For Heaven's Sake

Shalom Hartman Institute, Ark Media

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.

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#256
Wednesday · 41 min
Israel Votes: And What if it's Deadlocked?
Can a society battered by years of political polarization and existential war survive an election cycle where no political faction can achieve instant victory? As critical polling deadlines approach, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront the sobering reality of Israel's impending political stalemate. They discuss the psychological barriers preventing major political blocs from entering national unity arrangements, the host-specific red lines separating unpalatable political partners from genuine existential threats to Israeli democracy, and the feasibility of a short-term minority government designed to pass foundational reforms before calling a new vote. By examining the deep philosophical tension between grievance-based politics and aspirational governance, they offer an insightful assessment of how political compromise functions as the vital oxygen of Israeli coalition life. Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: High school seniors: learn more about and apply to our Hevruta Gap-Year Program!
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#255
September 16 · 43 min
Naza: When a Film is the News
Can a provocative film transform into an unshakeable weapon in the global battle over Israel's moral legitimacy? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect the intense cultural and political fallout surrounding "Naza," the award-winning Venice Film Festival documentary that accuses Israel of systematically embracing disproportionate civilian deaths in Gaza. From the surreal spectacle of the film's record-breaking 25-minute standing ovation in Europe to sweeping indictments and unverifiable soldier testimony, they confront how the film alienates Israeli society rather than fosters genuine moral self-reflection during the High Holiday season of teshuvah. In the process, they discuss how the total erasure of Hamas's battlefield presence distorts Western understanding of asymmetric urban warfare. Mentioned in the show: "The ICJ's Pernicious Plan to Redefine Genocide," by Orde F. Kittrie and Andrés B. Muñoz-Mosquera, September 13, 2026, WSJ Opinion “Full speech: Ed Miliband says entire occupation unlawful, slams ‘settler terrorists’ and Israeli government that indulges them,” by British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, September 8, 2026, Times of Israel
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#254
September 9 · 38 min
Israel Votes: New Year, New Hopes
How can a society deeply divided by electoral deadlock find the collective moral courage to choose democratic renewal over perpetual crisis? In this Rosh Hashanah episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi set aside the reactive mode of recent years to name their realistic hopes for Israel: the return of truth to public life, a moral reckoning with settler violence in the West Bank, and the quiet shifts stirring in the Haredi and Arab sectors. Grounded in the High Holiday belief that what once was isn't necessarily what must be, this is a hopeful yet clear-eyed look at the year ahead. Shana Tova. Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.
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#253
September 2 · 42 min
Israel's Election: What Do Israelis Really Want?
Why does Israeli political life appear hopelessly frozen at the top even as tectonic shifts stir beneath the surface? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine the looming Israeli elections, the persistent mathematical stalemate between major political blocs, and the tired defensive tactics driving Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign. They investigate the fragmentation of the right wing following Ofer Winter’s entry into the race, the demise of small vanity parties failing to clear the threshold, and the emerging revolutions within both the Haredi and Arab-Israeli sectors. Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Register for The Road to the Israeli Elections on September 8.
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#252
August 26 · 40 min
Israel’s Election Season: The Opening Shot (Re-release)
What do four political earthquakes in a single week – as the Knesset is on the brink of dissolving – reveal about the election that will define Israel's future? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi open Israel's election season by mapping the upheaval: the sudden formation of new parties, Gadi Eisenkot's rise to rival Likud as Naftali Bennett fades, a blitz of contentious legislation, and a government openly declaring it will defy the Supreme Court. Together they ask what Israelis actually want and whether this moment marks the true end of the Netanyahu era. A clear-eyed guide to the opening shot of the most consequential election in years. This episode originally aired on July 8, 2026. ---- Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: College students, apply now for the 2026 Edward Fein Winter Student Seminar!
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#251
August 19 · 44 min
Why are Young Jews Turning Against Israel? - with Yossi Klein Halevi and Sara Labaton
Can the Jewish people hold on to moral tradition in the era of Jewish power? In this special episode—recorded live in the courtyard of the Shalom Hartman Institute's Jerusalem campus on July 14, 2026, at the Institute's Wellspring Summit for Educators—Yossi Klein Halevi joins Sara Labaton, Director of Teaching and Learning at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America for a candid conversation on Jewish anti-Zionism, the Israel–American Jewish divide, and the crisis of Jewish memory. Together, they reflect on power, victimhood, and what we owe the next generation of Jewish learners. Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.
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#250
August 12 · 57 min
Humanness: From Mensch to Warrior
What happens to our humanity when fear takes hold? In this special summer episode, recorded live in the Beit Midrash of the Shalom Hartman Institute's Jerusalem campus during our Community Leadership Program, Donniel Hartman delivers a solo lecture on the journey from “mensch” to “warrior." He dissects the Jewish tradition's ambivalent view of human nature, the methodology of mitzvah as training for decency, and the IDF Code of Ethics now under pressure after October 7. A thought-provoking meditation on vulnerability, moral instincts, and whether a people with power can remain a people of conscience. For the source sheet that accompanies this lecture: https://shalomhartman.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Hartman_D_Humaness-from-Mensch-to-Warrior_CLP-2_Plenary_Jul-2-2026-1.pdf Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Watch select sessions from our summer learning in Jerusalem.
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#249
August 5 · 1 hr 19 min
The Post October 7 Jew
How do the Jewish people reclaim our story when our very right to self-defense is under global assault? In this special episode, recorded live at the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Community Leadership Program in June, Yossi Klein Halevi sits down with author and former White House speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz for the annual Michelle Gary z”l Memorial Lecture. Together, they dissect the 80-year arc of post-Holocaust Jewish recovery, how the framing of "oppressor vs. oppressed" distorts the complex reality of Middle Eastern history, and the moral dilemmas inherent in wielding hard national power in a post-October 7 world. Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.
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#248
July 29 · 47 min
Israel's Elections: Judaism on the Ballot
How does a Jewish state navigate its future when the most fiercely contested issue at the ballot box is the definition of Judaism itself? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect the profound ways religion is shaping Israel's upcoming elections. They explore the Likud's historical transformation into enablers of the ultra-Orthodox, the messianic fervor driving the settlement movement, and the opposition's attempt to reclaim a broad, inclusive Jewish identity. ---- Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Learn more about our Wellspring programming for young Jews and the professionals who serve them.
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#247
July 22 · 31 min
Iran and My Summer Vacation
What happens to a nation's psyche when the basic need to breathe is blocked by the geopolitical reality of an endless war? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore this dreamlike summer interlude where Israeli life appears suspended between political campaign trails and impending regional conflict. They parse the deep frustration of a public realizing that its historic moment of deterrence may have slipped away, the dangerous escalations threatening international shipping lanes and neighboring countries, and an unsteady order where tactical firefighting has replaced genuine strategy. ____ Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Learn here how Siach helps young Jews grapple with big questions.
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#246
July 16 · 41 min
Israel's Elections: The Change We Hope For
Is it possible to rebuild a shared national vision when a society remains deeply traumatized and divided over its own moral obligations? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine the newly announced October election date and look beyond immediate legislative battles to articulate the change they truly hope for. They dissect the urgent structural need to undo mass ultra-Orthodox military exemptions, explore how to restore national accountability through an independent commission of inquiry into October 7th, and confront the total breakdown of principled moral discourse in the public square. Rather than focusing purely on political survival, they lay out a framework centered on repairing systemic damage, restoring civic responsibility, and reclaiming long-term vision. ____ Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.
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#245
July 15 · 30 sec
Scheduling Note on this Week's Episode: July 15, 2026
Hello For Heaven’s Sake listeners. We are adjusting our publishing schedule this week, and you won’t see an episode in your feed today. Please make sure you are subscribed to us wherever you get your podcasts, so new episodes download automatically as soon as they are released. Thank you for listening to For Heaven's Sake. ___ Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.
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#244
July 8 · 39 min
Israel's Election Season: The Opening Shot
What do four political earthquakes in a single week - as the Knesset is on the brink of dissolving -reveal about the election that will define Israel's future? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi open Israel's election season by mapping the upheaval: the sudden formation of new parties, Gadi Eisenkot's rise to rival Likud as Naftali Bennett fades, a blitz of contentious legislation, and a government openly declaring it will defy the Supreme Court. Together they ask what Israelis actually want and whether this moment marks the true end of the Netanyahu era. A clear-eyed guide to the opening shot of the most consequential election in years. Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Read Covenant & Country: Jewish in America, the newest issue of Sources. Watch our summer live streams HERE
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#243
July 1 · 43 min
The Haredi Insurrection
Is Israel’s social contract breaking under the weight of the ultra-Orthodox draft exemption? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect the explosive civic and theological crisis surrounding the ultra-Orthodox draft exemption in Israel. They examine the historical roots of Haredi separatism, the post-October 7th need for additional soldiers, and the sense of mutual betrayal gripping secular and ultra-Orthodox communities. Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive alerts about special livestreamed programming from Jerusalem.
