18Forty Podcast

This series is sponsored by Ari and Danielle Schwartz in memory of Danielle’s grandfather, Mr. Baruch Mappa, Baruch Ben Asher Zelig HaLevi.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to three different advocates for affordable Jewish education about the state of the tuition crisis.

While it is a sensitive subject to discuss, the cost of Jewish education remains one of the most vital issues at play in Jewish life today, as passing on a Torah education to the next generation is of the utmost importance.

• Why is Jewish education so expensive?
• How exactly does the process of providing financial aid work?
• What large-scale measures can be taken to attack the tuition crisis?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can be more effective in our effort to provide a Torah education for all Jewish children.

Interview with Richard Hagler begins at 7:20
Interview with Chavie Kahn begins at 59:30
Interview with Maury Litwack begins at 1:11:42

Richard Hagler has been a longtime executive director of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach schools. Chavie Kahn is the director of school strategy and policy at UJA-Federation of New York. Maury Litwack is the managing director of the Orthodox Union and founder of Teach Coalition.

References:

Teach Coalition

18Forty Podcast: “Michael A. Helfand: Church, State, and Jewish Education”

America in the King Years trilogy by Taylor Branch


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

This series is sponsored by Ari and Danielle Schwartz in memory of Danielle’s grandfather, Mr. Baruch Mappa, Baruch Ben Asher Zelig HaLevi.

In this edition of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein—an expert on the history of Orthodox girls’ education—about the value of education for all people.
With the founding of the Bais Yaakov movement, Sarah Schenirer sought to create a culture of education that was inclusive to the marginalized. Over a century later, we encounter a related but simultaneously new set of challenges. In this episode we discuss:

• What made the early Bais Yaakov movement both controversial and revolutionary?
• What would Sarah Schenirer think of the state of Jewish education in the 21st century?
• Are graduating adults still in need of education and youth programming?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the indispensability of Jewish education from the early 20th century to today.

Interview begins at 29:30.

Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein is the Academic Dean of Women's Institute of Torah Seminary & College, an Orthodox Jewish college for women. A scholar and author, Dr. Klein speaks on Jewish history, Tanach, leadership and communication skills across the United States and internationally. Dr. Ginsparg Klein received her Ph.D. from New York University, where she researched the history of Orthodox girls’ education in America and the Bais Yaakov Movement.

References:
18Forty Podcast: “Yitzchak Breitowitz: Navigating Controversy”
18Forty Podcast: “Yisroel Kaminetsky: The Goal of Jewish Education”
Sarah Schenirer and the Bais Yaakov Movement: A Revolution in the Name of Tradition by Naomi Seidman
Reading Jewish Women: Marginality and Modernization in Nineteenth-Century Eastern European Jewish Society by Iris Parush
In Her Hands: The Education of Jewish Girls in Tsarist Russia by Eliyana R. Adler
Jewish Girls Coming of Age in America, 1860-1920 by Melissa R. Klapper
Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein on Bais Yaakov Education and Culture Across North America, at Harvard Law School

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

This series is sponsored by Ari and Danielle Schwartz in memory of Danielle’s grandfather, Mr. Baruch Mappa, Baruch Ben Asher Zelig HaLevi.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak to Michael A. Helfand, a Pepperdine Law professor specializing in religious liberty, about the meaning of the First Amendment as it relates to the funding of religious schools.

With education so deeply essential to the modern Jewish community, we are confronted with the high cost of private schooling. In America, is the government able to step in and help? Should it?

• Why doesn’t the government fully fund religious schools?
• What is the “Lemon test”?
• Does “separation of the church and state” mean the government cannot support any religious institution, or only that it must support all religious institutions equally?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the history and status of religious schools in American law.
Interview begins at 9:58.

Professor Michael Helfand is an expert on religious law and religious liberty. A frequent author and lecturer, his work considers how U.S. law treats religious law, custom and practice, focusing on the intersection of private law and religion in contexts such as religious arbitration, religious contracts and religious torts. He is currently an associate professor at Pepperdine University School of Law and co-director of Pepperdine University’s Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish Studies. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University. Professor Helfand is an executive board member of the Beth Din of America, where he serves as a consultant on the enforceability of rabbinical arbitration agreements and awards in U.S. courts.

References:
The New American Judaism by Jack Wertheimer

“Remembering Rabbi Norman Lamm” by Michael A. Helfand

To Build a Wall by Gregg Ivers

Religion and State in the American Jewish Experience by Jonathan D. Sarna and David G. Dalin

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

In this edition of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to David’s rebbe, Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky, longtime principal of DRS Yeshiva High School, about the state of Jewish education in America.

We find ourselves in a transformative time in the realm of Jewish education. Jewish literacy is at an all-time high, and yet we are still faced with existential angst. In this episode, Yisroel Kaminetsky tells us what goes into creating a yeshiva experience that delivers the most benefit to the most students — and how we can avoid instances of people falling through the cracks.

• How can we build a Jewish-education system that provides a “path home” for every Jew?
• How can parents supplement the education their children get at school?
• How should we define success, and in what ways can a yeshiva, God forbid, fail a student?

Tune in to hear a conversation about laying the groundwork for a strong Jewish future.

Interview begins at 25:58.

References:

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Lithuanian Yeshivas of the Nineteenth Century by Shaul Stampfer

Families, Rabbis and Education by Shaul Stampfer

Memorable Encounters by Dr. Joseph Kaminetsky

“I Want Arvei Psachim with Rabeinu Dovid Rishus Cold Rishus Seltzer CHECK OUT OF LIFE” on YouTube

Mesilat Yesharim by Moshe Chaim Luzzatto

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

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, you, our listeners, feature as our guests as we listen to your responses to our series on Romance & Commitment and the Origins of Judaism.

It is our double-absolute privilege to hear how 18Forty’s explorations of the big, juicy Jewish ideas have interacted with your own lives. In this episode we discuss:

• What are the audience’s reflections on dating, loneliness, and belonging?
• What are some potential future 18Forty topics?
• How does David remember all the things he reads?
• And of course, what pronunciation corrections do listeners have for David?

Tune in as we check in on the 18Forty audience and hear the thoughts that have been most pressing on your minds. Please do leave us your own voicemail with feedback or questions that we may plan on a future episode, at 917-720-5629.

Voicemails begin at 4:40.

References:

18Forty Podcast: “How Different Jewish Communities Date”

18Forty Podcast: “Channah Cohen: The Crisis of Experience”

18Forty Podcast: “Lawrence Schiffman: The World of Early Judaism”

18Forty Podcast: “Tova Ganzel: The Judaism of the Prophets & the People”

The Shame Borne in Silence: Spouse Abuse in the Jewish Community by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski

Pri Tzadik by Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin

18Forty Podcast: “Ari Koretzky: In Conversation with Dovid Bashevkin”

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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

In this edition of the 18Forty Podcast, we are privileged with the return of Dr. Malka Simkovich—Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago—who helps us explore Second Temple Judaism and how it relates to Jewish life today.

By diving deep into the Jewish past, Malka enables us to understand the narratives and commitments that have allowed the Jewish people to persist through the most existential challenges. In this episode we discuss:

• What was the relationship between the ancient Jews and the surrounding dominant cultures?
• How did the Jewish world respond to the destruction of the Second Temple?
• What are the differences between Jewish and Christian notions of truth?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the central practices and distinctions that have marked and preserved the Jewish people across the millenia.

Interview begins at 25:53.

Dr. Malka Simkovich is the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She earned a doctoral degree in Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism from Brandeis University and a Masters degree in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016), and Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism (2018).

References:

Malka Simkovich on 18Forty: The Mystery of the Jewish People

Tzidkat HaTzadik by Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin

“God’s First Love: The Theology of Michael Wyschogrod” by Meir Y. Soloveichik

Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture edited by Louis H. Feldman, James L. Kugel, and Lawrence H. Schiffman

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

This episode is sponsored by Daniella and Ari Schwartz in memory of their grandfather Mr. Baruch Mappa a”h - Baruch Ben Asher Zelig HaLevi.

In this edition of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rav Yitzchak Breitowitz—Rav of Kehillos Ohr Somayach and host of the Q & A with Rabbi Breitowitz Podcast—about the key Jewish issues of our time and how we should handle them. Rabbi Breitowitz helps us look for the correct framework for discussing intellectual difficulties, family challenges, and the nature of the expanding and diverse Jewish tradition.

• How should we discuss sensitive topics on public forums?
• What is Rabbi Breitowitz’s advice for 18Forty?
• What sources can people turn to when they’re losing faith in Judaism?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to address the big and fraught questions.

Interview begins at 19:51

Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Ner Israel Rabbinical College, and Harvard Law School. He’s been a rav in Silver Spring, Maryland, as well as a professor at the University of Maryland School of Law. He currently teaches at Ohr Somayach.

References:

The Q & A with Rabbi Breitowitz Podcast

Siftei Chaim - Emunah Ve'Bechirah by Rabbi Chaim Friedlander

Tzidkat HaTzadik by Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin

Nineteen Letters by Samson Raphael Hirsch

Horeb by Samson Raphael Hirsch

Rav Hirsch on Torah by Samson Raphael Hirsch

Tanya by Shneur Zalman of Liadi

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

This episode is sponsored by Anonymous who is fond of Shalom Task Force & 18Forty. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Channah Cohen, a researcher of the OU’s study on the “Shidduch Crisis.” Channah helps us unpack the two sides to this crisis—“Crisis of Process” and “Crisis of Experience”—and considers some potential solutions to the frequent cruelty of the current culture. Also in this edition, we hear the first-hand perspectives of a series of single Orthodox men and women. In this episode we discuss:

• What really is the Shidduch Crisis?
• How can we improve the experience of looking for love in the Orthodox world?
• What do we make of our messy, non-linear life stories while we’re still living them?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the highs and lows of being single in Orthodox Judaism today—and what we can do to treat unmarried community members with friendship and humanity.

Interview starts at: 9:49

Channah Cohen has held several positions in the OU, including an Applied Researcher for the Center for Communal Research, a Project Manager for the Department of Community Projects and Partnerships, and a Torah Educator for the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus. Channah majored in Psychology at Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women, and was chosen for the Murray Adler Leadership and Vision Award. She completed a master’s degree in Adult Learning & Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is studying coaching at the School of Positive Transformation. Channah is interested in the intersection of religious education and psychology, and strives to learn and teach means of spiritual living that are resonant with the human experience. She lives in Silver Spring, MD with her husband and three children.

References:
“A Polite Request for Basic Sensitivity” by Dovid Bashevkin
“We Are Not a ‘Crisis’: Changing the Singlehood Narrative” by Anonymous
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky
The Lion Tracker's Guide To Life by Boyd Varty
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain

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

This episode is sponsored by Anonymous who is fond of Shalom Task Force & 18Forty.

On this episode of 18Forty, we explore the world of Jewish dating. We spoke to insiders and experts from the Chassidic community, “Yeshiva Orthodox” community, and Modern Orthodox community, looking at the commonalities and differences between each community’s approach to finding and building loving relationships. Each community emphasizes different dynamics and difficulties of the process of dating, and by considering them together and independently we can gain a greater understanding of the pressure points around love. How a community approaches dating is a test case for so many of a community’s values and vulnerabilities. In this episode, you’ll hear from representatives of each community that are intimately involved with the project of communal norms around dating, and be asked to think about your own assumptions and hopes for love.

In this interview, we discussed:

• How does each Jewish community approach dating, from shadchans to dating apps and everything in between?
• What does a community’s approach to dating tell us about the Jewish approaches to love and commitment?
• What can we learn from the dating practices of communities that are different from our own?

Interviews start at 10:31

Dr. Yosef Sokol, one of our representatives from the yeshiva world, is a psychologist and the lead researcher of the recent study on the data behind the “shidduch crisis.” We also speak with Dr. Isaac Schechter, another author of the study, Dr. Efrat Sobolofsky, director of the YUConnects matchmaking-and-education program, and Dr. Devorah Mansdorf Agami, an endodontist who met her husband on JSwipe.

References:
Rabbi Mordechai Lightstone
“Examining Average Age at First Marriage within Orthodox Judaism: A Large Community-Based Study” by Yosef Sokol, Naomi Rosenbach, Chayim Rosensweig, Chynna Levin, Shifra Hubner, and Isaac Schechter
Bikur Cholim of Rockland County
ARRC Institute
YUConnects
JSwipe

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

In this minisode of the 18Forty Podcast, we reflect upon a year beyond words (and numbers).
At every stop of the process in the wild journey that has been 18Forty, we’ve been motivated by our fantastic community members who have pushed us to ask deeper questions, to be more honest with ourselves, and to think more sharply and profoundly about what it means to be a Jew today.
We’ve grown with you and for you, and we’re so thankful to be able to provide everything we can for you all.

