Published by SAPIR: Ideas for a Thriving Jewish Future
Religion & Spirituality
Judaism
SAPIR is a journal exploring the future of the American Jewish community and its intersection with cultural, social, and political issues. These podcasts are recordings of Zoom webinars we have held with our contributors (season numbers correspond with issue numbers). To find out more and join our next events live, visit www.sapirjournal.org.
Johns Hopkins political scientist Yascha Mounk joined Bret Stephens to discuss his new essay, “Censorship Won't Help the Jews,” in the (Fixing) America issue of SAPIR. Read Yascha’s essay here: https://sapirjournal.org/fixing-america/2026/censorship-wont-help-the-jews/ Questions or comments? Send us a note at info@sapirjournal.org Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Literary scholar Ruth Wisse and publisher Adam Bellow join Rabbi David Wolpe for a lively discussion on American Jewish literature, 50 years on from the year Saul Bellow was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Questions or comments? Send us a note at info@sapirjournal.org Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Manhattan Institute president Reihan Salam joined Bret Stephens to discuss his new essay, “Islam in America,” in the (Fixing) America issue of SAPIR. Read Reihan’s essay here: https://sapirjournal.org/fixing-america/2026/islam-in-america/ Questions or comments? Send us a note at info@sapirjournal.org Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Anne Neuberger joined Bret Stephens to discuss her new essay, “The Jewish Case for Public Service,” in the (Fixing) America issue of SAPIR.Read Neuberger’s essay here: https://sapirjournal.org/fixing-america/2026/the-jewish-case-for-public-service/ Questions or comments? Send us a note at info@sapirjournal.org Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Tomorrow, June 10, SAPIR launches its latest issue, on (Fixing) America . An exciting set of contributors including political scientist Yascha Mounk, former deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger, Brandeis historian Jonathan Sarna, and many others explore this era in American Jewish life, on the eve of the nation's Semiquincentennial. Is America in decline? Can America become a resilient country like Israel? What does it mean to be living through the end of the postwar era? In the latest episode of SAPIR Conversations, Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens joins Rabbi David Wolpe to preview the upcoming issue. Read SAPIR: sapirjournal.org Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Are we are venturing into the twilight of an American Jewish era? In a recent SAPIR essay, Dr. Mijal Bitton makes the case that it’s time to reimagine Jewish flourishing for a new age -- one based on a Sephardic model of preservation rather than the liberal Ashkenazi dream of social acceptance, which defined the previous century. In a wide-ranging conversation, host Rabbi David Wolpe joins Bitton to explore whether the next century will be as welcoming to our descendants as it was to our ancestors. And how to create a more resilient Jewish future in America. Read Mijal’s essay in SAPIR , The Future is Sephardic : https://sapirjournal.org/aspiration-ii/2026/the-future-is-sephardic/ Questions or comments? Send us a note at info@sapirjournal.org Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Men are drifting, disconnected, and increasingly absent from communal life, argues longtime Jewish communal professional Adam Teitelbaum in his new essay, Boyz II Mensches . What does this mean for Jewish life, starting with the bar mitzvah? On April 16, Rabbi David Wolpe sat down with Adam for a live virtual conversation where they explored how the bar mitzvah lost its power as a profound rite of passage, how to reclaim this foundational period in a boy’s life, and how to help Jewish boys eventually become Jewish men. Read Adam’s essay in SAPIR , Boyz II Mensches : https://sapirjournal.org/aspiration-ii/2026/boyz-ii-mensches/ Watch the interview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXczsCczOGg Questions or comments? Send us a note at info@sapirjournal.org Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Hatred of Israel has become a symptom of what plagues LGBTQ politics today, argues Eve Barlow in her SAPIR essay, Queers for Zion. What happens when a liberation movement loses sight of its original cause? And how can LGBTQ Jews fight back? On March 19, Eve Barlow joined SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens for a live virtual discussion about Israel, LGBTQ activism, the confounding emergence of the “Queers for Palestine” movement – and the profound contractions it exposes. Read Eve’s essay in SAPIR , Queers for Zion : https://sapirjournal.org/aspiration-ii/2026/queers-for-zion/ Questions or comments? Send us a note at info@sapirjournal.org Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Should it matter whether Yetziat Mitzrayim — the exodus of Israelites from Egypt, the defining story of the Passover seder that Jews around the world have retold for