For Heaven's Sake

What happens to a nation's psyche when the basic need to breathe is blocked by the geopolitical reality of an endless war?  

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore this dreamlike summer interlude where Israeli life appears suspended between political campaign trails and impending regional conflict. They parse the deep frustration of a public realizing that its historic moment of deterrence may have slipped away, the dangerous escalations threatening international shipping lanes and neighboring countries, and an unsteady order where tactical firefighting has replaced genuine strategy.  ____

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Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. 

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Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: 

Learn here how Siach helps young Jews grapple with big questions. 

Is it possible to rebuild a shared national vision when a society remains deeply traumatized and divided over its own moral obligations?

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine the newly announced October election date and look beyond immediate legislative battles to articulate the change they truly hope for. They dissect the urgent structural need to undo mass ultra-Orthodox military exemptions, explore how to restore national accountability through an independent commission of inquiry into October 7th, and confront the total breakdown of principled moral discourse in the public square. Rather than focusing purely on political survival, they lay out a framework centered on repairing systemic damage, restoring civic responsibility, and reclaiming long-term vision. ____

Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. 

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org.

For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST.

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

Hello For Heaven’s Sake listeners. We are adjusting our publishing schedule this week, and you won’t see an episode in your feed today. Please make sure you are subscribed to us wherever you get your podcasts, so new episodes download automatically as soon as they are released.  

Thank you for listening to For Heaven's Sake.  ___

Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel.  

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. 

For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. 

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. 

What do four political earthquakes in a single week - as the Knesset is on the brink of dissolving -reveal about the election that will define Israel's future? 

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi open Israel's election season by mapping the upheaval: the sudden formation of new parties, Gadi Eisenkot's rise to rival Likud as Naftali Bennett fades, a blitz of contentious legislation, and a government openly declaring it will defy the Supreme Court. Together they ask what Israelis actually want and whether this moment marks the true end of the Netanyahu era. A clear-eyed guide to the opening shot of the most consequential election in years. 

Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel.  

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. 

For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. 

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. 

Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: 

Read Covenant & Country: Jewish in America, the newest issue of Sources. 

Watch our summer live streams HERE

Is Israel’s social contract breaking under the weight of the ultra-Orthodox draft exemption?

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect the explosive civic and theological crisis surrounding the ultra-Orthodox draft exemption in Israel. They examine the historical roots of Haredi separatism, the post-October 7th need for additional soldiers, and the sense of mutual betrayal gripping secular and ultra-Orthodox communities.

Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. 

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org.

For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST.

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week:

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What do American Jews owe Israel when their own political and moral worlds feel under threat? 

In this episode, recorded live from our Beit Midrash in Jerusalem as part of Hartman’s Community Leadership Program, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront recent flashpoints in the Jewish-American relationship: new data from the Pew Research Center on declining favorability of Israel among Americans, Vice President Vance’s public break with Israel, and anti-Israel winners in multiple primaries in New York City, where the mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is under fire for controversial comments about AIPAC. 

Together, they unpack the severe erosion of Israel's international standing, investigate the deep political dilemmas confronting North American Jewry, and debate whether the Jewish state must drastically change its trajectory to win back hearts and minds. Ultimately, they reflect on what is required to heal this growing divide, challenging both diaspora communities and Israeli leadership to reclaim a unified moral vision. 

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Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel.  

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. 

For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. 

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. 

Hello For Heaven’s Sake listeners. We are adjusting our publishing schedule this week, and you won’t see an episode in your feed today because we will be livestreaming our show from the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Community Leadership Program in Jerusalem on Wednesday, June 24 at 12:00PM ET. You can tune in to watch it here.

The audio episode of the livestream will be released this Friday. Please make sure you are subscribed to us wherever you get your podcasts, so new episodes download automatically as soon as they are released.  

Thank you for listening to For Heaven's Sake. 

____

Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel.  

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. 

For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. 

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. 

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back. ____

Why is Israel’s next election being driven more by fear than hope?

Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi join Dan Senor to discuss the emotional forces shaping Israel's coming election. As Israelis prepare to vote, different communities are carrying different traumas, fears, and visions for the country's future, from tensions over Arab and Haredi political power to questions of national unity, leadership, and diminishing hope that life there can improve. They also consider whether Israelis can rediscover the unity of October 8th and what Israelis and diaspora Jews are each looking for in the country's next leader.

Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel.  

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. 

For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. 

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. 

If Israel has successfully degraded the capabilities of Hamas and Hezbollah, why do so many Israelis feel less safe today than they did a year ago? 

In this episode, following a resumption of fire between Israel and Iran, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore the deep strategic divide over Israel's military progress. They assess the looming threat of a resurgent, economically rehabilitated Iran and investigate the failures of both military hubris and international diplomacy in an urgent examination of what happens when a country finds itself trapped between the futility of endless conflict and the illusion of easy political solutions. 

Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel.  

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. 

For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. 

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. 

Can American Jews define themselves through love of both Israel and America?

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack a parade transformed by October 7, Mamdani's boycott, and how a historically innocuous parade has transformed into a profound act of defiance and vulnerability. They explore America as a "nation of nationalities" and its special place in Jewish identity, and Israel's obligation to celebrate world Jewry rather than simply demand its support.

Ultimately, they challenge the Jewish community to reclaim an unmediated sense of pride, refusing to let enemies dictate the terms of their joy and connection.

Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel. 

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org.

For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST.

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

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.