SAPIR Conversations

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.

Former Human Rights Watch senior editor Danielle Haas sits down with SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens to discuss her recent essay, “The Human-Rights Establishment,” which chronicles years of behind-the-scenes experience and presents deep-seated concerns that human rights NGOs have become “increasingly hijacked by politics and dominated by groupthink.”

The podcast discusses the impact of technology on Jewish life and faith, exploring AI advancements, historical parallels, and the evolving role of Jewish leaders in guiding technological development. It delves into the emotional engagement with texts, blurring lines between AI and humanity, and the intersection of technology with Jewish rituals and experiences.

Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove and Rabbi Rachel Isaacs discuss synagogue leadership in turbulent times and a digital age. Topics covered include the impact of the pandemic on synagogue services, resistance to modernity in Maine, anticipating changes in the future, balancing tragedy and joy during Simkha Torah, and approaching differing views in the Jewish community.

Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, and Zvika Krieger, former director of responsible innovation at Meta, discuss the impact of unsubstantiated information on social media during the Israel-Hamas war. They explore topics such as Israel's public diplomacy tools, content moderation challenges, the utilization of social media in asymmetrical warfare, and the potential negative effects of lightly moderating content on tech platforms.

SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman hosted a conversation about the conflict over free speech on college campuses with Nadine Strossen, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), and Ilya Shapiro, the director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute. Strossen and Kenneth S. Stern co-authored “SJP Still Deserves Freedom of Speech” in Sapir‘s War in Israel special edition, while Shapiro recently published “Where Free Speech Ends and Lawbreaking Begins” in The Free Press.