18Forty Podcast

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rabbi DovBer Pinson—a scholar, author, teacher, and spiritual mentor—about how we can rethink teshuva in light of the challenges we face today.In this episode we discuss:What is the difference between “lower” and “higher” teshuva? How should the Jewish world recalibrate in the face of the recent rise in antisemitism?How can we learn to be better at loving the Jewish People, including the Jews with whom we have severe disagreements? Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to return to our eternality in a rapidly changing world.Interview begins at 8:40.Rav DovBer Pinson is a world-renowned rabbi, scholar, author, teacher, and spiritual mentor. Through his books, lectures, and seminars he has touched and inspired the lives of thousands the world over. Rav Pinson is the Rosh Kolel of the IYYUN Yeshiva/Kolel, Marah D'asra of 84 Viola, and heads The IYYUN/CHABAD Center in Brownstone Brooklyn, New York.Topics (Produced by Sofer.AI):Podcast introduction and theme — 0:14Meeting Rav DovBer Pinson and his impact — 3:51Life as a text: looking for confluence — 7:00Introducing the discussion on teshuva — 8:42Lower vs. higher levels of teshuva — 10:27Diaspora, Israel connection, and shifting Jewish identity — 12:34Specific focus of teshuva for the Orthodox Jew — 16:00Modern identity collapse and reclaiming self — 17:29Agency and free choice in Judaism — 19:20Five dimensions of reality in Sefer Yetzirah — 20:23Orthodox world lagging by fifty years — 22:25Time vs. space: Mishnah acronym insight — 23:57Worries about Orthodox commitment and packaging — 26:05Yeshiva world as a train without an engine — 28:59Subconscious communication across Jewish communities — 30:29Peripheral origins vs. established Hasidic families — 31:49Understanding the relationship with the Land of Israel — 32:51Israel as a nation vs. a people — 34:05Collective awareness of shared destiny — 36:16Yeshiva League analogy and need for new language — 37:31Taking personal responsibility for all Israel — 41:36Tension between love for Jews and love for humanity — 43:03Unity of Torah, God, and Israel — 45:48Yeshiva learning without a structured curriculum — 47:37Rebbe’s vision: every Jew as a shaliach — 49:43Mission of Judaism beyond meritocracy — 54:22Hope expressed in the daily prayer — 57:17Jewish calendar holds a Guinness record — 59:08Personal struggle with criticism over gay Jews — 60:13Pain from establishment and public backlash — 61:21Seeking trusted guidance to navigate criticism — 65:53Personal teshuva: reconciling with critics — 68:53Humility as source of creative innovation — 71:06Current crisis as catalyst for collective change — 73:11The Torah of the moment: Messiah and presence — 74:50Books that pose good questions — 75:51Future vision: every day becomes a holiday — 77:48Great-grandfather lineage in Chabad scholarship — 80:00Balancing Talmudic study with Chassidic heart — 81:43Fascination with French Jewry of the 12th century — 82:54Personal sleep schedule post-COVID — 84:16Facing personal criticism and baggage — 90:11Uniting through the Jewish community — 92:27References:18Forty Podcast: “Haym Soloveitchik: How Modernity Changed Our Relationship to God”18Forty Podcast: “Zohar Atkins: Between Philosophy and Torah”ZoharTanya Chapter 32AleinuFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rachel Tova Ebner, translator of a new volume of the teachings of Rav Kook, about what the spirituality of Rav Kook adds to our Jewish practice and to our understanding of ourselves.As we approach Rav Kook’s yahrzeit (3 Elul), we’re directing our attention to the spiritual dimension of Yiddishkeit outlined in his works. In this episode we discuss:What does Rav Kook teach us about our yearning for God?What is the role of feelings in our inner work? What does it mean for us to change as the Torah stays the same? Tune in to hear a conversation about the paradox inherent in trying to “change the past” via teshuva. Interview begins at 14:57.Rachel Tova Ebner grew up in Manhattan and made Aliyah to Jerusalem with her family in 1982. She is linguist and lyricist, a teacher and translator, with a Master’s degree in Hebrew from the Bernhard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University. Her most recent professional endeavor was to participate in the translation of the new Koren Tanach. She has three children and eleven grandchildren.Chapters (Produced by Sofer.AI):Teshuvah 0:14Re‑examining Our Bullseye: The Conceptzia Idea 3:38Lakewood Yeshiva’s Future and Community Burnout 6:50Generational Mission Shifts and Klal Yisrael 8:37Introducing Rav Kook’s Torah of Tomorrow 11:52Translator Rachel Tova Ebner on Her Father’s Influence 15:00Early Memories of Learning with Rabbi Bernstein 16:15Limits on Naming and Speaking About God 21:32The Classic Child’s Question: Is God in the Toilet? 