SAPIR Conversations

Following Hamas’ October 7 attack, many in the Jewish community were profoundly distressed by those on the Left who celebrated the attack or immediately cast blame at the victims of the massacre. To grapple with these reactions, National Council of Jewish Women CEO Sheila Katz and Joel Rubin joined SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman for a virtual conversation last fall. One year later, what has changed? What has it been like to work within progressive coalitions amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas? SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman and Sheila Katz came back together for a conversation on Jews, the Left, and antisemitism. This is the second of three conversations in SAPIR’s virtual ‘One Year Later’ series, where we revisit our ideas and presumptions following the tragic events on October 7.

Maimonides Fund Scholar in Residence and Downtown Minyan Rosh Kehillah Mijal Bitton crystalized the despairing unity felt by Jews around the world on October 7 in her essay “That Pain You’re Feeling Is Peoplehood” published on November 1, 2023. After the brutal attacks in southern Israel, “many of us — thousands of miles away — cried out in visceral pain,” wrote Bitton. “This is what Jewish peoplehood feels like.” Mijal Bitton joined SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman for a conversation on how Jewish peoplehood has evolved in the year since October 7. Prior to listening to this conversation, we encourage you to revisit Bitton’s essay and reflect on how things have changed in the last year. This is the first of three conversations in SAPIR’s virtual ‘One Year Later’ series, where we revisit our ideas and presumptions following the tragic events on October 7.

The Haredi community has been facing — and facing down — mounting pressure to participate meaningfully in areas of Israeli civic life, including military service and the workforce. While many in the community wish to maintain their isolation, it is widely seen by the rest of Israeli society as unfair and unsustainable. Haredi community rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, head of the Iyun Institute, an organization that promotes Haredi integration and responsibility joined SAPIR Managing Editor Philip Getz for a conversation on the ideas and fears that have shaped Haredi opinion against IDF service and civic engagement, and how to change the status quo.

Is the recent uptick in antisemitism a sign that a golden era of American Jewish life is over? Or is it the latest chapter in a long history of prejudice that American Jews can, and will, overcome? Historian Pamela S. Nadell joins SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman to unpack her essay, “For America’s Jews, Past is Prologue.”

In this insightful discussion, Yuval Levin, a prominent figure at the American Enterprise Institute, explores the alarming decline of public trust in American institutions. He delves into factors contributing to this erosion, including public cynicism and elite accountability. Levin highlights the historical context of trust, particularly its decline since the Kennedy era, and emphasizes the role of social media in shaping perceptions. He calls for a renewed commitment to virtuous behavior and transparency, essential for rebuilding confidence in leadership and community.

Can uncertainty — and even full-on doubt — about the future of democracy be an unlikely source of democratic strength? Watch as SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman and SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens come together for a conversation on “Democracy’s Pessimism Paradox” and its implications for Jewish communities worldwide.

Fifty years after the Yom Kippur War, Israel’s vaunted military and intelligence establishment again failed to protect the Jewish state. What must it do to regain its reputation and deterrence? Former Israeli deputy national-security adviser Chuck Freilich joined Bret Stephens for a conversation on his recent SAPIR article, "Can Israel’s Intelligence Services Be Saved?"

Since October 7, American Jews have been pushed out of the places that were once their cultural and political homes. This feeling of outsiderdom is a new one for American Jews, and one that took them by surprise. New York Times bestselling author Noa Tishby joined Bret Stephens for a conversation on the new position American Jews find themselves in and the steel they need in the battle to support Israel.

Coleman Hughes joined Bret Stephens for a conversation on antisemitism in the black radical tradition. Hughes, the author of “Black Radicalism” in the recent Friends & Foes issue, analyzed the narratives driving rising antisemitism among black Americans — and how they can change. Plus, as a Columbia graduate, Hughes weighs in on recent developments on campus.

In stark contrast to previous generations, younger American Jews are growing up increasingly disconnected from Israel and Zionism. What accounts for this shift? How durable is it? And what are the implications for tomorrow’s leaders of American Jewish communities? Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and Dr. Noam Weissman of OpenDor Media discuss the future of Zionism among Gen Z.