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.
New York Times national political reporter Adam Adam Nagourney discusses his new unauthorized history of The Grey Lady over the past four decades and the pursuit of truth in our turbulent times. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Alongside the shock, mourning, grief, and mobilization of war, there is also revelation. Returning guest Dr. Einat Wilf and author and editor David Hazony discuss the aftermath of October 7's "Black Sabbath" and its implications for the future of the Jewish people. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Acclaimed author Dara Horn explores the reasons “people love dead Jews” — and why the idea of Jewish power makes non-Jewish society so uncomfortable. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
The Jerusalem Post's military correspondent for nearly a decade and its editor-in-chief for seven years, Yaakov Katz helps us understand how Israel ended up in this war and what might happen next... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
With Israel at war, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch delivers a blunt yet uplifting message answering the question on all our minds: "What can we do?" Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
The civil unrest in Israel — centering around the judicial overhaul — is an unprecedented existential crisis that threatens to tear the country apart. Daniel Gordis has been one of Israel's most unabashed advocates. But today, he's calling on diaspora Jews to get involved in ways he never has before... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
In this special episode, we air Rabbi Ammi Hirsch's keynote speech from Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism, a historic grassroots gathering of some 300 Reform leaders at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue to address the key challenges facing the movement. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Retired General Wesley K. Clark is a warrior and a scholar. Amid a rising tide of authoritarianism washing across the globe, the former NATO supreme allied commander helps us understand the defining global conflicts of our times — and how democracy can prevail. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Tablet Magazine Editor-in-Chief Alana Newhouse believes the real debate today is not between the left and the right, but rather between those who think there's something fundamentally broken in America and those who do not. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
One of the main architects of the Abraham Accords, Jason D. Greenblatt discusses his appointment by President Trump as special envoy for the Middle East and how the failed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan gave way to a different kind of peace for the region. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
During his six terms in Congress, Ted Deutch saw so much effort being poured into performative and pugnacious politics at the expense of the greater good. Now, as the new CEO of the American Jewish Committee, he's committed to building a strong center that strengthens us all. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Why is a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so elusive? Dr. Einat Wilf thinks the answer is simple, but that we've been unwilling to accept it. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
The best-known documentary filmmaker in the world, Ken Burns is a master storyteller — and a patriot in the truest sense. His 35 films on subjects such as baseball, jazz, Mark Twain, the Civil War, and now the U.S. and the Holocaust see our country not only for what it is, but what it could be... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
As the head of the Jewish Federations of North America, former U.S. Congressman Eric Fingerhut bears the responsibility of working with partners who often don't see eye to eye. He views that cooperation as key to the success of the Jewish community in America. (This interview was recorded in November 2022, before the latest developments in Israel.) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
Michelle Goldberg has her finger on the pulse of the progressive left. The New York Times columnist sits down with our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch to discuss American politics, COVID-19 policies and Israel. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Perhaps today’s most prominent advocate for COVID-19 vaccines, Dr. Peter J. Hotez is struggling to untangle politics, anti-science and antisemitism — and save lives. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Raised Catholic, Stephen J. Dubner discovered his family's Jewish past later in life — and Judaism called to him from within. That same inquisitive spirit implores the "Freakonomics" co-author and radio host to explore "the hidden side of everything." Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
After she left her turbulent arranged marriage of more than 20 years, her ultra-Orthodox community shunned her. Now Beatrice Weber is fighting to place her youngest son in a yeshiva that teaches more than 90 minutes of math and English a day — and for the right of all New York's Hasidic children to receive a basic education. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
Since arriving in Israel as a teenager, journalist Matti Friedman has spent his life and career trying to make sense of the Jewish state — and why it receives such outsized coverage. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
A successful businessman, a generous philanthropist and one of the Jewish world's most important leaders, Ronald S. Lauder wasn't involved in Jewish life until his experience as ambassador to post-war Austria changed him. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
In a special episode just ahead of the expected announcement of Israel's most far-right governing coalition in history, Times of Israel's founding editor David Horovitz unpacks the elections and their potential consequences for Israel and its relationship with American Jews. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Feminist icon Letty Cottin Pogrebin discusses her new book "Shanda," delving into the secrets and feelings of shame that defined her Jewish upbringing, celebrating the strides women have made, and framing the fight for the future of reproductive rights. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Does it feel like everything you read in the news is somehow slanted? Newsweek's Batya Ungar-Sargon presents her carefully researched history of American journalism and where she believes it started to go seriously wrong. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
There are some people who'd have you believe it's impossible to support liberal causes and be a Zionist. But as founder and executive director of Zioness, Amanda Berman is fighting as hard as she can to reclaim progressive spaces for Jews. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Being Jewish has always been complicated. Listen as Rabbi Ammi Hirsch and Shalom Hartman Institute’s “Identity/Crisis” podcast host Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer examine how the success of assimilation has made negotiating our modern Jewish identities more complex. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Julia Jassey didn’t set out to lead the charge against antisemitism on college campuses, but a brush with casual Jew-hatred her freshman year changed the course of her life. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
An eloquent advocate for peace and coexistence, Yossi Klein Halevi didn't start out that way. Hear how this former militant Jewish extremist is reaching across the divide to model a new kind of conversation between Jewish Israelis and Palestinians. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
What happens when universities prioritize the pursuit of social justice theories over the search for truth? Hear from scholar/warrior Dr. Rachel Fish, who has spent her career studying the decline of critical thought on American campuses and empowering students and faculty to fight against the pressure to conform. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
What would make a wildly successful entrepreneur switch gears and devote himself entirely to battling antisemitism? Hear how Jonathan Greenblatt went from Starbucks and the West Wing to the helm of the world’s leading anti-hate organization — the Anti-Defamation League — during these most challenging times for Jews in America. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations...
Eve Barlow was living her dream as one of the world's top music journalists when one simple tweet in support of Israel turned her world upside-down. Hear Eve's inspiring story of courage in the face of overwhelming hate — and learn how you can fight antisemitism and anti-Zionism online. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
