What does it mean to plant seeds for a future you may never see?

Following the death of Gloria Steinem, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Judith Rosenbaum, educator, historian, and CEO of the Jewish Women's Archive, to reflect on Steinem’s legacy, the power of feminism, and the long arc of social change. Together, they explore how Jewish women helped shape the feminist movement, how feminism transformed Jewish life, and why movements must balance urgency with patience. As a new generation inherits this work, they talk about what it takes to sustain

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Learn about the scholars and the work of our Kogod Research Center.

What might happen if, instead of demanding certainty, we allowed ourselves to "pretend" belief and see where the journey leads?

Ahead of the High Holidays, Yehuda Kurtzer welcomes Rabbi Noa Kushner, founder of The Kitchen, a synagogue and institute in San Francisco, and the author of Pretend That You Believe: How To Enter Religion, to explore what faith means in a skeptical age. Through a conversation about holiness, awe, humility, and religious imagination, they challenge the consumer mindset that often influences contemporary

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In the face of rising antisemitism, what does courage look like?  

Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with author Dara Horn about her new book, The Final Solution to the Jewish Question: A Love Story for the Living, and the intense experiences that led her to write it. Together, they examine antisemitism on college campuses, the limits of Holocaust education, the meaning of Jewish peoplehood, and the challenge of distinguishing legitimate criticism of Israel from hate movements that seek to exclude Jews from public life. At the heart of their conversation is a question about what this moment demands: more knowledge, or the courage to speak out and act. 

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Register for The Road to the Israeli Elections on September 8. 

What does today’s Jewish literature tell us about this moment?

Identity/Crisis is excited to present a special audio version of a conversation that first appeared in print in the Summer 2026 issue of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas. It’s moderated by Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen, host of the podcast The Five Books, with guests Naomi Firestone-Teeter, CEO of Jewish Book Council and Lauren Wein, Vice President and Editorial Director of Avid Reader Press at Simon & Schuster. They address the introspection and urgency driving Jewish writers to navigate questions of identity, trauma, Zionism, and community in the years since October 7. From Philip Roth to Taffy Brodesser-Akner, they discuss what Jewish books reveal about the ever-changing American Jewish experience.  Claire Sufrin, editor of Sources and Hartman’s Director of Research and Publication, introduces and frames this episode.

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College students, apply now for the 2026 Edward Fein Winter Student Seminar!

Can a bite of food transport us across time and place?

After a walk together through Tel Aviv’s Shuk HaCarmel, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with extraordinary chef and cookbook author Adeena Sussman to discuss the relationship between food, memory, and the influences that shape contemporary Israeli cuisine. From Shabbat tables to Tel Aviv restaurants, they explore how ordinary acts of gathering, cooking, and eating can become sources of resilience and connection. Their conversation traces the journey of ingredients, recipes, and culinary ideas across borders and generations, while grappling with the complexities that often surround them.

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Could lessons from ancient politics help shape Israel’s future?

As Israel heads toward its October 2026 election, Yehuda Kurtzer talks with author and historian Amotz Asa-El to explore what ancient Jewish political failures can teach us about Israel’s current crossroads. Drawing on Asa-El’s book, The Jewish March of Folly (newly out in English), they examine the dangers of tribalism, the challenges of democracy, and the question of whether Jewish politics can balance power with moral purpose.

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Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Watch select sessions from our summer learning in Jerusalem.

Did Yiddish ever really die?

On this re-release of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Rukhl

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What happens when citizenship and identity point in different

In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Rana Fahoum,

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Learn more about our Wellspring programming for young Jews and the professionals who serve them.

How should North American Jewish communities balance security, vibrant communal life, and moral purpose? 

Recorded live in Jerusalem during the Shalom Hartman Institute's Community Leadership Program, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Barry Finestone, President and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation, to explore the future of North American Jewish life. Together, they examine the challenges of antisemitism, Jewish education, philanthropy, leadership, and the future of Jewish thriving, and ask what it means not only to survive but also excel as a community. 

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

Can Music Heal a Divided Society?

Recorded live at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, Yehuda

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