Identity/Crisis Genocide and the Burden of History
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Aug 12, 2025 The podcast dives into the moral complexities of Jewish identity post-Holocaust, intertwined with the plight of Gaza. Scholars question how historical trauma shapes modern responsibilities amid current conflicts. The discussion navigates the delicate balance between activism and academic rigor, especially regarding terms like 'genocide.' There's a focus on the role of storytelling in conflict, highlighting the need for truth-telling and compassion. Ultimately, it probes the ethical burden that comes with scholarship during humanitarian crises.
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Three Simultaneous Moral Commands
- Yehuda Kurtzer frames Jewish moral obligations post-Holocaust as three simultaneous commitments: not perpetrator, not victim, not bystander.
- He warns balancing these duties is complex and historically under-resourced for Jews entering sovereignty.
Graduate School Humility
- Kurtzer recounts his experience in graduate school learning the humility and discipline of historical scholarship.
- He admits he valued theorizing over meticulous archival work and eventually moved into public-facing scholarship.
Careful Scholarship Builds Credibility
- Good historians practice context, question their biases, and balance trust with suspicion when reading sources.
- Careful scholarship privileges access to evidence, methodological rigor, and cautious language over rhetorical certainty.
