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  • When Mysticism Goes Mainstream — with Daniel Matt

    When Mysticism Goes Mainstream — with Daniel Matt
    2026/05/05
    When a mystical tradition meant for an elite few becomes a popular spiritual practice — what is gained and what is lost? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, guest host Deborah Barer is joined by scholar of Kabbalah Daniel Matt for a conversation about the Omer and the modern turn toward mindfulness and self‑improvement. Tracing the journey of the Zohar from esoteric text to widely accessible guide, they explore what is gained—and what may be lost—when contemplations of the divine are redirected inward, toward the self. Along the way, they ask how Jewish mysticism understands responsibility, ethics, and community, and what it might mean to carry “new ancient words” from the wilderness of the Omer toward revelation at Sinai. 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 how Hartman is building the pipeline of young Jewish leadership.
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    46 分
  • Jewish Life in an Illiberal Age— with Jeffrey Goldberg

    Jewish Life in an Illiberal Age— with Jeffrey Goldberg
    2026/04/28
    As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, what does this moment reveal about the future of the American- Jewish experiment? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by The Atlantic’s editor‑in‑chief Jeffrey Goldberg for a conversation about American-Jewish power, flourishing, and fear. Reflecting on the unprecedented success of Jewish life in the United States — and the growing sense that the liberal project that made it possible is under strain — they wrestle with antisemitism before and after October 7, the erosion of pluralism from both the right and the left, and the enduring Jewish tension between pessimism and hope. This conversation was recorded at an event convened by the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Washington, DC center for Judaism, Israel, and Public Policy, at the Capital Jewish Museum on April 16th. 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 分
  • The Afterlife of Antisemitism — with Flora Cassen

    The Afterlife of Antisemitism — with Flora Cassen
    2026/04/21
    What does it mean to inherit Europe’s Jewish past while living through antisemitism’s unsettling return in the present? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with historian and author Flora Cassen to explore the differences between European and American Jewish life, the promises and limits of Holocaust memory, and the ways antisemitism resurfaces across political and cultural contexts. The conversation moves between history and memoir, asking how Jews make sense of power, vulnerability, and belonging in a moment when old assumptions no longer feel secure. You can find Flora’s book HERE Register for Flora's book talk, Past as Prologue: Rethinking Antisemitism Today with Flora Cassen and Arno Rosenfeld, presented in partnership with the Forward HERE. 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 to join Yossi Klein Halevi in Vancouver, Detroit, and Palo Alto and Yehuda Kurtzer in Toronto!
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    52 分
  • Why Do We Pray?

    Why Do We Pray?
    2026/04/14
    For many modern Jews, prayer raises more questions than answers. In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer reflects on Hartman’s latest limited podcast series Thoughts & Prayers, and explores some of the central questions facing modern Jewish spiritual life: What does prayer do? Is it about God, or about other people? What happens when prayer becomes entangled with politics, identity, and belonging? Drawing on stories and voices from across the series, this special Identity/Crisis episode offers a compelling meditation on prayer as a practice of relationship, responsibility, and Jewish peoplehood. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. You can listen to the full series of Thoughts and Prayers HERE. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
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    39 分
  • Staying Human in the Age of AI — with David Zvi Kalman (Re-release)

    Staying Human in the Age of AI — with David Zvi Kalman (Re-release)
    2026/04/07
    This episode was originally released on October 13, 2025 At a time of unprecedented leaps in technology and ethical questions about artificial intelligence, one scholar seeks answers from an unlikely source — ancient Jewish wisdom.In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer talks with technology guru, Hartman scholar, and founding Identity/Crisis Producer David Zvi Kalman about the religious and ethical dilemmas AI poses for Jewish life — from sermons written by bots to the erosion of truth and authority. This thoughtful conversation is for anyone wondering whether Judaism can move fast enough to meet technology’s challenges while preserving the core Jewish value of human dignity. 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 分
  • A Hollywood Midrash: The Making of The Prince of Egypt

    A Hollywood Midrash: The Making of The Prince of Egypt
    2026/03/31
    Can a Hollywood blockbuster be the most important piece of Passover liturgy produced in a generation? On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Rabbi Professor Burt Visotzky, Appelman Professor Emeritus of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary and a lead consultant to the makers of The Prince of Egypt. Together they examine the 1998 DreamWorks film as both cultural artifact and sacred text. They unpack the film's interpretive choices — from casting the voice of God to the rewriting of an Oscar-winning lyric — and ask why this movie has quietly entered the Jewish ritual calendar as essential Pesach viewing. Learn more about our guest here. 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 newest issue of Sources and subscribe to the print edition.
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    54 分
  • What Do We Owe the Stranger? — with Seyla Benhabib

    What Do We Owe the Stranger? — with Seyla Benhabib
    2026/03/24
    What happens when liberal democracies stop seeing dignity as a universal right and begin treating it as something reserved for insiders? On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with political philosopher Seyla Benhabib to explore the moral, political, and philosophical stakes of migration, borders, and belonging in America today. Against the backdrop of rising cruelty toward immigrants, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable people, they examine what happens when states retreat from their highest ideals and redraw the boundaries of who counts. Together, they discuss the fragility of human rights, the difference between borders and belonging, and why Jews—shaped by memories of statelessness, displacement, and exclusion—must take these questions seriously. This special live episode of Identity/Crisis was recorded as part of In the Face of Cruelty: Jewish Responsibilities to Neighbors and Strangers, a virtual day of learning on March 12, 2026. 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 to hear Masua Sagiv on Get Your Phil
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    45 分
  • The Zionist Paratroopers and the Meaning of Heroism — with Matti Friedman

    The Zionist Paratroopers and the Meaning of Heroism — with Matti Friedman
    2026/03/17
    What do our narratives of heroism do for the Jewish people—and what do they hide? On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with journalist and author Matti Friedman to discuss his new book, Out of the Sky: a story about the Zionist paratroopers sent into Europe during World War II. Together they explore the uneasy relationship between myth and history: how failed missions become national legend, why Jewish heroism became so central to Zionist self-understanding, and what gets lost when real people are turned into symbols. 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 our summer programs for lay leaders, rabbis, and educators! Secure your spot at the Florida Leadership Conference this Sunday!
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    45 分