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We're taking a week off from our main podcast, but we want to share with you an episode of our new podcast, 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers, recorded on Sept. 9. Subscribe to on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch the latest episode every Monday.
Until Hamas is gone, Haviv Rettig Gur says, Gaza will be unable to recover after the war.
The Times of Israel journalist and political analyst has emerged as a leading voice for the Israeli public and the Jewish world for deeper understandings of the war's developments. Haviv has covered Israeli politics — domestic and foreign — for nearly two decades and speaks internationally about Zionism, the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, and Israel's future.
Haviv was previously the director of communications for the Jewish Agency for Israel, and currently teaches history and politics at Israeli premilitary academies.
Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including the country's leadership, Western media, and the Palestinian future.
Here are our 18 questions:
As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?Do you think Western media covers the Israel-Hamas War fairly?What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?What role should the Israeli government have in religious matters?Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — such as in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict after the war?Where do you read news about Israel?Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?
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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by dailygiving.org.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to musician Matisyahu Miller—known as “Matisyahu”—who has publicly re-embraced his Judaism and Zionism since October 7.
Matisyahu’s public persona has long been subject to scrutiny and analysis. Comparatively few people, though, have listened to his story in depth. In this episode we discuss:
How has the public expression of Matisyahu’s Jewish identity ebbed and flowed throughout his life?Is there anything Matisyahu would change about the Orthodox community?How has the inwardness of Matisyahu’s Jewish identity guided him throughout his life?Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to be, in Matisyahu’s words, “a pnimius Yid.”
Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and alternative rock musician. He's known for his skill in blending reggae and hip hop as he provides a raw expression of his spirituality. His long and winding career consists of seven albums including chart-topping Light, Youth, Spark Seeker, Akeda, and Undercurrent with hits such as "One Day", "Sunshine", and "King Without A Crown". Through his lyrics, Matisyahu develops a personal, artistic, and sophisticated way to express the yearning for deep spiritual meaning, and as his own beliefs opened up to find more variety and depth, the desire for his performances to match the unpredictable flow of life developed as well.
References:
The Office
Light by Matisyahu
Akeda by Matisyahu
Holy Brother: Inspiring Stories and Enchanted Tales about Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach by Yitta Halberstam Mandelbaum
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Politics Of Experience by R.D. Laing
"Spiritual Schadenfreude: The Case of Matisyahu’s Beard" by David Bashevkin
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Fehlende Folgen?
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In this special episode of the 18Forty Podcast, in honor of the anniversary of October 7, we revisit and reflect on the conversations we’ve had that have helped us process this tumultuous time.
The past year has been long and painful, and we’ve been constantly reminded that the trajectory of Jewish history is still at stake. This makes it imperative for us to examine our lives and our relationship to God and to the Jewish People during these Ten Days of Repentance. In this episode we discuss:
What is the role of memory in the Jewish experience, and what are the memories of October 7 that we will hold with us? How has the terror attack altered the way we live and the way we understand the world?How have our theological and ideological beliefs developed over the past year?Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to be a Jew during this consequential period in the Jewish story.
Interview highlights begin at:
Rachel Goldberg-Polin: 16:17
Danny Brom: 23:27
Dina: 30:23
Jonathan Gribetz: 37:29
Doron Perez: 46:29
Noa Lewis: 59:22
References:
Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi
“The Man in the Arena” by Theodore Roosevelt
“Shomer Yisroel” by Omek Hadavar
18Forty Podcast: Rachel Goldberg-Polin: “A Hostage’s Mother Fighting for His Freedom”
18Forty Podcast: “The Trauma of War: Mental Health Professionals in Israel”
18Forty Podcast: “A Haredi Mother Sending Her Children To Serve”
Defining Neighbors: Religion, Race, and the Early Zionist-Arab Encounter by Jonathan Marc Gribetz
Reading Herzl in Beirut: The PLO Effort to Know the Enemy by Jonathan Marc Gribetz
18Forty Podcast: “Jonathan Gribetz: Teaching the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict”
18Forty Podcast: “Doron Perez: One Child Married, One Child Missing”
18Forty Podcast: “On Loss: Defending Israel on Oct. 7”
Ecclesiastes 3
18Forty Podcast: “Noa Lewis: How Can We Help Israel?”
