S17E1: Building Alliances in a Post-10/7 World with David Hazony and Amy Spitalnick

What does the process of conversion — joining the Jewish people— reveal about the meaning of chosenness? In his recent essay for SAPIR, Rabbi Adam Mintz writes that “we, Jews by birth and Jews by choice, are all destined for the same story.” Similarly, Rabbi Noa Kushner writes that “it is possible that to be chosen is not only a designation at birth or conversion.” They recently joined Rabbi David Wolpe for a conversation.Watch this SAPIR Conversation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JspDKWCYs7Q Read Adam Mintz’s essay: https://sapirjournal.org/chosenness/2025/the-paradoxes-of-conversion/ Read Noa Kushner’s essay: https://sapirjournal.org/chosenness/2025/american-sinai/ Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

“For many of its secular pioneers,” writes former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren in his most recent SAPIR essay, “Zionism was a revolt against chosenness. It was an attempt to become a nation like every other.” Today, especially after October 7, many Israelis are reevaluating this very notion and wondering: is the Jewish state chosen, and if so, for what purpose?Ambassador Oren joined SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens for a searching discussion on Israel’s identity and destiny in a post-October 7 world. This SAPIR Conversation was recorded live on Monday, September 8th. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

Today marks a new chapter as we re-launch the podcast, SAPIR Conversations, with even more discussions and double the hosting power. Moving forward, Rabbi David Wolpe - scholar-in-residence at the Maimonides Fund, Max Webb Emeritus Rabbi of Sinai Temple, prolific author, writer, and longtime SAPIR contributor - will join Bret Stephens as co-host of SAPIR Conversations. Bret will continue to host live virtual conversations with SAPIR authors. Rabbi Wolpe will bring on different voices beyond the pages of SAPIR to explore some of the most pressing issues affecting the Jewish people.In today's episode, Stephens and Wolpe tackle the issue of Chosenness. How was the concept perceived throughout Jewish history and how is it interpreted in Jewish liturgy? Is chosenness a status or a calling? Does it create burdens or standards? And how how Bret Stephens respond to non-Jewish friends when asked for his understanding of chosenness?Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist, was murdered at a campus event in Utah on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 10th, 2025. As Americans reckon with this horrific act of political violence, many are alarmed at the grim message it offers about the state of our politics and where our democracy is headed. In a special SAPIR conversation with SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens and Maimonides Fund scholar-in-residence Mijal Bitton held days after this tragic event, they discuss the implications of these events for America and American Jews. 

Twelve days of war between Israel and Iran sparked passionate debates about the future of the Islamic Republic. How did Israel’s strikes impact the stability of the regime? What are the implications of the war on Iranian dissidents, opposition figures, and everyday Iranian citizens? And what does the historically fractious Iranian diaspora hope for in the weeks and months ahead?To answer these questions and more, on July 3, SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman moderated a conversation between SAPIR contributors and prominent Iranian-American activists – Roya Hakakian, an acclaimed writer and author, Mehdi Yahyanejad, a tech entrepreneur who founded methods to bypass censorship in Iran.

Do we still expect journalists—and the outlets they represent—to be objective? Or have we come to accept that much of today’s media falls into the realm of activist journalism? What are the consequences when activist journalism and objective reporting become indistinguishable? On Monday, June 30 at 12:00 PM ET, SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman moderated a conversation between SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens and Amit Segal, chief political analyst for Israel’s Channel 12 News. Together, they discussed the merits and pitfalls of activist and objective journalism in the United States and Israel, going deeper into their most recent SAPIR essays.Can the Media Keep Kosher? (Stephens)If Not Now, When? (Segal)

It’s been less than a week since the unprecedented U.S. military strikes against the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities in Iran. Codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” the attack was designed to degrade Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities. However, there are conflicting reports about its success. Were the sites destroyed or severely damaged? What is the impact of the attacks on the Iranian nuclear weapon program? What are the implications for the United States and Israel moving forward?On Friday, June 27, SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman was joined by Eyal Hulata, for a timely conversation about what took place in Iran, and what that means for the region now. Hulata is Israel’s former National Security Advisor and former head of Israel’s National Security Council responsible for coordinating the national effort on Iran. He is currently a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

In the wake of October 7, many American Jews have grappled with what it means to not only engage in activism—a longstanding tradition in Jewish history and culture—but to advocate effectively for themselves across diverse environments. On Monday, June 23, 2025 SAPIR’s Editor-in-Chief, Bret Stephens, was joined by Sara Forman, Executive Director of the New York Solidarity Network (NYSN) and Mark B. Rotenberg, Senior Vice President for University Initiatives and General Counsel at Hillel International for a conversation on new forms of Jewish political and legal activism. Click on these links to read their pieces from the latest issue of SAPIR. Politics (Forman)Lawfare (Weiss & Rotenberg)

On Friday, June 13th, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting nuclear sites, drones and rocket launchers, and senior Iranian military leadership. In response, Iran has deployed hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones that led to many civilian deaths and destruction of property on the Israeli home front. Now, one week later, the U.S. is deliberating whether to join the fight and eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.To make sense of this moment, former Commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command Lieutenant General Joseph Guastella and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Dana Stroul joined SAPIR Institute Director, Chanan Weissman for a timely and insightful conversation.

In a time of rising antisemitism, extremism, and anti-Zionist sentiment, are we too discerning about our allies? Or does the moment demand that Jews hold fast to our values and insist that our partners share them? On Monday, June 9, essayist David Hazony and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs Amy Spitalnick joined SAPIR’s Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens for a conversation about the challenges and opportunities of forging alliances and building coalitions in a post-10/7 world.Read Hazony's most recent essay in the latest edition of SAPIR.