Identity/Crisis

Could lessons from ancient politics help shape Israel’s future?

As Israel heads toward its October 2026 election, Yehuda Kurtzer talks with author and historian Amotz Asa-El to explore what ancient Jewish political failures can teach us about Israel’s current crossroads. Drawing on Asa-El’s book, The Jewish March of Folly (newly out in English), they examine the dangers of tribalism, the challenges of democracy, and the question of whether Jewish politics can balance power with moral purpose.

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Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Watch select sessions from our summer learning in Jerusalem.

Did Yiddish ever really die?

On this re-release of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Rukhl
Schaechter, editor of the Yiddish Forverts, to explore the surprising renaissance of the Yiddish language—from new dictionaries and online media to Duolingo learners and Hasidic vernacular. Together they discuss what is drawing people back to the language, how Yiddish carries culture across generations, and why so many Jews are using it to seek connections to their roots in a moment of renewed searching.

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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 Center for 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.



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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.

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.



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Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week:

Learn here how Siach helps young Jews grapple with big questions.

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