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TEXTing

Shalom Hartman Institute

In this special series, TEXTing: IRL – Ideas for Real Life, host Elana Stein Hain sits down with guests who are accomplished practitioners in their fields to explore how classic and modern Jewish texts can help us wrestle with and act with integrity in the face of the big dilemmas of our time.

TEXTing: IRL — Ideas for Real Life: Accessible, Relevant, and Deeply Jewish.

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20 episodes
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July 20 · 29 min
Loving and Leaving: A Zionism of Longing – with Yonah Hain
What does it mean to love Israel deeply while choosing to build your life elsewhere? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and her husband, Columbia/Barnard Hillel Campus Rabbi Yonah Hain, get personal and reflect on their family's two years living in Israel, their decision to return to New York, and the competing demands of family, career, Jewish identity, and Zionism. Drawing on Parashat Vaetchanan, the Shema's commandment to teach our children, and rabbinic teachings about Moses’ longing to enter the Land of Israel, they explore the fulfillment of the self and the challenge of making life-changing decisions in uncertain times. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
July 6 · 29 min
Are Today’s Leaders Failing Gen Z? – with Maya Sulkin
What kind of leadership prepares the next generation, and what kind of leadership makes them lose trust? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and journalist Maya Sulkin mine Parashat Masei for competing models of leadership through a generation’s journey through the wilderness. Against the modern backdrop of AI, campus movements, and generational divides, they ask: Which of these models can still sustain a community? What would it mean to lead not by promising, controlling, or fighting, but by enabling people to grow? Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
June 22 · 30 min
Blessings, Curses, and Allies: Who’s Really on Our Side? – with Rori Picker Neiss
With antisemitism and anti-Zionism on the rise, are Jews alone in today’s world, or is that belief a powerful myth actively shaping Jewish identity and relationships for the worse? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and Rabba Rori Picker Neiss, Senior Vice President of Jewish Council for Public Affairs, read Parashat Balak to explore how questions of power, fear, and vulnerability shape Jewish relationships. Drawing on biblical text, Talmudic insight, and contemporary Jewish experience, they probe how narratives about allies and enemies are formed, how they can mislead, and what it takes to stay invested in relationships, even when partners tell us what we don’t want to hear and when engagement may carry real risk. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
June 8 · 30 min
Do We Still Believe in the Jewish State? – with Michael Koplow
Is Israel losing American Jews, or are American Jews losing sight of Israel? Maybe it’s both. In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and Michael Koplow, Chief Policy Officer of Israel Policy Forum, turn to Parshat Sh’lach and the story of the spies in Numbers 13 to explore why many American Jews today feel overwhelmed, disillusioned, or disconnected from Israel. They unpack how fear, moral conflict, and a sense of powerlessness can erode commitment, and they explore what it would take to sustain a meaningful relationship with the Jewish state—and a shared sense of Jewish peoplehood—in this moment. Episode Source Sheet Read Masua Sagiv's "Reclaiming Mamlakhtiyut: The Road to an Inclusive Israeli Identity" from Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas. Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
May 25 · 29 min
Peace, War, and Torah: What Are We Asking For? – with Yehudah Mirsky
Please take 5 minutes to fill out the TEXTing IRL survey! What do we mean when we ask for peace, especially in a time of war, rising antisemitism, and deep uncertainty? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and Brandeis University professor Yehudah Mirsky explore the meaning of peace in Jewish thought through the priestly blessing in Parashat Naso. Drawing on Torah and contemporary reality, they unpack the difference between “negative” and “positive” peace and the tension between safety, stability, and human flourishing. The result is a more grounded and honest framework for thinking about peace today. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
May 11 · 30 min
Good for America, Good for the Jews? – with Dahlia Lithwick (Re-Release)
Please take 5 minutes to fill out the TEXTing IRL survey! This episode was originally released on Monday, September 25, 2025. Democracy promises to guarantee freedom and equality for all, yet Jews seem to be increasingly vulnerable in America today. How should Jews respond when they feel democracy is not showing up for them? On this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and Slate Senior Editor Dahlia Lithwick turn to Rabbi Moshe Feinstein’s 1984 letter on voting and Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt’s eulogy for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to probe the relationship between Jews and American democracy, especially in moments when the promise of democracy feels unfulfilled or even threatened. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