Genesis 29:17
Rashi on Genesis 29:17
“Forgive Me, My King I Did Not Know You Were Also a Father” by David Bashevkin
Yoma 39b
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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by dailygiving.org.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Emmi Polansky, known on social media as @livingemunah, about her journey finding agency as a single mother.
Sometimes, when we talk about teshuva, we’re referring to repentance for our specific sins. Another type of teshuva, as we explore, is a return to God as we celebrate our own worthiness and tzelem Elokim. In this episode we discuss:
What is it like to participate in chagim and simchas during the process of divorce?How do we pick up the pieces when our plans for a perfect familial and spiritual life fall apart?How did fitness help improve Emmi ‘s mental and emotional health?Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to repeatedly return to God in times of apparent loneliness.
Interview begins at 12:21.
References:
Chagigah 15a
As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg
Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin
@livingemunah on Instagram
Emunah Minute on WhatsApp
Bilvavi Mishkan Evne
18Forty Podcast: “Rav Moshe Weinberger: Can Mysticism Become a Community?”
18Forty Podcast: “Moshe and Asher Weinberger: Heart of the Fire”
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by dailygiving.org.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Tuvia Tenenbom, a formerly Haredi and now secular Jew and the author of Careful, Beauties Ahead!, about how he developed a new love for Haredi religious life.
When Tuvia Tenenbom wrote a book about Haredim in Mea Shearim, he found that all Jews—no matter how different their communities—are interconnected in more ways than we might think. In this episode we discuss:
How did the Haredi community respond to October 7?What do outsiders misunderstand about Haredi Jews?Is humor the universal Jewish language? Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to truly love the entirety of the Jewish family.
Interview begins at 28:37.
Tuvia Tenenbom is an Israeli-American theater director, playwright, and author who is the founding artistic director of the Jewish Theater of New York. He authored several books that deal with themes of Jewish life, Jewish culture, antisemitism, and the Holocaust, including his well-known Catch The Jew!. He joins us to discuss the year he, a secular Jew, spent with the Haredi Jews of Mea Shearim.
References:
18Forty Podcast: “Joshua Leifer and Shaindy Ort: How Progressive Activists Rediscovered Traditional Jewish Life”
Tosafot on Pesachim
Careful, Beauties Ahead! by Tuvia Tenenbo
Catch The Jew! by Tuvia Tenenbom
Works of Tuvia Tenenbom
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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by dailygiving.org.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yussie Zakutinsky, rabbi of K’hal Mevakshei Hashem in Lawrence, New York, about his vision for a Judaism that unites the entire Jewish People—no matter how wide the gaps between us.
Since October 7, of the many schisms within the Jewish People, some have mended while others are torn anew. As a nation, we have much further to go. In this episode, we discuss:
How can we see the divinity in Jews with whom we profoundly disagree?What do we mean when we say “the entirety of the Jewish People is an expression of God”?How can we rescue the divinity within ourselves and within one another?Tune in to hear a conversation about, as the Baal Shem Tov described it, vanquishing the dragon and redeeming the princess—i.e., elevating the good in all the Jewish People.
Interview begins at 20:27.
Rabbi Yussie Zakutinsky is a rabbi and spiritual leader. He is the rabbi of K’hal Mevakshei Hashem in Lawrence, New York, and is a sought-after lecturer and leader of spiritual happenings.
References:
Mesillat Yesharim by Moses Chaim Luzzatto
Derekh Hashem by Moses Chaim Luzzatto
Avodah Zarah 9a
rabbiywilk.com
Genesis 12:5
18Forty Podcast: “Rabbi YY Jacobson: How Did the Rebbe Revolutionize Judaism?”
Works of Rav Kook
Works of Rav Tzadok HaKohen
Divrei Soferim 16
Pachad Yitzchok by Rav Yitzchok Hutner
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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by dailygiving.org.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Joshua Leifer and Shaindy Ort, married progressive activists who are reembracing traditional Jewish life.
Joshua and Shaindy grew up in Conservative and Yeshivish communities, respectively, but struggled to find a Jewish community as they joined left-wing circles, specifically those highly critical of Israel.
After October 7, Joshua resigned from the anti-Zionist magazine Jewish Currents, and in August, he published Tablets Shattered: The End of an American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life, which made headlines after a Brooklyn bookstore canceled Joshua’s planned talk because it included a Zionist rabbi. In this episode we discuss:
Has October 7 changed anything for progressive Jews highly critical of Israel?Why do left-wing circles struggle to maintain engaged Jewish life?What differentiates the Israeli left from the American left?Tune in to hear a conversation about return and renewal for progressive Jews seeking a life of traditional Jewishness.
Interview begins at 16:44.
Joshua Leifer is a journalist, editor, and translator. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, The Nation, and elsewhere, and he is the author of the new book Tablets Shattered: The End of an American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life.
Shaindy Ort-Leifer is an attorney who works in the fields of strategic litigation and international law.
Joshua and Shaindy are married.
References:
Orot HaTeshuvah by Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook
Tablets Shattered: The End of an American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life by Joshua Leifer
Siddur Sefard: “Upon Arising, Upon Entering Synagogue”
Jew Vs Jew: The Struggle For The Soul Of American Jewry by Samuel G. Freedman
After Virtue by Alasdair MacIntyre
Hirsch Haggadah by Samson R. Hirsch
Arukh HaShulchan by Yechiel Michel Epstein
Kitzur Shulchan Arukh by Shlomo Ganzfried
Deuteronomy
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This episode is sponsored by Nishmat, the Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women, whose Online Beit Midrash returns on Sept. 8. Women of all backgrounds can learn Talmud, Tanach, Halacha, and more from the comfort of home. For a full class schedule and registration, go here.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to historian and professor Pawel Maciejko about the false messiah Sabbatai Zevi, Sabbateanism, and the roots of Jewish secularism.
Gershom Scholem, the scholar of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism, saw a connection between the 17th-century messianic movement of Sabbateanism and the later movement of Jewish secularism. Was he right? In this episode we discuss:
What was the impact of Sabbateanism after its messianic fervor died down? How can studying Jewish history deepen one’s connection with Judaism? What is Frankism, and why is it a fascination of present-day antisemitic conspiracy theorists?Tune in to hear a conversation about what the rupture from the Sabbatean movement can teach us about the wide range of Jewish identities we see today.
Interview begins at 17:05.
Pawel Maciejko is an associate professor of history and Leonard and Helen R. Stulman Chair in Classical Jewish Religion, Thought, and Culture at Johns Hopkins University. Between 2005 and 2016 he taught at the Department of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His first book, The Mixed Multitude: Jacob Frank and the Frankist Movement, 1755–1816, was awarded the Salo Baron Prize by the American Academy of Jewish Research and the Jordan Schnitzer Book Award by the Association for Jewish Studies.
References:
Not in the Heavens: The Tradition of Jewish Secular Thought by David Biale
Makers of Jewish Modernity: Thinkers, Artists, Leaders, and the World They Made edited by Jacques Picard, Jacques Revel, Michael P. Steinberg, and Idith Zertal
“The Holiness of Sin” by Gershom Scholem
Mishnah Chagigah 2
Ezekiel 1
Accounting for the Commandments in Medieval Judaism by Elliot R. Wolfson
Sabbatian Heresy: Writings on Mysticism, Messianism, and the Origins of Jewish Modernity edited by Pawel Maciejko
The Mixed Multitude: Jacob Frank and the Frankist Movement, 1755-1816 by Pawel Maciejko
“The Messianic Feminism of Shabbatai Zevi and Sarah Ashkenazi” by Jericho Vincent
On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World by Danya Ruttenberg
“A Portrait of the Kabbalist as a Young Man: Count Joseph Carl Emmanuel Waldstein and His Retinue” by Pawel Maciejko
“Gershom Scholem’s dialectic of Jewish history: the case of Sabbatianism” by Pawel Maciejko
Seforimchatter’s Sabbatai Zevi Series
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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak to the Perez family, whose son Daniel, Hashem yikkom damo, was killed defending Israel and the Jewish People on October 7.
We’re joined by Daniel’s father, Doron; his mother, Shelley; and his siblings, Shira, Adina, and Yonatan, to hear about Daniel’s courageous life and the unfathomable loss endured by his family and the Jewish People. In this episode we discuss:
What does living a life of sanctity and purpose mean, especially in the face of terror and tragedy? How did Daniel’s siblings cope with the loss of their beloved brother? Amid the absence of loss, how can we find the presence of purpose?Tune in to hear a conversation about the clarity of mission that might help us heal from the trauma of October 7.
Interview begins at 28:00.
References:
Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 2:4
Parshat Sh'lach
Shuvi V'nechze Al H'torah by Rabbi Moshe Shapiro
Peri Tzadik by Rav Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin
Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 1:1
Psalms 121
“Brother” by Kodaline
Ezekiel 16:6
The Bayit in every Bayit
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support. -
We're taking a week off from our main podcast, but we want to share with you an episode of our new podcast, 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers Subscribe to on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch the latest episode every Monday.
The Israeli government’s draft of Haredi men is no simple matter—but Yehoshua Pfeffer has some ideas for moving forward.
Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer is a Haredi social thinker and activist intimately involved in Haredi affairs. He heads the Iyun Institute—which operates programs and publications in the Haredi space—is the founding editor of Tzarich Iyun journal, and serves on the executive board of Netzah Yehuda, which serves Haredi soldiers in the IDF.
While also teaching as a professor at Hebrew University’s law school, he is the rabbi of Ohr Chadash in Ramot Bet, Jerusalem. Yehoshua’s life is guided by his convictions.
Now, he sits down with us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including the Haredi draft, Israel as a religious state, Messianism, and so much more.
This interview was held on July 2.
Here are our 18 questions:
As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?Should Israel be a religious state?Do you think the State of Israel is part of the final redemption?Is Messianism helpful or harmful to Israel?Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?Should all Israelis serve in the army?Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?Are political and religious divides a major problem in Israeli society?Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?
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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Eli Rubin—a scholar, Lubavitcher Hasid, and author of the forthcoming book Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity: An Existential History of Chabad Hasidism—about life’s big cosmic questions.
Chabad and the Rebbe are so ubiquitous in Jewish life that we tend to overlook Chabad’s underlying philosophy. Here, we take the time to look under the hood of the Mitzvah Tank. In this episode we discuss:
At its core, what is Hasidism about, and how did the Rebbe implement these essentials in a new time and a new land? What should we picture when we imagine moshiach? Has Chabad splintered off from mainstream Judaism the way some have feared?Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to want moshiach now.
Interview begins at 11:27.
Eli Rubin, a contributing editor at Chabad.org, is the author of Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity: An Existential History of Chabad Hasidism (forthcoming from Stanford University Press). He was a co-author of Social Vision: The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Transformative Paradigm for the World (Herder and Herder, 2019). He studied Chassidic literature and Jewish Law at the Rabbinical College of America and at Yeshivot in the UK, the US and Australia, and received his PhD from the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies, University College London.
References:
Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity: An Existential History of Chabad Hasidism by Eli Rubin
Social Vision: The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Transformative Paradigm for the World by Philip Wexler, Eli Rubin, and Michael Wexler
18Forty Podcast: “Eli Rubin: How Do Mysticism and Social Action Intersect”
Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 32
Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 36
Open Secret: Postmessianic Messianism and the Mystical Revision of Menahem Mendel Schneerson by Elliot R. Wolfson
Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 12
Eruvin 13b
The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference by David Berger
The Messiah Problem by Chaim Rapoport
Iggeret HaKodesh: Epistle 27
Engaging the Essence: The Philosophy of the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Rabbi Dr. Yosef Bronstein
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Join our email list to receive, among other great 18Forty content, a coupon code for 10% off your Koren Publishers order, good through Aug. 31.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yosef Bronstein—a rabbi, writer, and scholar—about the philosophy of Chabad and the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
For much of the Jewish world, the Chabad movement plays a part in our lives, but it’s not necessarily something we understand deeply. Rabbi Bronstein, author of the newly published Engaging the Essence: The Philosophy of the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Koren), helps us fix that. In this episode we discuss:
What draws a Litvak to the Torah of the Lubavitcher Rebbe? What were the Rebbe’s essential innovations of Judaism?How might a messianic consciousness enhance our Torah lives?Tune in to hear a conversation about what Orthodox Jews outside of the Lubavitch community can learn from Chabad.
Interview begins at 15:33
Yosef Bronstein received rabbinic ordination and a PhD in Talmudic Studies from Yeshiva University. He is the Rosh Bet Midrash of Machon Zimrat Ha’aretz, a community learning center and rabbinical training program in Efrat, Israel, and also teaches Jewish philosophy at Yeshiva University’s Isaac Breuer College. Rabbi Dr. Bronstein is a beloved lecturer, writer, and teacher on topics of Jewish thought, and is the author of The Authority of the Divine Law: A Study in Tannaitic Midrash and Engaging the Essence: The Philosophy of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
References:
Engaging the Essence: The Philosophy of the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Rabbi Dr. Yosef Bronstein
Tanya
The Steinsaltz Tanya
Lessons in Tanya
Heaven on Earth Reflections on the theology of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Faitel Levin
Halakhic Man by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik
18Forty Podcast: "Yosef Bronstein: Rav Tzadok & Rav Kook on Jewish History"
Pirkei Avot 1
Kuzari
Mishneh Torah
Open Secret by Elliot R. Wolfson
The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference by David Berger
Sichos
“Bittul Torah or a Taste of the World To Come? Fathers and Young Children” by Yosef Bronstein
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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Chava Green—an emerging scholar who wrote her doctoral dissertation on “the Hasidic face of feminism”—about how the Lubavitcher Rebbe infused American sensibilities with mystical sensitivities, paying particular attention to the role of women.
Some stereotype mysticism as something out of this world. But the Lubavitcher Rebbe showed us the importance of having mysticism inform our everyday lives, emphasizing the cosmic impact of the mitzvos done by men, women, and children. In this episode we discuss:
Was the Rebbe really “the biggest feminist”?How did the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s mysticism translate to the lived experience of his followers? How did Green come to be a self-identified Hasidic feminist? Tune in to hear a conversation about how both the Jewish and feminist worlds contain a wider range of ideas than one might expect.
Interview begins at 8:55.
Chava Green is a writer, teacher, and perpetual student. After graduating with her B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies, she attended Mayanot Women’s Program in Jerusalem and Machon Alta in Tzfat. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Jewish studies at Emory University and lives with her family in Morristown, New Jersey. Her work considers the relationship between Chabad teachings and feminism.
References:
Hidden Heretics: Jewish Doubt in the Digital Age by Ayala Fader
Mitzvah Girls: Bringing Up the Next Generation of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn by Ayala Fader
Mystics, Mavericks, and Merrymakers by Stephanie Wellen Levine
Social Vision: The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Transformative Paradigm for the World by Philip Wexler
Chava Green on Chabad.org
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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to renowned Chabad speaker Rabbi YY Jacobson about Chassidus, Chabad, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
In honor the Rebbe’s 30th yahrtzeit, YY Jacobson helps us explore the purpose of Creation, our role in the world, and how the soul of the universe relates to the soul of the human being. In this episode we discuss:
What is Hasidic thought, and what differentiates it from Kabbalah? How did Jewish emancipation and integration lead to Jews turning inward and focusing on the soul and God’s Presence in the world?What was the Rebbe’s understanding of messianism and Zionism, and what might it mean for how we live our lives? Tune in to hear a conversation about how the Rebbe brought oneness to the Jewish People during some of our most turbulent times.
Interview begins at 6:18.
Rabbi YY Jacobson, founder and dean of TheYeshiva.net, is a popular teacher of Chabad Chassidus. Having been an “oral scribe” of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Jacobson was a close follower of the Rebbe in the last stages of the Rebbe’s life. Rabbi Jacobson has additionally been the editor-in-chief of The Algemeiner Journal and the spiritual leader of Congregation Bais Shmuel.
References:
Tanya
Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 11
Shulchan Arukh
Shulchan Arukh HaRav
Rashi on Genesis 1:1
Likkutei Sichot
Toward a Meaningful Life by Simon Jacobson
Torah Studies by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Turning Judaism Outwards by Chaim Miller
Rebbe by Joseph Telushkin
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This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we follow up with Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch to break down the anti-Zionist crisis facing the Reform Movement.
As young Jews feel increasingly disconnected from the Jewish People, America’s non-Orthodox synagogues, summer camps, and day schools are challenged to ensure continuity and unity for the Jewish future. In this episode we discuss:
—Do we need to choose between caring about our fellow Jews and caring about the world?
—Why are younger Jews more antagonistic toward Israel than previous generations?
—Can American Jewry survive without a connection to Israel?
Tune in to hear a conversation about the past, present, and future of American Jewry.
Interview begins at 6:12.
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is a leader of the Reform Movement. He is the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and former executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America/World Union for Progressive Judaism, North America. He wrote two books: The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi’s Reflections on Love, Courage, and History (2023) and One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them (2003), which he co-authored with Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman.
References:
18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers
Leviticus 19:17
Genesis 12:3
Amos 9
The War of Return by Adi Schwartz and Einat Wilf
Jewish Wisdom by Joseph Telushkin
The Book of Jewish Values by Joseph Telushkin
This episode is sponsored by Twillory. New customers can receive a discount by using the coupon code 18Forty.
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Subscribe to 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch the latest episode every Monday.
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If you want to understand Israel, then you need to know Benny Morris.
Prof. Benny Morris is a leading Israeli historian who revolutionized the field of Israeli history by digging into the government’s declassified archives in the ‘80s, ushering in the era of “New Historians” who challenged traditional views of Israel’s history. After peace talks failed and the Second Intifada began in the early 2000s, his views drastically shifted regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict—specifically its prospects for resolution. Praised and criticized across the political divide, Benny Morris’ work lies at the bedrock of Israeli history today.
Now, he sits down with us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including what should happen with Gaza after the war, Palestinian-Israeli peace prospects, whether the IDF is the world’s most moral army, and so much more.
This interview was held on June 10.
Here are some of our 18 questions:
As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?How do you think Hamas views the outcome and aftermath of October 7—was it a success, in their eyes?
What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict after the war?
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This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Adam J. Raskin—a Conservative rabbi in Maryland—and Mia Raskin, his Orthodox daughter.
In discussing the ideological and sociological realities of Jewish denominations, we often lose sight of their real-world manifestation in Jewish life. By hearing how a real family navigates denominational differences, we might, in fact, learn a lesson or two about Jewish unity. In this episode we discuss:
What does a Conservative rabbi think about the practice of his less observant congregants? How did Mia deal with religious observance as a Division I basketball player?How do the apparent barriers between Jewish groups play out when we interact in the world?Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might think more deeply than the labels of “secular,” “frum,” “baal teshuva,” and the like.
Interview begins at 6:58.
Rabbi Adam J. Raskin is the rabbi and spiritual leader of Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, Maryland. Adam is a member of the Executive Council of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international organization of Conservative Rabbis, and is a founder of the Potomac-Area Interfaith Communities.
Mia Raskin is a program director and Marketing Analyst for Athletes for Israel, a graduate of Binghamton University, where she played college basketball while keeping Shabbos.
References:
God in Search of Man by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
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While we return to Jewish Denominations next week, enjoy this ever-necessary 2020 conversation about Jewish infighting, division, and unity—pulled from the 18Forty vault.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with Professor of Journalism at Columbia and author, Samuel G. Freedman, to talk about dissent not as a cause of ugliness and divide, but of beauty and unity.
Some would say that disagreement isn’t a bug of the Jewish community, but a feature. We have a rich history of debate in the Talmud and haven’t been able to shake this dubious quality even in the modern day United States. The internet has only exaggerated this, and while one can argue for the benefits of dissent, the fact that Jews seem embroiled in a perpetual state of debate remains.Is debate a healthy state of mind for our community?Should we be looking to avoid debate or embrace it?Does dissent cause only divide or can it be used as a means of understanding the other members of our community?Tune in to hear Samuel discuss the roles that individual Jews play in the larger debate that is the Jewish community.
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This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to author and historian Dr. Marc B. Shapiro about the blurry borders that distinguish Reform, Conservative, yeshivish, Modern Orthodox, and the many other Jewish sects from one another.
We take today’s Jewish denominational and cultural differences for granted, but they were not inevitable. Moments in history formed our sects, and Dr. Shapiro helps us unpack them. In this episode we discuss:
How did the Conservative movement diverge from Orthodoxy?Where did the “yeshiva world” come from?How have Jews historically maintained friendship despite denominational divisions?Tune in to hear a conversation about Jews’ tangled relationship between ideology and lived experience.
Interview begins at 13:36
Dr. Marc B. Shapiro holds the Weinberg Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of Scranton. Marc received his PhD from Harvard, and he is the author of numerous books, articles, and reviews, including Between the Yeshiva World and Modern Orthodoxy, The Limits of Orthodox Theology, and Changing the Immutable: How Orthodox Judaism Rewrites Its History.
References:
Halacha Headlines
Between the Yeshiva World and Modern Orthodoxy by Marc B. Shapiro
Saul Lieberman and the Orthodox by Marc B. Shapiro
Changing the Immutable by Marc B. Shapiro
Marc B. Shapiro on The Seforim Blog
Judith Berlin Lieberman: Autobiography and Reflections edited by Menachem Butler and Abraham Lieberman
A Few Good Men
Toras HaNazir by Rav Hutner
Iggerot Malkhei Rabanan by Marc B. Shapiro
Orthodox Jews in America by Jeffrey S. Gurock
Reading Jewish History in the Parsha with David Bashevkin
All Parsha
The Book And The Sword by David Weiss Halivni
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This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jack Wertheimer, a professor of American Jewish History at JTS, about the radical transformations of American Jewish practice over the last century.
We can’t understand the Jewish People without a sobered look at what happens in our synagogues, homes, and communities. We can talk about a movement’s ideological ideals, but amid those discussions we cannot ignore the on-the-ground realities of a community’s practice. In this episode we discuss:
How does a Jewish movement’s "lived religion" differ from its stated ideals?What is the cost of radical inclusivity?What misconceptions do Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews have about each other?Tune in to hear a conversation about what Judaism means for us in our current time.
Interview begins at 28:28.
Dr. Jack Wertheimer is a leading thinker and professor of American Jewish History at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He is the former provost of JTS, and was the founding director of the Joseph and Miriam Ratner Center for the Study of Conservative Judaism. Jack has written and edited numerous books and articles on the subjects of modern Jewish history, education, and life. He won the National Jewish Book Award in the category of Contemporary Jewish Life in 1994 for A People Divided: Judaism in Contemporary America.
References:
“Sometimes Mashiach Is Not the Solution” by Aaron Lopiansky
“Politics and the Yeshivish Language” by Cole S. Aronson
The New American Judaism by Jack Wertheimer
A People Divided: Judaism in Contemporary America by Jack Wertheimer
Sliding to the Right: The Contest for the Future of American Jewish Orthodoxy by Samuel C. Heilman
Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal by Dana Kaplan
“What Jewish Denominations Mean to Me” by David Bashevkin
Michtav Me'Eliyahu by Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler
The 18Forty Podcast: “Rabbi Dr. Haym Soloveitchik: The Rupture and Reconstruction of Halacha”
“Shomer Yisroel” by Omek Hadavar
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