SAPIR Conversations

Should it matter whether Yetziat Mitzrayim — the exodus of Israelites from Egypt, the defining story of the Passover seder that Jews around the world have retold for centuries — actually happened in the way the Torah describes?Twenty-five years ago, Rabbi David Wolpe posed this very question to his congregants — and it caused quite a stir. Now, a quarter century later, he sat down with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman of Bar Ilan University, one of today’s leading biblical scholars, to talk about the deeper truths behind the Exodus. Together, they probe the historicity of the biblical account, the enduring meaning of the story, and the timeless legacy of a narrative that is, ultimately, the closest approximation to a Jewish language of Aspiration.In that spirit, we hope this wide-ranging SAPIR Conversation enriches your Pesach Seder. From the SAPIR family to yours, wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Passover and Chag Sameach!Read the latest issue of SAPIR on ASPIRATION: sapirjournal.orgRead Dara Horn's essay, "How To Teach the Jewish Story": How to Teach the Jewish Story – SAPIR JournalMusic from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

The oldest hatred – an honorific given to anti-Jewish prejudice – never tires. If anything, it gathers force. According to many surveys, animus towards Jews is increasing in the United States and worldwide. What should American Jewry do about it?Some believe that we should expend our capital, energy, and creativity to change hearts and minds, especially of those still reachable. That means raising awareness of this scourge through high visibility campaigns, social media engagement, support for Holocaust education, and renewed allyship with other ethnic and religious communities. Others insist that efforts to fight a conspiracy are futile, likely ineffective, and possibly even counterproductive. Decades of teaching “never again” has not stemmed the tide of hate. Rather, our limited resources are better spent by doubling down on creating proud Jews, strengthening Jewish education, and creating a more informed citizenry about Jewish civilization.Moderated by SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens, this SAPIR Debate featured two illustrious voices:Arguing NO: Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism at the Department of State and award-winning author, historian, and professor.Arguing YES: Dara Horn, three-time National Jewish Book Award-winning author of People Love Dead Jews, and founder and president of The Tell Institute, which is devoted to educating the public about Jewish civilization, including in K-12 schools and other channels.The SAPIR Debates is a new series that features a spirited and civil exchange of views on the most consequential issues facing the American Jewish community.This event was recorded live on March 1, 2026 at The 92nd Street Y, New York. To watch the recording on our YouTube channel, click here: https://youtu.be/QcMyvQ-2l6cRead the SAPIR essays and op-eds referenced in this SAPIR Conversation and reach out to us at ⁠info@sapirjournal.org⁠:  Andres Spokoiny's SAPIR essay on Jewish Communal Funding and Antisemitism: https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/money-cant-buy-you-love/Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

In an age of geopolitical fragmentation, a nation’s strength is often defined by its technological indispensability. Israel’s success, argue Yonatan Adiri and Shachar Lotan in a new SAPIR essay, hinges on embracing a new technological strategy called The Silicon Dome.On March 4th, SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens and Israeli entrepreneur and former chief technology officer to Shimon Peres, Yonatan Adiri joined for a live virtual conversation where they unpacked what a Silicon Dome is, how it might operate, and why it is a necessity for the Jewish state.A note to listeners: only moments before the SAPIR virtual event was scheduled to begin, the production team received a message from Adiri that he and his family were notified of an incoming missile to their area, and would need to take shelter imminently. After an “all-clear”, Adiri joined for us for the conversation.Questions or comments? Reach out to us at ⁠info@sapirjournal.org⁠. Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove 

Tomorrow, we launch our second issue on Aspiration—devoted to audacious ideas for a thriving Jewish future. Four years ago, when we published our first issue, the world was a very different place. In his editor’s note, Bret Stephens writes: “Jewish aspiration after October 7 is a different story. Paradoxically, it requires more realism and more ambition.”So here we are, returning with new questions: Is the Jewish world taking enough risks? Has American Jewish life become too convenient? Should we, indeed, stop fighting antisemitism and instead fight Jewish complacency? And did Bret go too far when he called for the dismantling of the ADL?Join Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens and Rabbi David Wolpe for a wide-ranging SAPIR Conversation on these questions and more.Read SAPIR: www.sapirjournal.org  Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

When KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky looks at a glass of water, he doesn’t see it as half empty or half full. He sees an opportunity to fill up the cup. In this SAPIR Conversation with Rabbi David Wolpe, Lubetzky explains how this mindset shaped his journey from arriving in the United States as a 16-year-old immigrant to becoming a multi-billion-dollar entrepreneur who founded one of the most recognizable health food brands in the country. This success propelled him onto the hit TV series Shark Tank as one of the “sharks” and into a life as a social entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, author, and civic leader. Above all, Lubetzky is a builder. As the son of the Holocaust survivor, he views it as his mission to build bridges across seemingly impossible divides – and encourages us all to use our power to do the same. Read the SAPIR essays and op-eds referenced in this SAPIR Conversation and reach out to us at info@sapirjournal.org:  Ilana Horwitz’s SAPIR essay on Poverty and Jewish Community: https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/poverty-and-jewish-community/Daniel Lubetzky’s Washington Post op-ed, The lessons I carry from my Jewish grandfather: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/28/antisemitism-jewish-penny-portnoy-entrepreneur/Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove 

Jack Lew, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and U.S. Ambassador to Israel, shares his journey from Queens to Washington. He highlights the balance between Jewish faith and civic responsibility, reflecting on pivotal moments like Presidential voicemails on Shabbat. Lew delves into U.S.-Israel relations, discussing military aid and the potential for Saudi-Israeli normalization. He expresses concern over the state of American Jewry and emphasizes the importance of engaging younger generations in Jewish history and identity.

Ilana Horwitz, a sociologist at Tulane University, dives into the often unseen economic vulnerability affecting 1 in 4 American Jews. She explores how deep connections to Jewish life can differentiate between temporary hardship and enduring poverty. Addressing stereotypes, she critiques media portrayals that obscure struggling communities and examines how denominations experience vulnerability differently. Horwitz emphasizes the critical role of social networks in providing aid, particularly during crises like COVID, and suggests practical steps for fostering inclusion and support.

American Jewry has long thrived in a society built on institutions. But today, we live in an anti-establishment age, where subtlety fuels suspicion and open displays of power are seemingly valued for their authenticity. In this environment, should America’s Jews think and act like a state, as Jordan Chandler Hirsch argues in his essay “The Need for a Jewish Sovereign Wealth Fund”? Or is this proposed cure an abandonment of the features that have long defined American exceptionalism — and the Jewish experience within it, as Roger Zakheim argues in response.On December 8, SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens moderated a conversation on the future of the American Jewish community in an anti-institutional era with Jordan Chandler Hirsch, senior counselor to the CEO of Palantir Technologies, and Roger Zakheim, director of the Ronald Reagan Institute Roger Zakheim.Read Jordan Chandler Hirsch’s essay: https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/the-need-for-a-jewish-sovereign-wealth-fund/Read Roger Zakheim’s rebuttal: https://sapirjournal.org/letters/against-a-jewish-sovereign-wealth-fund-renewing-americas-covenantal-promise/Watch the virtual discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g51WmzVsNwMusic from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

The assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 30 years ago, in November 1995, marked a major turning point in the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Now, three decades later, the likelihood of a safe and secure Israel coexisting alongside an independent Palestinian state appears increasingly more remote.Despite growing international pressure, Israeli support for a two state-solution continues to drop while skepticism that peace is achievable continues to grow. In the shadow of the October 7th attacks and a two-year long war in Gaza, is lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians possible? Is There a Realistic Future for the Two-State Solution?On November 17, SAPIR hosted a debate on this question on the plenary stage of the Jewish Federations of North America's General Assembly in Washington, D.C.Speakers:Tamar Ish-Shalom, Israeli journalist & host of Jewish CrossroadsDr. Michael Koplow, Chief Policy Officer, Israel Policy ForumJohn Podhoretz, Editor, Commentary MagazineMusic from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/track/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

Of Israel’s many achievements since October 7, none perhaps was as unforeseen as the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange reaching an all-time high two years since the start of the war. While this reflected the resilience and dynamism of the start-up nation, there are troubling signs ahead for Israel’s economy: the high cost of war; stagnant economic sectors; bureaucratic malaise; high population growth; and more. Can Israel make the adjustments and double its GDP over ten years? Can Jews in the Diaspora help it get there?Israeli venture capitalist Michael Eisenberg joined SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens for a conversation about what it will take for Israel to become a trillion-dollar economy.Watch this SAPIR Conversation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S4BQEQynhM Read Michael Eisenberg’s essay: https://sapirjournal.org/money/2025/building-israels-trillion-dollar-economy/ Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove