Episodes

  • Beyond the Myth of Jewish Wealth – with Ilana Horwitz

    Beyond the Myth of Jewish Wealth – with Ilana Horwitz
    Jun 30 2026
    Money shapes who can access Jewish life—and who gets left out. In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with sociologist Ilana Horwitz about the overlooked reality of a quarter of American Jews living in economic vulnerability, challenging the persistent myth of universal Jewish affluence. Drawing on Horwitz’s research, they explore how class and financial instability intersect with Jewish education, communal participation, and belonging. This episode is sponsored in honor of Robert Kogod’s 95th birthday by his loving family. Read Ilana Horwitz’s article on affordability and Jewish education in Sources. 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: Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive alerts about special livestreamed programming from Jerusalem.
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    49 mins
  • Teaching Jewish History in America — with Natalia Mehlman Petrzela (Re-run)

    Teaching Jewish History in America — with Natalia Mehlman Petrzela (Re-run)
    Jun 23 2026
    This episode of Identity/Crisis was originally released on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 What does it mean to tell Jewish stories in a moment of political polarization and distortion? On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela to examine the role of the historian in public life: not to offer talking points or easy analogies, but to deepen public understanding in a time of simplification and certainty. Through a conversation about education, Jewish identity, and the place of Jews in American history, they consider why richer storytelling matters—and what it can offer to students, Jews, and the broader public. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
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    53 mins
  • Strong Beliefs and Open Minds: A Graduation Challenge — with Jonathan Kroll

    Strong Beliefs and Open Minds: A Graduation Challenge — with Jonathan Kroll
    Jun 16 2026
    In a polarized age, how do we raise young Jews who can think deeply—and listen across disagreement? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer talks with principal of SAR High School Jonathan Kroll about his recent commencement address to SAR’s graduating class of 2026, where he challenged students to embrace a “revolution of moderation,” and integrate conviction with openness. Together, they explore pluralism in Orthodox education, the formation of Jewish identity, and what it means to prepare the next generation for a divided world—without sacrificing commitment or clarity. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
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    44 mins
  • The Role of Journalism in a Post-Truth Age — with Abigail Pogrebin

    The Role of Journalism in a Post-Truth Age — with Abigail Pogrebin
    Jun 9 2026
    With the marketplace of ideas outpacing our ability to discern truth, who still cares about keeping up with journalistic standards? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with journalist Abigail Pogrebin to explore how media, authority, and public conversation are changing as traditional standards of journalism dissolve and algorithms shape what we see and believe. They turn to the Jewish community to examine how these shifts are intensifying polarization and defining who gets to speak—and who gets heard. Together, they consider what responsibility these changing standards places on those who shape public conversation to hold complexity without collapsing it. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
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    51 mins
  • The American Jewish Past and What Comes Next — with Nicholas Lemann

    The American Jewish Past and What Comes Next — with Nicholas Lemann
    Jun 2 2026
    As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, what foundational elements of the American Jewish story do we need to reframe? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer reflects on the approaching 250th anniversary of the United States with journalist and author Nicholas Lemann. Together they explore the long arc of American Jewish life—from the promise of belonging and dual identity to today’s climate of political instability and rising antisemitism. Drawing on Lemann’s sweeping family history, the subject of his new book Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries, their conversation asks what it means to inhabit both insider and outsider identities at once and what new stories—and commitments—might sustain Jewish life in America moving forward. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS Learn more about the America at 250 initiative from the Hartman Institute HERE Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Join the Hartman Beit Midrash for America at 250. Learn more about and register for Hartman's summer programs in Jerusalem.
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    51 mins
  • American Catholics, the Pope, and the Jews – with Robert George

    American Catholics, the Pope, and the Jews – with Robert George
    May 26 2026
    What does a clash between a Catholic Vice President and the Pope reveal about authority, war, and theological responsibility? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with renowned Princeton University Professor Robert George to unpack what's happening at the intersection of Catholic faith and American political power. From six Catholic Supreme Court justices to the growing appeal of traditional religion among young people, from the proper limits of papal authority to the alarming rise of antisemitism in traditionalist Catholic circles, this conversation spans two millennia of church-state entanglement to illuminate this American moment.
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    52 mins
  • When Do We Speak Up? – with Abe Foxman (Re-release)

    When Do We Speak Up? – with Abe Foxman (Re-release)
    May 19 2026
    This episode was originally released on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. This episode is in honor of Abe Foxman, z”l What does moral courage look like in an age of rising antisemitism and political polarization? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by longtime ADL leader and Holocaust survivor Abe Foxman for a raw, intergenerational conversation about fear, leadership, and the dangers of silence. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
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    51 mins
  • Rational or Reckless? War, Iran, and the Limits of Strategy— with Michael Koplow

    Rational or Reckless? War, Iran, and the Limits of Strategy— with Michael Koplow
    May 12 2026
    Are Trump, Netanyahu, and Iran acting like rational players—or are we misreading the logic of this war entirely? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Chief Policy Officer at the Israel Policy Forum, Michael Koplow to assess a volatile and uncertain moment in U.S.–Iran–Israel relations. Amid a fragile ceasefire, they explore conflicting logics and interests driving American, Israeli, and Iranian decision-making, from domestic political pressure to competing visions of regional power. Their conversation considers whether military success can translate into lasting strategic gains, how the war is reshaping Israel’s relationship with the United States, and what it means for American Jews caught between support for Israel’s legitimacy and concern about its policies. 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: Read the Kogod Research Center’s new White Paper, Building Communities of Belonging: Jewish Identity, Conversion, Intermarriage, and Adjacency.
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    50 mins