22:46Ikveta d'Mishicha: The Era of Messianic Footsteps 25:18Rav Kook’s Call for New Spiritual Consciousness 26:18Direct Encounter with God—Beyond Rabbis and Texts 28:01Rav Kook’s Historical Context and Practical Inner Work 43:28Compassion and Inner Work with the Soul 45:36Rav Kook on Teshuva and Cosmic Will 47:30Personal Metaforms: Smoking as Spiritual Symbol 50:32Rav Kook’s Vision for Secular Israelis 52:32Calling Artists of the Sacred in Modern Times 55:00The Summons to Holy Consciousness Excerpt 57:01Choosing a Rav Kook Translation for Study 62:23Evolution as Cosmic Optimism in Rav Kook 64:13Finding a Spiritual Path Beyond Halacha 67:08Critique of Galut and Return to Eretz Yisrael 68:17Personal Sleep Habits: A Goyish Schedule 70:06Rav Kook’s Vision: Renewing the Old, Sanctifying the New 73:27Intuition and Faith in Personal Spiritual Direction 75:09Despair as Catalyst for Renewal in Orot Hateshuva 76:56Closing Remarks and Sponsor Acknowledgments 80:49Traditional Closing Prayer and Song 81:50References:18Forty Podcast: “Rav Judah Mischel: A Change in Progress”The Torah of Tomorrow: OneSong by Rachel Tova EbnerRenewing the Old, Sanctifying the New: The Unique Vision of Rav Kook by Marc B. Shapiro18Forty Podcast: “Marc B. Shapiro: Where Does Orthodox Judaism Come From?”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with rabbi, psychotherapist, and “translator” Joey Rosenfeld about how our generation can understand languages of mysticism, philosophy, and suffering in today’s chaotic world.In this episode we discuss:Where should we channel our spiritual work as we near two years since October 7?Will Mashiach come in our lifetime?What is the purpose of yearning and desire? Tune in to hear a conversation about how “Yiddishkeit is the guardian of deficiency.” Interview begins at 8:49.Rabbi Joey Rosenfeld is a practicing psychotherapist in the addiction field focusing on the interface between philosophy, spirituality, and psychology. His shiurim on Jewish philosophy, Kabbalah and the inner workings of the human soul have been watched and listened to by thousands around the world and he has a dedicated following of students from the entire spectrum of the Jewish community.References:Tikkunei Zohar“The Source Of Faith Is Faith Itself” by Aharon LichtensteinPirkei Avot 4:2Halakhic Man by Rabbi Joseph B. SoloveitchikTanya ch. 36“Why Is There Something, Rather Than Nothing?” by Sean CarrollMishneh Torah by Maimonides Sippurei Maasiyot by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov “Anthem” by Leonard CohenFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This episode was sponsored by Jerry and Esther Williams in honor of 18Forty and Shalom Task Force. While we wait for the next new episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we revisit Dovid Bashevkin's 2022 deep dive 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 ForceThe Orchard: A Novel by David Hopen Tehillim 27:10“Evolving Religiously During Singlehood” on Singled Out Podcast by Zahava MoskowitzBambiGarden StateDovid Bashevkin on Twitter“Spending the Seder Alone” by Dovid BashevkinSolitude, A Philosophical Encounter by Philip KochCast Away18Forty – “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 BashevkinBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

As the 15th of Av approaches, we are returning to this episode on how different Jewish communities date to honor the Jewish "holiday of love."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 10:31Dr. 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 SchechterBikur Cholim of Rockland CountyARRC Institute YUConnectsJSwipeDovid Bashevkin on YUConnects CandiDateBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Hadas Hershkovitz, whose husband, Yossi, was killed while serving on reserve duty in Gaza in 2023—about the Jewish People's loss of this beloved spouse, father, high-school principal, and soldier.In the second year of the war, we’re grappling not only with the depth of our losses, but with how to make meaning of them as we continue to live in their aftermath. In this episode, we discuss:How has the loss of Hadas’s husband sparked a renewed urgency in her dedication to uplifting the Jewish People?How do we confront the anger and blame we may feel toward others in the wake of collective tragedy?How can we cultivate the positive thoughts and spiritual clarity needed to uphold our moral responsibilities in difficult times?Tune in for a heartfelt conversation on what it means to transform Torah into a living song sung by the Jewish People.Interview begins at 30:30References:Psalms 23Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust by Yaffa EliachSeinfeld: “The Bottle Deposit”“יש כאן יותר מזה" by Hanan Ben Ari Deuteronomy 31 Arukh HaShulchan by Yechiel Michel EpsteinFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to author Elissa Felder and her daughter Sonia Hoffman—both of whom have experienced the loss of a child and serve on a chevra kadisha—about what the Jewish burial society teaches us about confronting death. In this episode we discuss: How does the process of purifying a dead body work—and how is it possible to purify a dead body at all?What Kabbalistic practices are performed by chevra kadisha to bring dignity to the body and soul? How can we “normalize” discussions about grief and death? Tune in to hear a conversation about how care for the deceased is a “love story” between the Jewish People and God.Interview begins at 15:31.Elissa Felder started and actively manages Core’s community of practice for women who serve on a traditional chevrah kadisha. The knowledge she acquired through her work motivated her to write From One Life to the Next Life; The Sacred Passage after Death, a memoir about the loss of her baby son. She is the head of her local chevrah kadisha and speaks widely on this topic.Sonia Hoffman is a Limmudei Kodesh teacher at Kohelet Yeshiva in Philadelphia. She is a daughter, mother, wife and member of the Bala Cynwyd community. She is also an active member of the Philadelphia Chevra Kadisha, having started during COVID to help with this mitzvah. After the loss of their daughter in 2016, she began speaking about her experience with loss and sharing resources with the community on ways in which we can move forward after tragedy. In addition, Sonia began hosting an annual event in her daughter's memory to bring awareness to the community around the topic of infant loss and relationship with God.References:Teshuvot HaRadbaz Volume 3, 985Torat HaAdam, Introduction “Passing Through” by David BashevkinBerakhot 10a“​​Reconciling Opposites: Uncommon Connections in the Halakha of Mourning” by Emanuel FeldmanFrom One Life to the Next Life; The Sacred Passage after Death by Elissa FelderThe Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief by Francis WellerThe Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva EgerConsolation: The Spiritual Journey Beyond Grief by Maurice LammGesher Hachaim - The Bridge of Life by Rabbi Yechiel Michel TucazinskyRabbi Yitzchak Hutner's Theology of Meaning by Alon ShalevFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome 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 Shlomo Brody and Dr. Beth Popp, who work with Ematai, an organization focused on end-of-life care, about the process of death and how we ought to live with our own mortality. In this episode we discuss: How do we connect to eternity within this finite existence? What halachic issues must we consider when making end-of-life decisions?What happens to the body of someone who’s died? Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can sanctify life in the face of mortality. Interview begins at 18:30Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody is the executive director of Ematai and a columnist for The Jerusalem Post. His first book, A Guide to the Complex: Contemporary Halakhic Debates, received a National Jewish Book Award. His newest book, Ethics of Our Fighters: A Jewish View on War and Morality, was published in 2023. A summa cum laude graduate of Harvard College, he received rabbinic ordination from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, an MA in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University, and his PhD from Bar Ilan University Law School.Dr. Beth Popp is a professor on the faculty of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, specializing in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She has served on hospital ethics committees for most of her career and presents regularly to community groups to clarify the role of hospice and palliative care in the healthcare system. She has been extensively involved in educating rabbinic leaders about the medical aspects of serious illness and end-of-life care. References:Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner's Theology of Meaning by Alon ShalevPachad Yitzchak al Shavuot by Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner“Letters of Love and Rebuke From Rav Yitzchok Hutner” by David BashevkinHalakhic Man by Rabbi Joseph B. SoloveitchikEthics of Our Fighters: A Jewish View on War and Morality by Rabbi Dr. Shlomo BrodyA Guide to the Complex: Contemporary Halakhic Debates by Rabbi Dr. Shlomo BrodyThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca SklootThe Denial of Death by Ernest BeckerSeinfeld: “The Comeback”Being Mortal by Atul GawandeKaddish by Leon WieseltierWhen Breath Becomes Air by Paul KalanithiFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