More than anything, organic growth inspires us—people finding out about 18Forty from a friend who can’t stop thinking about a recent interview they listened to, articles and podcasts shared in Whatsapp groups and discussed around Shabbos tables across the world, with feedback streaming in from every corner of the Jewish world.

To another year of more growth, curiosity, and asking better questions—for everything, thank you.

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

This episode was sponsored by Anonymous who is fond of Shalom Task Force & 18Forty

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with Zahava Moskwowitz, host of the Singled Out podcast. Zahava shares insight into the challenges of singlehood, debates the pros and cons of pictures on shidduch resumes, and brings us into the world of singlehood in the Orthodox community.

• What does market information asymmetry relate to dating?
• How do men and women experience the struggles of dating differently?
• What are the biggest controversies behind shidduch resumes?
• Do we have more than one soulmate?

Tune in to hear a conversation on the challenges that lie beneath the surface of dating in the Orthodox world.

Interview starts at 20:51

References:
Singled Out Podcast by Zahava Moskowitz
“The Market for "Lemons": Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism” by George Akerlof
The Office
“Younger Siblings Getting Married First” on the Singled Out Podcast by Zahava Moskowitz
“The Truth about Health” on the Singled Out Podcast by Zahava Moskowitz
“The Truth about Soulmates” on the Singled Out Podcast by Zahava Moskowitz
Bridesmaids
Sefer Akedat Yitzchak by Rabbi Yitzchak Arama
Marry Him, The Case For Settling For Mr. Right by Lori Gottlieb
Hilchot Teshuva by Maimonides

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

This episode is sponsored by Esther & Jerry Williams in honor of all those who support Shalom Task Force.

If you are in crisis please reach out to the Shalom Task Force Hotline at 888-883-2323.

On this episode of 18Forty, we have a deeply moving conversation on the topic of red flags in relationships. We speak with Esther Williams and Dr. Shoshannah Frydman from Shalom Task Force, and one person who extricated herself from an abusive relationship. The dynamics of relationships, whether healthy, unhealthy, or anywhere in between are complex, and we set out to better our understanding of the signs of relational abuse. Whether or not you have personally struggled with the issues we discuss here, we are all better off when we are more informed about the what and why of relational health, so tune in now.

In this interview, we discuss:

- What are the signs of an unhealthy relationship?

- How can we foster understanding and awareness of the dynamics of healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics from an earlier age?

- What are the steps one can take to extricate themself or heal from a challenging relationship?

First interview starts at 10:35

The Shalom Task Force, Inc (STF) is a non-profit community organization that aims to combat and prevent domestic violence and foster safe and healthy relationships and families. The STF focuses on helping those in the Jewish community that may not have access to traditional services and that need culturally sensitive programming. The STF runs a free, anonymous hotline that helps individuals find the services they need, provides assistance through legal services, supportive counseling, and referral information, and offers prevention and psychoeducational workshops, trainings, and community programs to increase awareness of relationship abuse and promote healthy relationships.

Dr. Shoshannah Frydman, PhD, LCSW is the executive director of Shalom Task Force. Dr. Frydman is a trauma-informed therapist and advocate who has worked in the field of domestic abuse and family violence in the Jewish community for close to 20 years. Dr. Frydman co-chairs the UJA Taskforce on Family Violence, and was recently appointed to the New York City Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence COVID-19 Response Group. Dr. Frydman previously served as the managing director of Family Violence and Social Services at the Met Council. Dr. Frydman received her MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and her PhD at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York/Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work.

Esther Williams is the President of the Shalom Task Force and a past board member and executive vice president of the Orthodox Union.

References:
Shalom Task Force
“Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001” on 30 Rock
18Forty – Teshuva Series
National Domestic Abuse Hotline
The Patient
“The Quick Shift: Orthodox Jewish Women's Early Marital Sexual Experience” by Shoshannah D. Frydman
“Tradition and Transition. Orthodox Women's Experience with Kallah Classes and Early Marital Intimacy” by Shoshannah D. Frydman
The Vow
The Greatest Average American by Nate Bargatze
This Is Us
The NCSY box
Shalom Task Force Guides and Educational Materials
I'm so Confused, Am I Being Abused? Guidance for the Orthodox Jewish Spouse and Those Who Want to Help by Lisa G. Twersky
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men by Lundy Bancroft
Invisible Chains: Overcoming Coercive Control in Your Intimate Relationship by Lisa A. Fontes
No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us by Rachel Louise Snyder

Become a supporter of this podcast:

This episode was sponsored by Jerry and Esther Williams in honor of 18Forty and the Shalom Task Force.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, Dovid Bashevkin dives deeply into the world of dating. As we explore the realm of relationships, Dovid uses his own journey to help us find the proper framework for balancing one’s romantic, religious, and professional identities.

How can one stay connected to their religious self while simultaneously evolving?
What’s Dovid’s best advice for dating and marriage?
Why are we afraid to commit to no?
How can we ensure that the years ahead are the best years yet?
Tune in to hear a conversation on love, commitment, and commitment to commitment.


References:

Shalom Task Force

The Orchard: A Novel by David Hopen

Tehillim 27:10

“Evolving Religiously During Singlehood” on Singled Out Podcast by Zahava Moskowitz

Bambi

Garden State

Dovid Bashevkin on Twitter

“Spending the Seder Alone” by Dovid Bashevkin

Solitude, A Philosophical Encounter by Philip Koch

Cast Away

18Forty - “Rav Moshe Weinberger: Can Mysticism Become A Community?”

“Bashert: My One and Only?” on YUConnects CandiDate Podcast

“The Paradox of Choice” by Barry Schwartz

“The Howard Stern Show: Actor And Comedian Aziz Ansari Visits The Show”

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Dovid Bashevkin

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 Dr. Yosef Bronstein. A deep thinker with scholarship and experience in many areas of Jewish thought, Yosef has a PhD in Talmud, an upcoming book on the Lubavitcher Rebbe, work editing at the Reshimos Shiurim on Kiddushin of Rabbi Joseph B. Soleveitchik, and countless lectures, classes, and students on Talmud, mysticism, and Jewish philosophy. Yosef joins us to talk about R. Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, whose thought on the history of halacha, the relationship between human and God, and the ascending evolution of Jewish thought are deeply fascinating. How do we make sense of change in our religious systems and laws, and the development of our traditions? Listen now to find out.

