In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak to the Perez family, whose son Daniel, Hashem yikkom damo, was killed defending Israel and the Jewish People on October 7. 

We’re joined by Daniel’s father, Doron; his mother, Shelley; and his siblings, Shira, Adina, and Yonatan, to hear about Daniel’s courageous life and the unfathomable loss endured by his family and the Jewish People. In this episode we discuss:

• What does living a life of sanctity and purpose mean, especially in the face of terror and tragedy? 
• How did Daniel’s siblings cope with the loss of their beloved brother? 
• Amid the absence of loss, how can we find the presence of purpose?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the clarity of mission that might help us heal from the trauma of October 7.

Interview begins at 28:00.

References:

Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 2:4 

Parshat Sh'lach

Shuvi V'nechze Al H'torah by Rabbi Moshe Shapiro

Peri Tzadik by Rav Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin

Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 1:1

Psalms 121

“Brother” by Kodaline

Ezekiel 16:6

The Bayit in every Bayit

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

We're taking a week off from our main podcast, but we want to share with you an episode of our new podcast, 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers  Subscribe to on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch the latest episode every Monday. 

The Israeli government’s draft of Haredi men is no simple matter—but Yehoshua Pfeffer has some ideas for moving forward.

Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer is a Haredi social thinker and activist intimately involved in Haredi affairs. He heads the Iyun Institute—which operates programs and publications in the Haredi space—is the founding editor of Tzarich Iyun journal, and serves on the executive board of Netzah Yehuda, which serves Haredi soldiers in the IDF.

While also teaching as a professor at Hebrew University’s law school, he is the rabbi of Ohr Chadash in Ramot Bet, Jerusalem. Yehoshua’s life is guided by his convictions.
Now, he sits down with us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including the Haredi draft, Israel as a religious state, Messianism, and so much more.

This interview was held on July 2.

Here are our 18 questions:

1. As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?
2. What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?
3. What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?
4. Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?
5. Should Israel be a religious state?
6. Do you think the State of Israel is part of the final redemption?
7. Is Messianism helpful or harmful to Israel?
8. Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?
9. Should all Israelis serve in the army?
10. Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?
11. Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?
12. If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?
13. Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?
14. What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
15. Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?
16. Are political and religious divides a major problem in Israeli society?
17. Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?
18. Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to author and historian Dr. Marc B. Shapiro about the blurry borders that distinguish Reform, Conservative, yeshivish, Modern Orthodox, and the many other Jewish sects from one another.

We take today’s Jewish denominational and cultural differences for granted, but they were not inevitable. Moments in history formed our sects, and Dr. Shapiro helps us unpack them. In this episode we discuss:

• How did the Conservative movement diverge from Orthodoxy?
• Where did the “yeshiva world” come from?
• How have Jews historically maintained friendship despite denominational divisions?

Tune in to hear a conversation about Jews’ tangled relationship between ideology and lived experience. 

Interview begins at 13:36

Dr. Marc B. Shapiro holds the Weinberg Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of Scranton. Marc received his PhD from Harvard, and he is the author of numerous books, articles, and reviews, including Between the Yeshiva World and Modern Orthodoxy, The Limits of Orthodox Theology, and Changing the Immutable: How Orthodox Judaism Rewrites Its History. 

References:

Halacha Headlines

Between the Yeshiva World and Modern Orthodoxy by Marc B. Shapiro

Saul Lieberman and the Orthodox by Marc B. Shapiro

Changing the Immutable by Marc B. Shapiro

Marc B. Shapiro on The Seforim Blog

Judith Berlin Lieberman: Autobiography and Reflections edited by Menachem Butler and Abraham Lieberman

A Few Good Men

Toras HaNazir by Rav Hutner

Iggerot Malkhei Rabanan by Marc B. Shapiro

Orthodox Jews in America by Jeffrey S. Gurock

Reading Jewish History in the Parsha with David Bashevkin

All Parsha

The Book And The Sword by David Weiss Halivni

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Steven Gotlib, a fellow at Beit Midrash Zichron Dov and Rabbinic Educator at the Village Shul, about the relationship between first principles and how we are to live.

Rabbi Gotlib is some rabbi who is a lot more than just some rabbi. Steven has thought long and hard about the truth claims of Judaism and the claim Judaism makes on individuals’ lives.

•How does a Conservative Jewish teenager turn into an Orthodox rabbi and outreach professional?
•Should the pursuit of truth override pragmatism?
•What factors should go into someone’s decision to be Orthodox?
•Should experiential knowledge take precedence over rational arguments?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the path and process of a rabbi’s struggle with faith and philosophy.

Interview begins at 15:37.

Rabbi Steven Gotlib received rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, certificates in Mental Health Counseling and Spiritual Entrepreneurship, and a BA in Communication and Jewish Studies from Rutgers University.

Read his review on Lehrhaus of the book, "Strauss, Spinoza, and Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith," titled “(How) Can we Know Orthodox Judaism is True?” (https://thelehrhaus.com/timely-thoughts/how-can-we-know-orthodox-judaism-is-true/#)

References:

Torah Umadda by Rabbi Norman Lamm

Another Way, Another Time: Religious Inclusivism and the Sacks Chief Rabbinate by Meir Persoff

Mystical Experience of God: A Philosophical Inquiry by Jerome Gellman

The Principles of Judaism by Samuel Lebens

God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism by Abraham Joshua Heschel

And from There You Shall Seek by Joseph B. Soloveitchik

Nefesh HaChayim by Chaim of Volozhin

Tanya by Shneur Zalman of Liadi

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jeff Bloom about the assumptions that Orthodox Judaism makes about ideology, and how we ground our faith even if we don’t have irrefutable evidence.

Jeff is some guy who is a lot more than just some guy. Jeff unpacks Leo Strauss’s defense of Orthodoxy and explains how our personal life stories dictate how we see the world.

- Why have we designed a system in which we don’t rummage around assumptions?
- How do we read the Bible in an Orthodox lens?
- Is Orthodoxy merely a warm infrastructure or is it a rationally grounded approach to life?

Tune in to hear a conversation about intellectual authenticity and the axioms of belief.

Interview begins at 14:25

Jeffrey Bloom is a graduate of the University of Chicago. After college, he studied in a number of Orthodox yeshivot in Israel and now lives with his wife and family in New Jersey. He works as an analyst at a hedge fund and is the co-editor of Strauss, Spinoza & Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith. To get an entry point into Jeff’s thinking, read his thoughtful introduction to the book, and once you are there, check out Jeremy Kagan’s thought-provoking article on the history of rational thinking as well as the crucial conclusion to the work, accessible here.

References:
18Forty - Samuel Lebens: The Line Between Rationality and Mysticism
18Forty - Zohar Atkins: Between Philosophy and Torah
18Forty - Simi Peters: Building New Faith Foundations
18Forty - Shmuel Phillips: Reclaiming Judaism
18Forty - Anxiety and Rationality: A Personal Anonymous Account
Strauss, Spinoza & Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith edited by Jeffery Bloom, Alec Goldstein & Gil Student
Judaism Straight Up by Moshe Koppel
“Children of Skeptics” by Thomas Merrill
Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver: Honoring the Work of Leon R. Kass edited by Yuval Levin, Thomas W. Merrill and Adam Schulman
18Forty - Agnes Callard: A Philosophy of Change
“An Argument for Businessmen” by Shalom Carmy
Permission to Believe: Four Rational Approaches to God's Existence by Lawrence Kelemen
Permission to Receive by Lawrence Kelemen
Reason To Believe: Rational Explanations of Orthodox Jewish Faith by Chaim Jachter
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré
Ani Maamin: Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth, and the Thirteen Principles of Faith by Joshua Berman
The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis by Leon Kass
Founding God's Nation: Reading Exodus by Leon Kass
The Revelation at Sinai: What Does “Torah from Heaven” Mean? by Gil Student and Yoram Hazony
Jewish Self: Recovering Spirituality in the Modern World by Jeremy Kagan
The Choice to Be: A Jewish Path to Self and Spirituality by Jeremy Kagan
The Intellect and the Exodus: Authentic Emuna for a Complex Age by Jeremy Kagan
“The Nature and Pursuit of Truth in Different Cultural Context” by Jeremy Kagan
The book of Daniel

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we listen to voicemails sent in by you, our listeners, and reflect on the community we have built beyond our conversations.

- What do Pick-Up Sticks have in common with the sorites paradox?
- How has wealth seeped into our subconscious Jewish intergenerational trauma?  
- Does an accusation of abuse have the potential to ruin someone’s life even if they’re not convicted?

Tune in to hear a conversation about leaky roofs, trench coats, and bobbing boats. 

Voicemails begin at 11:42.

References:

Saturday Night Live - Father-Son Podcasting Microphone
BoJack Horseman
The Little Rascals
Introduction to Love's Executioner : & Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom
18Forty - Alex Edelman: Taking Comedy Seriously: Purim
Megillat Esther
Megillat Eicha
Tinyana, Likutei Moharan by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
Pachad Yitzchak by Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner
Pirkei Avot 2:1
Frum/OTD Dialogue 
Respectfully Debating Judaism
18Forty -  Listener Questions and Behind the Scenes with The 18Forty Team
"The View from Pew: Where Do We Go from Here?" 
18Forty - Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz: A Healthy Relationship with Halacha
The Rav Rimon Bencher
18Forty - Larry And Tzipora Rothwachs: Here Without You — A Child’s Eating Disorder
18Forty - Rav Aaron Lopiansky: What Tribes Do You Contain Inside?
10 Minute Halacha
18Forty - Dr. Tamara Morsel-Eisenberg: Discovering Your Halachic Story
18Forty - Marika Feuerstein: The Mentsch of Malden Mills: A Granddaughter Reflects on the Life and Legacy of Aaron Feuerstein
"What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank" by Nathan Englander
Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon
18Forty - Aharon Schrieber: What Happens When You Call the Police?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Shira Berkovits, president and CEO of Sacred Spaces, about institutional abuse awareness and prevention.

Shira is an attorney and psychologist, as well as the founder of Sacred Spaces, which partners with Jewish institutions to prevent and respond to sexual abuse and other abuses of power. Shira explains how Jewish institutions can better respond to and prevent abuse.

- What preventative measures can a Jewish institution take against abuse?
- Does religious affiliation make responding to incidents of abuse easier or harder?
- How do we begin to heal following incidents of abuse?

Tune in to hear a conversation about protecting our safe spaces.

Interview begins at 20:17.

Shira Berkovits is President and CEO of Sacred Spaces. A behavioral psychologist with a research background in creating large-scale organizational change, and an attorney specialized in criminal law, Shira has spent years studying the intersection of psychology and law as related to sexual offending in faith communities. Shira partners with Jewish leaders to build healthy and accountable institutions, working with a uniquely Jewish lens to foster sacredness and reduce the risk of harassment, abuse, and other interpersonal harm. Shira joins us to talk about creating and cultivating safe spaces in our communities.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please get help.

If you are in immediate danger or need emergency assistance, call 911.

Shalom Task Force Hotline: 718.337.3700; Toll Free: 888.883.2323

Jewish Board Of Family And Children’s Services Domestic Violence Services: 212.262.7655

New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG): 212.613.5000

References:

The Apostle
Doubt
“Crisis Change and the Continuous Art of Individual Interpretation and Negotiation: The Aftermath of Clerical Abuse in Newfoundland” by Marion Bowman
“God is at Stake: Crisis Communications Following Religious Leadership Crises” by David Bashevkin
Sin-a-gogue: Sin, and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsk
The Grand Inquisitor by Fyodor Dostoevsk
Sacred Spaces
“Institutional Abuse in the Jewish Community” by Shira Berkovits
Center for Court Innovation
The Innocence Project
The CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study
Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center
2013 Resolution: Preventing Sexual Abuse in our Community
Aleinu Safeguarding Children Campaign
Keilim Policy Toolkit
The Office: "Search Committee" (Season 7, Episode 24)
“The 10 Best Practices”
“Institutional Child Sexual Abuse—Not Just a Catholic Thing” by Kelly Clark
Leviticus 18
Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
“I Was Shamed and Shunned for Revealing My Abuse” by Ruth Krevsky
Mishna Torah - Hilchot Teshuva by Maimonides
Stop It Now
What's OK?
Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse
Genesis 27
The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide by Shira Berkovits and Basyle Tchividjian
“Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Within Youth-serving Organizations: Getting Started on Policies and Procedures”
“Debunking Common Myths”
Moed Katan 17a
Malachi 2:7
Kiddushin 54a
YUTorah
TorahAnytime

Additional Resources:

“Preventing Abuse in Jewish Organizations that Serve Youth: Ten Policies to Create Safer Environments” by Shira Berkovits
“Vayikra as a Model for Transparent Communal Governance” by Shira Berkovits, Esq., Ph.D. and Rabbi Steven Exler
“Closing the Gap in Best Practices for Prevention and Response to Sexual Abuse of Minors in Jewish Organizations”
“A Conversation on Safeguarding Youth in Jewish Communities” by Shira Berkovits and Daniella Pitkoff
Sacred Spaces Protocols for Safeguarding Children and Teens in Online Communication Training
Cheshbon Hanefesh Guide
Protocols for Safeguarding Children and Teens in Online Communications
“An Assessment of Menlo’s Church Report” by Zero Abuse Project and Sacred Spaces

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rahel Bayar, founder of The Bayar Group, about abuse awareness and education in faith-based communities.

Due to the sensitive nature of this conversation, at times, this episode does contain mature language and listener discretion is advised.

Rahel is a former assistant district attorney and now runs The Bayar Group, which provides abuse training and serves as a consultant to organizations and institutions. Rahel helps us understand some of the difficult definitions we hear and discusses the importance of establishing boundaries in order to identify red flags.

- Why don't we see abuse before it happens?
- What can we do to establish healthy boundaries and prevent abuse?
- What conversations should we be having with our children to prevent and identify abuse?

Tune in to hear a conversation about education, boundaries, and abuse prevention.

Interview begins at 5:01.

Rahel Bayar is the CEO of the Bayar Group, a group that provides sexual abuse and harassment prevention training for schools, camps, and organizations to create lasting change. Rahel is a former sex crimes and child abuse prosecutor who has worked in the field of sexual misconduct and abuse prevention for over a decade. Rahel served as a Managing Director in the Sexual Misconduct Consulting & Investigations division of a global security and consulting firm, and spent many years as an Assistant District Attorney in both the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes and Domestic Violence Bureaus at the Bronx District Attorney’s office. Rahel is a sought-after speaker for her workshops on sexual misconduct, abuse prevention & detection, safe social media and electronic communication practices, boundary guidelines, and consent. Rahel joins us to talk about establishing healthy boundaries.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please get help.

If you are in immediate danger or need emergency assistance, call 911.

Shalom Task Force Hotline: 718.337.3700; Toll Free: 888.883.2323

Jewish Board Of Family And Children’s Services Domestic Violence Services: 212.262.7655

New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG): 212.613.5000

References:

Gittin 56B
The Bayar Group
Law and Order SVU
CSI
“I Started the Media Men List” by Moira Donegan
@Rahel.Bayar on Instagram
Your Whole Body by Lizzie Charbonneau
Consent (for Kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of YOU by Rachel Brian
Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross
Maus by Art Spiegelman

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to ADA Aharon Schrieber about what actually happens when you call the police to report a domestic violence or abuse crime.

Due to the sensitive nature of this conversation, at times, this episode does contain mature language and listener discretion is advised.

Aharon is an assistant district attorney in the Bronx County Domestic Violence Bureau where he prosecutes domestic violence cases. Aharon shares the ins and outs of what actually happens once a crime is reported and how the case gets handled from a law enforcement perspective.

- How does one practically go about reporting a crime to the police?

- What can we do to understand and prevent abuse better in our communities?

- What messages does Aharon hope to hear more from our community when abuse occurs?

Tune in to hear a conversation about abuse, safety, and how we can do better as a community.

Interview begins at 17:12.

Aharon Schrieber is an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) in the Domestic Violence Bureau of the Bronx County District Attorney's Office, where he prosecutes domestic violence offenses and crimes between intimate partners. Aharon is a graduate of NYU School of Law, and is proud to be on the path that he is on, and to have been rejected from many educational institutions and employment opportunities. Tweets @baronaharon, mostly about Star Wars. Aharon joins us to walk us through the specifics of what happens when the police are brought into an abuse case.


If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please get help.

If you are in immediate danger or need emergency assistance, call 911.

- Shalom Task Force Hotline: 718.337.3700; Toll Free: 888.883.2323

- Jewish Board Of Family And Children’s Services Domestic Violence Services: 212.262.7655

- New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG): 212.613.5000

References:

Unholy Catholic Ireland : Religious Hypocrisy, Secular Morality, and Irish Irreligion by Hugh Turpin
Safe Horizon
Law and Order: SVU
The Innocence Project
Serial Podcast
“An Unbelievable Story of Rape” by T. Christian Miller, ProPublica and Ken Armstrong, The Marshall Project
Inventing Anna
“Maybe She Had So Much Money She Just Lost Track of It” by Jessica Pressler
“Soft Power” by Joseph S. Nye
“On Star Wars, Sunsets, and Hopes for a Better Tomorrow” by Aharon Schrieber

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by our friend, Danny Turkel.

This episode is sponsored by Ari Bergmann in appreciation of Adina's work and scholarship.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Eric and Dr. Adina Yoffie about their journey as a family through ideological differences.

Rabbi Yoffie is the President Emeritus of the Union for Reform Judaism and his daughter Adina is a Modern Orthodox editor and writer. As Adina journeyed to Modern Orthodoxy, she also had to navigate the implications of her observance to her Reform family, and how she could live by her newfound truth without disrupting her family life.

