Antizionism has become a badge of belonging—and a tool of exclusion. On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with Shaul Kelner, professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology at Vanderbilt University, about how anti-Zionism operates not only as an argument but as a movement culture—shaping who belongs on the American left and what counts as “moral.” Together, they explore what it would mean to respond with clarity without collapsing every critique of Israel into the same category.

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

Read Shaul Kelner’s article “American Antizionism” and subscribe to Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas.

Learn more about Rabbanut North America, our three-year rabbinic ordination program, and the newest cohort!

Did Yiddish ever really die?

On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Rukhl Schaechter, editor of the Yiddish Forverts, to explore the surprising renaissance of the Yiddish language—from new dictionaries and online media to Duolingo learners and Hasidic vernacular. Together they discuss what is drawing people back to the language, how Yiddish carries culture across generations, and why so many Jews are using it to seek connections to their roots in a moment of renewed searching.

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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 find Shadi's book, The Case for American Power, HERE

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Listen to young Israeli changemakers from our Hazon program on

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. 

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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.

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. 

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.

How do ideas travel—and what happens when they cross borders? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with author and historian Adam Ferziger to explore how liberal and moderate forms of Judaism, forged in North America, took root in Israel and helped shape a distinctly Israeli religious center. Drawing on Ferziger's new book Agents of Change, the conversation examines education, power, backlash, and belonging—and asks what it really means for Jewish ideas to be “imported,” translated, and transformed in a sovereign Jewish society.

 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. 

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This episode was originally released on December 24, 2024

The relegation of Hanukkah merchandise to a tiny corner of the grocery aisle can cause Jews to feel excluded or marginalized by the Christmas holiday season. But the impact of Jews on the history and culture of secularized Christmas is deeper than you might think.

In this exciting Yuletide episode of Identity/Crisis, host Yehuda Kurtzer and American composer and music commentator Rob Kapilow sit down at the keyboard to better understand the relationship between Jews and Christmas through the holiday music that Jewish composers have contributed to the canon.

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. 

What does it take to rebuild Jewish community after two years of trauma and division? On this special episode of Identity/Crisis, Senior Editor Claire Sufrin turns the tables and interviews Yehuda Kurtzer about his article in the newest issue of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, where he unpacks why communities need clearer values and a renewed ethic of care to move beyond crisis. Their conversation offers us a roadmap for belonging, boundaries, and rebuilding connection after October 7.

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. 

Read Our Fragile Tents: Community, Consent, and Care in Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas. Check out the Fall/Winter 2025 issue and subscribe to our print edition.

What does it take for Black–Jewish partnerships to flourish in a moment of rising fear, political polarization, and mutual misunderstanding? On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer and scholar Terrence Johnson discuss the stories we carry — about vulnerability, power, Israel, America, and identity — and why they often fail to translate across racial lines. Together, they explore how demythologizing each other and leaning into deeper, more intimate conversations might reshape the future of Black–Jewish relations.

We're grateful to the Charles H. Revson Foundation for supporting the Shalom Hartman Institute's digital work, including Identity/Crisis.

Listen to the recording of the SAPIR debate HERE

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Join Pathways to Hope and meet young Israeli changemakers.

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This episode was originally released on Tuesday, November 26th, 2024

This political moment may cause American Jews to ask: “Where have we seen this before?”

In this episode recorded live in NYC, Yehuda Kurtzer challenges the impulse to reach backwards for old frameworks to describe our current situation, and instead offers a vision for a new era in American-Jewish

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.