April 27 · 30 min
Have We Seen This Before? How Jews Misunderstand the Present Through the Past – with Yehuda Kurtzer
Please take 5 minutes to fill out the TEXTing IRL survey! It’s Jewish memory season, and this week’s parasha, Parashat Emor, focuses on the Jewish holidays that we celebrate today as a recollection of events in our past. But what happens when Jewish memory starts to feel like destiny, and what does it mean for our sense of agency when history seems inevitable? On this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and Hartman Institute President Yehuda Kurtzer examine the power and dangers of historical analogy and the ethical responsibility that comes with reading today’s events through yesterday’s stories. This conversation asks how Jewish memory can inform moral choice without foreclosing it, and how to hold uncertainty without giving up responsibility. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
April 13 · 30 min
Jewish Responses to Poverty: Charity, Loans, and Prevention — with David Rosenn
What does it mean to help someone without taking away their dignity, and is it harder — and holier — to give a loan rather than a gift? On this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain speaks with Rabbi David Rosenn, President and CEO of the Hebrew Free Loan Society, about Jewish ideas of dignity, episodic poverty, and prevention. They interrogate the Torah’s fixation on interest-free lending and why Jewish tradition insists on seeing the whole person in moments of financial crisis. A provocative and important conversation that begs the question: when (and when isn’t) charity the most ethical form of Jewish giving? EPISODE SOURCE SHEET More from this episode: Hebrew Free Loan Society Ogen in Israel Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
March 30 · 30 min
We Were Strangers Too: Passover, Immigrants, and Human Rights – with Noah Gottschalk
On Passover, Jews celebrate freedom, but for many this year, the normalization of cruelty toward immigrants in America casts a shadow over that celebration. On this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain speaks with Noah Gottschalk, Chief External Relations Officer at HIAS, about why the Haggadah teaches that the Egyptians first chose cruelty through demonization rather than labor oppression, and what our texts call on us to do in response. Together they explore how fear and dehumanization of immigrants echo ancient patterns and how Jewish values compel us to recognize and defend human dignity today. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
March 16 · 30 min
Vayikra: Living with Sacrifice and Closeness in the Shadow of War — with David Dishon
When war erupts again and again, how do Israeli families and communities live with constant loss? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and Hartman research fellow David Dishon turn to the book of Vayikra and to David’s experience as a bereaved grandparent of a soldier killed in the Israel-Hamas War. Together, they examine how sacrifice shapes grief by transforming loss into enduring presence, and offer a framework for spiritual resilience. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
March 2 · 29 min
The Golden Calf, Institutional Crisis, and the Making of a Mob — with Franklin Foer
What turns a crowd into a mob, and what does the Torah teach us about moments when communities unravel? In Parashat Ki Tisa, the Israelites form a mob and build the Golden Calf in Moses’s absence. On this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and The Atlantic staff writer Franklin Foer unpack how fear, identity, belonging, and fragile institutions shape collective behavior. Drawing on social theory, campus encampments, and the contrasting leadership models of Moses and Aaron, they consider what keeps communities grounded, what pushes them toward rupture, and why those dynamics feel especially urgent today. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
February 16 · 29 min
The Mishkan: The Jewish Art of Building and Becoming — with Tamara Mann Tweel
In Parashat Terumah, the Israelites are commanded to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Why construct something so exquisite and detailed in the middle of a desert? And what can building something so valuable, then and now, teach us about living through uncertainty? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and Hartman research fellow Tamara Mann Tweel turn to the rabbinic tradition to explore how building can ground us, offering practices that shape who we become. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
February 2 · 29 min
Rethinking Our Relationship to the Past – with Tamara Mann Tweel
What do we owe the generations that came before us, and what do we want future generations to inherit from us? When do we preserve the past, and when do we break from it? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and Hartman research fellow Tamara Mann Tweel dig into Parashat Yitro, uncovering how the commandment to honor parents is about more than caretaking; it’s about learning to see the past with weight, reverence, and generosity. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
January 19 · 30 min
What Jewish Stories Do We Tell in a Broken World? – with Tamara Mann Tweel
What happens when the stories we cherish no longer fit the world that we and our kids see? Elana Stein Hain and Hartman research fellow Tamara Mann Tweel turn to Parashat Bo to contend with the challenges of parenting in treacherous times and the power of narrative to create meaning and resilience in an incoherent world. We are grateful to Micah Philanthropies and the Walder Charitable Trust for their generous support of TEXTing IRL. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
January 5 · 30 min
TEXTing IRL Live: Choosing Israel Again and Again – with Ronit Heyd
How do we stay invested in Israel when it exhausts and challenges us? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, recorded live at the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Winter Leadership Conference, Elana Stein Hain welcomes Ronit Heyd, Hartman Vice President and Director of the Center for Israeli & Jewish Identity, to read the work of Amos Oz and to discuss why relationships between Israelis and within the Jewish people must be committed: loving, honest, and critical. We are grateful to Micah Philanthropies and the Walder Charitable Trust for their generous support of TEXTing IRL. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. Missed the Winter Leadership Conference? Join us at the Florida Leadership Conference and our flagship Community Leadership Program! ⁠JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS⁠
Dec 22, 2025 · 29 min
Jewish Disagreement in Public and in Private – with Jeremy Burton
From debates over politics, antisemitism, and public representation to disagreements over kugel recipes, Jews are not immune to the profound polarization that characterizes society today. How do Jews relate to each other—and the world—when disagreements run so deep? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and Jeremy Burton, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, examine the growing fractures within Jewish communal life through the lens of Parashat Vayiggash, wrestling with questions of relationship, unity, and advocacy. We are grateful to Micah Philanthropies and the Walder Charitable Trust for their generous support of TEXTing IRL. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
Dec 8, 2025 · 28 min
How Can Jews Believe in God Right Now? – with Dani Segal
After two-plus years of agony and hardship, what can Judaism teach about the role of faith and the presence of God in times of suffering? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and Dani Segal of Mabua: Israeli Beit Midrash mine the lessons of Parashat Vayeshev and Joseph’s descent to Egypt. Drawing on rabbinic interpretations, modern experiences, and stories of soldiers and hostages, they explore how faith can operate as moral clarity and personal motivation during the long and often painful arc of Jewish history. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
Nov 24, 2025 · 30 min
Rethinking How Jews Advocate – with Stacy Burdett
As the longstanding bipartisan consensus around issues important to Jewish needs seems to collapse in America, many feel that the deck is stacked against the Jewish community. How can Jews advocate for themselves, and what tools should they be using? Elana Stein Hain and community advocacy strategist Stacy Burdett dive into Parashat Vayetze to explore Jacob’s fraught encounters with Lavan and what they reveal about the ethics of Jewish self-advocacy today. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
Nov 10, 2025 · 31 min
Jews: Strangers in Their Own Home? – with Sarah Hurwitz
As antisemitism and anti-Zionism rise, many North American Jews have felt less welcome in the countries that they call home. How do we root ourselves deeply in our Jewish identities while remaining engaged in and committed to the broader world? On this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain and author Sarah Hurwitz turn to this week’s Torah portion and the concept of the ger toshav—the resident alien—to understand how North American Jews might navigate belonging, identity, faith, and the enduring challenge of embracing Jewish particularism while living in diverse societies. We are grateful to Micah Philanthropies and to the Walder Charitable Fund for their generous support of TEXTing. Episode Source Sheet Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS
Oct 27, 2025 · 43 min
Future Tense: Being Jewish in Public – with Elana Stein Hain
This week, TEXTing IRL is excited to share Hartman’s podcast, Future Tense, where rising Jewish leaders drive conversations with scholars from the Shalom Hartman Institute on the most pressing issues facing their generation. Many young Jews are taught that they have a responsibility to publicly represent the Jewish people—an expectation that can feel especially heavy during the formative years of personal growth and identity development. In this episode of Future Tense, Elana Stein Hain joins hosts Anna Weiss, Sami Jinich, and Yadid Orlow to explore how to balance the challenges of representation with their own personal development as well as the benefits and challenges of connecting beyond the Jewish community. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

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