In this interview, we discuss:

- How does Rav Kook think about change in Jewish life and law from the Temple times until today?
- How can we work through dissonance between our individual moral sensitivities and the halacha?
- Can and should our relationship to Jewish people and law change over time?

Yosef Bronstein received rabbinic ordination and a PhD in Talmudic Studies from Yeshiva University. He currently teaches halacha and Jewish philosophy at Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim (MMY) and online for Yeshiva University’s Isaac Breuer College. Rabbi Dr. Bronstein is a beloved lecturer, writer, and teacher on topics of Jewish thought, and his book, Engaging the Essence: The Philosophy of the Lubavitcher Rebbe is forthcoming.

Interview starts at 25:52

Resources:

“To the Process of Ideas in in Israel” (LeMehalech HaEideot BaYisrael) by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook
Jewish Thought: A Process, Not a Text by David Bashevkin
B’Rogez Rachem Tizkor by Dovid Bashevkin
Iggrot HaRav Kook - Letter #90 by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook
Moreh L’Nevuchei HaDor by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook
״Derech HaTechiyah״ in Ma’amarei Ha’Reiyah by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook
“Chacham Adif M’Navi” in Orot by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook
Introduction to Ein Ayah by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook
״Tzimaon L’Keil Chai״ in Orot by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook
When God Becomes History: Historical Essays of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook by Betzalel Naor
Progressive Derash and Retrospective Peshat: Nonhalakhic Considerations in Talmud Torah by Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Elman
Mevakshei Panekha: Sichot im Ha-Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, In Quest of Your Presence -- Conversations with Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein by Chaim Sabato

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. Yonatan Adler about the intersection of halacha and archaeology.

Yonatan Adler is a professor of archaeology at Ariel University in Samaria where he teaches about halacha in early Judaism as we see it through the lens of archeology.

- Why do we view the past in light of the present and not the present in light of the past?
- What does archeology tell us about the origins of the Jewish People?
- Did ancient everyday Jews keep the Torah?

Tune in to hear a conversation on the blueprint of creation, the invention of the term 'Judaism', and more.

Interview begins at 23:15

References:

Rav Ari Waxman on Twitter
Tradition Magazine
“Hazon Ish on Textual Criticism and Halakhah” by Tzvi A. Yehuda
18Forty - “Andrew Solomon: Far From the Tree”
“Hazon Ish on Textual Criticism and Halakhah - A Rejoinder” by Shnayer Leiman
Exodus 23:2
“The Role of Manuscripts in Halakhic Decision-Making: Hazon Ish, his Precursors and Contemporaries” by Moshe Bleich
Iggrot HaRav Kook - Letter #423 by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook
The Origins of Judaism by Yonatan Adler
Jurassic Park
Judaism: The Genealogy of a Modern Notion by Daniel Boyarin
“This is Water” by David Foster Wallace
Greek and Latin Authors on Jews and Judaism by Menahem Stern
The New Testament
Josephus: The Complete Works by Flavius Josephus
Book of Leviticus
The Zohar 2:161b:1
The Jewish War by Flavius Josephus
“The Archaeology of Purity: Archaeological Evidence for the Observance of Ritual Purity in Ereẓ-Israel from the Hasmonean Period until the End of the Talmudic Era (164 BCE – 400 CE)" by Yonatan Adler
Drashos Beis Yishai - Essay #23 by Shlomo Fisher
18Forty - “Tova Ganzel: The Judaism of the Prophets & the People”
Psalms 73

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. Tova Ganzel about biblical Judaism, and the shift of rabbinic authority over time. 

Tova Ganzel is a professor of Judaics at Bar Ilan University. In our discussion with her, we discuss the evolution of mitzvah observance from biblical times and the transmission of authority within Judaism. 

- Who gives rabbis their authority? 
- How did Jewish law evolve during the Second Temple Period? 
- What did the prophets do to popularize Judaism? 

Tune in to hear a conversation on authoritative figures, authoritative texts, and accepting authority . 

Interview begins at 15:09

Tova Ganzel is a Senior Lecturer at the Multidisciplinary Department of Jewish Studies at the Bar-Ilan University and Head of the Cramim Jewish Studies Honors Program. Tova was the director of the Midrasha – Institute for Advanced Torah Studies at Bar-Ilan University and is a certified women’s halakhic advisor (yo’etzet halakha). She holds a Ph.D. in Bible from Bar- Ilan and is a renowned figure in the world of Jewish education for women. Her work is widely published, and she is the recipient of numerous academic awards. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband and family.

References:

The Jewish Self by Jeremy Kagan
Tractate Yoma 69b
Tractate Sanhedrin 64a
Book of Nechemiah 
Pachad Yitzchak - “Letter #19” by Rav Yitzchak Hutner 
"I Am The Least Interesting Person In My Family" - Alex Edelman Performs Stand-Up on The Late Show
Seder Olam Rabbah 30 by Rav Eliyahu of Vilna
Ezekiel: From Destruction to Restoration by Tova Ganzel
Shir HaShrim Rabbah 5:5
Book of Ezra
Megillat Esther
Megillat Taanit
Yechezkel 1
Parshat Yitro
Shulchan Aruch by Rabbi Yosef Karo
Pninei Halacha by HaRav Eliezer Melamed
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch by Rav Shlomo Ganzfried 
Mekor Chaim HaShalem by Rabbi Chaim David HaLevi
Mishna Berurah by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan
Yirmiyahu 17:21
״יש צורות רבות ומגוונות לייצר דיון הלכתי, תקיפה היא לא אחת מהן״ by Tova Ganzel
“Responsa: The Law as Seen By Rabbis for 1,000 Years" by Israel L. Shenker
Malachi 3:22-24
Megillot Midbar Yehuda - HaChiburim HaIvriim by Elisha Kimron
Megillot in Qumran by Menahem Kister
From Qumran to the Tannaic Time by Vered Noam
The Bar Kokhba Revolt - The Archaeological Evidence by Hanan Eshel and Boaz Zissu
Maccabees I & II
Book of Jubilees
Mishna Torah, Hilchot Mamarim by Maimonides
The 13 Principles of Torah Elucidation by Rav Yishmael
Kovetz Shiurim: Divrei Sofrim by Rav Elchanan
Drashos Beis Yishai 15 by Rav Shlomo Fisher

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Professor Lawrence Schiffman about Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism.

Lawrence Schiffman is a professor at New York University, where he lectures on topics such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, Midrashei Halacha, and Second Temple Judasim. He joins us today to discuss the evolution from early Judaism to modern observance, as well as the outcomes of superimposing ancient Judaism onto our present day understandings.

- Who is a “common Jew”?

- Is Jewish disunity as modern as we think it is?

- Why would one cling to modern Judaism despite its evolution over history?

Tune in to hear a conversation on the development of Judaism and how faith must be the answer when history fails us.

Interview begins at 23:48

Lawrence Schiffman is a professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University and Director of the Global Institute for Advanced Research in Jewish Studies. Dr. Schiffman is a specialist in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Judaism in Late Antiquity, the history of halacha, and Talmud. He has served as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Professor of Judaic Studies at Yeshiva University. Dr. Schiffman was featured in the PBS Nova series documentary, Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and several other documentaries. Dr. Schiffman’s book, From Text to Tradition, is a journey through the history of the emergence of rabbinic Judaism in the Second Temple era. Dr. Schiffman joins us to talk about the world of Early Judaism.

References:

“The Rambam’s Introduction to the Mishna” by Maimonides
Zakhor: Jewish History And Jewish Memory by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi
The Formation of the Talmud: Scholarship and Politics in Yitzhak Isaac Halevy's Dorot HaRishonim by Dr. Ari Bergmann
Dorot HaRishonim by Rav Yitzhak Isaac Halevy
“Wissenschaft Des Judentums, Historical Consciousness, and Jewish Faith: The Diverse Paths of Frankel, Auerbach, and Halevy” by David Ellenson
From Text to Tradition, a History of Judaism in Second Temple and Rabbinic Times: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism by Lawrence Schiffman
Josephus: The Complete Works by Flavius Josephus
Comparing Judaism and Christianity: Common Judaism, Paul, and the Inner and the Outer in Ancient Religion by E.P. Sanders
Book of Jeremiah
Tractate Yadayim
Pirkei Avot 1:1
Book of Ezra
Book of Nechemia
Divrei HaYamim II 35:13
The Four Stages of Rabbinic Judaism by Jacob Neusner
Matthew 12, The New Testament
Miktzat Ma'ase Ha-Torah
Der Babylonische Talmud by Lazarus Goldschmidt
Sefer HaIkkarim by Rav Yosef Albo
Texts and Traditions: A Source Reader for the Study of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism by Lawrence Schiffman
Sefer HaChinuch by Anonymous

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 email sender about life upon the bridge between the truth of fact and the truth of feeling.

Our anonymous guest sent an email in to 18Forty, which we read previously on the Malka Simkovich episode. In his email, he describes struggling with the Oral Torah and clinging to his faith despite the unknown.

- How has practical Jewish religious observance evolved since the canonization of the Oral Torah?

- Are the struggles of modern day Jews the same struggles Jews faced in the Second Temple period ?

- Where does the divinity of the Jewish People lie?

- Is Judaism intended to be a socially arbitrated system?

Tune in to hear a conversation on authenticity within spirituality.
Interview begins at 16:39

References:

Torah Musings Blog by Gil Student
18Forty - “Malka Simkovich: The Mystery Of The Jewish People”
Zakhor: Jewish History And Jewish Memory by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi
Stories Of Your Life And Others by Ted Chiang
Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang
Arrival
18Forty - “Moshe And Asher Weinberger: Heart Of The Fire: Together Even With Small Differences”
18Forty - “Larry And Tzipora Rothwachs: Here Without You — A Child’s Eating Disorder”
18Forty - “Andrew Solomon: Far From The Tree”
“Welcome To Holland” by Emily Perl Kingsley
18Forty - “The Legacy Of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks”
18Forty - “Chaim Saiman: Is Talmud The Jewish Constitution?”
18Forty - “Ari Bergmann: Talmud As An Agent Of Chaos”
18Forty - “Joshua Berman: What Should We Believe?”
“Is It Really the Torah, Or Is It Just the Rabbis?” by Tzvi Freeman
Josephus: The Complete Works by Flavius Josephus
From Text to Tradition, a History of Judaism in Second Temple and Rabbinic Times: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism by Lawrence Schiffman
The Rambam’s Introduction to the Mishna
Iggeres d'Rav Shrira Gaon
The Thirteen Principles of Torah Elucidation by Rav Yishmael
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
The Shulchan Aruch by Rabbi Yoseph Karo
”Left and Right Brain Judaism” by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
COVID responsa from Rav Herschel Schachter
Show & Tale: Pinny Stieglitz
Game of Thrones
The Matrix
18Forty - Intergenerational Divergence
Mishna Berurah by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan
“Rupture and Reconstruction” by Haym Soloveitchik
Judaism Straight Up by Moshe Koppel
Sin-a-gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin
Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism by Malka Z. Simkovich
Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture by Louis H. Feldman

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

This series is sponsored by our friends, Daniel and Mira Stokar.

In this episode, we discuss parental alienation. In some way or another, almost all of us struggle with alienation. Who among us doesn’t feel too far from someone that we love? The meeting points of religion and family in religious communities can make navigating change in the family unit difficult, sometimes leading to alienation. As we approach Yom Kippur, we spoke to five people who have lived through the stressors that lead to alienation. These guests are people that might be your neighbors, your rabbis, your siblings, or your parents, talking about the cost and challenge of keeping family close, no matter how hard it might be.

In this interview, we discuss:

— How does parental alienation start, and where might it lead?
— What can someone do to avoid or rectify alienation?
— What can we learn from those who have struggled with familial alienation?

Thank you to each of these guests for sharing their stories with openness, vulnerability, and honesty, and thank you to Eitan Katz for permission to use his song, Ki Karov.

Resources:
"Somebody’s Son," Richard Pindell
Kesher Nafshi
Toldos Support Group for parental alienation

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

This series is sponsored by our friends, Daniel and Mira Stokar.

This episode is sponsored by our friends, The Aleph Institute.

On this episode of 18Forty, we have a deeply moving conversation with Mark Moskowitz, an author, speaker, and coach, to talk about his search for meaning in federal prison. After being incarcerated for defrauding his investors, Mark found meaning and himself in the least likely of places. This conversation moves from the challenges of living meaningfully amidst pressures to perform your success to the challenging work of teshuva. Our episode with Mark also features Rabbi Sholom Lipskar, founder of Aleph Institute.

In this interview, we discussed:
—How does one find a sense of self when they are expected to be someone for other people?
—How does someone start to veer towards crime, and how do they come back from a mistake of that magnitude?
—What can we learn about teshuva from the experience of prison?

Interview begins at 6:34.

Mark Moskowitz is an author, speaker, and coach, who speaks about his search for meaning in federal prison. After being incarcerated for defrauding his investors, Mark found meaning and himself in the least likely of places. You can learn more about Mark on the profile on him at Aish.com, “Mark Moskowitz's Story: In Prison for Defrauding Investors, I Turned My Life Around.”

You can pre-order his book, Within: How I Found My Happy and Authentic Self in Federal Prison, here (https://www.markjmoskowitz.com/offers/9jpH7Z2k/checkout) and use the coupon code 18FORTY to receive 20% off.

References:
The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden
Real Power by Dr. Dovid Lieberman
Joe Dispenza
The Shawshank Redemption

We'd like to thank our dear friends at the Aleph Institute for their help coordinating this episode. If you would like to be a part of the amazing work they do, especially in these days of Yimei din vrachamim - days of judgment and mercy - then you can head on over to https://aleph-institute.org/wp/ and donate to their annual matching fundraising campaign and help them reach their goal for the coming year. Their work is entirely made possible by caring people like you.

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

This series is sponsored by our friends, Daniel and Mira Stokar.

On this episode of 18Forty, we have a wide ranging conversation with Shais Taub, a renowned Chabad scholar and author of the book God of Our Understanding: Jewish Spirituality and Recovery from Addiction, about the mechanics of teshuva. It's hard to put Rabbi Taub in a box. He is a candid speaker and an eclectic thinker who brings authenticity and honesty to otherwise formulaic topics. During our conversation we discussed:

—What's the difference between teshuva of innocence and teshuva of experience?
—What does Kafka have to do with teshuva?
—Why did the Alter Rebbe, the first Rebbe of Chabad, call his work the Sefer of Beinonim, the book for people in the middle?

Interview begins at 4:35

Rabbi Shais Taub is a rabbi and author. He writes about Jewish spirituality, addiction, and mysticism, and is the author of God of Our Understanding: Jewish Spirituality and Recovery from Addiction. Rabbi Taub is a noted speaker, and he currently serves as scholar-in-residence of Chabad of the Five Towns.

References:
Franz Kafka's The Trial
Tanya
SoulWords.org
Franz Kafka's The Trial
Tanya
SoulWords.org
B’Rogez Rachem Tizkor by David Bashevkin
The Trauma of Everyday Life by Mark Epstein
Laughing with Kafka by David Foster Wallace
Vidui HaTeshuvah by Tzemech Tzedek (Part 1, Part 2)
Orot HaKodesh by Rav Kook
Kabbalistic Writings on the Nature of Masculine and Feminine by Sarah Schneider

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

This series is sponsored by our friends, Daniel and Mira Stokar.
On this episode of 18Forty, we have a frank conversation with author Kayla Haber-Goldstein about her personal, painful journey to find God. Kayla proudly describes herself as FFB/BT, a reference to her identifying as a ba’al teshuvah despite growing up in a religious, rabbinic home in Australia and Jerusalem.

—How do you align Judaism to your life so that religious practice doesn’t feel like a burden?
—How can Orthodox education be improved to encourage spiritual-seeking?
—How can you make changes to your life while under intense social scrutiny?

Kayla Haber-Goldstein is an interior designer living in New York. Born to a rabbinic family, Kayla set out to explore her own relationship with Judaism, resulting in her book, Questioning The Answers. Kayla is passionate about questioning the answers—and questions—of Judaism, in order to be consciously religious.

Interview begins at 15:30.

References:
Questioning the Answers by Kayla Haber-Goldstein
Crash Course in Jewish History by Ken Spiro
Orot Hatorah by Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook

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

This series is sponsored by our friends, Daniel and Mira Stokar.

In this episode of 18Forty, tech entrepreneur Antonio Garcia Martinez discusses his powerful “Why Judaism?” essay series, chronicling his conversion to Judaism and his views on the deficiencies of secular liberalism. A formerly Orthodox man who was moved to change his life after reading Martinez’s essays chimes in.

—What is the toll of a culture of optionality?
—What is the value of unchosen commitments?
—How does Martinez reconcile his deeply scientific worldview with Judaism?

Interview begins at 10:21.

Antonio García Martínez is a New York Times best-selling author and tech entrepreneur. He is a former product manager for Facebook, the CEO-founder of AdGrok, and a former quantitative analyst for Goldman Sachs. His book Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley, an insider look into Silicon Valley, was a New York Times bestseller. Antonio reflected on his choice to engage with Judaism in a deeply thoughtful piece, “Why Judaism? On abandoning secular modernity.”

References:

Why Judaism? On abandoning secular modernity by Antonio García Martínez
Why Judaism?, part שני: On the question of God in modernity by Antonio García Martínez
Nineteen Letters by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch
The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher
Rethinking Sex by Christine Emba
Seven Types of Atheism by John Gray
The Sabbath by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

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

In the first episode of our Teshuva series, R. Beryl Gershenfeld, one of the leaders of the Jewish outreach movement, joins us in talking about what we can learn about the process of transformation that occurs in Jewish outreach.

- What can the Jewish world learn from Jewish outreach?
- How do we engage in meaningful growth?

This series has been generously sponsored by our friends Daniel and Mira Stokar.

Interview begins at 15:25

References:

Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin
The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck
Sefiras Haomer: The Link Between Tushuva And Torah by Yaakov Elman
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing by Pete Davis
Mesilas Yesharim
Chovot HaLevavot
Or HaTzafun
Aspiration by Agnes Callard

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.

- Which episode is the favorite, or least favorite, of 18Forty listeners?
- Why did David Bashevkin get outraged about pagination?
- Is “undoubtably” a word in the English language?

Tune in to hear a conversation between Batman and the Joker, and other fun feedback.

Voicemails begin at 7:24.