- How does one best respect religious approaches other than their own?
- How does one take a principled stand without making someone within their own family feel like their own life and their own practice does not have any standing?
- How did Adina’s Orthodoxy affect Rabbi Yoffie’s approach to Reform Judaism?

Tune in to hear a conversation about seeing legitimacy in another camp at the same time while holding on to one’s own beliefs and convictions.

Interview begins at 16:09

Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie (father) is a Reform rabbi, and President Emeritus of the Union for Reform Judaism. Since retiring in 2012, he has been a lecturer and writer; his writings have been published in The Huffington Post, The Jerusalem Post, and Haaretz.

Dr. Adina M. Yoffie (daughter) is a tutor, editor, and writer living in Manhattan. She earned a Master's and PhD in European History from Harvard University and a Bachelor's in History from Princeton. She has published in the leading journals of her field and has received a Fulbright Award to Germany.

Adina can be found at https://www.adinayoffie.com

References:

Mishna Halachos by Rav Menashe Klein
The Formation of the Talmud: Scholarship and Politics in Yitzhak Isaac Halevy's Dorot HaRishonim by Dr. Ari Bergmann
Op-Ed: Judaism is always ‘tikkun olam’ — and more by Eric Yoffie
Kosher USA: How Coke Became Kosher and Other Tales of Modern Food by Roger Horowitz
The Rebbe's Army by Sue Fishkoff
The French Enlightenment and the Jews by Rabbi Dr. Arthur Hertzberg
The Fate of Zionism by Rabbi Dr. Arthur Hertzberg
Judaism, Human Values, and the Jewish State by Yeshayahu Leibowitz
Words on Fire: The Unfinished Story of Yiddish by Dovid Katz

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by our friend, Danny Turkel.

This episode is sponsored by our friend, Evan Goldenberg.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rav Moshe Weinberger, Rebbe of Kehillas Aish Kodesh and his son Asher, CEO of Swimply.

Rav Moshe Weinberger is a chassidish Rebbe who raised his son Asher in the more modern world of the Five Towns. Join us as they discuss differing trajectories and expectations, and how fathers can learn from their sons despite the small differences between them.

- How does a chassidishe father react to his son cutting off his peyos?
- Does being the son of a Rav play a role in paving one’s own path and journey?
- What does it mean to go back to the year 1840?

Tune in to hear a conversation about chassidus shniya [renewed (or secondary) Hasidic commitment] and the evolution of fatherhood.

Interview begins at 11:25.

Rabbi Moshe Weinberger (father) is the founding rabbi of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, New York, and is Mashpia at RIETS at Yeshiva University. Rabbi Weinberger is one of the leading spiritual leaders in the contemporary Jewish community, and is a key figure in the spiritual revitalization of the Orthodox world.

Asher Weinberger (son) is the co-founder and COO of Swimply, an online marketplace for renting private swimming pools. Asher is the president of the Haredi Institute for Public Affairs.

References:
Sefer HaRokeach by Eleazar of Worms
2.0 by Mishpacha Magazine
Miniver Cheevy and Other Poems by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Tzidkas HaTzaddik by Rav Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin
Haggadah - In the Heart of the Fire by Rav Moshe Weinberger
Likkutei Moharan by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Hararei Kedem by Rabbi Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by our friend, Danny Turkel.

This episode is sponsored by Camp Morasha in appreciation for Rabbi Rothwachs's tireless dedication to his family and ours.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Larry Rothwachs and his daughter Tzipora about the relationship of a father and daughter through distance while battling an eating disorder.

Larry is the rabbi of a congregation in Teaneck, New Jersey, and sees himself as someone who is sort of in the business of helping people. His daughter Tzipora was diagnosed with an eating disorder as a pre-teen. As Tzipora’s disorder got more severe, she was distanced from her family—both physically and emotionally. During this time, she and her parents were forced to redefine and strengthen their relationship in ways they couldn’t have otherwise.

- How can absence become a relationship in and of itself?
- What did this journey teach Tzipora about being a daughter, about family, about her relationship with her father, and for Larry as a parent, how did this change his relationship, not just to Tzipora, but his relationship to being a parent in general?
- How can parents and children remain connected even when so far apart?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how distance can make a relationship grow stronger than it ever was before.

Interview begins at 11:43.

Rabbi Larry Rothwachs (father) serves as rabbi of Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck, NJ, and is the Director of Professional Rabbinics at RIETS at Yeshiva University. Rabbi Rothwachs has served as president of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County and on the executive committee of the Rabbinical Council of America. In May 2016, he was named by the Jewish Forward among ‘America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis.’

Tzipora Rothwachs (daughter) grew up in Teaneck, NJ, and studied Business at Yeshiva University. After graduating from Yeshiva University, Tzipora Rothwachs began working as a property associate for JLL in New York City. She enjoys running and the outdoors and lives in Bergen County, NJ.

References:
The Fifth Son by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Top Five Pictures of the Four Sons by Dovid Bashevkin
The Animated Haggadah by Rony Oren
Father of the Bride
Here Without You by Three Doors Down
Little House on the Prairie
Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by our friend, Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to author Bruce Feiler about family narratives.

Bruce has authored many books and articles, including longtime 18Forty favorite, The Stories that Bind Us, which argues that resilience in families is built by developing a strong family narrative.

- Does The Stories that Bind Us deliberately have a Pesach theme?
- What are the mistakes that people make in family dinner conversation?
- Are there differences in the ways that we cope with different types of life transitions?

Tune in to hear a conversation about Pesach and building family narratives.

Interview begins at 16:27.

Bruce is an American author of 15 books. Bruce’s book The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More is a moving exploration of the ways different families have built healthy homes. Bruce writes the "This Life" column in the New York Times and the PBS miniseries Walking the Bible and Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler. His powerful article “The Stories That Bind Us,” in which Bruce explores the non-linear narratives of families from many different walks of life, was an early inspiration for 18Forty’s series on Intergenerational Divergence. Bruce joins us to discuss the stories that families tell.

References:
Shel Ma'alah, Shel Matah: Seders Ideal and Real by Joanna Samuels
Believe In Your Own Seder by Rabbi Judah Mischel
Just One - The NCSY Haggadah
Haggadah Encyclopedia Talmudic
The Mesivta Haggadah
The Stories that Bind Us by Bruce Feiler
Sin-a-gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin
Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age by Bruce Feiler
Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses by Bruce Feiler
The Do-You-Know Scale by Marshall Duke and Robyn Fivush
The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler
Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths by Bruce Feiler
The Council of Dads by Bruce Feiler
The Nonlinear Life Newsletter
The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jack Wertheimer, a professor of American Jewish History at JTS, about the radical transformations of American Jewish practice over the last century.

We can’t understand the Jewish People without a sobered look at what happens in our synagogues, homes, and communities. We can talk about a movement’s ideological ideals, but amid those discussions we cannot ignore the on-the-ground realities of a community’s practice. In this episode we discuss:

• How does a Jewish movement’s "lived religion" differ from its stated ideals?
• What is the cost of radical inclusivity?
• What misconceptions do Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews have about each other?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what Judaism means for us in our current time. 

Interview begins at 28:28.

Dr.  Jack Wertheimer is a leading thinker and professor of American Jewish History at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He is the former provost of JTS, and was the founding director of the Joseph and Miriam Ratner Center for the Study of Conservative Judaism. Jack has written and edited numerous books and articles on the subjects of modern Jewish history, education, and life. He won the National Jewish Book Award in the category of Contemporary Jewish Life in 1994 for A People Divided: Judaism in Contemporary America. 

References:

“Sometimes Mashiach Is Not the Solution” by Aaron Lopiansky

“Politics and the Yeshivish Language” by Cole S. Aronson

The New American Judaism by Jack Wertheimer

A People Divided: Judaism in Contemporary America by Jack Wertheimer

Sliding to the Right: The Contest for the Future of American Jewish Orthodoxy by Samuel C. Heilman

Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal by Dana Kaplan

“What Jewish Denominations Mean to Me” by David Bashevkin

Michtav Me'Eliyahu by Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler

The 18Forty Podcast: “Rabbi Dr. Haym Soloveitchik: The Rupture and Reconstruction of Halacha”

“Shomer Yisroel” by Omek Hadavar



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by our friend, Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to the families from our previous series on intergenerational divergence to follow up and see what they’re up to now. As we revisit the previous interviews, we continue the conversations where we left off, drawing from the experiences and wisdom of our guests.

• What advice would our guests give their younger selves during the difficult period that they went through?
• What have our guests been up to and what has the feedback been since sharing their stories on 18Forty?
• What is the role of disappointment and expectations in the idea of identity?

Tune in to hear a conversation about family, about dissonance, and about unconditional love.

References:

The Europeans by Orlando Figes

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

18Forty Interview with Rabbi Daniel and Aliza Grama

18Forty Interview with Rabbi Robyn Frisch 

Reform, Conservative, Haredi — it’s all in the family by Robyn Frisch

18Forty Interview with Rabbi Menachem Penner and Gedalia Penner Robinson

18Forty Interview with Andrew Solomon

Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David is joined by comedian Alex Edelman for a special Purim discussion exploring the place of humor and levity in a world that often demands our solemnity.