centuries — actually happened in the way the Torah describes? Twenty-five years ago, Rabbi David Wolpe posed this very question to his congregants — and it caused quite a stir. Now, a quarter century later, he sat down with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman of Bar Ilan University, one of today’s leading biblical scholars, to talk about the deeper truths behind the Exodus. Together, they probe the historicity of the biblical account, the enduring meaning of the story, and the timeless legacy of a narrative that is, ultimately, the closest approximation to a Jewish language of Aspiration. In that spirit, we hope this wide-ranging SAPIR Conversation enriches your Pesach Seder. From the SAPIR family to yours, wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Passover and Chag Sameach! Read the latest issue of SAPIR on ASPIRATION: sapirjournal.org Read Dara Horn's essay, "How To Teach the Jewish Story": How to Teach the Jewish Story – SAPIR Journal Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
The oldest hatred – an honorific given to anti-Jewish prejudice – never tires. If anything, it gathers force. According to many surveys, animus towards Jews is increasing in the United States and worldwide. What should American Jewry do about it? Some believe that we should expend our capital, energy, and creativity to change hearts and minds, especially of those still reachable. That means raising awareness of this scourge through high visibility campaigns, social media engagement, support for Holocaust education, and renewed allyship with other ethnic and religious communities. Others insist that efforts to fight a conspiracy are futile, likely ineffective, and possibly even counterproductive. Decades of teaching “never again” has not stemmed the tide of hate. Rather, our limited resources are better spent by doubling down on creating proud Jews, strengthening Jewish education, and creating a more informed citizenry about Jewish civilization. Moderated by SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens , this SAPIR Debate featured two illustrious voices: Arguing NO: Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt , former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism at the Department of State and award-winning author, historian, and professor. Arguing YES: Dara Horn , three-time National Jewish Book Award-winning author of People Love Dead Jews, and founder and president of The Tell Institute, which is devoted to educating the public about Jewish civilization, including in K-12 schools and other channels. The SAPIR Debates is a new series that features a spirited and civil exchange of views on the most consequential issues facing the American Jewish community. This event was recorded live on March 1, 2026 at The 92nd Street Y, New York. To watch the recording on our YouTube channel, click here: https://youtu.be/QcMyvQ-2l6c Read the SAPIR essays and op-eds referenced in this SAPIR Conversation and reach out to us at info@sapirjournal.org : Andres Spokoiny's SAPIR essay on Jewish Communal Funding and Antisemitism : https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/money-cant-buy-you-love/ Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
In an age of geopolitical fragmentation, a nation’s strength is often defined by its technological indispensability. Israel’s success, argue Yonatan Adiri and Shachar Lotan in a new SAPIR essay , hinges on embracing a new technological strategy called The Silicon Dome. On March 4th, SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens and Israeli entrepreneur and former chief technology officer to Shimon Peres, Yonatan Adiri joined for a live virtual conversation where they unpacked what a Silicon Dome is, how it might operate, and why it is a necessity for the Jewish state. A note to listeners: only moments before the SAPIR virtual event was scheduled to begin, the production team received a message from Adiri that he and his family were notified of an incoming missile to their area, and would need to take shelter imminently. After an “all-clear”, Adiri joined for us for the conversation. Questions or comments? Reach out to us at info@sapirjournal.org . Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Tomorrow, we launch our second issue on Aspiration —devoted to audacious ideas for a thriving Jewish future. Four years ago, when we published our first issue, the world was a very different place. In his editor’s note, Bret Stephens writes: “Jewish aspiration after October 7 is a different story. Paradoxically, it requires more realism and more ambition.” So here we are, returning with new questions: Is the Jewish world taking enough risks? Has American Jewish life become too convenient? Should we, indeed, stop fighting antisemitism and instead fight Jewish complacency? And did Bret go too far when he called for the dismantling of the ADL?Join Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens and Rabbi David Wolpe for a wide-ranging SAPIR Conversation on these questions and more. Read SAPIR: www.sapirjournal.org Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
When KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky looks at a glass of water, he doesn’t see it as half empty or half full. He sees an opportunity to fill up the cup. In this SAPIR Conversation with Rabbi David Wolpe , Lubetzky explains how this mindset shaped his journey from arriving in the United States as a 16-year-old immigrant to becoming a multi-billion-dollar entrepreneur who founded one of the most recognizable health food brands in the country. This success propelled him onto the hit TV series Shark Tank as one of the “sharks” and into a life as a social entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, author, and civic leader. Above all, Lubetzky is a builder. As the son of the Holocaust survivor, he views it as his mission to build bridges across seemingly impossible divides – and encourages us all to use our power to do the same. Read the SAPIR essays and op-eds referenced in this SAPIR Conversation and reach out to us at info@sapirjournal.org : Ilana Horwitz’s SAPIR essay on Poverty and Jewish Community: https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/poverty-and-jewish-community/ Daniel Lubetzky’s Washington Post op-ed, The lessons I carry from my Jewish grandfather : https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/28/antisemitism-jewish-penny-portnoy-entrepreneur/ Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Jack Lew was drawn to a mission of service well before becoming the 76th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. As a kid in Forest Hills, Queens, he stepped up as his high school’s inaugural Earth Day coordinator. Inspired by a local rabbi, he supported low-income housing in his hometown. Raised in a home committed to Jewish life and Zionism but also social justice and the community around him, Lew never wavered from an equal sense of responsibility to both worlds. In fact, it’s that very outlook that led him to a storied career in public service without ever sacrificing his Jewish faith and practice. On January 13th, Rabbi David Wolpe sat down with Secretary Lew for an in-depth SAPIR Conversation. Together, they reflected on moments both personal and historic: the time President Clinton left Lew a voicemail on Shabbat; the pivotal conversation he had with President Obama before accepting the position of White House Chief of Staff; the experience of serving as U.S. Ambassador to Israel weeks after October 7th. They also discussed the future of U.S. military assistance to Israel, the fate of American Jewry, and – this being a SAPIR issue on Money – his understanding of the ideal form of Tzedaka , or charity. Read the SAPIR essays referenced in this SAPIR Conversation, including: Ilana Horwitz’s essay on Poverty and Jewish Community: https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/poverty-and-jewish-community/ Jordan Chandler Hirsch’s essay on The Need for a Jewish Sovereign Wealth Fund: https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/the-need-for-a-jewish-sovereign-wealth-fund/ Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Economic vulnerability affects 1 in 4 American Jews, but it doesn’t affect all of them equally, writes Tulane University sociologist Ilana Horwitz in her recent SAPIR article, “Poverty and Jewish Community.” The difference between a life of temporary hardship and one of permanent poverty may, in some circumstances, boil down to whether a person or family is embedded deeply in Jewish life. Why is that the case? What does this finding reveal about the invisible safety net of Jewish belonging? And what are the practical interventions at our disposal to help alleviate financial strain? Horwitz joined Managing Editor Phil Getz for an in-depth discussion about poverty and the American Jewish community. Read Ilana Horwitz’s essay: https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/poverty-and-jewish-community/ Watch the virtual discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ueBdD9TltQ Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
American Jewry has long thrived in a society built on institutions. But today, we live in an anti-establishment age, where subtlety fuels suspicion and open displays of power are seemingly valued for their authenticity. In this environment, should America’s Jews think and act like a state, as Jordan Chandler Hirsch argues in his essay “The Need for a Jewish Sovereign Wealth Fund”? Or is this proposed cure an abandonment of the features that have long defined American exceptionalism — and the Jewish experience within it, as Roger Zakheim argues in response. On December 8, SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens moderated a conversation on the future of the American Jewish community in an anti-institutional era with Jordan Chandler Hirsch, senior counselor to the CEO of Palantir Technologies, and Roger Zakheim, director of the Ronald Reagan Institute Roger Zakheim. Read Jordan Chandler Hirsch’s essay: https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/the-need-for-a-jewish-sovereign-wealth-fund/ Read Roger Zakheim’s rebuttal: https://sapirjournal.org/letters/against-a-jewish-sovereign-wealth-fund-renewing-americas-covenantal-promise/ Watch the virtual discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g51WmzVsNw Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
The assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 30 years ago, in November 1995, marked a major turning point in the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Now, three decades later, the likelihood of a safe and secure Israel coexisting alongside an independent Palestinian state appears increasingly more remote.Despite growing international pressure, Israeli support for a two state-solution continues to drop while skepticism that peace is achievable continues to grow. In the shadow of the October 7th attacks and a two-year long war in Gaza, is lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians possible? Is There a Realistic Future for the Two-State Solution?On November 17, SAPIR hosted a debate on this question on the plenary stage of the Jewish Federations of North America's General Assembly in Washington, D.C.Speakers:Tamar Ish-Shalom, Israeli journalist & host of Jewish CrossroadsDr. Michael Koplow, Chief Policy Officer, Israel Policy ForumJohn Podhoretz, Editor, Commentary Magazine Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/track/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Of Israel’s many achievements since October 7, none perhaps was as unforeseen as the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange reaching an all-time high two years since the start of the war. While this reflected the resilience and dynamism of the start-up nation, there are troubling signs ahead for Israel’s economy: the high cost of war; stagnant economic sectors; bureaucratic malaise; high population growth; and more. Can Israel make the adjustments and double its GDP over ten years? Can Jews in the Diaspora help it get there? Israeli venture capitalist Michael Eisenberg joined SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens for a conversation about what it will take for Israel to become a trillion-dollar economy. Watch this SAPIR Conversation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S4BQEQynhM Read Michael Eisenberg’s essay: https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/building-israels-trillion-dollar-economy/ Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
Why does the stereotype about Jews and money endure? Is Judaism a contractual or covenantal religion? Is Jewish life today too expensive? Should the cost of Jewish education be offset by philanthropic giving or public funding? Join Bret and Rabbi Wolpe for a wide-ranging SAPIR Conversation on these questions and more, which are featured in the newly released issue of the journal on Money. Dive into the issue at sapirjournal.org/issues/money . Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
In the shadow of the war in Gaza, shifting ideological fault lines and coalitions are redefining the boundaries of progressive politics nationwide. The normalization of rhetoric on the Left that questions Israel’s legitimacy has become a source of growing discomfort, if not concern, for Zionists across the political spectrum. Likewise, actions of the Israeli government – before and since the recent war – have prompted those on the Left to reevaluate their association with and support for Israel. Nowhere is this phenomenon more pressing than in New York City, home to more Jews than any city in the world. On both a local and national level, many are asking: can one be both proudly Zionist and firmly on the Left, or has the divide grown too wide to bridge? Moderated by SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens , this second of the SAPIR Debates featured four distinguished voices: Kathy E. Manning , board chair of the Democratic Majority for Israel and former two-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives Yehuda Kurtzer , president of the Shalom Hartman Institute and host of the Identity/Crisis podcast James Kirchick , contributing opinion writer to the New York Times and best-selling author of two books Batya Ungar-Sargon, author of three books, including the forthcoming The Left and the Jews , and host of Batya! on NewsNation The SAPIR Debates is a new series that features a spirited but civil exchange of views on the most consequential issues facing the American Jewish community. Watch this SAPIR Debate on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g-ftd9gNjw Read SAPIR essays relevant to the Debate: To Err is Human; To Disagree, Jewish - by Rabbi David Wolpe: https://sapirjournal.org/cancellation/2022/to-err-is-human-to-disagree-jewish/ Zionism and Liberalism in America - by Michael Koplow: https://sapirjournal.org/resilience/2024/zionism-and-liberalism-in-america/ Pro-Israel Progressives with Rep Ritchie Torres: https://sapirjournal.org/friends-and-foes/2024/pro-israel-progressives/ Saving Israel for Democrats - by Ronald Radosh: https://sapirjournal.org/zionism/2022/saving-israel-for-democrats/ Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove
