70 to 1 – Details, episodes & analysis

In this  episode, I speak with my dear friend Menajem Benchimol. Originally from Calli, Colombia, Menajem has lived in Miami, China, New York, and now Israel. Growing up the son a Chabad shluchim (emissaries) in Colombia, Menajem has had many unique experiences that shape his Jewish identity and worldview. In this episode, we go deep on Menajem's childhood struggles, the comfort and connection he finds in Chassidut - the inner-dimension of Torah - as well as some perspectives on Torah and business. Menajem also shares the power of using trauma as a springboard for growth, as he has modeled following the tragic passing of his brother, Sholem Z'L, in a biking accident he witnessed in 2020.

Feel free to donate to the organization in Sholem's memory, Sholem Corazon Valiente. 

Also check out Menajem's book documenting his experiencing following his brother's death, Dear Brother: Searching for peach after losing a loved one. Dear brother is a companion to anyone navigating the darkness of grief.

Menajem has a ton to give, and I think there is a lot to learn from his story and perspective. 

If you enjoy the pod, please like and subscribe!

Feel free to engage and connect over on our 70:1 Substack.

In this opening episode, I speak to my close friend Noah Ifergan. Noah and I met while we both living in Washington D.C. Noah is originally from Canada, went to university in Canada where he studied applied mathematics and engineering, lived in Washington D.C., backpacked Asia, Australia and New Zealand for an extended period of time, and now finds himself learning Torah in Israel. Noah is a total go-getting and adventure seeker (check out his travel blog The Pursuit of Adventure), and is genuinely one of the most thoughtful and honest people I know. We discuss this instinct for adventure and how he has grappled reconciling that with his Jewish identity, evolving beliefs, and traditional Torah observance. 

Noah has a ton to give, and I think there is a lot to learn from his story. 

I hope you enjoy!

If you enjoy the pod, please like and subscribe!

Feel free to engage and connect over on our 70:1 Substack.

Welcome to the 70:1 podcast, the podcast where we explore the many expressions of Jewish peoplehood by speaking to dedicated Jews living a growth-oriented, and unique Jewish life.

Join me, Aaron Levitats, on this project as we navigate the depths of Jewish identity and speak to those individuals actively committed to writing the next chapter in Jewish history. 

In this introductory episode, I share my goals and motivations in beginning this project, and delve into the symbolic power of the podcast's name, 70:1. 

If you enjoy the pod, please like and subscribe!

Feel free to engage and connect over on our 70:1 Substack.

When you think of meditation, do you also think of Judaism? Or, perhaps, more eastern spiritual practices? 
 
 In this episode, being released on Rosh Hodesh Kislev, I speak with David Kosofsky.
 
 Originally from Massachusetts, David now lives in Jerusalem with his wife and 3 kids. In this episode, we go deep on David's unique journey from his secular upbringing to embracing Torah Judaism. Currently, David teaches a weekly Jewish meditation class in Jerusalem, and shares his perspective on the beauty and power of Jewish meditation techniques. David is a model for living an authentic and mindful Jewish life, attributes that mirror many of the core themes of Kislev.

David has a ton to give, and I think there is a lot to learn from his story and perspective. 

If you enjoy the pod, please like and subscribe!

Feel free to engage and connect over on our 70:1 Substack.

In this episode, I speak with my dear friend Isaac Rosenheim. Originally from Miami, Florida, Isaac currently lives in Jerusalem spending his days growing in his Torah learning at Machon Shlomo, a Torah learning institution focused on growth-oriented Jewish men that grew up outside the traditional Torah world. Isaac's journey within Torah leaped forward when a brief stopover in Israel before planned months-long backpacking trip through Southeast Asia to explore meditation, martial arts, and spiritual practices lead him to Aish HaTorah. That trip never happened because he found what he was looking for in Southeast Asia in Israel instead.

Along with having very interesting story of growth within his jewish identity, Isaac has also launched a new fundraiser campaign called Hey Jew We Need You. 

The fundamental premise of the campaign is try to create 𝟐𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 roughly 𝟐𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝐭𝐡! The Hey Jew We Need You campaign has a goal of 20,000 donors—one for each act of hate. 

100% of funds raised go directly to four causes strengthening, healing, and uniting Jewish communities worldwide:

•⁠  ⁠𝐎𝐮𝐫𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚: Connecting Jewish families in Israel with Jewish families around the world
•⁠  ⁠𝐎𝐧𝐞𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 & 𝐊𝐚𝐯 𝐋’𝐍𝐨𝐚𝐫: Supporting trauma and terror victims through rehabilitation
•⁠  ⁠𝐌𝐞𝐨𝐫: Connecting college students with their jewish roots

Links:
To Donate
Campaign Website
Instagram

Isaac has a ton to give, and I think there is a lot to learn from his story and perspective. 

If you enjoy the pod, please like and subscribe!

Feel free to engage and connect over on our 70:1 Substack.

In this episode, I speak with my dear friend Uri Eckmann. This episode is being released during the Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the 10 days of Teshuva from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur. 

Uri grew up in Philadelphia and now lives in Jerusalem with his wife and 5 kids. In this episode, we go deep on Uri's perspective on marrying and starting a family young, as well as discuss his motivations for moving to Israel. Uri is a model for giving and shouldering responsibility, attributes that fit beautifully into the world of teshuva, returning to our authentic selves. 

Uri has a ton to give, and I think there is a lot to learn from his story and perspective. 

If you enjoy the pod, please like and subscribe!

Feel free to engage and connect over on our 70:1 Substack.