Can American Jews fully belong in America while staying deeply connected to Israel, Jewish peoplehood, and another story?

In this thought-provoking episode of For Heaven’s Sake, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore the meaning of “dual loyalty” in Jewish life—and why that idea is once again at the center of a growing American debate. Drawing on the lived experience of Jewish communities in New York, they challenge the assumption that multiple identities weaken belonging—and instead argue that they are a defining strength of American democracy.

From parades celebrating cultural heritage to the right to express connection to Israel, they dive into these central questions:

• Can you love both America and another homeland without contradiction?
• Why are Jews uniquely scrutinized for “dual loyalty?”
• What does true belonging look like in a nation built on many identities? Rooted in the idea of the United States as a “nation of nationalities,” this discussion makes a powerful case: embracing multiple loyalties is not anti-American—it is deeply American.

Watch the full episode of For Heaven’s Sake
Explore the Hartman Beit Midrash for America at 250