Identity/Crisis - podcast cover

Identity/Crisis

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. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Episodes

#35: Post-Election Politics and the Project of Diversity

Hartman Fellow in Residence Mijal Bitton speaks to Yehuda Kurtzer about diverse American Jews, politics, and the goals and problematics of the project of diversity. Mijal's article can be found here: https://www.jta.org/2020/11/19/opinion/many-jews-of-color-and-diverse-jews-are-politically-conservative-and-many-voted-for-trump

Dec 02, 202039 min

#34: The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex

Lila Corwin Berman (Temple University) joins host Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss the ways in which America has shaped philanthropy, and the ways in which philanthropy has shaped the American Jewish community, over the last thirty years. This episode was recorded live as part of the Judaism, Citizenship, and Democracy symposium hosted by the Hartman Institute from October 19-30, 2020.

Nov 23, 202044 min

#33: Remembering Erekat and Rabin

Host Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Daniel Kurtzer (Princeton), a former US Ambassador to Egypt and Israel and longtime American negotiator in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. They remember Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, and reflect on the humanity and necessity of the peace process. Identity/Crisis is partnering with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. A full transcript of this episode can be found at:

Nov 16, 202039 min

#32: Post-Election Torah

In the liminal space between the US election and the declaration of a result, Yehuda Kurtzer and Shalom Hartman Institute Director of Faculty Elana Stein Hain discuss the right relationship between religion and politics, the necessity and limits of political pluralism, and what Torah they're learning for this moment.

Nov 09, 202050 min

#31: What the Future Holds

On the eve of the 2020 US election, Yehuda Kurtzer talks about the future of America, Judaism, and American Judaism with Dahlia, Leah, and Tyler - three teenage alumni of Hartman's Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Thought Leaders from around the country.

Nov 02, 202041 min

#23: Free Speech and Authoritarianism with Jeffrey Goldberg (Rerun)

Featuring Jeffrey Goldberg (The Atlantic) and Yehuda Kurtzer (Hartman) Mentioned in this episode: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/07/trumps-collaborators/612250/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/09/coronavirus-american-failure/614191/

Oct 27, 202042 min

#30: The Future of Jewish Progressivism

In episode #30 of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Arielle Angel and Jacob Plitman of Jewish Currents about the history and future of Jewish progressive movements and the relationship between liberalism and Jewish tradition. Articles referenced in the episode: https://jewishcurrents.org/justice-you-shall-pursue/ https://jewishcurrents.org/a-pickle-shaped-void/

Oct 20, 202042 min

#29: Praying for the Welfare of This Government

In episode #29 of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer talks with Rabbi Sharon Brous (IKAR) and Rabbi Elie Kaunfer (Hadar) about whether and how one should pray for the welfare of a government and president to which one is opposed. Mentioned in the episode: - Jewish Prayers for the United States Government: A Study in the Liturgy of Politics and the Politics of Liturgy by Jonathan Sarna (https://bit.ly/2Idue2f) - Identity/Crisis #7: https://www.hartman.org.il/identity-crisis-7-no-mosque-no-church-no-...

Oct 13, 202043 min

#28: Jews, Catholics, and American Life

Malka Simkovitch (Catholic Theological Union) and Zev Eleff (Hebrew Theological College) join host Yehuda Kurtzer to explore the history and present of the relationship between Jews and Catholics through the lens of the Supreme Court and their respective communal roles in American politics.

Oct 06, 202028 min

#27: An American Jewish Legacy

Hartman Senior Fellow and Senior Editor at Slate Dahlia Lithwick joins Yehuda Kurtzer to talk about the Jewish life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, z"l. Find Dahlia's piece for the Jewish Women's Archive here.

Sep 29, 202043 min

#26: Truth and Atonement

Featuring Jill Stauffer (Associate Professor of Peace, Justice, and Human Rights; Haverford College) and Aaron Koller (Professor of Near Eastern Studies; Yeshiva University).

Sep 23, 202034 min

#25: The Loneliness of Jewish Theology

Featuring Abby Pogrebin and Yehuda Kurtzer. For more on the Still Small Voice Series, see: https://forward.com/tag/still-small-voice/

Sep 14, 202036 min

#24: Gender, Power, and Covid-19

This week's guests are Sheila Katz (National Council of Jewish Women) and Shira Berkovits (Sacred Spaces). The episode was guest-hosted by Sarah Mulhern (Shalom Hartman Institute).

