For Heaven's Sake

Can a society traumatized by October 7 learn to hope again? As Trump unveils his Arab supported Gaza peace plan, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine why Israelis struggle to embrace hope after October 7. They discuss the plan's moral dimensions, its focus on defeating Hamas while offering Palestinians a future, and what it means to believe in change when your world feels broken. A timel...

Can we maintain the highest ethical standards without betraying national solidarity? As the war in Gaza surpasses 700 days and the High Holidays approach, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore what it means to love Israel unconditionally while...

Can we maintain the highest ethical standards without betraying national solidarity?  As the war in Gaza surpasses 700 days and the High Holidays approach, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore what it means to love Israel unconditionally while grappling with the challenges of moral responsibility during time of war. They discuss maintaining ethical credibility while under attack and advo...

In a headline-grabbing speech, Benjamin Netanyahu asked Israelis to embrace life as a “super-Sparta,” cut off from a hostile world— which begs the question: who do Israelis want to be after October 7? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Ha...

In a headline-grabbing speech, Benjamin Netanyahu asked Israelis to embrace life as a “super-Sparta,” cut off from a hostile world— which begs the question: who do Israelis want to be after October 7? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack the implications of embracing an isolationist strategy: was this merely a pep talk, or the burial of Start-Up Nation for Sparta Nation?...

In striking Hamas leaders in Qatar, Israel is invoking a decades-old principle: enemies of the Jewish people have no sovereign immunity. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine how the 1961 Eichmann Trial, which established the ...

In striking Hamas leaders in Qatar, Israel is invoking a decades-old principle: enemies of the Jewish people have no sovereign immunity. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine how the 1961 Eichmann Trial, which established the doctrine of universal jurisdiction for crimes against humanity and crimes against the Jewish people, continues to shape modern Israeli thinking and...

Is pushing into Gaza City a necessary step—or a purposeless escalation that jeopardizes hostages, multiplies civilian suffering, and splinters national unity? As Israel weighs an assault on Gaza City, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi debate the I...

Is pushing into Gaza City a necessary step—or a purposeless escalation that jeopardizes hostages, multiplies civilian suffering, and splinters national unity? As Israel weighs an assault on Gaza City, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi debate the IDF chief’s four-part warning—military efficacy, the fate of the hostages, a spiraling humanitarian crisis, and global isolation—and whether this pha...

This episode originally aired on January 16, 2025. A ceasefire deal has just been reached. In the past, Israelis have been united in elation and relief about the return of hostages, even at a high cost to national security. But not this time. Far-right...

This episode originally aired on January 16, 2025. A ceasefire deal has just been reached.  In the past, Israelis have been united in elation and relief about the return of hostages, even at a high cost to national security. But not this time. Far-right MKs and ultranationalists had vigorously decried the deal, protesting any concession that would allow Hamas to hold on to power, no matter how sma...

What does it mean to lead Jewish communities through crisis? And how can North American Jews navigate complex relationships with Israel during wartime? In a raw and honest conversation recorded live at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem on July ...

What does it mean to lead Jewish communities through crisis? And how can North American Jews navigate complex relationships with Israel during wartime?  In a raw and honest conversation recorded live at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem on July 14, 2025, Institute presidents Donniel Hartman and Yehuda Kurtzer tackle difficult questions about Jewish leadership, trauma, and the responsibilit...

What if October 7 didn't only traumatize Israel and Jews worldwide—but actually changed the course of Jewish history? On this special episode of For Heaven’s Sake, Yossi Klein Halevi and Shalom Hartman Institute of North America CEO Rachel Jacoby Rosen...

What if October 7 didn't only traumatize Israel and Jews worldwide—but actually changed the course of Jewish history?  On this special episode of For Heaven’s Sake, Yossi Klein Halevi and Shalom Hartman Institute of North America CEO Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield explore his bold thesis that October 7 marked the end of the post-Holocaust era of increased Jewish security and acceptance. Their wide-rangi...

In this conversation recorded live in Jerusalem on July 2, 2025, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront the explosive question: What future awaits Judea and Samaria, referred to by some as the West Bank and others as the Occupied Territories? ...

In this conversation recorded live in Jerusalem on July 2, 2025, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront the explosive question: What future awaits Judea and Samaria, referred to by some as the West Bank and others as the Occupied Territories?  In a conversation moderated by Ronit Heyd , Vice President and Director of the Center for Israeli & Jewish identity at the Shalom Hartman Institute...

The war with Hamas has now come at a devastating cost. Hunger is penetrating Gaza, and Israelis are now witnessing the humanitarian disaster unfolding on their border, which their government—and the world—have so far failed to properly address. In this...

The war with Hamas has now come at a devastating cost. Hunger is penetrating Gaza, and Israelis are now witnessing the humanitarian disaster unfolding on their border, which their government—and the world—have so far failed to properly address. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi ask, how did it get to this point? Where—between Israel, Hamas, and the international community—doe...

A recent clash between Druze and Bedouins in the Syrian region of Sweida evolved into chaos as Syrian troops, Israeli Druze, and the IDF all entered the fray. For Israelis, the incident is prompting renewed awareness—and fresh questions— about the unus...

A recent clash between Druze and Bedouins in the Syrian region of Sweida evolved into chaos as Syrian troops, Israeli Druze, and the IDF all entered the fray. For Israelis, the incident is prompting renewed awareness—and fresh questions— about the unusual status of Druze in the Jewish State. This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss loyalty, kinship, and “Israeli-ness” as they unpa...

For the second time in two months, Israel’s government is at risk of collapsing, as Haredi parties threaten to withdraw from the coalition over the conscription of Yeshiva students. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is discussing a “60 day ceasefire” that would ret...

For the second time in two months, Israel’s government is at risk of collapsing, as Haredi parties threaten to withdraw from the coalition over the conscription of Yeshiva students. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is discussing a “60 day ceasefire” that would return more hostages without a clear end to the war. This week, as Israelis wait and anxiety builds, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi share their...

Around the world, Israelis are being harassed, attacked, and condemned for their country’s actions in Gaza, with even Israel’s staunchest allies beginning to reject claims of self-defense. This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack why th...

Around the world, Israelis are being harassed, attacked, and condemned for their country’s actions in Gaza, with even Israel’s staunchest allies beginning to reject claims of self-defense.  This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack why the war with Hamas has brought about such international backlash, and whether Israel can restore its moral credibility.  Watch the video version of o...