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 and political scientist and public opinion expert Dahlia Scheindlin, author of The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel, explore why this violence is escalating and whether it can truly be separated from the broader settlement project. They discuss the role of the Israeli government and military, shifting Israeli public opinion, and the limits of condemning violence without confronting the deeper realities of occupation and annexation. Together, they consider whether Israeli political leaders can chart a different path forward.   Stay tuned for the rest of Israel/Today: a mini-series from Identity/Crisis on the high stakes of Israel’s historic election, the choices facing Israel’s citizens, and the potential consequences for the Jewish diaspora.   You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Register here for the Hartman Leadership Conference in San Francisco.

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 liberty, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with legal scholar Michael Avi Helfand to discuss current cases affecting Jewish religious freedoms. In Grand v. University Heights the Court will consider whether local officials can stop an Orthodox Jew from hosting a minyan in his home. And, in a case from Colorado, religious schools contend that accepting public funds for universal Pre-K should not require them to surrender their religious autonomy. Together, they explore the growing tension between freedom of religion and fears of religious dominance and how that’s testing the constitutional limits of state power.  You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS    Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: High school seniors: learn more about and apply to our Hevruta Gap-Year Program!

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, and CEO of the Jewish Women's Archive, to reflect on Steinem’s legacy, the power of feminism, and the long arc of social change. Together, they explore how Jewish women helped shape the feminist movement, how feminism transformed Jewish life, and why movements must balance urgency with patience. As a new generation inherits this work, they talk about what it takes to sustain change, resist backlash, and build a future beyond one's own lifetime.   You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS    Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Learn about the scholars and the work of our Kogod Research Center.

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 Kurtzer welcomes Rabbi Noa Kushner, founder of The Kitchen, a synagogue and institute in San Francisco, and the author of Pretend That You Believe: How To Enter Religion, to explore what faith means in a skeptical age. Through a conversation about holiness, awe, humility, and religious imagination, they challenge the consumer mindset that often influences contemporary spirituality. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

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 Question: A Love Story for the Living, and the intense experiences that led her to write it. Together, they examine antisemitism on college campuses, the limits of Holocaust education, the meaning of Jewish peoplehood, and the challenge of distinguishing legitimate criticism of Israel from hate movements that seek to exclude Jews from public life. At the heart of their conversation is a question about what this moment demands: more knowledge, or the courage to speak out and act.  You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS     Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week:  Register for The Road to the Israeli Elections on September 8. 

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 print in the Summer 2026 issue of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas. It’s moderated by Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen, host of the podcast The Five Books, with guests Naomi Firestone-Teeter, CEO of Jewish Book Council and Lauren Wein, Vice President and Editorial Director of Avid Reader Press at Simon & Schuster. They address the introspection and urgency driving Jewish writers to navigate questions of identity, trauma, Zionism, and community in the years since October 7. From Philip Roth to Taffy Brodesser-Akner, they discuss what Jewish books reveal about the ever-changing American Jewish experience.  Claire Sufrin, editor of Sources and Hartman’s Director of Research and Publication, introduces and frames this episode.   You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS    Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: College students, apply now for the 2026 Edward Fein Winter Student Seminar!  

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 cookbook author Adeena Sussman to discuss the relationship between food, memory, and the influences that shape contemporary Israeli cuisine. From Shabbat tables to Tel Aviv restaurants, they explore how ordinary acts of gathering, cooking, and eating can become sources of resilience and connection. Their conversation traces the journey of ingredients, recipes, and culinary ideas across borders and generations, while grappling with the complexities that often surround them. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

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 Asa-El to explore what ancient Jewish political failures can teach us about Israel’s current crossroads. Drawing on Asa-El’s book, The Jewish March of Folly (newly out in English), they examine the dangers of tribalism, the challenges of democracy, and the question of whether Jewish politics can balance power with moral purpose. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Watch select sessions from our summer learning in Jerusalem.

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 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. You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

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 Hartman Institute and Director of Hartman’s Center for Shared Society, to examine the complexities of citizenship in Israel. Drawing on personal history, they reflect on belonging, collective rights, and the challenges of building Israel’s future for all its citizens.   You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS    Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Learn more about our Wellspring programming for young Jews and the professionals who serve them.