18Forty Podcast

On 20 Cheshvan, we marked the sixth yahrzeit of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. So today we're revisiting the episode we made discussing his legacy on his first yahrzeit, in 2021.

In this special episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Professor Jonathan Haidt about the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in honor of his yahrtzeit.Rabbi Sacks had a profound impact on the Jewish world, with his eloquent words giving a voice to many. He has spoken at length about how to construct a good and meaningful life using Judaism, as well as about morality, consumerism, spiritual truth, politics, and antisemitism.

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

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

Reference:
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt

The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt

Religion and the Rise of Capitalism by Benjamin Friedman

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Lahav Harkov, senior political correspondent for Jewish Insider, for a basic primer on how Israeli elections work, how Israel’s political camps came to divide the way they have, and what choice Israelis face right now.

In this episode we discuss:

—How do Israeli elections work, and why has no party ever won a majority on its own?
—How did Labor and Likud come to define Israeli politics, and how has October 7th reshaped the divide between right and left?
—What choices do Israelis face in this election on security, Netanyahu, and the Charedi draft?

Interview begins at 3:18.

Tune in to hear a conversation about the basics of Israeli elections and what is at stake for the Jewish state and the Jewish people. Lahav Harkov is the senior political correspondent for Jewish Insider, where she covers Israel’s domestic politics and diplomacy. She was previously senior contributing editor and diplomatic correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, where she spent eight years as the paper’s Knesset reporter. Raised in New Jersey, she made aliyah at 17 and earned a degree in political science and communications from Bar-Ilan University.

References:

Lahav’s Newsletter by Lahav Harkov

Lahav Harkov at Jewish Insider

“The Iron Wall (We and the Arabs)” by Ze’ev Jabotinsky

Call Me Back with Dan Senor and Nadav Eyal

It’s Noon in Israel by Amit Segal

Haviv Rettig Gur at The Free Press

Lazar Berman at The Times of Israel

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rav Judah Mischel, executive director of Camp HASC and author of the Baderech series, about how to become a Jewish optimist by choosing to see the good in every corner of Klal Yisrael.

In this episode we discuss:
—How do we stay optimistic about the Jewish people when our visions for its future seem mutually exclusive?
—How can we tell who is truly worthy of being called raboseinu?
—Where can we look to find the redemptive light unfolding in the Jewish people today?

Interview begins at 7:15.

Tune in to hear a conversation about the effort it takes to see the good in the Jewish people, and why that effort is itself part of the redemption.

Rabbi Judah Mischel is the executive director of Camp HASC, the Hebrew Academy for Special Children, and a mashpia for OU-NCSY. The founder of Tzama Nafshi, he is the author of the Baderech series, including Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuvah, The Baderech Haggadah, and Baderech: Along the Path of the Torah. A talmid of Rabbi Avraham Zvi Kluger, he previously taught at Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim and the Frisch School and lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife, Ora, and their children.

References:

Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuvah by Judah Mischel

Baderech: Along the Path of the Torah by Judah Mischel

The Baderech Haggadah by Judah Mischel

I Read This Over Shabbos: Reading Jewish History in the Parasha by David Bashevkin

Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin

A Tzaddik in Our Time: The Life of Rabbi Aryeh Levin by Simcha Raz

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley

“אהבת השם” by Ben Tzur

Camp HASC

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we mark the yahrtzeit of Rav Ezra Dovid Halevi Neuberger with remembrances from Dovid Bashevkin and David Fohrman of a teacher who valued privacy, presence, and intellectual honesty, and who taught his students to take life seriously by becoming fully themselves.

In this episode we discuss:

—What does it mean to take life seriously while treating ourselves with mercy?
—How did Rav Neuberger teach his students to read texts closely and think for themselves?
—What is the purpose of raising children, and what does it mean for a tradition to hold many voices?

Interview begins at 19:53.

Tune in to hear a conversation about a teacher whose greatest lesson was to be present, honest, and unafraid of questions.

Rabbi Ezra Dovid Halevi Neuberger was the rosh kollel and senior maggid shiur of Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Pikesville, Maryland, where he was a leader for more than three decades. The youngest son of Rabbi Herman Neuberger, the yeshiva’s longtime president, he was appointed rosh kollel in 1994 by Rabbi Yaakov S. Weinberg and passed away on 7 Cheshvan at the age of 68. Known to decades of students as Rav Ezra, he is remembered for his humility, his depth, and his devotion to his talmidim. Rabbi David Fohrman, a former student, is the founder and lead scholar of Aleph Beta and the author of The Beast That Crouches at the Door, The Queen You Thought You Knew, and The Exodus You Almost Passed Over.

References:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060505915
Ezras Yisrael: Shiurim of Rav Ezra Neuberger

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel

How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren

Aleph Beta

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Elliot Kaufman, a member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board and co-author of In the War Room: The Inside Story of Israel's Fight Against Hamas and the Iranian Axis, about what happened inside Israel's war room after October 7 and how Israel came to lose the battle over its own story.

In this episode we discuss:

—Was October 7th part of a larger plan to destroy Israel?
—How did the anti-Israel narrative take hold in the West so quickly?
—What is the vision for the Jewish state once the security threats recede?

Interview begins at 3:40.

Tune in to hear a conversation about the fight for Israel's survival on the battlefield and its fight for its narrative on the world stage. Elliot Kaufman is a member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board, where he writes on Israel, Iran, and the Middle East, and previously served as the paper's letters editor. Raised in Toronto and a graduate of Stanford University, he has covered the war for the Journal since October 7th. He is the co-author, with Yonah Jeremy Bob, of In the War Room: The Inside Story of Israel's Fight Against Hamas and the Iranian Axis.

References:

In the War Room: The Inside Story of Israel's Fight Against Hamas and the Iranian Axis by Yonah Jeremy Bob and Elliot Kaufman

Target Tehran by Yonah Jeremy Bob and Ilan Evyatar

One State, Two States: Resolving the Israel/Palestine Conflict by Benny Morris

The Jews of Modernity by Milton Himmelfarb

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In this episode, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and Nachi Weinstein discuss Jewish history, reading, publishing, podcasting, and the ideas behind Bashevkin’s book I Read This Over Shabbos.

They explore how accessible writing and serious historical study can deepen Jewish knowledge while preserving intellectual depth, historical honesty, and the centrality of Shabbos.

In this episode we discuss:

—How can Jewish history can deepen our understanding of the Jewish present?
—Why is serious reading and careful sourcing matter for Jewish intellectual life?
—How does I Read This Over Shabbos seek to make Jewish history accessible while preserving intellectual depth?

Tune in to hear a conversation about Jewish history, serious reading, the culture of books, and how accessible scholarship can strengthen Jewish intellectual life.

Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin is a writer, educator, and podcaster whose work focuses on Torah, Jewish history, education, and contemporary Jewish life. His writings include B'rogez Racheim Tizkor, Sinagogue, an NCSY Haggadah, Top 5, and I Read This Over Shabbos.

Nachi Weinstein is the creator of Seforim Chatter, a podcast devoted to Jewish books, scholarship, and history. His work has explored subjects including Shabbetai Tzvi, Spanish Jewry, the Ten Lost Tribes, the Zohar, and Italian Jewish history.

References:

I Read This Over Shabbos: Reading Jewish History in the Parasha by David Bashevkin

Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin

B'rogez Rachem Tizkor by David Bashevkin

Just One: The NCSY Haggadah by Dovid Bashevkin

Top 5: Lists of Jewish Character and Characters by Dovid Bashevkin

"The Sabbath Is a Chance to Read Again" by David Bashevkin, Wall Street Journal

"The End of Reading Is Here" by Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic

"Sabbatai Zevi Series" on Seforim Chatter

Sabbatai Ṣevi: The Mystical Messiah, 1626–1676 by Gershom Scholem

Changing the Immutable: How Orthodox Judaism Rewrites Its History by Marc B. Shapiro

Rashi by Avraham Grossman

Hakham Tsevi Ashkenazi and the Battlegrounds of the Early Modern Rabbinate by Yosie Levine

A Woman Is Responsible for Everything: Jewish Women in Early Modern Europe by Debra Kaplan and Elisheva Carlebach

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Today, we're sharing one of our episodes from our new program Talmud Daily, featuring our dear friend Liel Leibovitz.

You can sign up for Talmud Daily at https://talmuddaily.org/, and you can subscribe in your podcast app by searching Talmud Daily.

In this episode, Liel reflects on falling in love with the Talmud precisely because it is so difficult—and on how its questions, frustrations, and intricate details can transform the way we live.

This episode was sponsored by Daniel and Jessica Courtney in memory of Dr. Stuart A. Courtney.

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi YY Jacobson, one of the foremost online teachers of Torah, about how each of us can experience redemptive consciousness by feeling Hashem's infinite love and presence in this moment.

In this episode we discuss:

—Why has there been a shift in the way we approach publicly sharing Torah?
—What is the nature of the Torah approach to vulnerability?
—What are we trying to achieve with our own teshuva?

Interview begins at 5:02.

Tune in to hear a conversation about the pain of existing seemingly separately from the Divine.

Rabbi YY Jacobson is a Chabad rabbi, teacher, and scholar of Torah and Jewish mysticism. He is the founder and dean of TheYeshiva.net, where his classes reach thousands of students around the world. A sought-after speaker, Rabbi Jacobson draws on Torah, Chassidic thought, Kabbalah, and Jewish philosophy to explore contemporary questions of faith, spirituality, relationships, and Jewish life.

References:

The Dance of Teshuva by David Ebner

Likkutei Torah

Ben Porat Yosef

The Trauma of Everyday Life by Mark Epstein M.D.

To Live with an Open Heart: Tanya through the eyes of a Psychotherapist by Devorah Leah Nussbaum

Talmud Daily

Tzidkat HaTzadik

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

Join Talmud Daily! A new free program from 18Forty. Ten-minute episodes a day (video + audio). Plain English. No prior knowledge assumed. No Hebrew required. Join here: https://talmuddaily.org/

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Etan Epstein, the founder of The 300 Club, a program of committing to learning Torah for five minutes a day.

We also speak with two participants in the program, Richard Weissberg and Susan Sorosky.

In this episode we discuss:

—How does one begin a path of Torah learning?
—How can we avoid burning out and maintain consistency on our learning journey?
—Why are Torah and repentance so intertwined together?

Interviews begin at 8:56.

Tune in to hear a conversation about how the process of interpretation of Torah is a mirror image of a process of interpretation of the self.

Rabbi Etan Epstein studied at Yeshivat Shaalvim after graduating from Ramaz, before earning his B.A. from Yeshiva University and spending three years at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. He then spent seven years studying at the Brisker Kollel in Israel, developing a deep expertise in analytical Torah learning. After returning to the U.S. in 2016, Rav Etan settled in Monsey and founded the New Rochelle Torah Center, where he became known for his thoughtful, engaging, and inspiring classes. In 2023, he founded the 300 Club, dedicated to helping every Jew experience the depth and beauty of Torah every day, five minutes at a time.

References:

“Mirror, Mirror of The Fall” by Maureen Dowd

The 300 Club

Mesillat Yesharim

Sefer HaChinukh

Psalms 27

Lamentations 3

Pirkei Avot

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

Join Talmud Daily! A new free program from 18Forty. Ten-minute episodes a day (video + audio). Plain English. No prior knowledge assumed. No Hebrew required. Join here: https://talmuddaily.org/https://talmuddaily.org/

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Tania Friedlander, leadership-and-performance coach, attorney by training, and former champion athlete, about how her husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis challenged her expectations and taught her to become capable of more.

In this episode we discuss:

—What does it mean to make our expectations a central focus of our teshuva?
—How do we increase our capacity to handle the life we have?
—How can we embrace both the joy and pain that accompany the challenges of life?

Interview begins at 11:42.

Tune in to hear a conversation about taking on challenges head-on and finding the capacity to meet life as it comes.

Tania Friedlander is a leadership and performance coach, attorney by training, and former champion athlete. A Professional Certified Coach and Gallup Certified Global Strengths Coach, she works with executives and emerging leaders to leverage their strengths, overcome challenges, and achieve their professional and personal goals.

References:

Tanya

Rabbanit Rachelle Fraenkel on the 18Forty Podcast

I'm Not Alone by Riva Pomerantz

Loving Someone Who Has Dementia by Pauline Boss

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Chop Wood Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf

Likutei Moharan, Part II 23:1

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

Join Talmud Daily! A new free program from 18Forty. Ten-minute episodes a day (video + audio). Plain English. No prior knowledge assumed. No Hebrew required. Join here: https://talmuddaily.org/.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Ben and Yael de Toledo, founders of Pnima Jerusalem, a soulful community in Jerusalem, about doing teshuva by returning to community.

In this episode we discuss:

—What are the ingredients necessary for finding and building a community?
—How does one emotionally handle integrating into the Torah world without the benefit of a yeshiva background?
—How should Torah-centered communities relate to the full spectrum of Jews?

Interview begins at 6:16.

Tune in to hear a conversation about letting go of barriers, having faith in oneself, and creating space for Jewish life to thrive.

Rabbi Ben de Toledo is a Jewish educator and community builder, and a founder of Pnima Jerusalem. He and his wife, Yael, previously served as the founding rabbinic couple-in-residence at the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue at the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi.

Yael de Toledo is a Jewish educator and musician who teaches Torah and music and studies at the Shirat HaLeviim Music Academy. She helped found Pnima Jerusalem with her husband, Rabbi Ben de Toledo.

References:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1592642926?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Listening to God: Inspirational Stories for My Grandchildren by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

Netivot Shalom

The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

Join Talmud Daily! A new free program from 18Forty. Ten-minute episodes a day (video + audio). Plain English. No prior knowledge assumed. No Hebrew required. Begins August 24, 2026. Join here: https://talmuddaily.org/

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to rabbi, attorney, and professor Shlomo Pill about how Torah and teshuva have helped him handle his struggle with addiction.

In this episode we discuss:

—How do we bring ourselves to do teshuva when things outwardly appear to be going well?
—How can we give our children Jewish tools for processing, explaining, and coming to terms with life’s difficulties?
—How can Torah help us in the inner work of overcoming our negative impulses?

Interview begins at 4:53.

Tune in to hear a conversation about addiction, teshuva, and the ways Torah can help us make sense of life’s struggles and find a path toward growth.

Rabbi Dr. Shlomo C. Pill is a rabbi, attorney, and law professor whose scholarship focuses on Jewish, Islamic, and American law, religious liberty, and the relationship between religious traditions and the American legal system. He is an Assistant Professor of Law at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law and previously taught at Emory University. He is the co-author of Setting the Table: An Introduction to the Jurisprudence of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein’s Arukh Hashulchan and is also the founder of Beis Midrash Nishmas HaTorah in Houston, where he teaches Torah and Penimiyus haTorah.

References:

Tzidkat HaTzadik 154

Story of Our Lives: An Epic Quest for the Soul of our Tradition by Yaakov Klein

Attached by Yakov Danishefsky

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Join Talmud Daily! A new free program from 18Forty. Ten-minute episodes a day (video + audio). Plain English. No prior knowledge assumed. No Hebrew required. Begins August 24, 2026. Join here: https://talmuddaily.org/

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we return to the topic of teshuva by talking to Mendel Horowitz, a Jerusalem-based psychotherapist, researcher, and author who introduces us to the notion of having a Good Enough Elul.

You can learn more about the Good Enough Elul initiative here and read Mendel's article on psychodynamic therapy here.

In this episode we discuss:

—What is the nature of the inner work we do over Elul?
—How do our psychological and religious work overlap and interact?
—How can we detach ourselves from external expectations and learn how to live comfortably in pursuit of our purest desires?

Interview begins at 27:00.

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we discover our most essential selves.

Mendel Horowitz, M.S., is a Jerusalem-based psychotherapist, researcher, and author certified by the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists. His research interests include group therapy and the intersection of masculinity, loneliness, and faith. He is a founding member of United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma & Crisis Response Unit and a member of the Public Outreach Committee of the American Group Psychotherapy Association. His essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Jerusalem Post, JTA, The Forward, and the Jewish Journal, among other publications, and his professional writing has appeared in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy.

References:

Tur

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

Song of Songs 6:3

Psychoanalysis: The Impossible Profession by Janet Malcolm

The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Stephen Grosz

"I'm a Psychodynamic Therapist. Here's What That Means." by Mendel Horowitz

Good Enough Elul on 18Forty

"Good Enough Elul: What This Is and Is Not" by Mendel Horowitz

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This episode is sponsored by Dina and Daniel Heiss, in honor of the 10th yahrzeit of Dina’s father, Zev Yehudah ben HaRav Yisrael Michel. May his neshama have an aliya.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to author and theoretical physicist Berel Leib Epstein about rational reasons to choose to believe in Judaism and live a Jewish life.

In this episode we discuss:

—In a time without clear and open revelation and miracles, how do we find God in the modern world? —How is Kabbalah like quantum mechanics?
—Why is it worth discussing reasons to believe in God in the first place?

Interview begins at 11:40.

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we find truth and build meaning in our lives.

Dr. Berel Leib Epstein is a theoretical physicist with a background in nonlinear optics and laser physics. After studying under Dr. Phillip Sprangle at the University of Maryland, he joined the Johns Hopkins Physics Laboratory, working on innovative research projects aimed at maintaining America’s technological edge in defense. Berel lives with his wife and children in Baltimore, Maryland, where he also learns in Yeshivas Ner Yisroel.

References:https://mosaicapress.com/product/emunah-and-physics/?srsltid=AfmBOor3tLKcJo7l3p9SmhaZL9o4AtE1szvoILngpiMXoU1561VbYL4w&v=0b3b97fa6688

Emunah and Physics: A Jewish Resolve by Dr. Berel Leib Epstein

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While we await the next installment of the 18Forty Podcast, we invite you to enjoy this episode from our serires 18 Questions, 40 Mystics.

In this insightful conversation, Rabbi YY Jacobson presents Jewish mysticism as a dynamic framework for consciousness and connection rather than abstract theology. He passionately and clearly illustrates how faith and, ultimately, surrender can redefine how we see ourselves, our pain, and the world around us.

Before the Lubavitcher Rabbi’s passing, Rabbi Jacobson served as one of his oral scribes. As a close disciple of the Rabbi, he developed a strong foundation in the world of Chassidut [Hasidism] and Jewish mysticism. Now, Rabbi Jacobson is a world-renowned speaker and scholar.

He now joins us to answer eighteen questions with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy on Jewish mysticism including how Torah is the map of reality, how spirituality should inform your relationships, and the function of humility in religious growth.

Here are our questions:
What is Jewish mysticism?
How were you introduced to Jewish mysticism?
In an ideal world, would all Jews be mystics?
What do you think of when you think of God?
What is the purpose of the Jewish people?
How does prayer work?
What is the goal of Torah study?
Does Jewish mysticism view men and women the same?
Should Judaism be hard or easy?
Why did God create the world?
Can humans do something that is against God’s will?
What do you think of when you think about Moshiach?
Is the State of Israel part of the final redemption?
What is the greatest challenge facing the world today?
How has modernity changed Jewish mysticism?
What differentiates Jewish mysticism from the mysticism of other religions?
Does one need to be religious to study Jewish mysticism?
Can mysticism be dangerous?
How has Jewish mysticism affected your relationships with yourself and with others?
What is a Jewish teaching that you always take with you?

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In our annual Tisha B'Av episode of the 18Forty Podcast on the theme of loss, we speak with Rabbi Shalom Rosner, who delivered a widely shared eulogy for Eliyahu Moshe ("Eli Mo") Zimbalist, who was killed early in the Gaza war. We also speak with Eli Mo's mother, Sara Zimbalist.

In this episode we discuss:

—How do we hold the personal experience of loss together with the larger national narrative?
—How does the experience of loss change with the passing of time?
—What is the significance of this time in Jewish history?

Interview with Rabbi Rosner begins at 27:09.
Interview with Sara Zimbalist begins at 1:18:10

Tune in to hear a conversation about what continues to ache in the collective heart of the Jewish People—and how we manage to continue to cultivate gratitude.

Rabbi Shalom Rosner is the Rosh Beis Medrash of the English-speaking program at JCT Machon Lev and the rabbi of the Nofei Hashemesh community in Beit Shemesh. A musmach of RIETS and graduate of Yeshiva University, he is widely known for his online Daf Yomi and other Torah shiurim, followed by thousands of learners worldwide. Renowned for his clarity in teaching complex sugyot, Rabbi Rosner has taught at Yeshiva University, Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim, and Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh.

References:

Numbers 14

Taanit 29a

Lamentations 2

Sanhedrin 104b

Exodus 1:15 with Rashi

Eliyahu Moshe Zimbalist eulogy by R’ Shalom Rosner

Shabbat 33b

Seder HaYom by Moshe ben Machir

Lamentations 3

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jewish communal executive Carmi Schwartz about lessons he’s learned in his 90-plus years as a member and leader of the Jewish community.

In this episode we discuss:

—What draws a professional to Jewish communal work rather than business pursuits or Torah scholarship?
—How does one imbue organizational and Zionist work with religious Jewish content?
—What has it been like to directly witness the Jewish community’s tensions around driving on Shabbat, patrilineal descent, and recognition of non-Orthodox conversions?

Interview begins at 10:20.

Tune in to hear a conversation about all of the forks in the road that brought us to this moment in American Jewish history.

Carmi Schwartz is a longtime leader in the North American Jewish federation system. He served as Executive Vice President of the Council of Jewish Federations (CJF), one of the organizations that later merged into today's Jewish Federations of North America. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions with Jewish federations in Metropolitan New Jersey, Baltimore, Utica, Miami, and Montreal.

