Why Do We Pray?

About this episode

Yehuda Kurtzer explores the complexities of prayer in modern Jewish life, addressing its significance and entanglements with identity and politics.

For many modern Jews, prayer raises more questions than answers. In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer reflects on Hartman’s latest limited podcast series Thoughts & Prayers, and explores some of the central questions facing modern Jewish spiritual life: What does prayer do? Is it about God, or about other people? What happens when prayer becomes entangled with politics, identity, and belonging? Drawing on stories and voices from across the series, this special Identity/Crisis episode offers a compelling meditation on prayer as a practice of relationship, responsibility, and Jewish peoplehood. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. You can listen to the full series of Thoughts and Prayers HERE. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

People in this episode

Host: Yehuda Kurtzer

Topics covered

• prayer
• Jewish spirituality
• identity
• politics
• community
• relationship

Keywords

• prayer
• Jewish identity
• spirituality
• community
• politics
• relationship
• responsibility

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Shalom Hartman Institute

Books & works: Thoughts & Prayers

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