For Heaven’s Sake is a weekly podcast presented by Ark Media and the Shalom Hartman Institute, hosted by Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi. The podcast draws its name from the Jewish concept of machloket l’shem shemayim, “disagreeing for the sake of heaven,” which is exactly what takes place each week as Donniel and Yossi discuss the moral aspects of topics affecting Israel, world Jewry, and the future of Zionism.
Chart trend
Position in the Judaism chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#5#9JunJulAugSep
#1
all-time peak
374
days in the top 3 since Nov 2024
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
Israel Votes: New Year, New Hopes
#2 trending · Judaism
How can a society deeply divided by electoral deadlock find the collective moral courage to choose democratic renewal over perpetual crisis? In this Rosh Hashanah episode
Sep 9 38 min
Israel's Election: What Do Israelis Really Want?
Why does Israeli political life appear hopelessly frozen at the top even as tectonic shifts stir beneath the surface? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Hal
Sep 2 42 min
Israel’s Election Season: The Opening Shot (Re-release)
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 e
Aug 26 40 min
Why are Young Jews Turning Against Israel? - with Yossi Klein Halevi and Sara Labaton
Can the Jewish people hold on to moral tradition in the era of Jewish power? In this special episode—recorded live in the courtyard of the Shalom Hartman Institute's Jeru
Aug 19 44 min
Humanness: From Mensch to Warrior
What happens to our humanity when fear takes hold? In this special summer episode, recorded live in the Beit Midrash of the Shalom Hartman Institute's Jerusalem campus du
Aug 12 57 min
The Post October 7 Jew
How do the Jewish people reclaim our story when our very right to self-defense is under global assault? In this special episode, recorded live at the Shalom Hartman Insti
Aug 5 1 h 19 min
Israel's Elections: Judaism on the Ballot
How does a Jewish state navigate its future when the most fiercely contested issue at the ballot box is the definition of Judaism itself? In this episode, Donniel Hartman
Jul 29 47 min
Iran and My Summer Vacation
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 Klei
Jul 22 31 min
Israel's Elections: The Change We Hope For
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
Jul 16 41 min
Scheduling Note on this Week's Episode: July 15, 2026
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 subscribe
Jul 15 1 min
Israel's Election Season: The Opening Shot
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 ep
Jul 8 39 min
The Haredi Insurrection
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
Jul 1 43 min
Israeli-American Relations at a Crossroads
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
Jun 26 46 min
Scheduling Note on this Week’s Episode: June 24, 2026
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 ou
Jun 24 1 min
The Sum-of-All-Fears Election
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
Jun 15 49 min
As the Missiles Fly and Then Stop
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, follo
Jun 10 46 min
When the Israel Day Parade is More Than a Parade
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 Octobe
Jun 3 31 min
Who's In Charge? Israel's Angst
Can a country recover its sense of agency when every front — external and internal — refuses to stay resolved? In this episode, recorded just as Prime Minister Netanyahu
May 27 42 min
Why We're Losing the War Over Israel's Legitimacy
Is it possible to win every battle and still lose where it matters? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront what may be the most dangerous front
May 20 52 min
In the Wake of Kristof and the Times: What's There to Say?
What do you say when defending yourself only makes things worse? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi respond in real time to Nicholas Kristof's New Yo
May 14 40 min
Chart positions
Where For Heaven's Sake ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 13, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
For the past year I’ve listened to and recommended For Heaven’s Sake to other Jewish Americans who, like me, have complicated feelings about the events that have unfolded since October 7. The thoughtful weekly conversations help illuminate an Israeli and Jewish perspective on the war for Jews in the diaspora. How do you fight a just war justly? Not like this, I fear. And while Israel is becoming increasingly isolated, American Jews are also feeling the fallout from this unrelenting war. Thank you to Donniel and Yossi for your frank, respectful, and illuminating conversations.
RKWFL · May 2025
There is something beautiful about this podcast. There is a sincerity that can’t be matched. I truly appreciate your words, gentlemen, and your thoughtfulness and flexibility and even your inflexibility! It’s beautiful to hear, and it teaches me a lot.
Gabedraws ✡︎ · Dec 2024
Yossi and Donniel continue to give me hope during these dark times. I so appreciate their wisdom, honesty, willingness to ask tough questions, and even their arguments. I always come away from this podcast feeling strengthened. Thank you so much!
ChanaYael · Nov 2024
To consider this as an ordinary podcast doesn’t do justice to the experience of the listener, at least from my perspective. I began listening to the conversation between Donielle and Yossi from the beginning of the Israel at War recordings. It has been an incredible gift to progress through the emotional, political, social and military unfoldings that are revealed and examined by two people who never shy away from reality or differences in approaches. As an American Jew, I feel humble and privileged to be invited into the room with them and taken on their journey. I don’t know if it will resonate as deeply for someone who hasn’t been tuning in from the very beginning, but that is absolutely not a reason to skip past this podcast. At its essence, it is about deep friendship and respect in the face of threats and opportunities in a part of our collective world where the stakes could not be higher.
AHKlegacy · Apr 2024
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of For Heaven's Sake, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
