Identity/Crisis

Christmastime for the Jews (Re-Release)

Identity/Crisis

Show Notes

This episode was originally released on December 24, 2024

The relegation of Hanukkah merchandise to a tiny corner of the grocery aisle can cause Jews to feel excluded or marginalized by the Christmas holiday season. But the impact of Jews on the history and culture of secularized Christmas is deeper than you might think.

In this exciting Yuletide episode of Identity/Crisis, host Yehuda Kurtzer and American composer and music commentator Rob Kapilow sit down at the keyboard to better understand the relationship between Jews and Christmas through the holiday music that Jewish composers have contributed to the canon.

We're grateful to the Charles H. Revson Foundation for supporting the Shalom Hartman Institute's digital work, including Identity/Crisis.

You can now sponsor an episode of Identity/Crisis. Click HERE to learn more.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

More from Identity/Crisis

Oct 20, 2026

In an age of rising hate speech, can liberalism protect the Jews?

Oct 13, 2026

With Israel's elections just weeks away, what vision for the country's future will ultimately prevail?

Oct 6, 2026

Three years after October 7, what are Israel’s possibilities for healing, renewal, and a different future?

Sep 29, 2026

What does the rise in settler violence in the West Bank reveal about the future of Israel?

Sep 22, 2026

Are religious liberty and liberal democracy a natural match or are they destined to be in conflict?

See all episodes →