hartman Kogod Research Center fellow and Land for All co-director Rula Hardal about the challenges of building a shared society between

Israeli Jews and Palestinian citizens of Israel. They discuss how to transform the discourse into one of political imagination for a better future for everyone between the river and the sea.

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The Red Cross: Mission Over Moral Red Lines Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

Throughout the Israel-Hamas War, many have shunned the idea of neutrality. For the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), neutrality is one of the most essential tools for humanitarian aid. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with ICRC legal advisor, Noa Schreuer to discuss the pragmatic applications of neutrality and the challenges the ICRC faces during times of conflict.

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Educating in the Shadow of Grief Feb 04, 2025

Show notes

Aner Shapira z"l, Hersh Goldberg-Polin z"l, Ariel Reich z"l, Shahar Friedman z"l, Dvir Barzani z"l, Ben Zussman z"l, Oriya Ayimalk Goshen z"l, Almkan Tarfe z"l, Rabbi Avi Goldberg z"l, Yuval Shoham z"l, Yinon Fleishman z"l. These names, of men lost in the last 15 months of war, are known to many – but for Jeremy Stavisky, longtime educator and former principal 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.

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Ghosts of a Holy War Jan 28, 2025

Show notes

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.

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