A Modern Orthodox Jew from Brookline, Massachusetts, who’s “tried cocaine,” but has “never tried bacon,” Alex stars in the one-man Off Broadway show Just For Us, which has to be one of the only top-tier comedy specials to mention Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.

In this episode, we discuss:

—How does a Modern Orthodox kid become a mainstream professional comic?
—What makes particularly Jewish stories resonate so much with wider audiences?
—Why hasn’t he left traditional Judaism amid his secular fame?

Tune in to hear how a bona fide star holds onto both his humor and his values to bare to the world his authentic self.

Interview begins at 26:56.

Alex Edelman is a product of Massachusetts’s Maimonides School and has been featured on Conan and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In 2020, he was the head writer and executive producer of the “Saturday Night Seder” YouTube extravaganza, which raised over $3.5 million for the CDC Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. His show Just For Us is running at the SoHo Playhouse in New York City. While nights tend to sell out quickly, tickets are available here: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35583/production/1107251.

References:

The World as Will and Idea by Arthur Schopenhauer

Is It Funny for the Jews? by Jason Zinoman

Here All Along by Sarah Hurwitz

My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

For the Relief of Unbearable Urges by Nathan Englander

Dinner at the Center of the Earth by Nathan Englander

Kaddish.com by Nathan Englander

Baseball as a Road to God by John Sexton

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, the director of semicha at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), about the development of halacha.

Rabbi Lebowitz has written numerous articles and several books on the practical applications of Jewish law and is behind the popular “Ten Minute Halacha” lecture series.

•What is the role of rabbinic “intuition” in halachic rulings?
•To what degree does the common practice of the community shape halachic rulings?
•How has the focus of rabbinical studies shifted over time?
•Does the concept of emunas chachamin, faith in the rabbis, mean blind adherence?
•How are the personal circumstances of the individuals seeking a halachic ruling factored into a posek’s decision?

Tune in to hear a conversation about halacha and its practical applications.

Interview begins at 21:32.

Rabbi Lebowitz is the rabbi of Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere and the director of semicha at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). He previously taught at Lander's College for Men and at the DRS Yeshiva High School (HALB).

References:
Ten Minute Halacha
Tales Out of Shul: The Unorthodox Journal of an Orthodox Rabbi by Rabbi Emanuel Feldman
Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz’s halachic guide to showering on Yom Tov
Gray Matter by Rabbi Chaim Jachter
Contemporary Halakhic Problems by Rabbi J. David Bleich
Shabbat by Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon
Orchot Shabbat by Rabbi Shalom Yosef Gelber & Rabbi Yitzchak Mordechai Rubin

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dr. Tamara Morsel-Eisenberg - historian and Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows - about the history of halacha.

While we take the system of halacha as we know it today for granted, many factors contributed to its current state. We discuss some of these factors, as well as some pivotal moments in halacha’s history, like the publication of the Shulchan Aruch.

- Has halacha always been as standardized and abstract a system as it is today?
- What factors have contributed to the state of halacha today?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the history of halacha.
Interview begins at 16:47.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/halacha/.

Dr. Tamara Morsel-Eisenberg is a scholar of early modern Jewish intellectual and cultural history. She received her BA from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania’s history department, where she wrote her thesis on the transmission of halakhic knowledge in 16th-century Ashkenaz. Tamara has held fellowships and prizes, including from the Center for Jewish History, the AJS, the Leo Baeck Institute. She is a Junior Fellow at Harvard’s society of Fellows and a Starr Fellow at its Center for Judaic Studies, as well as a Berkovitz Fellow at NYU Law, and lectures widely on Jewish history and law. Tamara lives in Manhattan with her husband Ori and three sons.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Moshe Koppel, professor of computer science at Bar-Ilan University to discuss some of the ideas in his books Judaism Straight Up and Meta-Halakhah. We discuss how to conceptualize the halachic system and explore how Halacha's development can be seen through the prism of language and what that means for our halachic commitment today.
How should halacha be legislated?
What does it mean that halacha is like language?
What can halacha as language teach us about the development and legislation of halacha?

Tune in to hear this fascinating conversation about halacha's development.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/halacha

Interview begins at 26:58

Dr. Moshe Koppel is a computer scientist, Talmud scholar, and political activist. Moshe is a professor of computer science at Bar-Ilan University, and a prolific author of academic articles and books on Jewish thought, computer science, economics, political science, and other disciplines. He is the founding director of Kohelet, a conservative-libertarian think tank in Israel, and he advises members of the Knesset on legislative matters. Moshe is the author of three sharply thought books on Jewish thought.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of 18Forty Podcast, we had the privilege of speaking with Professor Haym Soloveitchik, University Professor of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University.

Professor Soloveitchik is a world-renowned scholar whose research has focused on the development of halacha—including martyrdom, pawn-broking and usery, as well as the laws of gentile wine. Much of his popular renown can be attributed to the publication of his article "Rupture and Reconstruction: The Transformation of Contemporary Orthodoxy" in Tradition (Summer 1994 28:4). The essay explores how halacha developed following the rupture of the Holocaust and moved from a mimetic tradition into a text based tradition. Following the article's publication, there have been several critical exchanges, collections of reflections, and conversations—a testimony to its enduring impact. The article and many of the critical exchanges have been collected into a new volume that has recently been published by the Littman Library of Jewish Civilization. It was a unique privilege to have Professor Solovetichik as a guest on 18Forty. In this episode, we discuss:

- How has the shift from a mimetic tradition to a text based tradition affected Jewish life?
- How does the approach of Professor Soloveitchik differ from the notion found within the Conservative movement of Catholic Israel?
- Where can the sense of yirat shamayim—awe of heaven—found instinctively in previous generations, be discovered today?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the implications of the development of halacha from a world renowned scholar and how these changes can affect our lives.

Interview starts at 30:40.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/halacha

References:

Rupture and Reconstruction: The Transformation of Contemporary Orthodoxy, Haym Soloveitchik (Tradition, Summer 1994, 28:4)
On Haym Soloveitchik's "Rupture and Reconstruction: The Transformation of Contemporary Orthodox Society": A Response, Isaac Chavel  (The Torah U-Maddah Journal 1997 vol. 7)
Clarifications and Reply, Haym Soloveitchik (The Torah U-Maddah Journal 1997 vol. 7)
Responding to Rupture and Reconstruction, Hillel Goldberg (Tradition 1997 31:2)


Rupture and Reconstruction Reconsidered, Tradition Symposium (free e-book)
On the Reception of Rupture and Reconstruction, Zev Eleff
Thoughts on Rupture and Reconstruction Twenty Five Years Later, David Brofsky

Rabbi Dr. Haym Soloveitchik graduated from the Maimonides School which his father founded in Brookline, Massachusetts and then received his B.A. degree from Harvard College in 1958 with a major in history. After two years of postgraduate study at Harvard, he moved to Israel and began his studies toward an M.A. and PhD at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, under the historian Professor Jacob Katz. He wrote his Master's thesis on the halacha of gentile wine in medieval Germany. His doctorate, which he received in 1972, concentrated on laws of pawnbroking and usury. He is considered a pioneer and leader in the study of the history of Jewish law.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we listen to voicemails sent in by listeners and talk to two of our editors, Denah Emerson and Yehuda Fogel.

18Forty is a media company as well as a podcast. Between editing the podcast audio, writing the written material, and running the social media, there are many invaluable people who help run it behind the scenes.

- What happens behind the scenes of 18Forty?
- How is 18Forty’s media produced?

Tune in to hear a conversation where we answer listener questions and give a behind the scenes look at 18Forty.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Marika Feuerstein about the life of her grandfather, Aaron Feuerstein.

Aaron Feuerstein was the head of a successful family business that suffered serious setbacks after a fire destroyed its factory. He became famous for his commitment to the wellbeing of his employees, paying them even while they couldn’t work, but rebuilding came with challenges that ultimately cost him the company. Marika Feuerstein tells the lesser known story of his later life, and how the Feuerstein family regrouped in the wake of the fire.

- What happened in the aftermath of the fire?
- What were its effects on the Feuerstein family, who, until that point, had all worked in the business?
- How did Aaron Feuerstein, as well as the rest of his family, recover from the setbacks to lead a healthy life?

Tune in to hear a conversation about wealth as it relates to family identity.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/wealth/.

References:
Hospital by Julie Salamon
https://www.amazon.com/Hospital-Infinity-Behavior-Diversity-Steroids/dp/0143115367

Aaron Feuerstein was an American businessman and philanthropist. Feuerstein gained national acclaim for his decision to continue to compensate his employees after a fire destroyed his Massachusetts factory. Feuerstein became known as the “Mentsch of Malden Mills,” and the decision caused him to sustain significant personal financial losses. Marika Feuerstein is Aaron Feuerstein’s granddaughter. Marika is a Boston native, and has been a top Residential Real Estate Agent. A true entrepreneur at heart, she started Keto bakery company, Sweet Finale, runs a non-profit, Purim Unity, where she puts on mega events for the Boston Jewish community, and is an executive producer on a new documentary called The American Question. Marika joins us to talk about the life and legacy of her grandfather.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Ari Bergmann - PhD and financier - about the benefits of shemittah.

The current Hebrew year, 5782, is a shemittah year, a year when the land rests. This has extensive economic effects on Israel’s agricultural community, as farmers are not allowed to work on or profit from their land. Ari, as an expert in both Talmud and finances, weighs in on some important questions.

- What are the laws and logistics of shemittah?
- What is the Torah’s motivation for introducing shemittah?
- How do the laws of shemittah affect power differences created by wealth?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the shemittah year.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/wealth

Ari Bergmann is the founder and managing principal/CIO of Penso Advisors LLC, A New York-based manager and advisory boutique specializing in derivatives structuring/trading and systemic risk management. Ari attended Ner Yisrael, holds an MA and PhD in comparative religion from Columbia University, and has taught at Yeshiva University, Columbia University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Ari lectures widely on the topics of finance, Talmud, and Jewish thought, and is beloved for his knowledge and depth.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Eli Langer and Zevy Wolman - hosts of the Kosher Money podcast - about financial literacy as it relates to Orthodox Judaism.

The cost of living in Orthodox communities is tremendous, and seems to only grow. Between tuition, simchas, and more, families in America’s top one or two percent by income struggle to get by.

- How severe is the issue of cost of living in the Orthodox community?
- What dynamics factor into this issue?
- How should we aim to solve this issue long term?
- How can financial literacy help?

Tune in to hear a conversation about financial literacy and the cost of living in the Orthodox community.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/wealth/.

References:
Thou Shall Prosper by Rabbi Daniel Lapin
https://www.amazon.com/Thou-Shall-Prosper-Commandments-Making/dp/0470485884
You Revealed by Rabbi Naftali Horowitz
https://www.amazon.com/You-Revealed-Torah-Path-Success/dp/1422627462
The Index Card by Helaine Olen
https://www.amazon.com/Index-Card-Personal-Finance-Complicated/dp/1591847680
Dovid Bashevkin on Kosher Money
https://livingsmarterjewish.org/dovid-bashevkin-has-very-interesting-takes-on-money-kosher-money-episode-15/
Watch Kosher Money here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI8a9R9xblEbj3S5R7i35kBL9n8sF6rCl
Listen to Kosher Money here:
https://plinkhq.com/i/1572928547?to=page
More info here:
https://www.livinglchaim.com/

Eli Langer is the CEO of Harvesting Media, and previously worked as social media producer for CNBC. Eli is the host of the Kosher Money podcast, where Eli meets with visiting experts on the financial realities and challenges of life as an observant Jew.

Zevy (Isaac) Wolman is an entrepreneur and CEO of Make it Real, a global toy company. Zevy is a founding member of Living Smarter Jewish, Relief of Baltimore, Bobbie’s Place of Baltimore, and Baltimore Business Loan fund and a board member of the Orthodox Union.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and a leader of the Reform Movement, about the way Jewish Peoplehood is understood among the non-Orthodox majority of American Jews.

Rabbi Hirsch is known in the Reform Movement and beyond for his decades-long staunch commitment to Jewish Peoplehood. We recorded this interview before Oct. 7, and especially considering Rabbi Hirsch’s leadership on issues related to Zionism, a follow-up conversation with him will follow shortly. In this episode we discuss:

• Where should the State of Israel fit into our priorities as a people? 
• How has Reform Judaism course-corrected its views on Jewish Peoplehood over time?
• How can we be a unified people when we can’t always agree on who is a Jew?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might improve the state of interdenominational relations.

Interview begins at 19:50.

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is a leader of the Reform Movement. He is the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and former executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America/World Union for Progressive Judaism, North America. He wrote two books: The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi's Reflections on Love, Courage, and History (2023) and One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them (2003), which he co-authored with Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman.

References:

One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them by Ammiel Hirsch and Yaakov Yosef Reinman

The Impostor by Avner Gold

18Forty Podcast: “Altie Karper: When a Book Is Banned”

“The Believer” by Armin Rosen

“Dissent in the Reform Ranks” by Armin Rosen

The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi's Reflections on Love, Courage, and History by Ammiel Hirsch

The Book of Jewish Values: A Day-by-Day Guide to Ethical Living by Joseph Telushkin

“Who Can Be Called Rabbi?” by Gil Student

“Shomer Yisroel” by Omek Hadavar


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Mark Trencher - founder of Nishma Research - about finances in the Orthodox community.

Mark Trencher founded Nishma Research to survey the Jewish community about various important questions relating to Jewish life. His surveys are of wide-ranging subject matter, including reasons that people go off the derech, political orientation, opinions about vaccines, and of course, finances.

- How taxing is Orthodoxy on peoples’ finances?
- What financial areas do Orthodox families struggle with most?
- Are Orthodox people able to save for retirement?
- How does this financial strain affect peoples’ religiosity?

Tune in to hear a conversation about Orthodox Judaism and finances.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/wealth/.

References:
Rupture and Reconstruction by Haym Soloveitchik
https://traditiononline.org/rupture-and-reconstruction-the-transformation-of-contemporary-orthodoxy/
Wanting by Luke Burgis
https://www.amazon.com/Wanting-Power-Mimetic-Desire-Everyday/dp/1250262488
All Who Go Do Not Return by Shulem Deen
https://www.amazon.com/All-Who-Go-Not-Return/dp/1555977057
The Index Card by Helaine Olen
https://www.amazon.com/Index-Card-Personal-Finance-Complicated/dp/1591847680
Nishma Research
http://nishmaresearch.com/
Kosher Money Podcast
https://livingsmarterjewish.org/series/kosher-money-podcast/
https://twitter.com/awilkinson

Mark Trencher is the founder of Nishma Research, which has conducted nine broad Jewish communal studies since 2015, as well as eight Jewish organizational studies. Mark previously headed research departments at two Fortune 200 financial firms and has taught business statistics on an undergraduate and graduate level. Through Nishma, Mark has studied under-examined issues in the Orthodox community relating to the community’s beliefs, practices, and attitudes. Mark currently sits on the Board of Directors of both the National Council of Young Israel and PORAT (People for Orthodox Renaissance and Torah), and president of the Hartford Kashrut Commission.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Zohar Atkins, Rabbi and philosopher, about the role that philosophy - particularly rationalist philosophy - plays in Judaism.

Zohar is a profound and poetic thinker who tries to lead an examined Jewish life. Despite being a philosopher, he is an advocate of doing, not just thinking. He takes the idea of there being 70 faces of the Torah to heart, endorsing philosophical pluralism in relation to Judaism.

- How do philosophy and the Torah interact?
- Does the Torah espouse any one true philosophy, or is it open to multiple philosophical interpretations?
- What role in Jewish life can rationalism play, and what role should it play?

Tune in to hear a conversation about philosophy and Judaism.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/rational/.

References:
Dialogues of Plato by Plato
https://www.amazon.com/Dialogues-Plato-Enriched-Classics/dp/1439169489
The Kuzari by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi
https://www.amazon.com/Kuzari-Defense-Despised-Faith/dp/0765799707
https://slatestarcodex.com/
https://www.lesswrong.com/
https://twitter.com/ZoharAtkins?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Zohar is the founder of Etz Hasadeh, a fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, and a popular public thinker. Zohar holds a Dphil in theology from Oxford, where he was a Rhodes scholar, and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Zohar is the author of An Ethical and Theological Appropriation of Heidegger’s Critique of Modernity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), Nineveh (2019), a collection of poems, and thinks aloud about a daily question at What is Called Thinking. Zohar writes a much-loved and deeply contemplative column on the Parsha at Etz Hasadeh.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Simi Peters - author and teacher - about Jewish faith and postmodernism.

Simi is a scholar who is well-versed in both postmodern and Jewish thought. She has attempted to synthesize the two, grounding Jewish faith in postmodernism. While postmodernism calls into question the very ideas of truth and proof, she still believes that Judaism can be given a postmodern, rational grounding.

- What is postmodernism, and what implications does it have for rationality?
- How can one ground their faith in a postmodern world view?
- Where does the education system go right, and where does it go wrong, in attempting to ground its students’ faith?

Tune in to hear a conversation about Judaism and postmodernism.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/rational/.

References:
David Foster Wallace - The Problem with Irony by Will Schoder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2doZROwdte4
The Most Human Human by Brian Christian
https://www.amazon.com/Most-Human-Talking-Computers-Teaches-ebook/dp/B004FEG2S6
The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs
https://www.amazon.com/Year-Living-Biblically-Literally-Possible/dp/0743291484
Learning to Read Midrash by Simi Peters
https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Read-Midrash-Simi-Peters/dp/9657108578
The Road Back by Mayer Schiller
https://www.amazon.com/Road-Back-Discovery-Judaism/dp/0873062647

Simi is the author of Learning to Read Midrash (2004) and has been a teacher at Nishmat for over 25 years. Simi has dedicated her life to adult Jewish education and teacher education, specializing in Tanach, Midrash, and Biblical commentary. Simi holds a master’s degree in linguistics from the Graduate Center of CUNY and currently teaches at Matan’s Bellows-Eshkolot Educator’s Program.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Samuel Lebens - philosophy professor and author - about the interaction of Judaism with analytic philosophy and mysticism.

