Rephonic
Artwork for Identity/Crisis
Jewish Identity
Israel
Hamas
Exodus Covenant
Genesis Covenant
Zionism
Solidarity
Modern Jewish Life
Loyalty
Shalom Hartman Institute
October 7 Attacks
Anti-Semitism
Judaism
Columbia University
Talmud
Trauma
Toratah
Chanukah
Human Rights
American Jews

In a frenzied media cycle, Identity/Crisis creates better conversations about the issues facing contemporary Jewish life. Host Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, talks with leading thinkers to unpack current events affecting Jewish communities in North America, Israel, and around the world, revealing the core Jewish values underlying the issues that matter most to you. JOIN... more

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Artwork for Identity/Crisis

Latest Episodes

What happens when liberal democracies stop seeing dignity as a universal right and begin treating it as something reserved for insiders?

On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with political philosopher Seyla Benhabib to explor... more

What do our narratives of heroism do for the Jewish people—and what do they hide?

On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with journalist and author Matti Friedman to discuss his new book, Out of the Sky: a story about the Zioni... more

YouTube

What does it mean to tell Jewish stories in a moment of political polarization and distortion? On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela to examine the role of the historian in public life: not... more

YouTube

In the Megillah, Jewish safety depends on proximity to power — passing, hiding, and selectively revealing, and all the fraught calculations that come with minority life.

On this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Barbara Spectre... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
American historian specializing in the politics and culture of the modern United States; public historian and educator
New School; History Channel; Chippendales project
Episode: Teaching Jewish History in America — with Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
Barbara Spectre
Founding director of Paideia, Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies in Sweden; former Hartman Institute faculty; educator and writer
Paideia; Shalom Hartman Institute
Episode: Purim and Diaspora Power— with Barbara Spectre
Yehoshua Pfeffer
Head of the Iyun Institute, community rabbi, and a prominent figure in discussions about Haredi integration.
Iyun Institute
Episode: The Haredi Draft Crisis — with Yehoshua Pfeffer
Ayala Dahan
Alumni Program Director of Hazon at Hartman, active in political life and social justice.
Hazon
Episode: Pathways to Hope in Israel – with Ayalan Dahan and Yonathan Machlis
Yonathan Machlis
Director of the Center for Social Justice in Haifa, involved in political activism and education.
Center for Social Justice
Episode: Pathways to Hope in Israel – with Ayalan Dahan and Yonathan Machlis
Shaul Kelner
Professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Episode: Antizionism and the American Left’s Jewish Problem — with Shaul Kelner
Rukhl Schaechter
Editor of Forverts, the Yiddish version of the Forward
Forverts
Episode: A Yiddish Renaissance: Language, Memory, and Modern Jewish Life — with Rukhl Schaechter
Shadi Hamid
Columnist at the Washington Post and Senior Fellow at Georgetown
Georgetown University
Episode: Power, Liberalism, and Moral Responsibility — with Shadi Hamid
Jesse Brown
Journalist and media critic, host of Canada Land, exploring anti-Semitism in Canada.
Canada Land
Episode: Reporting on Antisemitism When No One Wants to Listen — with Jesse Brown

Host

Yehuda Kurtzer
Host of identity-focused discussions exploring Jewish life, values, and current events. A senior leader at a major Jewish think tank.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 308 ratings
  • Please stop with the divisive domestic politics

    Lowered my review based on the most recent episode about US domestic immigration policy. This topic is obsessively covered by the MSM and other liberal podcasts. I don’t need to hear more of the same but from a “Jewish” perspective. I subscribe to this podcast to hear subjects that I don’t hear anywhere else—this ain’t it. As a community we need to stop trying to universalize everything if we want to see the next generation of American Jews live proudly and freely as Jews. Also, framing the immi... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    CuckerQatarlson
    United Statesa month ago
  • not good

    Responding to a recent episode which I endured, called "America Betrays the Stranger"… while I happen to disagree with the esteemed podcasters on the central issue (I mean, why is every other country on the planet free to enforce their borders but not America?), that is not the real problem here… the real problem is telling people how they should be thinking on a given subject based on their ethnicity. If you are someone who thinks a Jew needs to hold this or that political opinion based on the ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    DareBoBear
    United Statesa month ago
  • Interesting discussions.

    Mostly an interesting podcast with well thought out debate. I do question a lot what you say about genocide. If decades of oppression and bias, and then such extreme cruelty and killing was done to Jewish people, you would speak so differently. it doesn't diminish the horror of the terrorism against the Jewish people, to say that what has been done to the Palestinians is categorically wrong. The extreme and inhuman violence done to them is on an incomparable scale. If the positions were reversed... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    3.Elena
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • The presenter

    He is utterly predictable and boring, tikkum olam’ish wokish bore.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Crataegus101
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Black-Jewish relations with Terrance Johnson

    I can’t thank you enough for taking on this topic—two communities that have had so much in common and yet have had different trajectories. The moral understandings of my early life in Detroit were in the shadow of the Holocaust (and earlier pogroms) and Jim Crow, and then the rising of both communities in the Civil Rights movement and the birth of the state of Israel. The break in our communities has been heartbreaking, I think, for ourselves and the American narrative. The moral understanding ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    womanbyherradio
    United States4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners frequently mention the host's ability to connect personal experiences with broader social questions.
Guests are top thinkers; discussions are deep and well-referenced.
Some episodes polarize listeners depending on their views on sensitive topics, but many praise the rigorous dialogue.
Thoughtful, nuanced conversations that model civil discourse and tackle timely issues with care.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Pathways to Hope in Israel – with Ayalan Dahan and Yonathan Machlis
Q: How do you see the culture of activism shifting?
The culture is changing, with young leaders who want to create change from within the existing system.
Pathways to Hope in Israel – with Ayalan Dahan and Yonathan Machlis
Q: When I was in Israel last week, I heard somebody talk about how there's like an impatience in Israel for the older generation after the war.
The younger generation is more confident and willing to use their voices to shape Israel's future.
Antizionism and the American Left’s Jewish Problem — with Shaul Kelner
Q: What role does anti-Zionism play in American politics today?
Shaul Kelner discusses how anti-Zionism as a political phenomenon influences Jewish rights and is seen in the practices of political movements.
A Yiddish Renaissance: Language, Memory, and Modern Jewish Life — with Rukhl Schaechter
Q: What do you think accounts for that 250,000 students signing up for Duolingo? What are the forces at work that are driving folks into this audience?
Rukhl suggests that nostalgia among children of Holocaust survivors, academic interests, and a search for Jewish identity among millennials are key factors.
A Yiddish Renaissance: Language, Memory, and Modern Jewish Life — with Rukhl Schaechter
Q: Rukhl, thank you so much for coming on the show today. I want to start just by asking you to tell us your Yiddish story.
Rukhl shares her background as a native Yiddish speaker, influenced by her father's work in preserving the language and culture.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Identity/Crisis

What is Identity/Crisis about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on nuanced conversations about contemporary Jewish life, exploring how global events, policy decisions, and cultural shifts intersect with Jewish identity, values, and communal action. Across episodes, guests—from scholars and rabbis to journalists and activists—offer historical context, analytical frameworks, and personal narratives to illuminate complex topics such as religious pluralism, anti-Semitism, immigration, Zionism, and the evolving role of Jewish communities in North America and Israel. A notable strength is the willingness to engage challenging ideas with care and intellectual honesty, often foregrounding moral responsibility, pluralism, and democratic values in discussions that span academia, public life, and... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Identity/Crisis?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Identity/Crisis:

1. Ask Haviv Anything
2. For Heaven's Sake
3. TEXTing
4. Breaking History
5. Conversations with Coleman

How many episodes of Identity/Crisis are there?

Identity/Crisis launched 6 years ago and published 287 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Identity/Crisis?

Recent guests on Identity/Crisis include:

1. Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
2. Barbara Spectre
3. Yehoshua Pfeffer
4. Ayala Dahan
5. Yonathan Machlis
6. Shaul Kelner
7. Rukhl Schaechter
8. Shadi Hamid

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