While we await our next episode, we invite you catch up with 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers.Micah Goodman doesn't think Palestinian-Israeli peace will happen within his lifetime. But he's still a hopeful person.Named by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews, Micah is a public intellectual, writer, and author whose voice is central to the moral, political, and religious debates raging within Israel.He is the author of several best-selling books — including The Wondering Jew, Catch 67, The Dream of the Kuzari, and The Last Words of Moses — and co-host of the popular Israeli podcast Mifleget Hamachshavot.Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on criticizing Israel, resettling Gaza, and Jewish democracy.This interview was recorded on July 6.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 Ayala Fader—an anthropologist who studies American Haredi communities and their “hidden heretics”—about the personal, familial, and communal factors that pull us toward and push us away from different Jewish communities. In this episode we discuss: How should we respond to the discomfort we experience when the communities we live in don’t measure up to the communities we desire?How has the internet changed Hasidic and yeshivish cultures over the past three decades? How has the surge of antisemitism and anti-Zionism affected the views of Hasidic Jews? Tune in to hear a conversation about the ways we seek out and build communities that nourish us. Interview begins at 12:48.Ayala Fader is a professor of anthropology at Fordham University. Her research investigates contemporary North American Jewish identities and languages and engages key issues at the intersection of religion, Jewish Studies, gender, and linguistic anthropology, including language and media. She is also the founding director of the Demystifying Language Project, a partnership between academia and public high schools, housed in the New York Center for Public Anthropology at Fordham. Fader is the author of Mitzvah Girls: Bringing Up the Next Generation of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn and Hidden Heretics: Jewish Doubt in the Digital Age. References:“Failure Goes to Yeshivah” by David BashevkinMitzvah Girls: Bringing Up the Next Generation of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn by Ayala FaderHidden Heretics: Jewish Doubt in the Digital Age by Ayala FaderNaftuli Moster with Frieda Vizel: "Why I left Hasidic education activism"When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger, Henry W. Riecken, and Stanley Schachter Jew Vs Jew by Samuel G. Freedman18Forty Podcast: “Rav Moshe Weinberger: Can Mysticism Become a Community?”For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

On June 29, Eden will be hosting a webinar to speak in detail about the vision for this project. In order to register please click here or email info@edenbeitshemesh.com to find out more.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin moderates a debate between Rabbi Itamar Rosensweig and Rabbi Yitzchak Blau on whether morality exists independently of Judaism. This is a recording of a live event hosted at Young Israel of Teaneck on May 4. In this episode we discuss: What does it mean for God to be good, and who defines the “good” in the first place? Do Torah Jews base their values on halacha, or something else?Should we make any changes to halachic and moral education in the Jewish community? Tune in to hear a conversation about how halacha and morality bring order and prioritization to our chaotic and confusing lives. Debate begins at 10:57.Rabbi Itamar Rosensweig is a professor of Jewish law and jurisprudence at Yeshiva University, a rabbinic judge and chaver beit din at the Beth Din of America, and the rav of the Shtiebel of Lower Merion. He holds a secondary appointment as an assistant professor of philosophy at Yeshiva College and serves as the chair of Jewish studies at the Sy Syms School of Business. He received his semikha, Yoreh Yoreh and Yadin Yadin, from RIETS, where he was a fellow of the Wexner Kollel Elyon and editor-in-chief of the Beit Yitzchak Journal of Talmudic and Halakhic Studies.Rabbi Yitzchak Blau is the author of Fresh Fruit & Vintage Wine: Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada and is Tradition's associate editor. He has taught at Yeshivat Hamivtar, Yeshivat Shvilei Hatorah, and the Yeshivah of Flatbush and currently also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum. Rabbi Blau has a BA in English Literature from YU, an MA in Medieval Jewish History from Revel, and semikha from RIETS. Rabbi Blau lives in Alon Shevut with his wife and four children.References:"Curb Your (Shul) Enthusiasm"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. LewisMere Christianity by C. S. LewisFresh Fruit & Vintage Wine: Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada by Yitzchak BlauHaEmunot veHaDeot by Saadia GaonReligion And Morality by Avi Sagi and Daniel StatmanPlato's EuthyphroGenesis 9The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor DostoevskyEight Chapters by Maimonides Halakhic Man by Rabbi Joseph B. SoloveitchikA Theory of Justice by John RawlsFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

On June 29, Eden will be hosting a webinar to speak in detail about the vision for this project. In order to register please click here or email info@edenbeitshemesh.com to find out more. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin and historian Malka Simkovich discuss the future of technology, AI, and the Jewish People. This episode was recorded live at the Moise Safra Center as 18Forty celebrated its Fifth Anniversary with our community.We begin with words from Sruli Fruchter and Mitch Eichen delivered at the program, as well as questions from the audience to conclude. In this episode we discuss: What is the point of academia and asking questions?Will AI replace rabbinic authority or the conversations we have on 18Forty? Is there any topic that 18Forty will never take on? Tune in to hear a conversation about what we’ve learned through the seismic shifts we’ve experienced over the past half-decade.Introduction from Sruli Fruchter begins at 9:05.Introduction from Mitch Eichen begins at 12:50.Interview begins at 17:26.Dr. Malka Simkovich is the director and editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society and previously served as 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 Master’s degree in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016), Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism (2018), and Letters From Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity, (2024). She has been a three-time guest on the 18Forty Podcast and led our Book Journey on the essence of antisemitism. David Bashevkin is the founder and host of 18Forty. He is also the director of education for NCSY, the youth movement of the Orthodox Union, and the Clinical Assistant Professor of Jewish Values at the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University. He completed rabbinic ordination at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, as well as a master’s degree at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies focusing on the thought of Rabbi Zadok of Lublin under the guidance of Dr. Yaakov Elman. He completed his doctorate in Public Policy and Management at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, focusing on crisis management.  He has published four books: Sin·a·gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought, a Hebrew work B’Rogez Rachem Tizkor (trans. In Anger, Remember Mercy), Top 5: Lists of Jewish Character and Character, and Just One: The NCSY Haggadah. David has been rejected from several prestigious fellowships and awards.References:“18Forty: Exploring Big Questions (An Introduction)”18Forty Podcast: “Philo Judaeus: Is There a Room for Dialogue?”18Forty Podcast: “Daniel Hagler and Aryeh Englander: Can Jews Who Stay Talk With Jews Who Left?”The Nineties: A Book by by Chuck KlostermanEinstein's Dreams by Alan LightmanTime Must Have a Stop by Aldous Huxley“Laughing with Kafka” by David Foster WallaceThe Most Human Human: What Talking with Computers Teaches Us About What It Means to Be Alive by Brian ChristianGödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter"Failure Comes To Yeshivah" by David BashevkinFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

18Forty is celebrating its fifth year LIVE in NYC on June 9. Reserve your seats today!In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin moderates a dialogue between Aryeh Englander—the ex-Orthodox Jew known as “Philo Judeas,” who is a moderator of the ambitious Frum/OTD Dialogue Facebook group—and Daniel Hagler, a frum surgeon and a moderator of the Facebook group Respectfully Debating Judaism.  Together, we talk about seeking meaning, uncovering religious truths, and making the most of the precious gift we call “life.” In this episode we discuss: How do we know if Judaism is “real” and true? How is a religious commitment like a romantic one? Which is more important: Judaism being true or Judaism being useful?Tune in to hear a conversation about the ways in which we chase truth and determine how we ought to live our lives. Interview begins at 19:29.Follow-up Hagler interview begins at 1:19:04. References:18Forty Podcast: “Philo Judaeus: Is There a Room for Dialogue?”Judaism on Trial: Jewish-Christian Disputations in the Middle Ages by Hyam MaccobyReality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy by David J. ChalmersTzidkat HaTzadik 4118Forty Podcast: “Rav Moshe Weinberger: Can Mysticism Become a Community?”“Worlds Together” in MishpachaJewish Philosophy as a Guide to Life: Rosenzweig, Buber, Levinas, Wittgenstein by Hilary PutnamNo Country for Old Men (2007)Slate Star CodexEruvin 13bHow Judaism Became a Religion: An Introduction to Modern Jewish Thought by Leora Batnitzky18Forty Podcast: “Malka Simkovich: The Mystery of the Jewish People”A Letter in the Scroll: Understanding Our Jewish Identity and Exploring the Legacy of the World's Oldest Religion by Rabbi Jonathan SacksNotes from Underground by Fyodor DostoevskyKiddushin 30aLeviticus 10:16For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Receive our FREE newsletters at 18forty.org/join.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, talk to Moshe Krakowski, a professor at Yeshiva University, about his work on Attrition and Connection in American Orthodox Judaism, the OU’s study on what we crassly call “OTD.” Dr. Krakowski takes us “under the hood” of those who leave their religious communities to show us what factors lead Jews to leave faith behind. In this episode we discuss: Why do so many of us choose the countercultural life of Orthodox Judaism? What leads someone to leave a religious community—or seek out a more insular one? How do we create a Jewish world that is sticky, rich, and spiritually nourishing? Tune in to hear a conversation about why we leave Jewish communities and, maybe more importantly, why we stay. Interview begins at 9:29.Moshe Krakowski is a professor at the Azrieli Graduate School for Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University, where he also directs Azrieli’s doctoral program. He studies American Haredi education and culture, focusing on the relationship between communal worldview, identity, and education. He also works on curriculum, cognition, and inquiry learning in Jewish educational settings.References:18Forty’s OTD Archive“Passing Through” by David BashevkinAttrition and Connection in American Orthodox Judaism by Dr. Moshe Krakowski, Dr. Rachel Ginsberg, Aliza Goldstein, Abby Nadritch, Joshua Schoenberg, and Akiva Schuck“Yiddishe Taavos” by Motty IlowitzFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In anticipation of our upcoming series, we want to share with you our episode with Shulem Deen, originally released in June 2020. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David discusses with special guest and former member of the Ultra-Orthodox community, Shulem Deen, the struggle and importance of balancing one’s individual needs with those of the community.Though many of us are aware of the extreme disconnect that exists between the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and the secular world, the result of this unfortunate dynamic offers powerful insight. In particular, the intense and likely under-discussed experience of ex-Ultra-Orthodox community members (a group referred to by many as ‘Off The Derech’ or OTD) raises important questions about the reality of this intercommunity conflict and life as a modern Jew. In what ways do the religious and secular worlds misunderstand each other? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Ultra-Orthodox and secular worlds in facilitating a positive life for their members? How can we as individuals combat the inescapable myopia of living within a social bubble? Tune in to join David and Shulem in seeking answers to these important questions.