Samuel is an analytic philosopher, trained to analyze philosophical questions in a precise, almost mathematical framework. In his new book, The Principles of Judaism, he attempts to wed the foundations of Judaism to this framework, discussing the ways that one might formalize their Judaism on rational grounds.

- How can one ground their Judaism in precise, rational terms?
- How certain can one be of their Judaism?
- What is the place of mysticism in a rational framework?

Tune in to hear a conversation about Judaism and analytic philosophy.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/rational/.

References:
The Principles of Judaism by Samuel Lebens https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Judaism-Studies-Analytic-Theology/dp/0198843259
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus by Ludwig Wittgenstein https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Ludwig-Wittgenstein/dp/0486404455/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_i=0486404455&psc=1
The Nineteen Letters by Joseph Elias https://www.amazon.com/Nineteen-Letters-World-Rabbi-Hirsch/dp/0873066960
Covenant and Conversation by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks https://www.amazon.com/Covenant-Conversation-Genesis-Book-Beginnings/dp/1592640206
Two Dozen (or so) Arguments for God by Jerry Walls, Trent Dougherty https://www.amazon.com/Two-Dozen-Arguments-God-Plantinga/dp/0190842229

Samuel is an associate professor in the philosophy department at the University of Haifa, as well as a rabbi and Jewish educator. Samuel holds a PhD in philosophy from Birkbeck College (University of London), and his academic interests cover the philosophy of religion, metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of language. Samuel teaches at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education and the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies. Samuel’s most recent book, of several, is The Principles of Judaism, a strikingly sharp analysis of the fundamentals of the Jewish religion. Samuel’s first book was a study of Bertrand Russell’s dynamic theories about the nature of meaning.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to author Shmuel Phillips about the upsides and downsides of approaching Judaism rationally.

Shmuel grew up debating religion, always thinking about why he practiced Judaism as he did. While many people practice Judaism because it’s what they grew up with, Shmuel believes that people could give more grounding to their faith. To that end, he authored a book, Judaism Reclaimed, where he explores the modern issues of Judaism in a traditional Orthodox framework.

- How can one reconcile the Torah with the morality and science of the modern day?
- How much should rationality factor into one’s religious experience?
- How can rationality and an experiential relationship with Hashem complement each other?

Tune in to hear a conversation about Judaism in the modern day.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/rational/.

References:
Forgive Us, Father-in-Law, For We Know Not What To Think by Rabbi Shalom Carmy
https://www.amazon.com/Forgive-Father-Law-Know-Think/dp/9657324009
My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer by Christian Wiman
https://www.amazon.com/My-Bright-Abyss-Meditation-Believer/dp/0374534373
Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah by Rabbi Shmuel Phillips
https://www.amazon.com/Judaism-Reclaimed-Philosophy-Theology-Torah/dp/1946351784
Ani Maamin by Joshua Berman
https://www.amazon.com/Ani-Maamin-Criticism-Historical-Principles/dp/1592645380

Shmuel is an author and Torah scholar based in Jerusalem. Shmuel holds a law degree, and spent two decades studying Torah in Yeshiva and Kollel. Over this time, he wrote an analysis of some of the greatest challenges and opportunities of traditional faith in the contemporary era, Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to an anonymous guest about the anxieties he experienced in a hyper rational approach to Judaism.

Our anonymous identifies as a rationalist, or someone who likes to analyze the decisions in his life through a logical lens. He applied this to his Judaism. But as time went on, he began having doubts and questions and his life started to fall apart. Eventually he found a different approach to his Judaism that allowed him to moderate his rationality and live a more meaningful life.

- What are the benefits and drawbacks of rationality?
- What balance should one attempt to draw?
- How can rationalists with doubts about Judaism moderate their mindset to have a more meaningful life?

Tune in to hear a conversation about rationality and Judaism.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/rational/.

References:
Why Is It so Hard to Be Rational? By Joshua Rothman https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/23/why-is-it-so-hard-to-be-rational
The Secret of Our Success by Joseph Henrich https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Our-Success-Evolution-Domesticating/dp/0691166854

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk about two impactful books about Shabbos and their authors.

Shemiras Shabbos K’Hilchasa was a seminal work about the halachos of Shabbos in the modern day. The Sabbath was an ode to the beauty and spirituality of Shabbos. Together they give two complementary perspectives, the halachic and the spiritual, on our beloved Shabbos.

- Why are Shemiras Shabbos K’Hilchasa and The Sabbath such important works?
- What do they each tell us about Shabbos that the other doesn’t?
- How do the perspectives they bring, that of halacha and that of spirituality, complement each other, and how are they similar?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the books of Shabbos.

References:
Shemiras Shabbos K'Hilchasa by Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth
https://www.amazon.com/Shemirath-Shabbath-Set-Yehoshua-Neuwirth/dp/1583304940
The Sabbath by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
https://www.amazon.com/Sabbath-Classics-Abraham-Joshua-Heschel/dp/0374529752
A Passion for Truth by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
https://www.amazon.com/Passion-Jewish-Lights-Classic-Reprint/dp/1879045419
Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
https://www.amazon.com/Moral-Grandeur-Spiritual-Audacity-Essays/dp/0374524955
Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism by Gershom Scholem
https://www.amazon.com/Trends-Jewish-Mysticism-Gershom-Scholem/dp/0805210423
The Earth is the Lord’s by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Lords-Eastern-Classic-Reprint/dp/1879045427
Man is Not Alone by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
https://www.amazon.com/Man-Not-Alone-Philosophy-Religion/dp/0374513287

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this special episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Professor Jonathan Haidt about the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in honor of his yahrtzeit.

Rabbi Sacks had a profound impact on the Jewish world, with his eloquent words giving a voice to many. He has spoken at length about how to construct a good and meaningful life using Judaism, as well as about morality, consumerism, spiritual truth, politics, and antisemitism.

- What is the value of commitment to Judaism?
- How can Judaism contribute to our morality?
- How can Judaism contribute to our community?
- How can one keep faith in Judaism in the modern world?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the world of Rabbi Sacks.

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl-ebook/dp/B009U9S6FI
The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777
The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Hypothesis-Finding-Modern-Ancient/dp/0465028020
The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt https://www.amazon.com/Coddling-American-Mind-Intentions-Generation/dp/0735224897
Religion and the Rise of Capitalism by Benjamin Friedman https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Rise-Capitalism-Benjamin-Friedman/dp/059331798X

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to author and journalist Judith Shulevitz about the world of Shabbos.

Through The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order of Time, Judith introduced the secular world to the concept of Shabbos. She explores the power of a day of rest and the communal aspect that elevates it.

- Does a secular Shabbos of unplugging work?
- What is so radical about observing Shabbos?
- How important is community for one’s Shabbos practice?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the world of Shabbos.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/shabbos/.

Judith is a journalist, editor, author, and critic. She is currently a contributing op-ed writer for The New York Times. Judith’s book, The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order of Time, is a deep exploration of our favorite day of rest, from its ancient origins until today. This book weaves together the story of a day but also the story of one person, with ideas and memories melting into each other. Judith joins us to talk about the complex beauty, and challenges, of Shabbos.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Senator Joe Lieberman - politician, lobbyist, and attorney - about the gift of Shabbos.

Joe Lieberman lives a life in the public eye as an observant Jew. This exemplary dedication to his values is admirable and gives Joe a unique perspective on the benefits of Shabbos.

- What gifts does Shabbos grant us that we take for granted?
- What lessons can the high-powered life of a politician teach us about powering down for Shabbos?
- Is it difficult living as a politician who observes Shabbos?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the gift of Shabbos.

