Identity/Crisis

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

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

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. 

Can Zionism survive a crisis of its own making?

In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Zachary Truboff, director of the Institute for Agunah Research and Education at the International Beit Din, to discuss the moral and political questions facing Israel after October 7. As Israelis grapple with war, trauma, and the responsibilities of power, they explore whether Zionism has adequately reckoned with its own vulnerabilities, assumptions, and failures. Their conversation examines the tension between victimhood and agency, the demands of collective responsibility, and what it would mean for Zionism to undergo a process of teshuvah of its own.

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Money shapes who can access Jewish life—and who gets left out. In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with sociologist Ilana Horwitz about the overlooked reality of a quarter of American Jews living in economic vulnerability, challenging the persistent myth of universal Jewish affluence. Drawing on Horwitz’s research, they explore how class and financial instability intersect with Jewish education, communal participation, and belonging.

This episode is sponsored in honor of Robert Kogod’s 95th birthday by his loving family.

Read Ilana Horwitz’s article on affordability and Jewish education in Sources.

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This episode of Identity/Crisis was originally released on Tuesday, March 10, 2026

What does it mean to tell Jewish stories in a moment of political polarization and distortion?

On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela to examine the role of the historian in public life: not to offer talking points or easy analogies, but to deepen public understanding in a time of simplification and certainty. Through a conversation about education, Jewish identity, and the place of Jews in American history, they consider why richer storytelling matters—and what it can offer to students, Jews, and the broader public.

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In a polarized age, how do we raise young Jews who can think deeply—and listen across disagreement?

In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer talks with principal of SAR High School Jonathan Kroll about his recent commencement address to SAR’s graduating class of 2026, where he challenged students to embrace a “revolution of moderation,” and integrate conviction with openness. Together, they explore pluralism in Orthodox education, the formation of Jewish identity, and what it means to prepare the next generation for a divided world—without sacrificing commitment or clarity.

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. 

With the marketplace of ideas outpacing our ability to discern truth, who still cares about keeping up with journalistic standards?

In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with journalist Abigail Pogrebin to explore how media, authority, and public conversation are changing as traditional standards of journalism dissolve and algorithms shape what we see and believe. They turn to the Jewish community to examine how these shifts are intensifying polarization and defining who gets to speak—and who gets heard. Together, they consider what responsibility these changing standards places on those who shape public conversation to hold complexity without collapsing it.

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As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, what foundational elements of the American Jewish story do we need to reframe?

In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer reflects on the approaching 250th anniversary of the United States with journalist and author Nicholas Lemann. Together they explore the long arc of American Jewish life—from the promise of belonging and dual identity to today’s climate of political instability and rising antisemitism. Drawing on Lemann’s sweeping family history, the subject  of his new book Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries, their conversation asks what it means to inhabit both insider and outsider identities at once and what new stories—and commitments—might sustain Jewish life in America moving forward.

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Learn more about the America at 250 initiative from the Hartman Institute HERE

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What does a clash between a Catholic Vice President and the Pope reveal about authority, war, and theological responsibility? 

In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with renowned Princeton University Professor Robert George to unpack what's happening at the intersection of Catholic faith and American political power. From six Catholic Supreme Court justices to the growing appeal of traditional religion among young people, from the proper limits of papal authority to the alarming rise of antisemitism in traditionalist Catholic circles, this conversation spans two millennia of church-state entanglement to illuminate this American moment. 

This episode was originally released on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

This episode is in honor of Abe Foxman, z”l

What does moral courage look like in an age of rising antisemitism and political polarization?

In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by longtime ADL