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Identity/Crisis: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Shalom Hartman Institute
In a frenzied media cycle, Identity/Crisis creates better conversations about the issues facing contemporary Jewish life. Host Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, talks with leading thinkers to unpack current events affecting Jewish communities in North America, Israel, and around the world, revealing the core Jewish values underlying the issues that matter most to you.
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- 2 days ago58 min
The Right to Belong: A Palestinian Perspective - with Rana Fahoum
What happens when citizenship and identity point in different directions? In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Rana Fahoum, Vice President of the Shalom Hartman Institute and Director of Hartman’s Centerfor Shared Society, to examine the complexities of citizenship in Israel. Drawing on personal history, they reflect on belonging, collective rights, and the challenges of building Israel’s future for all its citizens. 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 our Wellspring programming for young Jews and the professionals who serve them.
- 1 weeks ago57 min
Surviving, Thriving, and Excelling in Jewish Life – with Barry Finestone
How should North American Jewish communities balance security, vibrant communal life, and moral purpose? Recorded live in Jerusalem during the Shalom Hartman Institute's Community Leadership Program, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Barry Finestone, President and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation, to explore the future of North American Jewish life. Together, they examine the challenges of antisemitism, Jewish education, philanthropy, leadership, and the future of Jewish thriving, and ask what it means not only to survive but also excel as a community. 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 here how Siach helps young Jews grapple with big questions.
- 2 weeks ago43 min
Hip-Hop, Protest, and Patriotism After October 7 – with Shaanan Streett
Can Music Heal a Divided Society? Recorded live at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Israeli artist, activist, and Hadag Nahash frontman Shaanan Streett for a wide-ranging conversation about hip-hop, dissent, patriotism, and the role of artists in times of crisis. Through songs and stories, Streett reflects on the judicial reform protests, October 7, Israeli-Palestinian relations, and the power of music to build empathy across divides. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
- 3 weeks ago1h 5m
The Promise and Peril of Jewish Power — with Zachary Truboff
Can Zionism survive a crisis of its own making? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Zachary Truboff, director of the Institute for Agunah Research and Education at the International Beit Din, to discuss the moral and political questions facing Israel after October 7. As Israelis grapple with war, trauma, and the responsibilities of power, they explore whether Zionism has adequately reckoned with its own vulnerabilities, assumptions, and failures. Their conversation examines the tension between victimhood and agency, the demands of collective responsibility, and what it would mean for Zionism to undergo a process of teshuvah of its own. 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: Watch our summer live streams HERE
- Jun 30, 202649 min
Beyond the Myth of Jewish Wealth – with Ilana Horwitz[
Money shapes who can access Jewish life—and who gets left out. In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with sociologist Ilana Horwitz about the overlooked reality of a quarter of American Jews living in economic vulnerability, challenging the persistent myth of universal Jewish affluence. Drawing on Horwitz’s research, they explore how class and financial instability intersect with Jewish education, communal participation, and belonging. This episode is sponsored in honor of Robert Kogod’s 95th birthday by his loving family. Read Ilana Horwitz’s article on affordability and Jewish education in Sources. 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: Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive alerts about special livestreamed programming from Jerusalem.
- Jun 23, 202652 min
Teaching Jewish History in America — with Natalia Mehlman Petrzela (Re-run)
This episode of Identity/Crisis was originally released on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 What does it mean to tell Jewish stories in a moment of political polarization and distortion? On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela to examine the role of the historian in public life: not to offer talking points or easy analogies, but to deepen public understanding in a time of simplification and certainty. Through a conversation about education, Jewish identity, and the place of Jews in American history, they consider why richer storytelling matters—and what it can offer to students, Jews, and the broader public. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
- Jun 16, 202650 min
Strong Beliefs and Open Minds: A Graduation Challenge — with Jonathan Kroll
In a polarized age, how do we raise young Jews who can think deeply—and listen across disagreement? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer talks with principal of SAR High School Jonathan Kroll about his recent commencement address to SAR’s graduating class of 2026, where he challenged students to embrace a “revolution of moderation,” and integrate conviction with openness. Together, they explore pluralism in Orthodox education, the formation of Jewish identity, and what it means to prepare the next generation for a divided world—without sacrificing commitment or clarity. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
- Jun 9, 202651 min
The Role of Journalism in a Post-Truth Age — with Abby Pogrebin
With the marketplace of ideas outpacing our ability to discern truth, who still cares about keeping up with journalistic standards? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with journalist Abby Pogrebin to explore how media, authority, and public conversation are changing as traditional standards of journalism dissolve and algorithms shape what we see and believe. They turn to the Jewish community to examine how these shifts are intensifying polarization and defining who gets to speak—and who gets heard. Together, they consider what responsibility these changing standards places on those who shape public conversation to hold complexity without collapsing it. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
About Identity/Crisis
In a frenzied media cycle, Identity/Crisis creates better conversations about the issues facing contemporary Jewish life. Host Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, talks with leading thinkers to unpack current events affecting Jewish communities in North America, Israel, and around the world, revealing the core Jewish values underlying the issues that matter most to you.
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Identity/Crisis publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
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Identity/Crisis covers topics including News, Religion & Spirituality, Commentary, Spirituality, Judaism. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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