Identity/Crisis

J Street’s Place in the Jewish Tent – with John Ruskay

As debates over Israel reshape Jewish communal life, who gets included in the conversation and who gets pushed outside the tent? Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with John Rusk

Why America Protects Hate Speech – with James Loeffler

In an age of rising hate speech, can liberalism protect the Jews?  Yehuda Kurtzer and historian James Loeffler explore why antisemitism has remained a persistent feature

Israel/Today: Israel’s Elections, Netanyahu’s Shadow – with Tamar Ish-Shalom

With Israel's elections just weeks away, what vision for the country's future will ultimately prevail? In this episode, the third installment of our Israel/Today mini-se

Israel/Today: How October 7 Changed the Jewish Story – with Yossi Klein Halevi

Three years after October 7, what are Israel’s possibilities for healing, renewal, and a different future?  In this episode, the second of our mini-series Israel/Today,

Israel/Today: The Politics of Settler Violence — with Dahlia Scheindlin

What does the rise in settler violence in the West Bank reveal about the future of Israel? In this episode, the first of our mini-series Israel/Today, Yehuda Kurtzer an

Jewish Religious Freedom and the Supreme Court – with Michael Avi Helfand

Are religious liberty and liberal democracy a natural match or are they destined to be in conflict? As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments about religious libe

Feminism, Jews, and the Legacy of Gloria Steinem—with Judith Rosenbaum

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,

Don't Believe in God? Try It Anyway – with Noa Kushner

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 Kurtze

Where Criticism Ends and Antisemitism Begins — with Dara Horn

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 Quest

Who Is American Jewish Literature For? – with Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen, Naomi Firestone-Teeter, and Lauren Wein

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

People of the Shuk – with Adeena Sussman

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 cook

The Jewish Politics of Self-Destruction—with Amotz Asa-El

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 As

A Yiddish Renaissance: Language, Memory, and Modern Jewish Life — with Rukhl Schaechter (Re-run)

Did Yiddish ever really die? On this re-release of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Rukhl Schaechter, editor of the Yiddish Forverts, to explore the surpr

The Right to Belong: A Palestinian Perspective - with Rana Fahoum

What happens when citizenship and identity point in different directions?   In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Rana Fahoum, Vice President of the Shalom Har

Surviving, Thriving, and Excelling in Jewish Life – with Barry Finestone

How should North American Jewish communities balance security, vibrant communal life, and moral purpose?  Recorded live in Jerusalem during the Shalom Hartman Institute'

Hip-Hop, Protest, and Patriotism After October 7 – with Shaanan Streett

Can Music Heal a Divided Society? Recorded live at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Israeli artist, activist, and Hadag Nahash fr

The Promise and Peril of Jewish Power — with Zachary Truboff

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 R

Beyond the Myth of Jewish Wealth – with Ilana Horwitz

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 overlook

Teaching Jewish History in America — with Natalia Mehlman Petrzela (Re-run)

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 dis

Strong Beliefs and Open Minds: A Graduation Challenge — with Jonathan Kroll

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 pri