Across the United States, students are rallying and advocating for their perspectives about the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. Campus conversations and environments are becoming increasingly hostile with many Jewish students reporting feeling unsafe. In this week’s episode, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Mijal Bitton, research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and Rosh Kehilla (communal leader) and co-founder of the Downtown Minyan in New York City to probe the term ‘safety’ and how it interacts with the discomfort that a diverse, liberal education should engender. They ask: when is discomfort productive, when is it unproductive, and when does it cross the line to dangerous? They consider the purpose of universities as well as if and how Jews can continue to exist within, and even improve, systems that don’t see us.

Mijal Bitton’s Speech at the March on Washington
Mijal Bitton’s Speech at a rally at NYU
Yascha Mounk, mentioned by Mijal Bitton
Mijal Bitton’s article in opposition to the Women’s March, 2019
Avishai Margalit On Compromise and On Rotten Compromises
Harper’s letter on justice and open debate
Letter in response to Harper’s letter
Message from Northwestern’s President Schill to Senior Leadership
University of Chicago’s approach to free speech - The Kalven Report (1967)
University of Chicago’s “Statement,” October 9, 2023
Letter signed by 500 Columbia professors

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. We will acknowledge your gift on a future episode.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS 

How the housing crisis harmed a generation