Identity/Crisis

At a time of rising political fear and social distrust, how can kindness become more than a private virtue?

For this special episode, recorded live in San Francisco last month, Yehuda Kurtzer delivered the Hartman Institute’s inaugural Dan Rubin Memorial Lecture. He argues that Jewish tradition elevates acts of loving-kindness from a personal ethic to a foundation for building a healthy society. Drawing on rabbinic texts, the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr., and modern democratic thought, he explores whether kindness can function as a genuine political value rather than merely a form of civility. What would it mean to practice moral courage, resist fear, and build communities capable of sustaining both disagreement and democracy?

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

As debates over Israel reshape Jewish communal life, who gets
included in the conversation and who gets pushed outside the tent?

Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with John Ruskay, executive vice president
emeritus of the UJA-Federation of New York, to discuss Ruskay’s decision
to join J Street's Jewish Communal Advisory Council – a group formed this fall to advance a vision of Israel and the U.S.-Israel relationship rooted in shared Jewish and democratic values. Together, they explore what the council formation reveals about the state of American Jewish institutions, the difference between Israel advocacy and Israel education, and whether
communities can remain cohesive amid profound disagreement. At a moment of political polarization and rising anxiety around the future of a democratic Israel, what does Jewish solidarity require?

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.
JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

In an age of rising hate speech, can liberalism protect the Jews?

Yehuda Kurtzer and historian James Loeffler explore why antisemitism has remained a persistent feature of American life, even during periods when Jews appeared more secure and accepted than ever before. Drawing on Loeffler's new book, Exceptional Hatred: Antisemitism and the Fight over Free Speech in Modern America, they trace the history of antisemitism in the U.S. and consider its latest manifestations on college campuses, in politics, and across public life. What can this history teach us about the strengths, limits, and responsibilities of American democracy today?

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:

Join us for the ordination ceremony of the first graduates of Rabbanut North America.

With Israel's elections just weeks away, what
vision for the country's future will ultimately prevail?

In this episode, the third installment of our Israel/Today mini-series, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Israeli journalist Tamar Ish-Shalom. They examine Benjamin Netanyahu's enduring political strength despite mounting public criticism, Israel’s international isolation, and unresolved questions of accountability following October 7. Together, they explore the forces shaping voter behavior, the growing influence of fear and conspiracy thinking, and the competing visions for Israeli society
three years after October 7.

We want your questions and comments for our upcoming listener
mailbag episode. Send voice memos and emails to identitycrisis@shalomhartman.org

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:

Vote in the Signal Listener’s Choice Awards for our podcast mini-series Thoughts and Prayers by October 15!

Register to learn with Tal Becker and Abigail Pogrebin on October 27 in New York City.

Three years after October 7, what are Israel’s possibilities for healing, renewal, and a different future?

In this episode, the second of our mini-series Israel/Today, Yehuda Kurtzer and journalist Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on how trauma, memory, and fear have reshaped Israeli society and Jewish identity. They examine the competing stories emerging from October 7, the tensions between power and victimhood, and the moral challenges facing Israel as it approaches a pivotal election. Along the way, they consider what a renewed Zionist vision might look like and how October 7 may ultimately be remembered by future generations.

We want your questions and comments for our upcoming listener mailbag episode.

Send voice memos and emails to identitycrisis@shalomhartman.org

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:

Register for Jewish Storytelling at a Time of Extremism with Yossi Klein Halevi and Yardena Schwartz.