Identity/Crisis

When a mystical tradition meant for an elite few becomes a popular spiritual
practice — what is gained and what is lost?

In this episode of Identity/Crisis, guest host Deborah Barer is joined by scholar of Kabbalah Daniel Matt for a conversation about the Omer and the modern turn toward mindfulness and self‑improvement. Tracing the journey of the Zohar from esoteric text to widely accessible guide, they explore what is gained—and what may be lost—when contemplations of the divine are redirected inward, toward the self. Along the way, they ask how Jewish mysticism understands responsibility, ethics, and community, and what it
might mean to carry “new ancient words” from the wilderness of the Omer toward revelation at Sinai.

 

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Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week:

 

Learn how Hartman is building the pipeline of young Jewish leadership.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, what does this moment reveal about the future of the American- Jewish experiment? 

In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by The Atlantic’s editor‑in‑chief Jeffrey Goldberg for a conversation about American-Jewish power, flourishing, and fear. Reflecting on the unprecedented success of Jewish life in the United States — and the growing sense that the liberal project that made it possible is under strain — they wrestle with antisemitism before and after October 7, the erosion of pluralism from both the right and the left, and the enduring Jewish tension between pessimism and hope.  

This conversation was recorded at an event convened by the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Washington, DC center for Judaism, Israel, and Public Policy, at the Capital Jewish Museum on April 16th. 

 

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What does it mean to inherit Europe’s Jewish past while living through antisemitism’s unsettling return in the present? In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with historian and author Flora Cassen to explore the differences between European and American Jewish life, the promises and limits of Holocaust memory, and the ways antisemitism resurfaces across political and cultural contexts. The conversation moves between history and memoir, asking how Jews make sense of power, vulnerability, and belonging in a moment when old assumptions no longer feel secure.

 

You can find Flora’s book HERE

 Register for Flora's book talk, Past as Prologue: Rethinking Antisemitism Today with Flora Cassen and Arno Rosenfeld, presented in partnership with the Forward HERE.

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 to join Yossi Klein Halevi in Vancouver, Detroit, and Palo Alto and Yehuda Kurtzer in Toronto!

For many modern Jews, prayer raises more questions than answers. In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer reflects on Hartman’s latest limited podcast series Thoughts & Prayers, and explores some of the central questions facing modern Jewish spiritual life: What does prayer do? Is it about God, or about other people? What happens when prayer becomes entangled with politics, identity, and belonging?

 

Drawing on stories and voices from across the series, this special Identity/Crisis episode offers a compelling meditation on prayer as a practice of relationship, responsibility, and Jewish peoplehood.

 

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more. 

You can listen to the full series of Thoughts and Prayers HERE.
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This episode was originally released on October 13, 2025

 

At a time of unprecedented leaps in technology and ethical questions about artificial intelligence, one scholar seeks answers from an unlikely source — ancient Jewish wisdom.In this episode of Identity/Crisis, Yehuda Kurtzer talks with technology guru, Hartman scholar, and founding Identity/Crisis Producer David Zvi Kalman about the religious and ethical dilemmas AI poses for Jewish life — from sermons written by bots to the erosion of truth and authority. This thoughtful conversation is for anyone wondering whether Judaism can move fast enough to meet technology’s challenges while preserving the core Jewish value of human dignity.

 

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to
learn more. 

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