Episodes

  • Let’s Talk About the Money – with Aaron Katler

    Let’s Talk About the Money – with Aaron Katler
    Jul 8 2025
    Does the Jewish community think big enough? Is the Jewish philanthropic market fair? Is Jewish innovation still innovative? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Aaron Katler, CEO of UpStart, to explore the emotional stakes of Jewish leadership post-October 7 and whether the Jewish community still knows how to take risks and dream big. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • When Crisis is the Job – with Barry Finestone

    When Crisis is the Job – with Barry Finestone
    Jul 1 2025
    What happens to Jewish leadership when crisis becomes the norm rather than the exception? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, host Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Barry Finestone, President and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation, to explore the emotional and organizational toll of leading through upheaval—and discuss what it will take to build institutions that can thrive during times of uncertainty without losing sight of their long term goals. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. Register for a conversation with Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi, moderated by Ronit Heyd, live from our Beit Midrash in Jerusalem HERE Subscribe to our latest podcast, Future Tense, and be the first to know about new episodes HERE JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • Power and Negotiations -- with Daniel Kurtzer

    Power and Negotiations -- with Daniel Kurtzer
    Jun 25 2025
    Donald Trump’s whirlwind involvement in the Israel-Iran War, first with force and then with negotiation, begs the question: are military strength and diplomacy contradictory — or compatible? On this episode of Identity/Crisis, host Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer to understand the impact of power on strategic negotiations, how heads of state are thinking about the current conflict, and why only diplomatic leadership can bring closure. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • The Sound and the Fury

    The Sound and the Fury
    Jun 19 2025
    After a week of turning our attention to the skies above Israel and Iran, Identity/Crisis is turning to our colleagues on the ground and asking: what is it like to be living in Israel right now – as a parent, as a Palestinian citizen of Israel, as an activist, as an American overseas? On this week’s special episode, we invite you to cut through the noise as Yehuda Kurtzer elevates the voices of seven staff and faculty of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem: Jordanna Amsel, Shraga Bar-On, Ronit Heyd, Elana Stein Hain, Elhanan Miller, Rana Fahoum, and Shiri Winter-Mersel. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Hartman Summer, Interrupted

    Hartman Summer, Interrupted
    Jun 17 2025
    How can we maintain the spirit of care and learning, even if we can’t gather in person? In the wake of this new stage of Israel’s war with Iran, Hartman’s plans for a summer of leadership and learning in Jerusalem have been evolving, day by day, hour by hour. Later this week on Identity/Crisis, we'll share an episode elevating voices of Israelis living amidst this crisis; today, Yehuda Kurtzer reflects on the days since the war began, expresses concern for Jewish leaders navigating this war moment with all its layers, and shares his hope that we will be together again in Jerusalem soon. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • Hate Crimes in the Name of Resistance — with Amy Spitalnick

    Hate Crimes in the Name of Resistance — with Amy Spitalnick
    Jun 10 2025
    "At the end of the day, when Jews are being targeted, that's antisemitism." Amy Spitalnick, Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) CEO This week, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Amy to discuss why the response from Jewish communities, the general public, and the U.S. government to attacks in Washington, DC and Boulder, CO has varied widely—and how we can address the rise in antisemitism without encroaching on civil liberties. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • Is the War Still Worth it?– with Tal Becker

    Is the War Still Worth it?– with Tal Becker
    May 29 2025
    After 600 days, is the appetite for continuing the war with Hamas waning among its supporters? This week on Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Tal Becker, Shalom Hartman Institute Vice President and former Legal Adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss war strategy, moral obligation, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
  • When Do We Speak Up? – with Abe Foxman

    When Do We Speak Up? – with Abe Foxman
    May 20 2025
    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 leader and Holocaust survivor Abe Foxman for a raw, intergenerational conversation about fear, leadership, and the dangers of silence. Identity/Crisis listeners we want to hear from you! Please take 5 minutes to complete this brief survey before May 30. Your confidential responses will help us make your favorite podcast even better! You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins