Episodes

  • Liberal Democracy as a Matter of National Security

    Liberal Democracy as a Matter of National Security
    Jan 7 2025
    With right-wing ultranationalism on the rise in Israel, how can the left reclaim a language of safety and morality? Yair Golan, leader of the Israel Democratic Party, has some ideas. This week he joins host Yehuda Kurtzer for a surprisingly frank discussion of the complicated (or in Golan’s view, not so complicated) challenges facing Israeli society and its leaders.. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • Yehuda Kurtzer on Grappling with History and Memory

    Yehuda Kurtzer on Grappling with History and Memory
    Dec 31 2024
    How do the books we read shape our memories? To close out the year, we’re bringing you a special episode from The Five Books Podcast, a new podcast that celebrates the role of books in our lives, featuring Yehuda Kurtzer. Each week on The Five Books, host Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen speaks with a Jewish author about the books that have shaped them, shifted their perspective, or guided their journey. They delve deep into conversations about growing up, books as cultural touchstones, and what it means to live, write, and read as a Jewish American today. Listen to more episodes of The Five Books HERE. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    51 mins
  • Christmastime for the Jews

    Christmastime for the Jews
    Dec 24 2024
    The relegation of Hanukkah merchandise to a tiny corner of the grocery aisle can cause Jews to feel excluded or marginalized by the Christmas holiday season. But the impact of Jews on the history and culture of secularized Christmas is deeper than you might think. In this exciting new Yuletide episode of Identity/Crisis, host Yehuda Kurtzer and American composer and music commentator Rob Kapilow sit down at the keyboard to better understand the relationship between Jews and Christmas through the holiday music that Jewish composers have contributed to the canon. Read Maoz Tzur at the End of Christianity Listen to the accompanying episode playlist HERE Partner with us as we address the big issues facing contemporary Jewish life. Make a gift now. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
  • Sources: On Jewish Leadership

    Sources: On Jewish Leadership
    Dec 10 2024
    In times of turmoil, Jewish communities rely heavily on their leaders for guidance. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, guest host Claire Sufrin, editor of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, sits down with Rabbi Elka Abrahamson to discuss her article in the new Fall/Winter 2024 issue about how Jewish leaders are rising to the challenge of this moment and guiding their communities through turbulent times. Read Elka Abrahamson’s article in the Fall/Winter 2024 issue of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas The Learning Leader: Orchestrating Organizational and Personal Change You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • Covenant, Compromise, Sacrifice, and Kindness

    Covenant, Compromise, Sacrifice, and Kindness
    Nov 26 2024
    This political moment may cause American Jews to ask: “Where have we seen this before?” In this episode recorded live in NYC, Yehuda Kurtzer challenges the impulse to reach backwards for old frameworks to describe our current situation, and instead offers a vision for a new era in American-Jewish politics – one shaped by a culture of compromise and defined by an embrace of kindness. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • A Counterculture of Kindness

    A Counterculture of Kindness
    Nov 12 2024
    Donald Trump’s presidential comeback has many fearful for the future of American democracy. As with most recent election cycles, last week’s process was mired in a discourse of absolute and incompatible truths, creating conflicts in local communities that many are struggling to reconcile. Yehuda Kurtzer approached six Hartman faculty, fellows, and staff with the question: What should be the agenda for the American Jewish community in working to repair our democracy in the wake of these elections? In this week’s episode, hear responses from Justus Baird, Deborah Barer, Flora Cassen, Michael Koplow, Akiva Mattenson, and David Zvi Kalman. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • Rabbinic Identities/Rabbinic Crises –Spheres of Belonging

    Rabbinic Identities/Rabbinic Crises –Spheres of Belonging
    Nov 5 2024
    In addition to their responsibilities as leaders and shapers of local Jewish communities, rabbis are responsible for leading the Jewish people forward into the future. The weight of this work is heavy, but the number of people who choose the rabbinic profession is dwindling. In the third and final episode of Rabbinic Identities/Rabbinic Crises, our guests discuss the boundaries of the Jewish tent, the importance of interfaith relationship-building, and the future of the rabbinic profession. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • Rabbinic Identities/Rabbinic Crises – A Good Fit

    Rabbinic Identities/Rabbinic Crises – A Good Fit
    Oct 29 2024
    North American Jews are seeking different types of belonging, marked by a steady decline in synagogue membership over the last several decades. What are people searching for in their Jewish communal lives, and how are rabbis adjusting their work to accommodate these new communal needs? In this second episode of Rabbinic Identities/Rabbinic Crises, our guests discuss the considerations in finding the perfect shidduch between a rabbi and a community, and how they approach drawing the boundaries that define their communities while shaping warm and welcoming environments. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins