Identity/Crisis

As university life becomes increasingly volatile for Jewish students, Jewish leaders and institutions on campus are faced with the challenge of supporting and empowering students in navigating tumultuous times. This week, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Jason Rubenstein, chaplain at Yale University and future executive director of Harvard Hillel, about the dynamics of Jewish student life and role of Hillels in creating spaces for Jewish students to learn, lead, and live in diverse and pluralistic communities. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Celebrating Jewish redemption on Passover this year feels nearly impossible, while the Israel-Hamas war rages on and so many hostages remain in captivity. Can the Exodus story and the raw pain of the current moment exist together at the seder table? In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer turns to president of Hebrew College, Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, to share her thinking on intergenerational disagreements, communal boundaries, prayer, and freedom as we approach the holiday. In Every Generation Haggadah Supplements You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

As we mark 6 months since October 7 and approach the holiday of Passover, questions of communal memory feel more critical than ever. This week, guest host Sara Labaton speaks with Raquel Ukeles, Head of Collections at the National Library of Israel, about how the library is grappling with preservation, ownership, stewardship, and accessibility while creating a physical and cultural gathering place that represents all the communities whose heritage it houses.      You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

The organizations that constitute the Jewish world—schools, synagogues, social service agencies, philanthropic institutions, and more—keep Judaism alive, yet not everyone who works in that world is Jewish. In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Darin McKeever, CEO of the William Davidson Foundation, about his experience leading a Jewish organization as a non-Jew, navigating Jewish culture, Israeli politics, and questions of identity and belonging.    You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Jewish organizations are finding it increasingly challenging to represent the wide diversity of North American perspectives on Zionism. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with David Matlow about his lawsuit against the Toronto Zionist Council and the responsibilities of Zionist organizations in their representation of the voices of the Jewish people. This episode of Identity/Crisis is sponsored by the Howard and Irene Levine Family Foundation You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Antisemitism on college campuses has seen a dramatic uptick in recent months. In an attempt to pressure U.C. Berkeley’s administration to address this issue, Ron Hassner, a professor of political science and the Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel Studies, is staging a sleep-in protest. In this week’s episode, Yehuda Kurtzer talks with Ron about his act of protest, what he wants from the Berkeley administration, and the importance of free speech, especially on university campuses.      You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

After the single largest attack on Israeli civilians in its history, Israeli music has taken on the complicated, often conflicting feelings of the country itself. This week, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Lior Zaltzman, deputy managing editor of Kveller, about how Israeli music has been used to express the emotions of the country throughout history, and the ways it has changed since October 7. A playlist of the songs discussed in this episode can be found at the link below.    Episode Playlist    Ruach Halochamot Tenatzeach (youtube)    Sponsor a podcast episode    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Unlike past wars, the war in Gaza has been surrounded by so much media noise that even talking about it can feel paralyzing. As death counts rise, fear and anger breeds, and the endless news cycle drones on. In this week’s episode, Yehuda Kurtzer reflects on his 3 trips to Israel since the start of the war, the changes he’s witnessed in Israeli society, and how he is cutting through all the noise. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

The months since October 7th have brought tremendous grief, loss, uncertainty, and fear to North American Jewish communities. Jewish community leaders are working tirelessly to support their communities through these trying times. In early February, alumni of The Wexner Foundation’s fellowships for Jewish professional leadership gathered at their annual conference. This week’s guest host, Maital Friedman, spoke with seven of these leaders about the challenges they’re facing, the questions they’re asking, and how they are forging a path forward.     Guests featured on this episode: Ilana Aisen, CEO of JPro Jacob Feinspan, Executive Director of Jews United for Justice Erica Frankel, Executive Director of the Office of Innovation and co-founder of Kehillat Harlem Rachael Fried, Executive Director of JQY (Jewish Queer Youth) Dalit Horn, Executive Director of the Vilna Shul Daniel Olson, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research at the National Ramah Commission Adam Weisberg, Executive Director of Urban Adamah You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

What do we learn from reversing the genders of Biblical characters and reworking the text to center on the feminine? With their ambitious project Toratah – the Regendered Bible, Yael Kanarek and Tamar Biala seek to find out. They offer a matriarchal structure, female characters, and feminine divinity that contrasts with a sacred text that has been dominated by masculinity and male characters for millennia. Yael and Tamar join Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss the process of regendering the Torah and the new and unexpected perspectives that Toratah reveals through transformative language.    Read texts from Toratah and learn more about the project HERE.    Get tickets to attend the Songs of Toratah: Album Release Concert HERE.    You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

As Israeli society grapples with the aftermath of October 7th, Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum is among the religious leaders rising to the challenge of providing spiritual, pastoral, and psychosocial support to evacuees, wounded soldiers, families of hostages, and others affected by the trauma of the attacks and the war. In this week's episode, she joins Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss her recent experiences and personal insights as a rabbi navigating communal grief, maintaining a spiritual position towards peace, and digging into the Jewish tradition for answers.  Tamar’s rabbinic work was highlighted on NPR’s Morning Edition.     Sponsor a podcast episode    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

This week, Identity/Crisis is excited to share the first episode of Hartman’s newest podcast: TEXTing with Elana Stein Hain. On each episode Elana delves deeply into the issues of our day through the lens of classical Jewish texts, in conversation with Hartman scholars Christine Hayes, Yonah Hain, or Leora Batnitzky.    In this first episode of TEXTing, Elana and Christine turn to the Talmud in tractate Hagigah to address the shock, disbelief, alienation, and despair Jews around the world are experiencing in the wake of October 7 and throughout the subsequent Israel-Hamas War.    We are grateful to the Walder Charitable Fund and Micah Philanthropies for their generous support of TEXTing.    This episode is also sponsored by Erica Schacter Schwartz    Episode Source Sheet    You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more.    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Jews around the world hold deep moral commitments that are often in conflict. In the face of this kind of communal division, how can we foster a coherent sense of peoplehood? Is there an overarching narrative that deepens and enriches Jewish life while connecting Jews across oceans and ideological differences? Donniel Hartman tackles these existential questions of Jewish peoplehood in his newest book, Who Are the Jews — And Who Can We Become? In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer and Donniel discuss the book and the core issues it explores, ultimately addressing what it means - and what it takes - to be a Jewish people today.     Sponsor a podcast episode  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS     Link to purchase the book

The relationship of many Jews to top tier American universities has recently undergone a transformation from an aspiration to study at an ivy league institution to a desire to join more hospitable campuses. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Mark Oppenheimer to examine the longstanding and evolving relationship between Jews and American universities as well as antisemitism, civil discourse, and belonging on campus.     Gatecrashers, a Tablet podcast hosted by Mark Oppenheimer  Sponsor a podcast episode    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

How do we address the devastating intersection of legitimate war and human rights catastrophe? Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Yehudah Mirsky, professor, author, and former special advisor to the US State Department Human Rights Bureau, for a master class on the trajectory, impact, and underlying values of the human rights discourse. They explore what shapes our understanding and assumptions of human rights and where liberal, universalist ideals overlap with Zionism, Jewishness, and Jewish values on the world stage today.      Mentioned in this episode:     Hannah Arendt: The Rights of Man, the Political Community, Judgment and Recognition | SpringerLink By Hannah Arendt   Human rights died in Gaza - UnHerd  by Yehudah Mirsky    Believe Israeli Women - Identity/Crisis | Podcast on Spotify    #51: Genocide, Antisemitism, and the Nomenclature of Hatred - Identity/Crisis | Podcast on Spotify     (PDF) The Last Utopia: Human Rights in History by Samuel Moyn (researchgate.net)    (PDF) Durkheim's 'Individualism and the Intellectuals | steven lukes - Academia.edu     Why Hamas Killers Invoked God’s Name, Not the Liberation of Palestine - Israel News - Haaretz.com by Anshel Pfeffer (behind a paywall)    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

During this tumultuous and difficult year, what have we learned about how we relate to Judaism, the Jewish people, Israel, and the world? In this final episode of 2023, Yehuda Kurtzer uses selections from Identity/Crisis episodes over the past year to guide us through key moments and ideas. Beginning with concerns over Israel’s democracy, he explores what characterizes North American Judaism before delving into the devastation of October 7 and the subsequent war, ultimately reflecting on the lessons we have learned.     Previous episodes of Identity/Crisis mentioned in this episode:  Tehila Friedman, Hole in the Center of Israeli Society | January 17, 2023  Rana Fahoum, Envisioning Shared Society | January 10, 2023  Mishael Zion, How to Run a Seder | April 4, 2023  Matti Friedman, Zion’s Roads are in Mourning |July 27, 2023  Rachel Isaacs, Small Town American Judaism |June 19, 2023  Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield, From Kharkiv to New York | February 27, 2023  Hannah Lebovitz, Lessons on Housing insecurity | September 27, 2023  Eliot Cosgrove, The Case for Commandments | May 9, 2023  Rabbi David Wolpe, The Art of the Sermon | September 12, 2023  Various voices, A Nation That Can’t Sleep | October 11, 2023  Shira Berkowitz, When Jews Show Up | November 28, 2023  Eric Fingerhut, The Jewish Establishment and Its Critics | August 29, 2023  Gali Cooks, The Jewish Leadership Pipeline Problem | July 17, 2023  Tal Becker, Fighting a Just War |November 14, 2023  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Today’s episode involves discussion of sexual assault and other violent themes connected to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. Listener discretion is advised.     In the aftermath of Hamas’s heinous televised attack, Cochav Elkayam-Levy, law professor and expert on international law, human rights, and feminist theory, became the Chair of Israel’s Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children. One week after meeting with White House officials, she spoke with Yehuda Kurtzer about her work to compile a comprehensive accounting of gender-based violence committed by Hamas and the heartbreaking struggle for recognition that she is facing in the international arena.    Cochav Elkayam-Levy speaking before the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.     JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS     Sponsor an upcoming episode of Identity/Crisis. Click here to learn more.

How did Hanukkah transform from a story about a military conquest and temple rededication into the festival of lights that we celebrate today? In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer studies texts about Hanukkah with Joshua Kulp, senior scholar at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem and scholar of ancient Judaism. They argue about the meaning of Hanukkah as they explore the rabbinic relationship with militarism as well as historical and religious interpretations of the events connected to the Hanukkah story.    Source sheet coming soon.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Across the United States, students are rallying and advocating for their perspectives about the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. Campus conversations and environments are becoming increasingly hostile with many Jewish students reporting feeling unsafe. In this week’s episode, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Mijal Bitton, research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and Rosh Kehilla (communal leader) and co-founder of the Downtown Minyan in New York City to probe the term ‘safety’ and how it interacts with the discomfort that a diverse, liberal education should engender. They ask: when is discomfort productive, when is it unproductive, and when does it cross the line to dangerous? They consider the purpose of universities as well as if and how Jews can continue to exist within, and even improve, systems that don’t see us.    Mijal Bitton’s Speech at the March on Washington  Mijal Bitton’s Speech at a rally at NYU  Yascha Mounk, mentioned by Mijal Bitton  Mijal Bitton’s article in opposition to the Women’s March, 2019  Avishai Margalit On Compromise and On Rotten Compromises   Harper’s letter on justice and open debate  Letter in response to Harper’s letter   Message from Northwestern’s President Schill to Senior Leadership  University of Chicago’s approach to free speech - The Kalven Report (1967)  University of Chicago’s “Statement,” October 9, 2023  Letter signed by 500 Columbia professors    You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. We will acknowledge your gift on a future episode.    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

What does it mean for 290,000 Jews from all over North America to show up on the National Mall? In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer reflects on the significance of the historic gathering in Washington, DC on November 14. Punctuated by recordings of fellow demonstrators and colleagues, he recounts his experiences at the rally, explores what it means to show up, and considers how this gathering might be remembered.      JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS