Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
In These Times with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch
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.
Author
Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
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Podcast website
Latest episode
Jun 18, 2026
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Episodes
Jonathan Eig 20.02.2025 46:59
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 — http...
Walter Russell Mead 06.02.2025 54:05
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
Lihi Lapid 16.01.2025 46:11
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...
Jonathan Spyer 19.12.2024 49:56
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
Natasha Hausdorff 05.12.2024 56:12
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://red...
Matt Brooks and Mark Mellman 21.11.2024 56:41
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
Eylon Levy 07.11.2024 52:15
Watching Israel's war with Hamas unfold, Eylon Levy was surprised by the government's ineptitude in the media and decided to volunteer interviews from his living room. Within a week, he was working as an official spokesperson for the prime minister. Now, again, a private citizen, Eylon continues to make the case for Israel abroad as he tries to convince Israelis to take the information war...
Rudy Rochman 24.10.2024 35:14
Rudy Rochman visits campuses and other hotbeds of anti-Israel activity and engages the other side with incredible equanimity — even in the face of the seething mob. His videos have garnered millions of views on social media, but Rudy doesn't do it for the likes; he wants to change hearts and minds and bring light to wherever there is darkness… Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in...
Bernard-Henri Levy 10.10.2024 43:43
Israel is finding itself increasingly alone as it fights for the future of the free world. French Jewish philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy accuses the West of cowardice in the face of a powerful coalition of Islamist forces and the promulgation of infectious and illiberal ideas at home. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Haviv Rettig Gur 26.09.2024 1:05:31
Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur discusses the need for deeper engagement in the Jewish community, our historical resilience, and the impact of October 7th. He reminds us we are the strongest Jews in history — heirs to those who worked, bled and sacrificed to give us Israel and American Jewry. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Columbia University 06.06.2024 1:04:12
Embattled Columbia Business School Prof. Shai Davidai and newly minted Barnard graduate Noa Fay discuss the crisis that has been unfolding on their campus. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Amos Yadlin 23.05.2024 48:32
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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
The Counterfeit Countess 09.05.2024 48:19
Nazi hunter Dr. Elizabeth "Barry" White and Polish historian Dr. Joanna Sliwa set out to verify Jewish Polish mathematician Janina Mehlberg’s incredible claims that she survived the Holocaust by posing as the Countess Suchodolska and saved some 10,000 Poles from the Majdanek concentration camp... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donation...
Bret Stephens 25.04.2024 1:00:02
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Bret Stephens helps us understand the White House's attitude toward Israel, the major political currents in America that seem to be leaving Jews behind, and a new national ideology that values identity and even victimhood over character and achievement... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donati...
Yasmine Mohammed 11.04.2024 52:34
Forced to marry a man whom she later discovered was a member of Al Qaeda, Yasmine Mohammed eventually found the strength to break away from radical Islam and cut ties with her abusive, fundamentalist family. Today her story continues to inspire people around the world as she works to help free other hearts and minds. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hi...
Ritchie Torres 21.03.2024 32:45
A true friend of both the Jewish community and the Jewish state, there's nothing in Congressman Ritchie Torres' background that would have predicted the millennial Democrat would become such an outspoken advocate for Israel. Rep. Torres challenges the narrative around what's happening with the U.S.-Israel relationship in Washington and within his party — and reveals how much support we...
Dalia Ziada 07.03.2024 51:52
One of the central players in Egypt's 2011 revolution, Dalia Ziada was forced to flee her homeland after voicing support for Israel in the wake of October 7th. Speaking with Rabbi Hirsch from an undisclosed location, this brave activist and analyst helps us unpack the fraught Egyptian-Israeli relationship and contextualize Arab states' proclaimed support for Hamas. Support this podcast at...
Ora Hirsch Pescovitz 15.02.2024 46:05
Dr. Ora Hirsch Pescovitz is the president of Oakland University and was among the first to issue a statement condemning the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. Rabbi Ammi Hirsch's older sister helps us understand the atmosphere on American college campuses today and why so many university administrations have tolerated a deteriorating situation for Jewish students. Support this podcast at — ht...
Liel Leibovitz 01.02.2024 58:05
One of the Jewish world's great thinkers, writers and podcasters, Liel Leibovitz discusses his ideological homelessness, Judaism’s life-changing potential, and the problem with American universities in the wake of October 7th. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Kai Bird 18.01.2024 43:13
Celebrated biographer of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Kai Bird discusses the brilliant physicist's triumph, tragedy and legacy. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Ari Shavit 04.01.2024 45:40
The massacre on October 7th was a turning point in history. Political analyst Ari Shavit discusses the immeasurable and long-lasting consequences this war will have for Israel and the Western world. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Adam Nagourney 14.12.2023 34:32
New York Times national political reporter Adam Adam Nagourney discusses his new unauthorized history of The Grey Lady over the past four decades and the pursuit of truth in our turbulent times. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Einat Wilf and David Hazony 30.11.2023 57:14
Alongside the shock, mourning, grief, and mobilization of war, there is also revelation. Returning guest Dr. Einat Wilf and author and editor David Hazony discuss the aftermath of October 7's "Black Sabbath" and its implications for the future of the Jewish people. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Dara Horn 16.11.2023 37:07
Acclaimed author Dara Horn explores the reasons “people love dead Jews” — and why the idea of Jewish power makes non-Jewish society so uncomfortable. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
Yaakov Katz 01.11.2023 37:30
The Jerusalem Post's military correspondent for nearly a decade and its editor-in-chief for seven years, Yaakov Katz helps us understand how Israel ended up in this war and what might happen next... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
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