References:

No Country for Old Men (2007)

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jenna Weissman Joselit, a professor of Jewish studies and history, about the everyday expressions of Judaism that reinforce the identity and distinctiveness of the Jewish People.

In this episode we discuss:

—What consequential institutional decisions shaped the trajectory of American Judaism?
—What overlooked personalities and phenomena contributed to the development of American Judaism?
—What is the role of the tallis in American Jewish aesthetics?

Interview begins at 10:42.

Tune in to hear a retrospective reflection on modern Jewish life and culture.

Jenna Weissman Joselit is the Charles E. Smith Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of History at The George Washington University. She specializes in the history and culture of America’s Jews, U.S. cultural history, and the relationship between material culture and identity. She is the author of Set in Stone: America’s Embrace of the Ten Commandments, The Wonders of America: Reinventing Jewish Culture, 1880–1950, which received the National Jewish Book Award in History, and A Perfect Fit: Clothes, Character, and the Promise of America. She writes a monthly column on American Jewish culture for Tablet and has been a frequent contributor to the Jewish Review of Books, The New Republic, TNR Online, Gastronomica, and the Forward.

References:

American Judaism: A History by Jonathan D. Sarna

Mordecai M. Kaplan: Restless Soul by Jenna Weissman Joselit

New York's Jewish Jews: The Orthodox Community in the Interwar Years by Jenna Weissman Joselit

Our Gang : Jewish Crime and the New York Jewish Community, 1900-1940 by Jenna Weissman Joselit

Set in Stone: America's Embrace of the Ten Commandments by Jenna Weissman Joselit

Jenna Weissman Joselit in Tablet

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to historian Zev Eleff about what 250 years of Jewish life in America can teach us about religion, identity, and the future of American Judaism.

In this episode we discuss:

—Why did colonial Jews support the American Revolution despite knowing the dangers of opposing those in power?
—How did Jewish denominations and institutions as we know them emerge in America, and what roles did Zionism and U.S. immigration policy play in this?
—Where are we headed on our American Jewish journey, and what have we learned along the way?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the intersection of the Jewish story and American exceptionalism.

Interview begins at 11:00.

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

References:https://www.sefaria.org/Jeremiah.29.7?ven=english%7CTanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&lang=bi&with=Translations&lang2=en

Jeremiah 29:7

The Greatest of All Time: A History of an American Obsession by Zev Eleff

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

18Forty Podcast: “Zev Eleff: Is This the End of American Judaism?”

American Judaism: A History by Jonathan D. Sarna

The Rag Race: How Jews Sewed Their Way to Success in America and the British Empire by Adam D. Mendelsohn

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Elana Moskowitz, an educator at Michlelet Mevasseret Yerushalayim, about how her American Jewish upbringing shaped her life and worldview.

Moskowitz grew up Orthodox in America in the 1990s—alongside her brother David Bashevkin—before moving to Israel and joining a Haredi community in Jerusalem.

In this episode we discuss:

—What is the unique new contribution of American Judaism to the Jewish story?
—What have been the successes and failures of Judaism on American shores?
—How do familial and institutional influences shape the lives we believe we ought to lead?

Tune in to hear an inside conversation about the Bashevkin family and what it means to live in a medina shel chesed.

Interview begins at 19:40.

Mrs. Elana Moskowitz grew up in New York and earned her B.Ed in English from Michlalah Jerusalem College. She is a passionate and energetic educator who has been teaching and mentoring in various seminaries in Eretz Yisrael for the past 25 years. She currently teaches at Michlelet Mevasseret Yerushalayim (MMY) where she heads their second-year program. In addition to guest lecturing for both Anglo and Israeli-American women, Elana is a writer for Mishpacha magazine where she develops and contributes Torah content. She lives with her husband and children in Yerushalayim.

References:

"Thank You from an American Jewish Child" by David Bashevkin

“An apology from your American Jewish parents” by David Magerman

“A Kosher Home” by Elana Moskowitz

“​​The Grandfather I Thought I Knew” by Elana Moskowitz

"Soundsof My Childhood” by Elana Moskowitz

Reb Mendel and His Wisdom by Yisroel Greenwald

“When life is like weaving a quilt” with Frieda Vizel

“Yiddishkeit Without Ideology: A Letter To My Son” by Moshe Koppel

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