References:

“Portlandia”
IFC YouTube channel
Malka Simkovich: The Mystery Of The Jewish People
Bnei Yissaschar by Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Dinov
Tzidkas HaTzaddik by Rav Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin
Oz VeHadar Mesivta Talmud
“Show and Tale”
“I Read This Over Shabbos”
Jewish Mediation: A Practical Guide by Aryeh Kaplan
The Birth of the Spoken Word by Dovid’l Weinberg
If You Were God by Aryeh Kaplan
Tefillin by Aryeh Kaplan
Waters of Eden by Aryeh Kaplan

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

Among the many questions we receive at 18Forty, there are some we find recurring: Who does 18Forty serve? What is its purpose? In this episode, 18Forty Founder Rabbi David Bashevkin reflects upon those questions—except he isn’t the one interviewing. Instead, Rabbi Ari Koretzky, host of the Jews You Should Know Podcast, interviews him.

—What is the story of David’s personal religious development?
—What were 18Forty’s greatest challenges and successes?
—Where is it heading?

Interview begins at 5:44.

References: 

Jews You Should Know
Saturday Night Live – "Father-Son Podcasting Microphone"
"Rav Moshe Weinberger: Can Mysticism Become a Community?"
The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman
"Journey to 18Forty: A Conversation with Mitchell D. Eichen"
"Malka Simkovich: The Mystery of the Jewish People"
"Dr. Ora Wiskind: How do you Read a Mystical Text?"
Introduction to Love's Executioner by Irvin D. Yalom

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

This episode is sponsored by our friends Victor and Jessica Kagan in honor of Rochel Mindel bas Noson Nuteh and Naftali ben Chaim Shraga Feivel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Mirlana Morris about the loss of her son, Donny, and perpetuating the memory of a loved one.

Mirlana lost her son, Donny, in last year’s Meron tragedy when he was 19 years old. Mirlana speaks about choosing to live a life of emunah instead of being angry with God, and shares how she perpetuates the legacy of her beloved son.

- Where does a mother find the strength to move forward after confronting a loss of such large magnitude?
- How can one comfort the bereaved with sensitivity?
- What does mourning have in common with Chol HaMoed and what does it teach us?

Tune in to hear a conversation on love, loss, and moving forward.
Interview begins at 12:21

Musical Credit: Im Eshkachech by Itzhak Azulai

References:

Kedusha, Shabbos Davening
“Mimkomcha” as sung at the funeral of Donny Morris
“Donny Morris’ schedule”
Daniel Ish Chamudot: A Parsha Companion in Bein Adam L'chaveiro in Memory of Donny Morris z”l by Yeshivat Sha’alvim
Living Emunah by Rabbi David Ashear
“B’Yadcha” by Rinas Amcha

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 Emanuel Feldman about writing styles.

Rabbi Feldman has the unique gift to write in multiple voices for multiple audiences. He mixes his pitches so his readers never quite know what to expect. Rabbi Feldman joins us today to talk about the unique styles of Jewish writing.

- What motivates a rabbi to begin a parallel career as a writer?
- Why is criticism something to love?
- Has Jewish writing gotten better over time?

Tune in to hear a conversation about Yinglish, thumb-driven computers, and Mrs. Cooperman.

Interview begins at 22:49

Rabbi Emanuel Feldman is the rabbi emeritus of Beth Jacob synagogue in Atlanta, Georgia. He previously served as editor-in-chief of Tradition Magazine and has authored 11 books. Additionally, he was editor of the Ariel Rashi Translation Project for 17 years.

References:

Tractate Sukkah
Mishpacha Magazine
Top Five List of Jewish Character and Characters by Dovid Bashevkin
David the Divided Heart by David Wolpe
Tradition Magazine
The Shul Without a Clock by Emanuel Feldman
“Tefillin in a A Brown Paper Bag” by Emanuel Feldman
“An Imagined Symposium” by Emanuel Feldman
Tales Out of Shul by Emanuel Feldman
“Yaakov and Jay: A Tale of Two Worlds” by Emanuel Feldman
"Tablet Magazine on the Talmud" by Dovid Bashevkin
“On His Blindness” by John Milton
“God and Mrs. Cooperman” by Emanuel Feldman
Sophie's Choice by William Styron
“Reconciling Opposites: Uncommon Connections in the Halakha of Mourning” by Emanuel Feldman
Sin-a-gogue: Sin, and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin

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 our favorite librarian, Michelle Margolis.

Michelle is no stranger to the 18Forty Podcast — she was one of our first guests, and today, she returns to debut our new Show & Tale series, and talk with us about the role of a librarian and the hidden world of Judaica and rare books.

Show & Tale is a new 18Forty video series that will take you inside some of the great libraries—both public and private—to explore books and treasures from Jewish history.
Michelle Margolis is the Norman E. Alexander Librarian for Jewish Studies at Columbia University. We spoke with her at Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library, located in Butler Library.

- Where’s the best place to buy rare Jewish books?
- Why would a siddur need to be politically correct?
- Where should rare Judaica live?

Tune in to hear a conversation about edible glue, fake ivory, and death masks.

Interview begins at 15:04

Michelle Margolis is the Norman E. Alexander Librarian for Jewish Studies at Columbia University; co-director of Footprints: Jewish Books Through Time and Place; and President of the Association of Jewish Libraries. Michelle is a favorite past guest at 18Forty and joins us to talk about the work of a librarian.

References:

