SAPIR Conversations

SAPIR: Ideas for a Thriving Jewish Future
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SAPIR is a journal exploring the future of the American Jewish community and its intersection with cultural, social, and political issues. These podcasts are recordings of Zoom webinars we have held with our contributors (season numbers correspond with issue numbers). To find out more and join our next events live, visit www.sapirjournal.org.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    “The Future is Sephardic” with Mijal Bitton

    Are we are venturing into the twilight of an American Jewish era?  In a recent SAPIR essay, Dr. Mijal Bitton makes the case that it’s time to reimagine Jewish flourishing for a new age -- one based on a Sephardic model of preservation rather than the liberal Ashkenazi dream of social acceptance, which defined the previous century. In a wide-ranging conversation, host Rabbi David Wolpe joins Bitton to explore whether the next century will be as welcoming to our descendants as it was to our ancestors. And how to create a more resilient Jewish future in America. Read Mijal’s essay in SAPIR, The Future is Sephardic: https://sapirjournal.org/aspiration-ii/2026/the-future-is-sephardic/ Questions or comments? Send us a note at ⁠info@sapirjournal.org⁠ Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

    40 min

  2. 24 APR

    Boyz II Mensches with Adam Teitelbaum

    Men are drifting, disconnected, and increasingly absent from communal life, argues longtime Jewish communal professional Adam Teitelbaum in his new essay, Boyz II Mensches. What does this mean for Jewish life, starting with the bar mitzvah?   On April 16, Rabbi David Wolpe sat down with Adam for a live virtual conversation where they explored how the bar mitzvah lost its power as a profound rite of passage, how to reclaim this foundational period in a boy’s life, and how to help Jewish boys eventually become Jewish men.   Read Adam’s essay in SAPIR, Boyz II Mensches: https://sapirjournal.org/aspiration-ii/2026/boyz-ii-mensches/   Watch the interview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXczsCczOGg   Questions or comments? Send us a note at ⁠info@sapirjournal.org⁠   Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

    51 min

  3. 6 APR

    Queers for Zion with Eve Barlow

    Hatred of Israel has become a symptom of what plagues LGBTQ politics today, argues Eve Barlow in her SAPIR essay, Queers for Zion. What happens when a liberation movement loses sight of its original cause? And how can LGBTQ Jews fight back? On March 19, Eve Barlow joined SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens for a live virtual discussion about Israel, LGBTQ activism, the confounding emergence of the “Queers for Palestine” movement – and the profound contractions it exposes.Read Eve’s essay in SAPIR, Queers for Zion: https://sapirjournal.org/aspiration-ii/2026/queers-for-zion/ Questions or comments? Send us a note at ⁠info@sapirjournal.org⁠ Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

    55 min

  4. 26 MAR

    What Makes the Exodus True with Joshua Berman

    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.org Read Dara Horn's essay, "How To Teach the Jewish Story": How to Teach the Jewish Story – SAPIR Journal Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

    41 min

  5. 18 MAR

    The SAPIR Debates: Is Fighting Antisemitism a Losing Battle?

    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-2l6c Read 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

    1hr 31min

  6. 10 MAR

    The Silicon Dome with Yonatan Adiri

    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

    43 min

  7. 24 FEB

    Sneak Peak of the “Aspiration” Issue – with Bret Stephens and Rabbi David Wolpe

    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

    26 min

  8. 4 FEB

    KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky

    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

    49 min
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About

SAPIR is a journal exploring the future of the American Jewish community and its intersection with cultural, social, and political issues. These podcasts are recordings of Zoom webinars we have held with our contributors (season numbers correspond with issue numbers). To find out more and join our next events live, visit www.sapirjournal.org.

Information

  • Creator
    SAPIR: Ideas for a Thriving Jewish Future
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    96
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © SAPIR: Ideas for a Thriving Jewish Future
  • Show Website
    SAPIR Conversations

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