References:
In the Driver’s Seat by Jenna Weissman Joselit https://www.bjpa.org/content/upload/bjpa/jose/Joselit-Jewish%20leadership.pdf
Half Shabbos is No Shabbos by Jonathan Rosenblum https://jewishaction.com/religion/shabbat-holidays/half-shabbos-is-no-shabbos/
Is Half Shabbos Really No Shabbos? By Rabbi Shalom Baum https://jewishaction.com/letters/is-half-shabbos-really-no-shabbos/
Shabbos: The Political Significance of Jewish Law by Avi Garelick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKvuRm3RzvQ
Everything Is for Sale Now. Even Us. by Dr. Ruth Whippman https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/24/opinion/sunday/gig-economy-self-promotion-anxiety.html
America the Anxious by Dr. Ruth Whippman https://www.amazon.com/America-Anxious-Pursuit-Happiness-Creating/dp/1536628972
The Gift of Rest by Joe Lieberman https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Rest-Rediscovering-Beauty-Sabbath/dp/1451627319
The 39 Avoth Melacha of Shabbath by Baruch Chait https://www.amazon.com/39-Avoth-Melacha-Shabbath-Regular/dp/0873065867

Senator Joe Lieberman is a politician, lobbyist, and attorney, who served as a senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013, and was the nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2000 election. Senator Lieberman is an observant Jew, and his thoughtful book The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath is a fascinating look into the spiritual journey from within the halls of power. Above all else, Joe Lieberman’s kindness, humility, and dedication to living a life of service are powerful lessons for all of us who spend our days on Netflix and nights on Youtube. The senator joins us to talk Shabbos, spirituality, and living a life of dedication and balance.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we begin our Denominations series by talking to Zev Eleff—historian, author, and the president of Gratz College—about the development of the denominations of Judaism we have in America today. 

We’ve been occupied for months with defending our right to be Jews in America, so perhaps this is the right time to return to considering the purpose of the Jewish lives we want to live. In this episode we discuss:

• How did America’s Jewish “denominations”—better termed “movements”—as we know them come to be?
• What have the different Jewish movements each contributed to American Jewish life?
• How can we get back to not just fighting antisemitism, but uncovering the meaning of our Judaism?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how previous generations of American Jews have handled the issues that, to one degree or another, threatened to divide us. 

Interview begins at 49:36.

Rabbi Dr. Zev Eleff is the president of Gratz College. Zev is the author and editor of nine books and more than 50 scholarly articles in the fields of Jewish Studies and American Religion, including Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History, Dyed in Crimson: Football, Faith, and Remaking Harvard's America, and Authentically Orthodox: A Tradition-Bound Faith in American Life. Zev’s research focuses on American Jewish history, sports, and Modern Orthodox history.

References:

Jonathan Haidt on The Daily Show

Ammi Hirsch on Campus Chaos

“Failure Goes to Yeshivah: What I’ve Learned From the Failure Narratives of My Students” by David Bashevkin

Authentically Orthodox: A Tradition-Bound Faith in American Life by Zev Eleff

The Birth of Conservative Judaism by Michael Cohen

American Judaism by Jonathan D. Sarna

The Jews of the United States, 1654 to 2000 by Hasia R. Diner

Jew Vs Jew: The Struggle For The Soul Of American Jewry by Samuel G. Freedman

This Is My God by Herman Wouk

Jewish Continuity in America by Abraham J. Karp

18Forty Podcast: “Halacha as a Language”

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Pini Dunner and Rav Moshe Weinberger about the Yabloner Rebbe and his astounding story of teshuva.

The Yabloner Rebbe was a chassidishe rebbe who helped found Kfar Chassidim. He disappeared and went to Los Angeles, where he went off the derech, but he later returned to Judaism and Kfar Chassidim in a remarkable example of teshuva.

- Who was the Yabloner Rebbe?
- Why did he leave his faith?
- What inspired him to return?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the astounding story of the Yabloner Rebbe.

References:
The God of Loneliness by Philip Schultz https://www.amazon.com/God-Loneliness-Selected-New-Poems/dp/0547249659
The Amazing Return of the Yabloner Rebbe by Rabbi Pini Dunner https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/amazing-yabloner-rebbe
The Astonishing Story of the Yabloner Rebbe by Rabbi Pini Dunner https://rabbidunner.com/the-astonishing-story-of-the-yabloner-rebbe/
Rabbi Pini Dunner Website https://rabbidunner.com/
Mavericks, Mystics & False Messiahs by Rabbi Pini Dunner https://www.amazon.com/Mavericks-Mystics-False-Messiahs-Episodes/dp/1592645100

For more, visit https://18forty.org/podcast/teshuva.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Miriam Gisser about changing, or even rebuilding, one’s life.

Miriam’s husband passed away from a drug overdose, forcing her to rebuild her life for her and her family. She offers unique insight into how one can change and rebuild their life, whether after a tragedy, to do teshuva, or something else.

- What are the scariest parts of change?
- How can we find the inner courage necessary for change?
- How can we deal with and remember our past while looking to the future?

Tune in to hear a conversation about resilience and change.

References:
Al-Anon’s Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions https://www.amazon.com/Al-Anons-Twelve-Steps-Traditions/dp/0910034435
God of Our Understanding by Rabbi Shais Taub https://www.amazon.com/God-Our-Understanding-Spirituality-Addiction/dp/1602801533

For more, visit https://18forty.org/podcast/teshuva.

Miriam Gisser is a teacher, who currently resides in Ohio. Miriam’s first husband was an addict, and after his untimely death Miriam rebuilt her life from the ground up. Miriam joins 18Forty to speak about the complexities of her family’s path through life, growth, and change.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Agnes Callard - professor of philosophy and author - about the philosophy of change.

Many decisions in life can be made by weighing our values: if an action accords with our values, then we do it, and if it doesn’t, then we don’t. But when it comes to deciding what our values should be, we may need a different paradigm.

- How do we make decisions in relation to our values?
- What decisions don’t function in this normal paradigm?
- How can we decide to change our values themselves?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the philosophy of change.

References:
Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard https://www.amazon.com/Aspiration-Agency-Becoming-Agnes-Callard/dp/0190639482
Transformative Experience by L. A. Paul https://www.amazon.com/Transformative-Experience-L-Paul/dp/0198777310
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce https://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Artist-As-Young-Man/dp/1503221431
The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante https://www.amazon.com/The-Neapolitan-Novels-Boxed-Set/dp/1609455053

For more, visit https://18forty.org/podcast/teshuva.

Professor Agnes Callard is a professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago, specializing in ancient philosophy and ethics. Professor Callard received a Masters of Arts in Classics and a PhD in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. Unlike many academics of philosophy, her writing is powerfully accessible, making her a popular voice on issues of contemporary ideas. Agnes’s book Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming is a stunningly deep exploration of the foundational aspects of change, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the philosophy and psychology of personal growth. Agnes joins us to talk about self-creation, growth, and the philosophy of transformation.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Alex Clare - singer and baal teshuva - about changing identity and what if questions.

Alex was a rising music star who left the music industry to pursue a religious life - what's known as a baal teshuva - then returned following international commercial success. He has faced many life-changing choices, and so has experience with navigating change in a healthy way.

- How can one ensure that the changes they make are navigated healthily?
- What if one regrets the choices they have made?
- Is it useful to think about what if questions?

Tune in to hear a conversation about healthy change and what if questions.

References:
Love’s Executioner by Irvin Yalom
https://www.amazon.com/Loves-Executioner-Other-Tales-Psychotherapy/dp/0465020119
Grendel by John Gardner https://www.amazon.com/Grendel-John-Gardner/dp/0679723110
What Ifs of Jewish History by Gavriel Rosenfeld https://www.amazon.com/What-Ifs-Jewish-History-Abraham/dp/110703762X
A Student's Obligation by the Piaseczno rebbe https://www.amazon.com/Students-Obligation-Advice-Warsaw-Ghetto/dp/1568215177
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel https://www.amazon.com/Sabbath-Classics-Abraham-Joshua-Heschel/dp/0374529752

For more, visit https://18forty.org/podcast/teshuva.

Alex Clare is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer. His song “Too Close” went double platinum in the United States and was in the top-ten in five different countries. Alex, a native of the UK, made the decision to become a religious Jew several years ago, and now resides in Jerusalem, where he creates music inspired by his spiritual life. Alex’s personal path to religion, and his decision to become an Orthodox Jew, has intrigued many, and he joins us to talk about music, religion, and the complex road to growth.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rav Judah Mischel - executive director of Camp HASC and founder of Tzama Nafshi - about change and teshuva.

Change is one of the most difficult things in life. We often wish we could snap our fingers and choose to live differently, but change usually takes time. We can think of change as a journey rather than a destination.

- How can one appreciate the process of change, the ride, as much as we appreciate the destination?
- How can we navigate the waters between hoping for change and embracing ourselves as we are?

Tune in to hear a conversation on change and teshuva, today.

References:
Tzidkas HaTzadik by Rav Tzadok HaKohen MiLublin https://www.sefaria.org/Tzidkat_HaTzadik.4?lang=bi
Baderech: Along The Path of Teshuvah by Rav Judah Mischel https://mosaicapress.com/product/baderech/
Peninei Halakha by Rav Eliezar Melamed https://www.amazon.com/Peninei-Halakha-Laws-Shabbat-Vol/dp/1592644473

For more, visit https://18forty.org/teshuva/.

Rav Judah Mischel is the executive director of Camp HASC, the founder of Tzama Nafshi, and a widely beloved teacher and travel guide to the soul of Jewish life. Rav Judah’s new book, Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuva, is a poignant road map to the pathways of penitence, so check it out now. Rav Judah joins 18Forty to talk about change, authenticity, and what teshuva means to him.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rachel Grady - documentary filmmaker of One of Us and Jesus Camp - about the expressive power of documentaries.

