/ Identity/Crisis Podcast

Donate

  • Courtesy Sinai Temple, Los Angeles
  • Courtesy Sinai Temple, Los Angeles

Jewish Peoplehood

The Art of the Sermon

The art of the art of writing a rabbi's sermon.
Yehuda Kurtzer, David Wolpe

Yehuda Kurtzer

Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer is the President of the Shalom Hartman Institute and a leading thinker and author on the major challenges facing the Jewish people. He is the author of Shuva: The Future of the Jewish Past, the co-editor of The New Jewish Canon, and the host of the Identity/Crisis podcast. Under his leadership, the Shalom Hartman Institute has grown significantly as a leading think tank and educational center for the North American Jewish community,

David Wolpe

With Rosh Hashana right around the corner, Yehuda Kurtzer sat down with Rabbi David Wolpe, the Max Webb Emeritus Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, to discuss the art of writing a rabbi’s sermon. As they explore the ingredients of a great rabbinical speech, they touch on the writing process, the often blurry division of a rabbi’s public and private life, and the role of politics at the pulpit. Together, they get to the very heart of what it means both to have a rabbi and to be a rabbi.

Mentioned in this episode:

https://www.restorativefaith.org/post/departure-why-i-left-the-church

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Subscribe on all major platforms​

In a frenzied media cycle, Identity/Crisis delves into the big ideas behind the news from a uniquely Jewish perspective. Host Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, talks with leading thinkers to unpack current events effecting Jewish communities in North America, Israel, and around the world, revealing the core Jewish values underlying the issues that matter to you.

You care about Israel, peoplehood, and vibrant, ethical Jewish communities. We do too.

Join our email list for more Hartman ideas

More on
Search
FOLLOW HARTMAN INSTITUTE
Join our email list
© 2026 SHALOM HARTMAN INSTITUTE. All rights reserved
© 2026 SHALOM HARTMAN INSTITUTE.
All rights reserved

SEND BY EMAIL

The End of Policy Substance in Israel Politics