TEXTing

How do we respond with gratitude toward someone whose values and policies we otherwise oppose? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain is joined by civic educator and Hartman research fellow Tamara Mann Tweel to explore what Jewish tradition can teach us about uncomfortable gratitude, the cognitive dissonance created when someone we find morally troubling takes an action we support, and how we can respond when deliverance comes from a flawed source. Episode Source Sheet [https://www.hartman.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TEXTing-IRL-Episode-2-Source-Sheet.pdf] Watch the video version of this episode ⁠here⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@ShalomHartmanInstituteENG]. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE [https://hartman.tfaforms.net/4719134] to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS [https://www.hartman.org.il/newsletter/]

How can we stay true to our Jewish commitments while remaining active in movements that don’t always want us there? In this episode of TEXTing IRL, Elana Stein Hain sits down with Jacob Feinspan, Executive Director of Jews United for Justice, to explore the complex dilemmas raised by the increased normalization of anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Drawing on Maimonides' teachings about friendship, they tackle the nature of coalitions, navigating discomfort and acknowledging red lines, and how to foster relationships when we disagree. Episode Source Sheet [https://www.hartman.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TEXTing-IRL-Episode-1-Source-Sheet-v3.pdf] Watch the video version of this episode here [https://youtu.be/q9odeMHnHF8?si=2b3zChDOFBrfEX5O]. You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE [https://hartman.tfaforms.net/4719134] to learn more.  JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS [https://www.hartman.org.il/newsletter/]

As we recall the miraculous story of the Maccabean victory this year, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war highlights challenging questions of national and individual identity. How do we see ourselves in relation to our enemy in times of conflict? In this episode of TEXTing, Elana Stein Hain and Christine Hayes study a text from Bereshit Rabbah about how we compare ourselves to our enemies and discuss how those comparisons influence who we are and who we imagine ourselves to be in war. Episode Source Sheet [https://www.hartman.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TEXTing_Know-Thy-Enemy_Source-Sheet-1.pdf]   You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE [https://hartman.tfaforms.net/4719134] to learn more.    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS [https://www.hartman.org.il/newsletter/]

In a world that is so connected through technology, we are inundated with highly curated images of other peoples’ seemingly perfect lives. Many of us feel jealous of these imagined realities. In this episode, Elana Stein Hain and Leora Batnitzky discuss a text from Deuteronomy Rabbah 9:9 to help us understand where jealousy comes from and how to manage it.     Episode Source Sheet [https://www.hartman.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TEXTing_Jealousy_-Source-Sheet.pdf]   You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE [https://hartman.tfaforms.net/4719134] to learn more.    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS [https://www.hartman.org.il/newsletter/]

In times of heartache, how do we find room for gratitude? In this episode of TEXTing, Elana Stein Hain and Christine Hayes study a text from Tractate Brachot, Chapter 9, about divergent blessings for times of joy and times of sorrow and discuss how gratitude can help us through dark times.   Episode Source Sheet [https://www.hartman.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TEXTing_Gratitude-and-Sorrow_Source-Sheet.pdf]   You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE [https://hartman.tfaforms.net/4719134] to learn more.    JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS [https://www.hartman.org.il/newsletter/]