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Renowned Israeli journalist Tamar Ish Shalom will embark on a journey to engage with leaders and key figures in American Jewry to analyze how the war in Israel is reshaping American Jewish identity. Together, they will explore the challenges and opportunities facing American Jews and what the future holds for their relationship with Israel, especially against the backdrop of political developments in both the U.S. and Israel.
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16 Episodes
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In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar is joined by Ilan Goldenberg, Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at J Street. Goldenberg served in both the Obama and Biden administrations and has a profound understanding of Israel, the Middle East, and the American Jewish community. His perspective is shaped not just by his years in policy, but by a personal biography that bridges worlds. Born in Jerusalem to American parents, Ilan moved to New Jersey at the age of eight. He grew up ...
In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar sits down with Rabbi Sara Hurwitz — trailblazer, teacher, and one of the most courageous voices reshaping the boundaries of modern Orthodoxy. From a young age, Rabbi Hurwitz felt called to public service in the world of Torah, but there was no roadmap for a woman to walk this path. In 2009, her ordination by Rabbi Avi Weiss and Rabbi Daniel Sperber marked a historic and controversial turning point, igniting debate across the Orthodox world. Yet Rabb...
In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar speaks with Dr. Mijal Bitton — scholar, spiritual leader, and one of the clearest voices to cut through the fog of antisemitism after October 7. In the wake of atrocity, as places that once stood for justice went silent, Dr. Bitton stood up. Her words — fierce, unsparing, heartbroken — echoed across a shaken Jewish world. This conversation explores what it means to fight for Jewish dignity in an era of erasure — to call out hatred without flinching....
In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar speaks with Roya Hakakian, the acclaimed Jewish Iranian-American writer, journalist, and poet. While the headlines say "ceasefire," nothing truly feels at rest. Tensions between Israel and the Iranian regime remain thick in the air, and the deeper currents shaping the region are still in motion. That’s why Roya is the perfect guest. With the insight of someone who lived through Iran’s revolution and exile, she offers a perspective that goes beyond g...
In the latest episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar sits down with acclaimed writer Adam Kirsch to unpack the most important concept you've probably never fully understood: settler colonialism. From campus encampments to the terror attack on embassy staff in D.C., and even the shocking celebration of October 7th by some academics — this is the lens that explains it all. Kirsch offers one of the clearest, most incisive explanations of the ideology fueling today’s most alarming movements. If you ...
In this episode, Tamar reflects on a Friday night dinner that took an unexpected turn — a conversation about how one podcast has become a lifeline for American Jews navigating an era of upheaval. Call Me Back, hosted by Dan Senor, is no longer just a podcast. It’s a ritual, a cultural touchstone, and for many, a new pillar of Jewish identity. Dan Senor joins Tamar to unpack how Call Me Back rose to prominence in the American Jewish world, and why its impact goes far beyond politics or news. I...
In this episode, Tamar sits down with Guri Alfi and Moshe Samuels – the creative minds behind The New Jew, a groundbreaking Israeli documentary series exploring Jewish life in America. Guri, one of Israel’s most beloved comedians, and Moshe, an acclaimed director and producer, aren’t American Jews themselves. But over the last few years, they’ve immersed themselves in the hopes, challenges, and transformations of American Jewry. Their journey began with a mission: to bridge the growing gap b...
In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar sits down with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl – Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York and one of the most influential spiritual leaders in America today. Rabbi Buchdahl leads one of the largest and most vibrant congregations in the country, but what truly sets her apart is her ability to connect across lines of age, identity, and ideology. With honesty and grace, she tackles some of the most pressing questions facing Jews today: What does it me...
In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, we sit down with Sarah Hurwitz—former chief speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama and senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama—to discuss her upcoming book, As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us. Sarah opens up about how a personal breakup sparked an unexpected intellectual and emotional journey into Judaism—not through traditional religious practice, but through a deep engagement with Jewish texts, his...
This special episode of Jewish Crossroads is released ahead of Passover — the holiday of freedom. But for 59 Israeli families, true freedom still feels painfully out of reach. Tamar speaks with Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the American-Israeli mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas. Rachel has become one of the most powerful and persistent voices in the global campaign to bring the remaining hostages home. In this conversation, we discuss her grief, the moral clarit...
When Joshua Leifer’s book Tablets Shattered was released, it was clear he wasn’t pulling any punches. A fierce critique of the Jewish establishment, a personal reckoning with American Jewish identity, and a progressive take on Israel that refuses easy answers – the book was bound to provoke strong reactions. But no one expected his Brooklyn launch event to be canceled at the last minute because his guest, a Reform rabbi, was a Zionist. In this episode, Leifer joins Tamarto unpack that surreal...
Julie Platt, a prominent leader in the American Jewish community, currently serves as Chair of the Jewish Federations of North America. Following the tumultuous congressional hearings and the subsequent resignations of the President and Chair of the University of Pennsylvania, Platt was appointed as the institution’s interim Chair. In our latest podcast, she discusses the critical importance of maintaining a Jewish presence in key positions: “Either you have a seat at the table, or you’re on ...
For the past 16 months, U.S. campuses have been rocked by protests, encampments, and confrontations, with university leaders often struggling – or outright failing – to respond. But one Ivy League school took a different path, leading to a different outcome. Dartmouth stands out for something rare: a sense of hope. At the center of this story is Professor Susannah Heschel, a leading scholar of Jewish Studies and the daughter of the legendary Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel – one of the great mo...
It’s not every day that a Yom Kippur sermon goes viral—but Rabbi Ammi Hirsch’s did. His powerful message struck a nerve across generations: Why are so many young Jews distancing themselves from Israel? Have we raised a generation so committed to Tikkun Olam—repairing the world—that they’ve forgotten Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh lazeh—that all Jews are responsible for one another? In this gripping conversation, Rabbi Hirsch—one of the most influential voices in American Judaism—breaks down the forc...
Nicole Krauss is one of the most brilliant and influential American writers of our time. In an intimate and thought-provoking conversation with Tamar Ish Shalom, she opens up about the challenge of finding the right words for the open letter she wrote to the Israeli public after October 7th. She shares her deep concerns about whether, in today’s literary climate, it will still be possible to publish books that explore Jewish identity and Israel—and why a young Nicole Krauss wouldn’t stand a c...
Rabbi David Wolpe, one of the most influential rabbis in the U.S., a brilliant and fascinating thinker, made headlines this year after stepping down from Harvard’s antisemitism advisory group, realizing their vital recommendations would go unheeded. In this conversation, he shares his thoughts and experiences—what is Jewish courage today? Where did he go wrong in believing antisemitism was his father’s generation’s problem? What did a conversation with a student and former IDF soldier reveal...
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