In These Times with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch

On September 10, 1943, a group of anti-Nazi German aristocrats gathered for an afternoon tea party. Little did they know that one of them was about to betray the others to the Gestapo... Award-winning author and columnist Jonathan Freedland discusses his new book "The Traitors Circle" and examines the ways faith, conviction and courage inspire great acts of resistance.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

Axios global affairs analyst Barak Ravid unpacks the war that reoriented Israel's security, political, and moral posture — and explores the uneasy question of what comes next…Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

While in her mid-30s, former Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz discovered the wisdom of the Jewish tradition she'd written off. In her latest book, she confronts the ways American culture, antisemitism and the challenges of our times distort Jewish identity — and she calls on young Jews to reclaim it with pride.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

It's been two years since the Oct. 7 attacks, and — in the absence of an official state commission of inquiry — the best understanding we have of how Hamas was able to surprise the Middle East’s most powerful military comes from former Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Yaakov Katz and his new book…Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

The founder of Israel's Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes Against Women and Children, Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy coined the novel term "kinocide" to describe Hamas's uniquely evil and systematic abuse of Israeli families. The winner of the 2024 Israel Prize, Dr. Elkayam-Levy helps us understand the extent of our enemy's calculated brutality — and why the international community abandoned Israel in its darkest hour.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

As part of our NYC Mayoral Forum, Democratic candidate Scott Stringer joins Rabbi Ammi Hirsch to discuss his Jewish values and his commitment to Zionism and to share his vision for a more affordable and better-run New York City.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

As part of our NYC Mayoral Forum, Democratic candidate and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander joins our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch to discuss how his liberal Jewish values inform his immigration activism, his fight against antisemitism and for peace in the Middle East, and his vision for New York City.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

The founders of The Free Press, Bari Weiss and Nellie Bowles sit down with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch to discuss their new media company, their Jewish journey, and several of the central challenges facing the American Jewish community. This conversation was recorded live during the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue Spring Benefit on May 18, 2025.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

New York's former governor and the front runner in New York City's mayoral race, Andrew Cuomo speaks with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch about the state of the city, his decades-long support of Israel and the Jewish community, and surging antisemitism in America.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

The student body president of UC Santa Barbara and a proud Zionist, Tessa Veksler faced a barrage of hate and narrowly survived an attempt to oust her from office. Her experience is both a warning for young Jews heading to campus and an example of what real leadership looks like.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

Israeli politics have become increasingly complicated and divisive. The Times of Israel's founding editor and returning guest David Horovitz helps us understand Israel’s internal and external struggles — the unifying fabric of Israeli society and the major debates pulling at the seams.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

Rabbi Ammi Hirsch is the guest on this special episode hosted by David Harris, past CEO of the American Jewish Committee and Jewish Broadcasting Service TV's strategic analyst. Ammi discusses the state of American Reform Judaism and the new reality liberal Jews face in the wake of October 7th.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

There's something so Jewish about using laughter to cope. British comedian, public thinker and author David Baddiel finds the humor in the world, discussing everything from comedy to antisemitism to politics. And he makes plenty of jokes.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

The chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, retired U.S. Army Major John Spencer discusses the uniquely and unprecedentedly evil tactics that Hamas has employed in Gaza to maximize civilian casualties and collateral damage in pursuit of its political and military goals.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

Martin Luther King Jr.'s biographer felt like people were yearning to strip away the mythology surrounding the civil rights leader and reconnect with his humanity. Jonathan Eig brings King back into focus — as a religious leader and a social justice activist — and discusses the evolution of the Black-Jewish partnership in the years after King's assassination.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

An expert on foreign affairs, Prof. Walter Russel Mead thinks we're heading into uniquely unstable times. He offers a historical analysis of America's relationship with the Jews, the Jewish state, and how the U.S. approaches the rest of the world.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

An exceptionally talented novelist, journalist and activist, Lihi Lapid is also the wife of Israel's opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Her latest book, "On Her Own," bares the Sabra soul. And despite boycotts by the literary community, she hopes it will expose new readers to the grief, longing and love at the heart of the Israeli experience...Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

The lighting rebel advance that toppled Syria's Assad regime came seemingly out of left field. Dr. Jonathan Spyer, one of the world's foremost experts on the Levant, helps explain how it happened and what this revolution could mean for Syria and the rest of the world.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

Israel is fighting a war not only on the battlefield but also in the courtroom, where the Jewish state has been misrepresented, maligned and accused of perpetrating the worst crimes against humanity. Legal expert Natasha Hausdorff helps us understand how international law applies to Israel during this war and the ways the law has been corrupted and weaponized.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations

Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks and Democratic Majority for Israel President Mark Mellman unpack the results of the 2024 presidential election and help us understand the issues that drove American voters to choose Donald Trump over Kamala Harris.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations