The Season of Reckoning
For Heaven's Sake
Intro
Hosts introduce the episode, note the war day count, and set the theme of moral reckoning ahead of the High Holidays.
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 advocate making space for the "troubled committed"—Jews who refuse to choose between loyalty and ethics—concluding that the hardest questions often come from the place of deepest love.
From the episode:
“Our season of reckoning: Israel’s moral crossroads in Gaza” by Yossi Klein Halevi, Times of Israel
“The Troubled and the Committed” by Liel Leibovitz, Tablet Magazine
“Liberal Zionism and the Troubled Committed” by Donniel Hartman, Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, Fall 2021
As the Gaza war reaches day 703 and the High Holidays approach, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi wrestle with the challenge of moral reflection in wartime after a painful week. How do you maintain ethical standards without betraying solidarity?
They address soldiers’ sacrifices, the fate of hostages, Gazan civilians, and the stakes of a potential ceasefire decision, exploring what it means to love Israel unconditionally while grappling with difficult moral questions. They discuss the "troubled committed" - Jews who refuse to choose between loyalty and ethics, and why making space for their voices strengthens rather than weakens support for Israel.
A raw, honest conversation about maintaining ethical credibility while under attack, and why the hardest questions often come from the deepest love.
From the episode:
“Our season of reckoning: Israel’s moral crossroads in Gaza” by Yossi Klein Halevi, Times of Israel
“The Troubled and the Committed” by Liel Leibovitz, Tablet Magazine
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- Yossi’s article: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/our-season-of-reckoning-israels-moral-crossroads-in-gaza/
- Tablet Article: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/uja-gaza-donation-troubled-committed-liel-leibovitz
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