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Identity/Crisis

Identity/Crisis

Written by: Shalom Hartman Institute
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 In a frenzied media cycle, Identity/Crisis creates better conversations about the issues facing contemporary Jewish life. Host Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, talks with leading thinkers to unpack current events affecting Jewish communities in North America, Israel, and around the world, revealing the core Jewish values underlying the issues that matter most to you. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS Judaism Politics & Government Spirituality
Episodes
  • Power, Liberalism, and Moral Responsibility — with Shadi Hamid

    Power, Liberalism, and Moral Responsibility — with Shadi Hamid
    Jan 13 2026
    What does it mean to defend liberal democracy in a world shaped by power, domination, and moral compromise? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Washington Post columnist and author of The Case for American Power, Shadi Hamid, about whether liberal societies can wield power without betraying their own ideals. From Trump’s approach to Venezuela to the war in Gaza, their conversation asks whether restraint, morality, and democratic purpose can guide power in a fractured political moment. 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: Listen to young Israeli changemakers from our Hazon program on the Canadian Jewish News's North Star podcast.
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    51 mins
  • Reporting on Antisemitism When No One Wants to Listen — with Jesse Brown

    Reporting on Antisemitism When No One Wants to Listen — with Jesse Brown
    Jan 6 2026
    Who pays the price for identifying antisemitism? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with journalist and Canadaland host Jesse Brown about his recent series What Is Happening Here and his decision to investigate the rise of anti-Zionism and antisemitism in Canada. Together, they examine why media and political institutions have struggled to respond and what it costs to name these realities publicly. We're grateful to the Charles H. Revson Foundation for supporting the Shalom Hartman Institute's digital work, including Identity/Crisis. 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: If you read our journal Sources, complete our reader survey by January 15. Learn more about the Kogod Research Center, whose scholars develop the ideas of the Hartman Institute.
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    51 mins
  • Live at Vilna Shul: Harvard, Leadership, and Free Speech – with Alan Garber

    Live at Vilna Shul: Harvard, Leadership, and Free Speech – with Alan Garber
    Dec 30 2025
    Why have universities become flashpoints for broader cultural and political battles and what can higher education do to repair a fractured public sphere? In a conversation recorded live at the Vilna Shul in Boston, Yehuda Kurtzer and Harvard president Alan Garber reflect on leadership in a moment of crisis—exploring free speech and protest, institutional neutrality, and the rise of antisemitism on campus. As a university president and a Jew, Garber shares what worries him about the current moment, what gives him hope, and what it will take for universities—and the country—to move forward. We're grateful to the Charles H. Revson Foundation for supporting the Shalom Hartman Institute's digital work, including Identity/Crisis. 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: Learn more about and apply to the Hevruta Gap-Year Program. Learn more about and register for our 2026 Rabbinic Torah Seminar.
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    46 mins
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