Why have universities become flashpoints for broader cultural and political battles and what can higher education do to repair a fractured public sphere?

In a conversation recorded live at the Vilna Shul in Boston, Yehuda Kurtzer and Harvard president Alan Garber reflect on leadership in a moment of crisis—exploring free speech and protest, institutional neutrality, and the rise of antisemitism on campus. As a university president and a Jew, Garber shares what worries him about the current moment, what gives him hope, and what it will take for universities—and the country—to move forward.

We're grateful to the Charles H. Revson Foundation for supporting the Shalom Hartman Institute's digital work, including Identity/Crisis.

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week:

Learn more about and apply to the Hevruta Gap-Year Program.

Learn more about and register for our 2026 Rabbinic Torah Seminar.

Live at Vilna Shul: Harvard, Leadership, and Free Speech – with Alan Garber