Shmuel Rosner, Why Am I A Jew?

In this episode of Jewish Crossroads, Tamar Ish Shalom sits down with Shmuel Rosner, one of Israel’s most thoughtful and wide-ranging public intellectuals.

A researcher at the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), Rosner is also a columnist, editor, publisher, and longtime observer of Israeli society, American Jewry, and the evolving relationship between them. In an age of hot takes and fleeting headlines, he has built a career on careful analysis, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to understanding complexity.

As the editor and owner of the Madad Project, Rosner oversees extensive survey research that tracks the attitudes of Israelis and American Jews, providing a unique window into the concerns, hopes, and divisions shaping Jewish life today. He is also the founder of the nonfiction imprint The Hedgehog and the Fox, and the author of numerous books, including the recently published English edition of Why Am I a Jew?

Their conversation ranges across questions of Jewish identity, belonging, and continuity. What does it mean to be Jewish in the twenty-first century? How are Israeli and American Jewish experiences diverging, and where do they still intersect? What can survey data tell us about the deeper cultural and moral currents shaping Jewish communities?

Drawing on a lifetime of research, writing, and reflection, Rosner offers insights that move beyond politics toward the larger questions of peoplehood, meaning, and the future of the Jewish story.

If you'd like to be in touch with us, contact: jewishcrossroadspod@gmail.com

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