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
The Story of Dovid Bashevkin by Meaningful People Podcast
Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution by Yehudah Mirsky
Gershom Scholem: Kabbalah and Counter-History by David Biale
Pursuit of Heresy, Rabbi Moses Hagiz and the Sabbatian Controversy by Elisheva Carlebach
Pulp Fiction
Making of a Gadol by Nathan Kamenetsky
Columbia Hebrew Manuscripts
Footprints: Jewish Books Through Time and Place
The Sarajevo Haggadah
The Prince of the Press by Josh Teplitsky
Encyclopedia of Jewish Book Cultures edited by Emil Schrijver
The Hebrew Book in Early Italy edited by Joseph R. Hacker and Adam Shear
A Sign and a Witness: 2,000 Years of Hebrew Books and Illuminated Manuscripts by William Gross, Orly Tzion, and Falk Wiesemann
“Books Weeping for Someone to Visit and Admire Them: Jewish Library Culture in the United States, 1850–1910” by Robert Singerman
“Top Five” by Dovid Bashevkin
“Top 5 Stuff that Get Yeshiva Guys Into Jewish Studies”
Between the Yeshiva World and Modern Orthodoxy: The Life and Works of Rabbi Jehiel Jacob Weinberg, 1884-1966 by Marc B. Shapiro
“The Dual Role of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Chajes: Traditionalist and Maskil” by Bruria Hutner David
“Rupture and Reconstruction” by Haym Soloveitchik
“Facing the Truths of History” by Jacob J. Schacter
Lithuanian Yeshivas of the Nineteenth Century: Creating a Tradition of Learning by Shaul Stampfer
Jew Vs Jew: The Struggle For The Soul of American Jewry by Samuel G. Freedman
American Judaism: A History by Jonathan D. Sarna
The Shul without a Clock: Second Thoughts from a Rabbi's Notebook by Emanuel Feldman
Tales Out of Shul: The Unorthodox Journal of an Orthodox Rabbi by Emanuel Feldman
“The Haredim: A Defense” by Aharon Rose
By His Light: Character and Values in the Service of God by Aharon Lichtenstein
The Book and the Sword: A Life of Learning in the Shadow of Destruction 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 the heads of the three major Jewish publishing houses, Rabbi Gedaliah Zlotowitz of ArtScroll Mesorah Publications, Matthew Miller of Koren Publishers, and Altie Karper of Schocken Books.

Aside from all rejecting David Bashevkin’s work, these three pillars of Jewish publishing all share a common goal of contributing to Jewish scholarship in order to help better cultivate the Jewish People.

- How can we use storytelling to bring out the best in others?
- How was Koren revitalized?
- How did some department stores in Germany turn into one of the most successful publishing houses?

Tune in to hear a conversation about books, books, books.

Interview begins at 13:59

Gedaliah Zlotowitz
Rabbi Gedalia Zlotowitz is the president of ArtScroll Mesorah Publications, as well as the president of Mesorah Heritage Foundation.

Matthew Miller
Matthew Miller is the owner and publisher of Koren Press. Miller founded Toby Press, which published Yehuda Avner’s The Prime Ministers along with other works, and purchased Koren Press in 2007.

Altie Karper
Altie Karper is the editorial director of Schocken Books, a division of Penguin Random House. Schocken, has a long history as a major publisher of Jewish literature and an early publisher of great thinkers such as Kafka, Rosenzweig, Buber, and Agnon, among many others.

References:
““Let Me Make You Famous”: How Hollywood Invented Ben Shapiro” by Tina Nguyen
The Jewish Bookshelf as a Site of Self-fashioning: Reflections on a Historical Phenomenon in a Contemporary Moment by Elli Fischer and David Bashevkin
Top Five, A List of Jewish Character and Characters by Dovid Bashevkin
The Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan Library of Jewish Thought by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
The Megillah: The Book of Esther
Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz by Yisrael Besser
All for the Boss by Ruchoma Shain
The Koren Tanakh
Amadeus
18Forty: Larry and Tzipora Rothwachs: Here Without You — A Child’s Eating Disorder
Biblical Images by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
The Covenant Kitchen: Food and Wine for the New Jewish Table: A Cookbook by Jeff and Jodie Morgan
The Patron, A Life of Salman Schocken by Anthony David

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 Shalom Carmy—philosophy and Jewish-studies professor at Yeshiva University and Editor Emeritus of Tradition—about how he grounds his faith.

Rabbi Carmy joins us to discuss the anthropological, covenantal, and experiential bases for religious belief.

•What should be the foundation of a person’s faith?
•What is the role of personal experience in relation to rational inquiry?
•How can we reinvigorate our religious outlook for the modern world?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we handle questions that don’t come with definitive answers.

Interview begins at 14:04

Rabbi Shalom Carmy is a rabbi and professor, teaching philosophy and Jewish studies at Yeshiva University, where he is Chair of Bible and Jewish philosophy at Yeshiva College and an affiliated scholar at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Shalom is Editor Emeritus of Tradition, Contributing Editor of First Things, and has published hundreds of articles on Jewish thought, Tanach, and other subjects, along with being the mentor of many students over his years of teaching.

References:

Sefer HaChinukh

Chidushei Rabeinu Chaim Halevi – Rambam by Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk

“A Room With a View, But a Room of Our Own” by Rabbi Shalom Carmy

“A Peshat in the Dark: Reflections on the Age of Cary Grant” by Rabbi Shalom Carmy

Forgive Us, Father-in-Law, For We Know Not What To Think: Letter To A Philosophical Dropout From Orthodoxy by Rabbi Shalom Carmy

Strauss, Spinoza & Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith edited by Jeffrey Bloom, Alec Goldstein, and Gil Student

"Editor’s Note: Homer and the Bible" by Rabbi Shalom Carmy

“Of Eagle’s Flight and Snail’s Pace” by Rabbi Shalom Carmy

“Editors Note: Lost Cause: A Conclusion in Which Nothing is Concluded” by Rabbi Shalom Carmy

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Rashi on Tanakh

Ramban on Torah

Rif on Talmud

Henry More: The Rational Theology of a Cambridge Platonist by Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein

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. Malka Simkovich—Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago—about Second Temple Judaism and how it can help us understand what it means to be a Jew in our own time.

Malka explores the significance of belief and observance over the history of the Jewish people.

•What is the role of mystery in how we understand covenant and chosenness?
•What is the relationship between religious life in the ancient world and the Jewish practice we know today?
•How does belief facilitate the continuity of the Jewish tradition throughout time?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the history and mystery of the Jewish nation.

Interview begins at 27:40

Dr. Malka Simkovich is the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She earned a doctoral degree in Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism from Brandeis University and a Masters degree in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016), and Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism (2018).

References:

The Formation of the Talmud: Scholarship and Politics in Yitzhak Isaac Halevy's Dorot Harishonim by Ari Bergmann

Introduction to the Mishnah by Maimonides

How Do We Know This?: Midrash and the Fragmentation of Modern Judaism by Jay M. Harris

From Text to Tradition, A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism by Lawrence H. Schiffman

Strauss, Spinoza & Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith edited by Jeffrey Bloom, Alec Goldstein, and Gil Student

Response to Michael Wyschogrod by David Novak

The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria by Malka Z. Simkovich

Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism by Malka Z. Simkovich

Heritage and Hellenism: The Reinvention of Jewish Tradition by Erich S. Gruen

Diaspora: Jews amidst Greeks and Romans by Erich S. Gruen

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...

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 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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