Jewish Crossroads: Jewish Identity in Times of Crisis

Just days after Israel and Lebanon reached a framework agreement to begin the withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of southern Lebanon, Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with one of the key figures behind the negotiations: Israel's Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter. In this wide-ranging conversation with host Tamar and Ambassador Leiter discuss the strategic implications of the Leba...

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with Shmuel Rosner, one of Israel’s most thoughtful and wide-ranging public intellectuals. A researcher at the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), Rosner is also a columnist, editor, publisher, and longtime observer of Israeli society, American Jewry, and the evolving relationship between them. In an age of hot takes and fleeting...

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads , Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with Jon Polin, a man who never sought the public eye, but was thrust into it by unimaginable circumstances. Together with his wife, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Jon became one of the most recognizable voices of the hostage crisis after their son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, was kidnapped on October 7 and held in Gaza by Hamas for 328 days. Ove...

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with Rabbi Menachem Bombach, one of the most consequential voices to emerge from within Israel’s ultra-Orthodox world. Over the past few years, he has founded and led educational institutions that preserve a Haredi identity while also teaching core subjects such as mathematics, English, and science, offering a different vision of how...

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads , Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with Iranian-American author and journalist Roya Hakakian, a leading voice on Iran, exile, and the lived experience of life under the Islamic Republic. Born into a Jewish family in Tehran, Hakakian left Iran at 19 in the years following the revolution, carrying with her both the memory of a vanished world and a deep understanding of...

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with Matti Friedman, one of the most perceptive and nuanced voices writing about Israel, war, and Jewish identity today. A former Associated Press correspondent in Jerusalem and a longtime contributor to the New York Times, The Atlantic, and the Free Press, Friedman has built a reputation for clarity in moments of confusion and for r...

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with Jonah Platt, one of the most striking Jewish voices to emerge in American public life in the years since October 7. Platt was well known long before this moment as a producer, writer, and cultural commentator, and as the son of legendary Hollywood producer Marc Platt and Jewish communal leader Julie Platt. Over the past few year...

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, journalist Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with Yair Golan, former IDF major general and one of the most prominent figures on Israel’s political left. Golan reflects on a life shaped by decades of military service, including his role as deputy chief of staff of the IDF, and on his transition from the world of security into Israeli politics, where he now serves as l...

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads , journalist Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with Maya Tevet Dayan for a deeply reflective conversation. Tevet Dayan is an Israeli poet, writer, and public intellectual, widely regarded as one of the most important voices in contemporary Israeli literature and feminism. A recipient of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Award for Literature, she holds a PhD in Indian philo...

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, journalist Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with Dr. Einat Wilf for a wide-ranging and intellectually bracing conversation. Dr. Wilf is a thinker, historian, former Knesset member, one of Israel’s most incisive public intellectuals. She is the author of several books, including The War of Return (with Dr. Adi Schwartz). In recent years, Wilf has undergone a signific...

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads , Tamar Ish-Shalom speaks with Benny Gantz, the former IDF Chief of Staff who entered Israeli politics in 2019 after more than three decades of military service. Gantz has since held several senior government roles, including Minister of Defense, alternate prime minister, and deputy prime minister. Following the October 7 attacks, he and his party joined Israel...

In the season premiere of Jewish Crossroads, journalist Tamar Ish-Shalom sits down with opposition leader and former prime minister Yair Lapid for a candid conversation about the shifting landscape of Israel–U.S. relations. Lapid voices concern over the election of New York City’s new mayor, Zohrahn Mamdani, whom he accuses of applying double standards toward Israel and the Jewish people. The epis...

In this episode, Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with journalist and commentator Batya Ungar-Sargon, whose journey from progressive to outspoken critic of “woke” culture has made her one of the most provocative voices in American political discourse. Batya is the author of two books (a third on Jews and the left is in the works) – Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy and Second Class: How...

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....

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 marke...

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...

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 in...

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 t...

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...

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 t...

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 a...

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 Judai...

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 t...

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 hi...

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 ma...