What happens when Emma Lazarus’s “The New Colossus” is no longer read as a civic creed, but as a provocation about who belongs—and what a democracy owes the vulnerable?
In this episode, Yehuda Kurtzer reflects on the normalization of cruelty toward immigrants in America, the present state violence being carried out in Minneapolis, and the uneasy silence of Jewish institutions when civil rights are clearly under assault. He then turns the lens toward Israel—asking what it means for Jews in both democracies to draw the line not between “us” and “them,” but between cruelty and compassion.
Join our mailing list for more Hartman ideas.
More from Identity/Crisis
May 31, 2026American Catholics, the Pope, and the Jews- with Robert George
May 24, 2026When do we speak up? - with Abe Foxman
May 17, 2026Rational or reckless? War, Iran, and the limits of strategy
May 7, 2026When mysticism goes mainstream - with Daniel Matt
May 3, 2026Jewish life in an illiberal age - with Jeffrey Goldberg
Subscribe to Identity/Crisis on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you receive your podcasts.
read more: