In These Times with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch

von Stephen Wise Free Synagogue

54 mintypische Länge
vor 3 Tagenletzte Folge

Every other week, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch hosts intellectually honest conversations unpacking current events through the lens of Jewish wisdom and values. Unbound by politics and untethered by party lines, Ammi and his distinguished guests discuss everything from foreign affairs and antisemitism to politics and pop culture. This show is recorded from New York’s Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, a historic Reform congregation deeply rooted in liberalism, support for Israel and social justice.

Folgen

Nur ungehörte

Following the Money: Charles Asher Small
The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy claims to have uncovered $100 billion in dark money that has flowed into U.S. universities over the past 50 years. Dr. Charles Asher Small has the receipts, and he connects bi
Lunch in Beirut: Hagar Chemali
Raised Christian in Connecticut after her family fled Lebanon’s civil war, Hagar Chemali learned as a teenager that her mother was Jewish. A former White House national security official and U.N. spokesperson who co-founded the Lebanon-I
Franklin Foer
The Atlantic's Franklin Foer traces how Jews moved from the margins to the heart of American life before the sun started to set on that "Golden Age." He argues that the decline has serious implications for Jewish security, American democ
Amos Yadlin
Former Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin contextualizes the ongoing war with Hamas, evaluates Israel's strategic goals, and helps us understand the regional and international situation.
Israel at War
With Israel at war, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch delivers a blunt yet uplifting message answering the question on all our minds: "What can we do?"
Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism: Clarity, Courage, and Moral Leadership
In this special episode, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch delivers his keynote address from the third Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism conference, a gathering of more than 350 Reform rabbis and Jewish leaders at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. Addressing what h
Yardena Schwartz
In "Ghosts of a Holy War," award-winning journalist Yardena Schwartz traces the roots of today’s Israeli-Palestinian conflict back to the 1929 Hebron massacre — a moment that still echoes across Israel and the Middle East nearly a centur
Adam Louis-Klein
Writer and anthropologist Adam Louis-Klein argues that antizionism is not simply a continuation of the “classical” antisemitism of the past, but a new framework for anti-Jewish hatred. Drawing on his experiences in elite academic spaces
Zibby Owens
Author and podcaster Zibby Owens reflects on the world’s response to October 7th, the joy of reading, how authors are using AI, and the anxiety of prepping to send her kids off to college.
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
October 7th was a massive miscalculation — one that decimated Gaza, dismantled Iran’s proxy network, and reshaped the Middle East in Israel’s favor. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib argues that as Israel grows stronger, a new kind of pro-Palestinian
Nadav Eyal
Award-winning journalist Nadav Eyal helps us understand why regimes like Iran's are so threatened by dissent and debate — the lifeblood of democracy — and how that clash with Western values is unfolding across the Middle East.
Liz Hirsh Naftali
After Hamas terrorists murdered Abigail’s parents, they abducted the three-year-old and held her hostage in Gaza for 51 days. Her great-aunt, Liz Hirsh Naftali, shares how she transformed from grieving family member into relentless advoc
Guy Vaknin
Chef Guy Vaknin is the culinary visionary behind a family of inventive vegan restaurants rooted in hospitality, artistry and feeding people well. Since October 7th, his restaurants and his family have been targeted by the same community
Jonah Platt
Since the October 7th attacks, Broadway-trained actor, singer and writer Jonah Platt has emerged as one of the Jewish people’s most compelling advocates. His work exploring Jewish identity, Israel, antisemitism and pop culture gives us t
Jonathan Greenblatt
Whether it's conspiracy theories about “space lasers” or the moral equivocation between Zionist Jews and the protestors screaming at them outside their synagogue, antisemitism is going mainstream. Jonathan Greenblatt returns to discuss t
David Baddiel
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
Jonathan Freedland
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 Freedl
Barak Ravid
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…
Sarah Hurwitz
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 dist
Yaakov Katz
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 J
Cochav Elkayam-Levy
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
Scott Stringer
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.
Brad Lander
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
Bari Weiss and Nellie Bowles
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 conve
Andrew Cuomo
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 antisemitis
Tessa Veksler
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
David Horovitz
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 so
Reform Judaism in America
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
John Spencer
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 an
Jonathan Eig
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 so

Ältere Folgen