Identity/Crisis

Why is the show called Identity/Crisis? How do you handle post-October 7 ruptures across the Jewish community? What’s your bagel order?    For this special listener mailbag episode, Yehuda Kurtzer takes a seat on the other side of the conversation as colleague Annie Beyer-Chafets guest hosts. They tackle questions submitted by listeners and Yehuda reflects on nearly 300 episodes. He shares what he's learned along the way and what continues to give him hope about Jewish life. It's an inside look at the questions, values, and commitments that shape Identity/Crisis.  You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS   Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week:  Learn more about the Wellspring Gap-Year Network! 

As debates over Israel reshape Jewish communal life, who gets included in the conversation and who gets pushed outside the tent? Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with John Ruskay, executive vice president emeritus of the UJA-Federation of New York, to discuss Ruskay’s decision to join J Street's Jewish Communal Advisory Council – a group formed this fall to advance a vision of Israel and the U.S.-Israel relationship rooted in shared Jewish and democratic values. Together, they explore what the council formation reveals about the state of American Jewish institutions, the difference between Israel advocacy and Israel education, and whether communities can remain cohesive amid profound disagreement. At a moment of political polarization and rising anxiety around the future of a democratic Israel, what does Jewish solidarity require? You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

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. We want your questions and comments for our upcoming listener mailbag episode. Send voice memos and emails to [email protected] You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Vote in the Signal Listener’s Choice Awards for our podcast mini-series Thoughts and Prayers by October 15! Register to learn with Tal Becker and Abigail Pogrebin on October 27 in New York City.

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.   You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Register here for the Hartman Leadership Conference in San Francisco.

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.   You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS    Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Learn about the scholars and the work of our Kogod Research Center.