Every other week, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch hosts intellectually honest conversations unpacking current events through the lens of Jewish wisdom and values. Unbound by politics and untethered by party lines, Ammi and his distinguished guests discuss everything from foreign affairs and antisemitism to politics and pop culture. This show is recorded from New York’s Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, a historic Reform congregation deeply rooted in liberalism, support for Israel and social justice.
As part of our NYC Mayoral Forum, Democratic candidate Scott Stringer joins Rabbi Ammi Hirsch to discuss his Jewish values and his commitment to Zionism and to share his vision for a more affordable and better-run New York City. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
As part of our NYC Mayoral Forum, Democratic candidate and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander joins our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch to discuss how his liberal Jewish values inform his immigration activism, his fight against antisemitism and for peace in the Middle East, and his vision for New York City. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
The founders of The Free Press, Bari Weiss and Nellie Bowles sit down with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch to discuss their new media company, their Jewish journey, and several of the central challenges facing the American Jewish community. This conversation was recorded live during the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue Spring Benefit on May 18, 2025. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
New York's former governor and the front runner in New York City's mayoral race, Andrew Cuomo speaks with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch about the state of the city, his decades-long support of Israel and the Jewish community, and surging antisemitism in America. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
The student body president of UC Santa Barbara and a proud Zionist, Tessa Veksler faced a barrage of hate and narrowly survived an attempt to oust her from office. Her experience is both a warning for young Jews heading to campus and an example of what real leadership looks like. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Israeli politics have become increasingly complicated and divisive. The Times of Israel's founding editor and returning guest David Horovitz helps us understand Israel’s internal and external struggles — the unifying fabric of Israeli society and the major debates pulling at the seams. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch is the guest on this special episode hosted by David Harris, past CEO of the American Jewish Committee and Jewish Broadcasting Service TV's strategic analyst. Ammi discusses the state of American Reform Judaism and the new reality liberal Jews face in the wake of October 7th. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
There's something so Jewish about using laughter to cope. British comedian, public thinker and author David Baddiel finds the humor in the world, discussing everything from comedy to antisemitism to politics. And he makes plenty of jokes. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
The chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, retired U.S. Army Major John Spencer discusses the uniquely and unprecedentedly evil tactics that Hamas has employed in Gaza to maximize civilian casualties and collateral damage in pursuit of its political and military goals. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
Martin Luther King Jr.'s biographer felt like people were yearning to strip away the mythology surrounding the civil rights leader and reconnect with his humanity. Jonathan Eig brings King back into focus — as a religious leader and a social justice activist — and discusses the evolution of the Black-Jewish partnership in the years after King's assassination. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
An expert on foreign affairs, Prof. Walter Russel Mead thinks we're heading into uniquely unstable times. He offers a historical analysis of America's relationship with the Jews, the Jewish state, and how the U.S. approaches the rest of the world. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
An exceptionally talented novelist, journalist and activist, Lihi Lapid is also the wife of Israel's opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Her latest book, "On Her Own," bares the Sabra soul. And despite boycotts by the literary community, she hopes it will expose new readers to the grief, longing and love at the heart of the Israeli experience... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
The lighting rebel advance that toppled Syria's Assad regime came seemingly out of left field. Dr. Jonathan Spyer, one of the world's foremost experts on the Levant, helps explain how it happened and what this revolution could mean for Syria and the rest of the world. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Israel is fighting a war not only on the battlefield but also in the courtroom, where the Jewish state has been misrepresented, maligned and accused of perpetrating the worst crimes against humanity. Legal expert Natasha Hausdorff helps us understand how international law applies to Israel during this war and the ways the law has been corrupted and weaponized. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks and Democratic Majority for Israel President Mark Mellman unpack the results of the 2024 presidential election and help us understand the issues that drove American voters to choose Donald Trump over Kamala Harris. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Watching Israel's war with Hamas unfold, Eylon Levy was surprised by the government's ineptitude in the media and decided to volunteer interviews from his living room. Within a week, he was working as an official spokesperson for the prime minister. Now, again, a private citizen, Eylon continues to make the case for Israel abroad as he tries to convince Israelis to take the information war seriously. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
Rudy Rochman visits campuses and other hotbeds of anti-Israel activity and engages the other side with incredible equanimity — even in the face of the seething mob. His videos have garnered millions of views on social media, but Rudy doesn't do it for the likes; he wants to change hearts and minds and bring light to wherever there is darkness… Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
Israel is finding itself increasingly alone as it fights for the future of the free world. French Jewish philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy accuses the West of cowardice in the face of a powerful coalition of Islamist forces and the promulgation of infectious and illiberal ideas at home. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur discusses the need for deeper engagement in the Jewish community, our historical resilience, and the impact of October 7th. He reminds us we are the strongest Jews in history — heirs to those who worked, bled and sacrificed to give us Israel and American Jewry. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Embattled Columbia Business School Prof. Shai Davidai and newly minted Barnard graduate Noa Fay discuss the crisis that has been unfolding on their campus. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Former Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin contextualizes the ongoing war with Hamas, evaluates Israel's strategic goals, and helps us understand the regional and international situation. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Nazi hunter Dr. Elizabeth "Barry" White and Polish historian Dr. Joanna Sliwa set out to verify Jewish Polish mathematician Janina Mehlberg’s incredible claims that she survived the Holocaust by posing as the Countess Suchodolska and saved some 10,000 Poles from the Majdanek concentration camp... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Bret Stephens helps us understand the White House's attitude toward Israel, the major political currents in America that seem to be leaving Jews behind, and a new national ideology that values identity and even victimhood over character and achievement... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
Forced to marry a man whom she later discovered was a member of Al Qaeda, Yasmine Mohammed eventually found the strength to break away from radical Islam and cut ties with her abusive, fundamentalist family. Today her story continues to inspire people around the world as she works to help free other hearts and minds. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
A true friend of both the Jewish community and the Jewish state, there's nothing in Congressman Ritchie Torres' background that would have predicted the millennial Democrat would become such an outspoken advocate for Israel. Rep. Torres challenges the narrative around what's happening with the U.S.-Israel relationship in Washington and within his party — and reveals how much support we really have. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
One of the central players in Egypt's 2011 revolution, Dalia Ziada was forced to flee her homeland after voicing support for Israel in the wake of October 7th. Speaking with Rabbi Hirsch from an undisclosed location, this brave activist and analyst helps us unpack the fraught Egyptian-Israeli relationship and contextualize Arab states' proclaimed support for Hamas. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
Dr. Ora Hirsch Pescovitz is the president of Oakland University and was among the first to issue a statement condemning the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. Rabbi Ammi Hirsch's older sister helps us understand the atmosphere on American college campuses today and why so many university administrations have tolerated a deteriorating situation for Jewish students. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
One of the Jewish world's great thinkers, writers and podcasters, Liel Leibovitz discusses his ideological homelessness, Judaism’s life-changing potential, and the problem with American universities in the wake of October 7th. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Celebrated biographer of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Kai Bird discusses the brilliant physicist's triumph, tragedy and legacy. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
The massacre on October 7th was a turning point in history. Political analyst Ari Shavit discusses the immeasurable and long-lasting consequences this war will have for Israel and the Western world. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