Sep 08, 202045 min

#23: Free Speech and Authoritarianism with Jeffrey Goldberg

Featuring Jeffrey Goldberg (The Atlantic) and Yehuda Kurtzer (Hartman) Mentioned in this episode: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/07/trumps-collaborators/612250/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/09/coronavirus-american-failure/614191/

Aug 11, 202041 min

#20: Idealized American Pasts, Utopian Israeli Futures

Featuring Rivka Press Schwartz (SAR / Hartman), Anshel Pfeffer (Haaretz), and Yehuda Kurtzer (Hartman). Mentioned in this episode: Yehuda Kurtzer, "Memory Malpractice:" https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/belief/articles/memory-malpractice-beinart Anshel Pfeffer, "Peter Beinart's One State Solution Sounds So Perfect It's Practically Utopian:" https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-peter-beinart-s-one-state-solution-sounds-so-perfect-it-s-practically-utopian-1.8983601

Jul 20, 202048 min

#18: The New Jewish Political Canon

Featuring Julie Cooper (Tel Aviv University) Shaul Magid (Shalom Hartman Institute / Dartmouth University), Daniel Kurtzer (School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University), Sara Hirschhorn (Northwestern University), and Yehuda Kurtzer (Shalom Hartman Institute). To purchase The New Jewish Canon: https://www.amazon.com/New-Jewish-Canon-Emunot-Philosophy/dp/1644693607

Jul 05, 20201 hr 11 min

#17: Mikvah, Fertility, and the Pandemic

Featuring Ruth Balinsky Friedman (Ohev Sholom), Carrie Bornstein (Mayyim Hayyim), Rachel Rosenthal (JTS), and Yehuda Kurtzer (Shalom Hartman Institute) To register for Hartman's summer programming, go to https://www.hartman.org.il/

Jun 23, 202056 min

#15: Facing Annexation

This episode features Tamara Cofman Wittes (Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution), Michael Koplow (Israel Policy Forum), and Yehuda Kurtzer (Shalom Hartman Institute).

Jun 11, 202048 min

#14: American Jewish Communities After George Floyd

Featuring Ginna Green, Isaiah Rothstein, and Yehuda Kurtzer. Mentioned in this episode: - Danielle S. Allen, "Our Declaration": https://www.amazon.com/Our-Declaration-Reading-Independence-Equality-ebook/dp/B00FPT5KYW - ‘Believe us’: Black Jews respond to the George Floyd protests, in their own words: https://www.jta.org/2020/05/31/united-states/believe-us-black-jews-respond-to-the-george-floyd-protests-in-their-own-words

Jun 04, 202049 min

#13: Joshua Foer on the Future of Digital Judaism

Mentioned in today's episode: https://www.ted.com/talks/joshua_foer_feats_of_memory_anyone_can_do?language=en Sukkah City https://forward.com/articles/132454/forward-50-2010/ Moonwalking https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301277/moonwalking-with-einstein-by-joshua-foer/ For more information on all of Hartman's digital summer programming, go to bit.ly/HartmanSummer

May 27, 202037 min

#12: What Comes Next for Denominational Judaism?

A conversation between Rabbi Rick Jacobs (Union for Reform Judaism), Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal (Rabbinical Assembly / United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism), and Yehuda Kurtzer (Shalom Hartman Institute). Register now for "The Revelation Will Be Digitized" on May 27, a virtual conversation about the future of online Jewish education. Joshua Ladon, Hartman’s Director of West Coast Education, will host Miriam Heller-Stern (HUC-JIR), Daniel Septimus (Sefaria), and Lisa Colton (Darim Online) to expl...

May 21, 202052 min

#11: Being home

Featuring write and journalist Elissa Strauss and Aliza Kline of OneTable. Mentioned in this episode: https://onetable.org/soloshabbat

May 15, 202031 min

#10: The Hasidim of Netflix and the Israelis of HBO

Featuring Joseph Cedar (HBO's Our Boys, Footnote), Naomi Seidman (University of Toronto), and Shayna Weiss (Brandeis). Mentioned in this episode: Naomi's review of Netflix's Unorthodox: https://bit.ly/2YIryQv Shayna's review of One of Us: https://bit.ly/3ba9Vf7 Article on the growth of Israeli TV in America: https://bit.ly/2zhsuRa

May 07, 202050 min

#8: Teaching Judaism at home is hard. Here's what you can do.

Featuring Rabbi Ethan Tucker (Hadar), Stephanie Ives (Beit Rabban Day School), and Yehuda Kurtzer (Hartman). Mentioned in this episode: Shalom Hartman Institute's online iEngage class: http://static.hartman.org.il/dev/uploads/2020/03/iEngage5-_Online-learning-flyer-0320_final.pdf?mc_cid=a64a52da4b&mc_eid=18e469e147&mc_cid=a090cea215&mc_eid=%5bUNIQID%5d

Apr 23, 202041 min

#7: No mosque for Ramadan, no church for Easter, no shul for Passover. Now what?

Featuring Rev. Laura Everett (Massachusetts Council of Churches), Maggie Siddiqi (Center for American Progress), and Yehuda Kurtzer (Shalom Hartman Institute). Mentioned in this episode: https://religionnews.com/2020/04/09/a-holy-week-disrupted-by-death-answered-by-an-honest-easter/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/17/opinions/coronavirus-faith-leaders-showing-the-way/index.html

Apr 14, 202038 min
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