While fiction and non-fiction literature are powerful creative tools to explore an issue, documentaries have a unique power to portray communities from the inside. And while these portrayals may be uniquely powerful, they can also be uniquely controversial.

- What can documentaries achieve that other mediums can’t?
- How can documentaries help their audiences explore unfamiliar communities?
- How are documentaries suited to exploring religious communities specifically?

Tune in to hear a conversation on documentary filmmaking, and for Rachel's recommendations for which documentaries you should watch next.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/podcast/rachel-grady-documentary-film/.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to David Hopen - law student and author of The Orchard - about finding truth in fiction, and particularly in myths.

Though fiction and myths are by definition not true, they can still have great significance. Religious stories in particular can help guide us regardless of whether or not they’re literally true. In his book The Orchard, David tries to illustrate this, using fiction to tell deep truths about the place myth can have in the modern world.

- How can fiction tell truths despite it not being true by definition?
- How can myths help forge our identities?
- What truths did David try to tell in The Orchard?

Tune in to hear a conversation on fiction and myths.

References:
The Orchard by David Hopen https://www.amazon.com/Orchard-Novel-David-Hopen/dp/0062974742
The Client by John Grisham https://www.amazon.com/Client-Novel-John-Grisham/dp/0345531922
Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me? By Louis Sachar https://www.amazon.com/Why-Pick-Marvin-Redpost-paper/dp/0679819479
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar https://www.amazon.com/Sideways-Stories-Wayside-School-Sachar/dp/0380731487
Matilda by Roald Dahl https://www.amazon.com/Matilda-Roald-Dahl/dp/0670824399
Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen, Jennifer Bricking https://www.amazon.com/Mollys-Pilgrim-Barbara-Cohen/dp/0062870947
The Secret History by Donna Tartt https://www.amazon.com/Secret-History-Donna-Tartt/dp/1400031702
Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer https://www.amazon.com/Here-Am-Jonathan-Safran-Foer/dp/1250135753
On Beauty by Zadie Smith https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Novel-Zadie-Smith/dp/0143037749
With All My Heart, With All My Soul by B. D. Da’Ehu https://www.amazon.com/All-My-Heart-Soul/dp/1880880016
Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Jews-Joshua-Harmon/dp/0573702578
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander https://www.amazon.com/What-Talk-About-When-Frank/dp/0307949605
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver https://www.amazon.com/What-Talk-About-When-Love/dp/0679723056

For more, visit https://18forty.org/podcast/david-hopen-fiction/.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt - journalist - about her relationship with writing.

Having appeared in publications like the New York Times and Haaretz, Avital is an accomplished author. Writing since her childhood, she has found inspiration in a variety of arenas, like reporting, Judaism, and advocacy.

- What inspired Avital to start writing, and how did she turn it into a career?
- What are some of the challenges of publishing in the public eye?
- How does Avital get ideas about what to write about?
- Why does she find it meaningful?

Tune in to hear a conversation on non-fiction writing, and to hear about her favorite non-fiction reads.

References:
Tefillin in a Brown Paper Bag by Rabbi Emanuel Feldman https://traditiononline.org/tefillin-in-a-brown-paper-bag/

For more, visit https://18forty.org/podcast/avital-chizhik-goldschmidt-non-fiction/.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dani Ritholtz - rabbi and author - about the loss of his father to further explore Tisha B’Av’s relationship to loss.

Dani Ritholtz lost his father to Pancreatic cancer in 2014. As part of his grieving process, he wrote a book exploring the development of his relationship to his loss throughout the ordeal. Here Dani talks about the book and its subject matter: how he dealt with the loss of his father.

- How does it feel for a family member to battle a possibly fatal illness?
- How did Dani and those around him cope with their loss?
- What effects did it have on their mental health?
- Why did Dani write his book?

Tune in to hear a conversation on grief and coping.

Musical Credit:
Eim Eshkachech by Itzhak Azulai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0tldz_-0yU

References:
As a Ram Yearns for the Brook by Dani Ritholtz https://www.amazon.com/As-Ram-Yearns-Brook-Journey-ebook/dp/B08FBCX11Z
Time Travel: A History by James Gleick https://www.amazon.com/Time-Travel-History-James-Gleick/dp/0307908798
Kol Dodi Dofek by Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik https://www.amazon.com/Kol-Dodi-Dofek-Listen-Beloved/dp/0881258970

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Josh Grajower - rabbi and educator - about the loss of his wife, as well as the loss that Tisha B’Av represents for the Jewish People.

The Jewish people mourn every year on Tisha B’Av, but it can still be hard to connect with the feelings of the day. Mourning is felt most strongly with those closest to us, and while the things we mourn on Tisha B’Av are of great religious and historical significance, they can feel foreign. Rabbi Grajower lost his wife, Danielle Grajower, giving him intense insight into the mourning process.

- How does it feel to lose someone close to you?
- How do you deal with the finality?
- How does time affect the emotional wound?
- How can your loss affect your relationship with God?

Tune in to hear a conversation on loss and mourning.

Musical Credit:
Eim Eshkachech by Itzhak Azulai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0tldz_-0yU

References:
Holocaust Commemoration and Tish'a be-Av: The Debate Over "Yom ha-Sho'a" by Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter https://www.jstor.org/stable/23263711
A Grief Observed by CS Lewis https://www.amazon.com/Grief-Observed-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652381
It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine https://www.amazon.com/Its-That-Youre-Not-Understand/dp/1622039076
The Unwinding of a Miracle by Julie Yip-Williams
https://www.amazon.com/Unwinding-Miracle-Memoir-Death-Everything/dp/0525511350

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this special episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rachel Goldberg-Polin—whose son, Hersh, was kidnapped by Hamas and is still held hostage in Gaza—about heading into Passover with our loved ones still captive.

Normally, Intergenerational Divergence feels like something of a choice. But now, Jewish families have been split apart by force. In this episode we discuss:

• How do we foster a continued connection to the members of our family who are missing?
• What difficult thoughts and questions will we bring to the Seder table this year?
• What does it mean to express hope via the Pesach Seder amid these bitter times? 

We hope wholeheartedly that this conversation about missing our children at the time of Passover will be made irrelevant and the hostages will soon return home. 

Interview begins at 7:17.

References:

“One Tiny Seed” by Rachel Goldberg-Polin

“To the Boys in the Room” by Rachel Goldberg-Polin

Sefer HaMenucha on Mishneh Torah, Leavened and Unleavened Bread 8:2

“A Prayer for Israel To Add to Your Pesach Seder” by Yosef Zvi Rimon


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, our host, David Bashevkin, reflects on 18Forty’s Jewish peoplehood episodes.

David reassesses 18Forty’s Jewish peoplehood topic from September 2020, which featured Rav Aaron Lopiansky, Laura Adkins, Bethany Mandel, and Samuel Freedman. Using highlight clips from those episodes, David explores what brings together a group of people to form a peoplehood, the ways the Jewish community is divided, and the effect these divisions have on the larger people.

- Why did 18Forty choose this topic?
- What constitutes a peoplehood?
- How does a peoplehood remain united in the face of internal conflict?
- Can it overcome division, even when the division stems from conflicting, deep-seated values, to remain united?
- Can someone truly love a whole nation?

Tune in to hear David reflect on 18Forty’s Jewish peoplehood exploration.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/podcast/jewish-peoplehood-roundup/.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with our host, David Bashevkin, to reflect on 18Forty’s comedy episodes.

David revisits 18Forty’s comedy exploration from July of 2020, featuring comedians Gary Gulman and Leah Forster and Rabbi Daniel Feldman. David once again explores the connections between comedy and life, and how comedy can help cope with tragedy. He also explores some of the qualities of Jewish humor.

- Why did 18Forty choose comedy as a topic, and why so early?
- What life lessons can comedy teach?
- What are some of the characteristics of Jewish comedy and Jewish comedians?

Tune in to hear David reflect on 18Forty’s comedy topic.

References:
https://natebargatze.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Hedberg
http://www.joanrivers.com/
https://18forty.org/articles/gary-gulman-this-impossible-life/
The Most Human Human by Brian Christian https://www.amazon.com/Most-Human-Talking-Computers-Teaches-ebook/dp/B004FEG2S6
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/0807014273/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

For more, visit https://18forty.org/podcast/comedy-roundup/.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this anniversary episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with our host, David Bashevkin, to reflect on the last year of episodes.

18Forty has explored many important and interesting topics and has helped build a community of people interested in exploring these ideas. But it has been a big undertaking involving many unforeseen factors and complications.

- How has 18Forty decided what topics and guests to feature?
- What has David learned about the process of interviewing?
- How has 18Forty been affected by the community growing around it?
- How has 18Forty dealt with controversy?

Tune in to hear David reflect on 18Forty’s beginning and growth over the last year.

References:
Top Five by David Bashevkin https://www.amazon.com/Top-5-Dovid-Bashevkin/dp/1600918174

For more, visit https://18forty.org/

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.