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#242
June 26 · 46 min
Israeli-American Relations at a Crossroads
What do American Jews owe Israel when their own political and moral worlds feel under threat? In this episode, recorded live from our Beit Midrash in Jerusalem as part of Hartman’s Community Leadership Program, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront recent flashpoints in the Jewish-American relationship: new data from the Pew Research Center on declining favorability of Israel among Americans, Vice President Vance’s public break with Israel, and anti-Israel winners in multiple primaries in New York City, where the mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is under fire for controversial comments about AIPAC. Together, they unpack the severe erosion of Israel's international standing, investigate the deep political dilemmas confronting North American Jewry, and debate whether the Jewish state must drastically change its trajectory to win back hearts and minds. Ultimately, they reflect on what is required to heal this growing divide, challenging both diaspora communities and Israeli leadership to reclaim a unified moral vision. ____ Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.
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#241
June 24 · 30 sec
Scheduling Note on this Week’s Episode: June 24, 2026
Hello For Heaven’s Sake listeners. We are adjusting our publishing schedule this week, and you won’t see an episode in your feed today because we will be livestreaming our show from the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Community Leadership Program in Jerusalem on Wednesday, June 24 at 12:00PM ET. You can tune in to watch it here. The audio episode of the livestream will be released this Friday. Please make sure you are subscribed to us wherever you get your podcasts, so new episodes download automatically as soon as they are released. Thank you for listening to For Heaven's Sake. ____ Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.
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#240
June 15 · 49 min
The Sum-of-All-Fears Election
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back. ____ Why is Israel’s next election being driven more by fear than hope? Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi join Dan Senor to discuss the emotional forces shaping Israel's coming election. As Israelis prepare to vote, different communities are carrying different traumas, fears, and visions for the country's future, from tensions over Arab and Haredi political power to questions of national unity, leadership, and diminishing hope that life there can improve. They also consider whether Israelis can rediscover the unity of October 8th and what Israelis and diaspora Jews are each looking for in the country's next leader. Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.
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#239
June 10 · 46 min
As the Missiles Fly and Then Stop
If Israel has successfully degraded the capabilities of Hamas and Hezbollah, why do so many Israelis feel less safe today than they did a year ago? In this episode, following a resumption of fire between Israel and Iran, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore the deep strategic divide over Israel's military progress. They assess the looming threat of a resurgent, economically rehabilitated Iran and investigate the failures of both military hubris and international diplomacy in an urgent examination of what happens when a country finds itself trapped between the futility of endless conflict and the illusion of easy political solutions. Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.
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#238
June 3 · 31 min
When the Israel Day Parade is More Than a Parade
Can American Jews define themselves through love of both Israel and America? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack a parade transformed by October 7, Mamdani's boycott, and how a historically innocuous parade has transformed into a profound act of defiance and vulnerability. They explore America as a "nation of nationalities" and its special place in Jewish identity, and Israel's obligation to celebrate world Jewry rather than simply demand its support. Ultimately, they challenge the Jewish community to reclaim an unmediated sense of pride, refusing to let enemies dictate the terms of their joy and connection. Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Join the Hartman Beit Midrash for America at 250. Learn more about and register for Hartman's summer programs in Jerusalem.
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#237
May 27 · 42 min
Who's In Charge? Israel's Angst
Can a country recover its sense of agency when every front — external and internal — refuses to stay resolved? In this episode, recorded just as Prime Minister Netanyahu issued another emergency call-up of exhausted reservists, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi wrestle with the deepening Israeli loss of control. They dissect the gap between the Prime Minister's promise of "absolute victory" and the reality of an enemy that has emerged stronger since its recent conflicts, and trace how the trauma of October 7 still haunts a society that thought it had moved past helplessness. Looking ahead to the coming election, they explore why "who's in charge?" may once again become the defining slogan — and why the answer this time will determine far more than a coalition. Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel. Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more. Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week: Learn more about and register for Hartman's summer programs in Jerusalem.
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