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PODCAST

For Heaven"s Sake

Shalom Hartman Institute

For Heaven’s Sake is a weekly podcast presented by Ark Media and the Shalom Hartman Institute, hosted by Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi. The podcast draws its name from the Jewish concept of machloket l’shem shemayim, “disagreeing for the sake of heaven,” which is exactly what takes place each week as Donniel and Yossi discuss the moral aspects of topics affecting Israel, world Jewry, and the future of Zionism.

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

00:31:54

843 Days, 12 Hours, 6 Minutes

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2026/01/29

The hostage clock stopped at 843 days, 12 hours, and 6 minutes. But did the healing begin?Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on the return of the body of Ran Gvili—the last hostage from October 7th—and what this moment reveals about Israel's wounds, its divisions, and its desperate need for goodness. A meditation on trauma, ritual, and the human need for moments of grace—even when the underlying problems remain.Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel. Past episodes

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00:35:13

Trump's World

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2026/01/21

What can Israel do when unpredictability becomes U.S. policy?In this episode of For Heaven’s Sake, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reckon with what it means for Israel to live in “Trump’s world”—where unpredictability isn’t just a style, it’s a strategy that can have life-and-death consequences. They explore how Israel’s political drift and Netanyahu’s lack of a “day after” plan have left a political vacuum the U.S. is now filling, and what it would take for Israel to reclaim a measure of

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00:41:33

Iran: When the Story Changes

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2026/01/13

Iran's regime is under pressure—and so are the assumptions that have shaped Western policy for decades. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore the "conceptia" behind the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Jewish theology of power, and the strange silence from progressives as Iran's uprising escalates. For Israelis, this isn't abstract: it's about once again stocking shelters and praying, this time for the Iranian people. Watch the video version of our

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00:37:30

Bennett 2026

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2026/01/07

Is former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett a right-wing ideologue or Israel's great national healer? Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi grapple with this paradox as they examine the only candidate currently ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in national polling. They explore Bennett's extraordinary transformation from an ideological conservative to national unifier, discuss his brief but transformative year as Prime Minister, and consider what his return might mean for Israel's

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00:34:32

Mar-a-Lago

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/12/31

Did we learn anything useful about the future of Israel from the Trump-Netanyahu Mar-a-Lago summit? In this episode, recorded just hours after the summit concluded, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi wrestle with the disconnect between Trump's optimistic assurances—"everything's going to be fine"—and the hard realities facing Israel in 2026. They debate whether Iranian regime change is achievable, if Gaza represents an existential or spiritual threat, and what it means when the second stage of

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00:35:53

Vance

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/12/24

For 60 years, Israel has counted on the United States. Is the "special relationship" between the U.S. and Israel now in jeopardy—not from the left, but from the MAGA right? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack Vice President J.D. Vance's recent troubling statements, the rise of "America First" isolationism, why Israel may need to rethink its dependence on American aid, and what this means for Jews on both sides of the Atlantic. Watch the video version of our podcast on our

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00:38:09

Bondi Beach

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/12/17

What does the horrific attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach mean for the future of Diaspora Jewish life?Australian Jews have built one of the most vibrant, cohesive, creative Jewish communities in the world. Shaped by Holocaust survivors and a deep sense of Zionism, it has become a model for Jewish life in the Diaspora. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore whether small Diaspora communities can thrive in the current environment, and if the post-Holocaust era of Jewish

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00:38:07

The State of the Israeli Center

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/12/10

With elections less than a year away, Israel's political center faces an existential test. What does it stand for—and can it beat Netanyahu?In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi analyze the state of Israel's center and center-left. They trace the historical collapse of the left, the rise of centrist politics under Ariel Sharon, and the post-October 7 reality where moral discourse about Palestinians has disappeared from mainstream Israeli conversation.Watch the video version of our

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00:38:41

The State of the Israeli Right

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/12/03

Can Israel's right-wing reclaim its principles? Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine the mainstream Israeli right's evolution from Jabotinsky's ideals of security and dignity to today's personality-driven politics. They explore the critical divide between Prime Minister Netanyahu’s loyalists and principled conservatives, identifying three challenges facing the next right-wing government: articulating affirmative policies, healing internal divisions, and rejecting the false choice between

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00:36:36

Arabs in the Coalition?

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/11/26

With Israeli politics deadlocked, could Arab parties provide the path to a new coalition? Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the extraordinary political journey of Mansour Abbas, the complexities of Palestinian-Israeli identity, and the future of Israeli democracy. Listen to the Shalom Hartman Institute's new Thoughts and Prayers podcast: https://go.hartman.org.il/Thoughts-and-Prayers-FHS-202Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel.Past episodes of this show, and

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00:42:50

Who's Afraid of a Palestinian State?

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/11/19

Who's afraid of a Palestinian state? According to Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi, the answer is: almost every Israeli. In this urgent conversation recorded after the UN Security Council backed President Trump's Gaza peace plan, Donniel and Yossi explore why an entire generation of Israelis has stopped talking about Palestinian statehood—and why their silence may be unsustainable.Listen to the Shalom Hartman Institute's new Thoughts and Prayers podcast:

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00:51:08

Coming Apart

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/11/12

What happens when 30% of NYC Jews vote for a candidate others see as antisemitic? In this week’s episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi consider issues of betrayal, tolerance, red lines, and unity in a conversation about whether some positions cross from legitimate dissent into existential threat.From the episode:Rabbi Eliot Cosgrove, “On the Record”Identity/Crisis with Howard WolfsonWatch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel.Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts

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00:37:55

The Latest Scandal

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/11/05

What happens when everything becomes instantly politicized and no institution is safe from attack? Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect how October 7 has transformed Israel's moral landscape, as the Netanyahu government shifts focus from defeating external enemies to waging war against internal opponents.Through the lens of the explosive scandal involving Israel's former top military lawyer, they examine whether Israeli society can survive when accountability becomes partisan, institutions

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00:44:32

Mamdani

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/10/29

What does the possible election of Zohran Mamdani mean for Jewish identity, Diaspora-Israel relations, and the boundaries of Jewish community?As New Yorkers head to the polls in the coming week to elect their next mayor, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi wrestle with the return of 'conditional acceptance' for Jews in progressive spaces, compare this moment to Jeremy Corbyn's impact on British Jewry, and grapple with the painful reality of Jewish division in the face of perceived threats.From

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00:36:20

Day 13

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/10/22

Two weeks into Gaza's ceasefire, Israeli society grapples with an unsettling question: who actually won? Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack Hamas violations, Trump's bear hug diplomacy, and why 48% of Israelis believe nobody emerged victorious. From their varying perspectives, the two scholars explore how Israelis are processing the transition from 760+ days of warfare to a fragile peace. A compelling conversation about a nation grappling with hope, trauma, and an uncertain future.Watch

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00:37:07

After the Joy

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/10/17

Will this moment of national unity in Israel transcend politics and open new possibilities for transformation after the celebration?Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on the profound emotional impact of Israel's recent hostage return - a day that united the nation in tears and joy. They explore what this spiritual turning point means for Israeli society's future, the strategic debates around prioritizing lives over military goals, and whether peace can re-enter Israeli discourse after 25

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00:33:53

Breathing Again

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/10/10

Two years and two days after October 7, Israel celebrates a breakthrough. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi react to the game-changing deal securing the release of all Israeli hostages. From Trump's surprising humanity to Netanyahu's strategic pivot, from the hostage families' brilliant campaign to the far-right's defeat – they explore how Israel has arrived at this transformative moment and what it means for the Middle East's future. Can Israel finally exhale?Watch the video

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00:38:19

A New Era?

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/10/01

Can a society traumatized by October 7 learn to hope again?As Trump unveils his Arab supported Gaza peace plan, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine why Israelis struggle to embrace hope after October 7. They discuss the plan's moral dimensions, its focus on defeating Hamas while offering Palestinians a future, and what it means to believe in change when your world feels broken.A timely conversation about transformation, just before Yom Kippur.Watch the video version of our podcast on our

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00:37:30

The Season of Reckoning

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/09/22

Can we maintain the highest ethical standards without betraying national solidarity? As the war in Gaza surpasses 700 days and the High Holidays approach, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore what it means to love Israel unconditionally while grappling with the challenges of moral responsibility during time of war. They discuss maintaining ethical credibility while under attack and advocate making space for the "troubled committed"—Jews who refuse to choose between loyalty and

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00:41:18

Sparta Nation

For Heaven"s Sake ·

2025/09/17

In a headline-grabbing speech, Benjamin Netanyahu asked Israelis to embrace life as a “super-Sparta,” cut off from a hostile world— which begs the question: who do Israelis want to be after October 7?In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack the implications of embracing an isolationist strategy: was this merely a pep talk, or the burial of Start-Up Nation for Sparta Nation? What does Sparta really symbolize, and why are even right-wing voters feeling uneasy? With new polls

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