Identity/Crisis

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.



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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.

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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.
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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.

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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.