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Receive our FREE newsletters at 18forty.org/join.Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.This episode is sponsored by Yeshivat Shalshelet, which gives children with language-based learning differences the confidence and skills to thrive academically, emotionally, and spiritually. Donate to its matching campaign at theshalsheletdifference.org.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Bayla Gopin—a student with dyslexia— and her mother, Chana, who brought Bayla to Yeshivat Shalshelet when her previous school was ignoring her needs.We also sit down with Shulamit Roth, Shalshelet’s founder, to talk about how we can expand the circle of who Yiddishkeit is for. In this episode we discuss: Does our emphasis on text-based learning leave some students out? How do we handle the perceived social stigma of needing to deviate from our “Plan A”?How does a child deal with switching schools when school is such a huge part of their world?Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can nurture every student the way he or she was created. Interview begins at 11:40.Shulamit Roth is a language and speech pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping students with language based learning disabilities. Her passion for teaching Jewish students with language-based learning disabilities led her to founding Yeshivat Shalshelet, where she helps students access the beauty of Torah and achieve their academic and personal potential.References:Born Losers by Scott A. Sandage“Amen al Ha'yeladim” by Chanan Ben AriBaby-Sitters Club by Ann M. MartinProverbs 22:6Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz M.D.18Forty Podcast: “Yehuda and Ilana Turetsky: Why Would an American Rabbinic Couple Move to Israel?”For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Receive our FREE newsletters at 18forty.org/join.Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.This episode is sponsored by Ketubah.com. Find the perfect ketubah for your wedding at Ketubah.com—beautiful designs, halachic accuracy, and personalized guidance every step of the way.This episode is also sponsored by our friends at Sofer.Ai. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Talia Khan—a Jewish MIT graduate student and Israel activist—and her father, an Afghan Muslim immigrant, about their close father-daughter relationship despite their ideological disagreements. When Talia gained national attention in 2023 testifying before Congress and expressing her anger with the hostility toward Jews on MIT’s campus, many wondered what her Muslim father thought of her activism. In this episode we discuss: What was Talia’s father’s reaction to her public advocacy on  behalf of Jews and Israel? How do Talia and her father stay close despite their fundamental ideological differences?Why are Jewish-Muslim relations so strained? Tune in to hear a conversation about how humanity’s story of redemption takes form in a father-daughter relationship.Interview begins at 11:09.Talia Khan is an MIT graduate student in mechanical engineering, the president of the MIT Israel Alliance, a Fulbright Brazil alumna, and the daughter of a Jewish mother and an Afghan Muslim immigrant father. References:18Forty Podcast: “What’s Next: Higher Education for Jews: David Wolpe, Talia Khan, and Steven Pinker”Golda (2023)Rashi on Genesis 15:15, Bereshit Rabbah 30 Meshekh Chokhmah by Meir Simha HaKohen DvinskGenesis 17:18For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Receive our FREE newsletters at 18forty.org/join.Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.This episode is sponsored by an anonymous friend who supports our mission.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to bestselling author Susan Cain about her bittersweet relationship with her mother, an Orthodox Jew and daughter of a prominent rabbi. Susan’s book Bittersweet explores their journey together and grapples with what it means when our lives and relationships don’t exactly meet our expectations. In this episode we discuss:How do our relationships with our parents change in adulthood? Why are sad songs often some of our favorites? How can we make meaning of the yearning we experience?Tune in to hear a conversation about “longing for the source” and “uniting with the beloved of the soul.”Interview begins at 11:01.Susan Cain is the  ​​No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. She is also a speaker, influencer, and the creator of the newsletter community thequietlife.net.References:Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan CainBittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain“Rabbi Israel Schorr, 94; Led Brooklyn Synagogue”The Letters Of J.R.R. TolkienBeit Yaakov on Torah“Anthem” by Leonard CohenEinstein and the Rabbi by Naomi Levy“Rav Shagar: Zionism and Exile Within the Home” by Ari Ze’ev Schwartz and Levi MorrowDivrei Soferim 16 by Tzadok HaKohen of LublinSin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David BashevkinAvodat Yisrael by Israel Hopstein of Kozhnitz“The Transformation of ‘Next Year in Jerusalem’ in the Postwar American Haggadah” by Jonathan D. SarnaFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Receive our FREE newsletters at 18forty.org/join.Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.This episode is sponsored by an anonymous friend who supports our mission.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Judah, Naomi, and Aharon Akiva Dardik—an olim family whose son went to military jail for refusing to follow to IDF orders and has since become a ceasefire activist at Columbia University—about sticking together as a family despite their fundamental differences. On Aharon’s 14th birthday, the Dardiks moved from America to the Neve Daniel in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria. Since then, their relationships to Israel have diverged but they have refused to be divided. In this episode we discuss:Why did Aharon initially choose to stay anonymous to protect his parents from public pushback?How can we identify positive qualities in people we viscerally disagree with? Do differences over Israel and Zionism need to tear families apart? Tune in to hear a conversation about how the Jewish People can learn to think less institutionally and more familially. Interview begins at 19:08.Rabbi Judah Dardik is an Assistant Dean and full-time Ramm at Yeshivat Orayta in the Old City of Jerusalem, where he teaches and oversees student welfare. He is also the Dean of the Orayta Center for Jewish Leadership and Engagement. Before making Aliyah, he completed 13 years as the spiritual and community leader of Beth Jacob Congregation, in Oakland, California.Naomi Dardik, with her husband, Judah, served the Beth Jacob community in Oakland for thirteen years. Now, she leads the team of Relationship Experts at "OurRitual," a young company based in Tel Aviv that is building new ways to help couples access relationship support. She earned her BA in psychology from Barnard College and her MSW from UC Berkeley.Aharon Akiva Dardik is a philosophy and political science double major at Columbia University. His activism in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza was noted in The New York Times. He formerly lived in Neve Daniel with his family. References:“Forgive Me, My King I Did Not Know You Were Also a Father” by David BashevkinBeit Yishai by Rabbi Shlomo Fisher“It Can Be Lonely to Have a Middle-of-the Road Opinion on the Middle East” Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. RosenbergBeing Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza by Peter BeinartThe Power of Showing Up by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne BrysonMistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson“Family Ties” by David Bashevkin“Spending the Seder Alone” by David BashevkinBaderech by Rabbi Judah Mischel“Pesach Letter to My Child” by Rabbi Ahron LopianskyFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.This episode is sponsored by an anonymous friend who supports our mission.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yehuda, Bayla, Elisha, and Avi Samter—members of a family that made aliyah from the comfortable Five Towns life a decade ago—about the divergence between Jewish life in America and in Israel. Whether one serves in the IDF has become a major realm of bifurcation within the Jewish People, and it’s a gap that we often fail to bridge even within our own social circles. In this episode we discuss:How does making aliyah and entering the army change prior friendships? Why should every Jew imagine the possibility of living an elevated life defending the Jewish People in the Land of Israel? What differentiates Five Towns Judaism from spirituality in the Land of Israel? Tune in to hear a conversation about unifying “both sides” of the Jewish People. Interview begins at 8:02. The Samter family made Aliyah from America and now have two sons serving in the Israel Defense Forces, fighting in the wars over the last 16 months in Gaza and Lebanon.References:Survivor IsraelFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.