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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Michael Eisenberg—a venture capitalist and Torah scholar—about the state of the Jewish People in Israel and the diaspora.  In this episode we discuss: —What lies ahead for the Jewish People amid the war with Iran? —What can Israel and America teach one another about Jewish innovation? —What should be the religious vision for “secular” Jews in Israel? Tune in to hear a conversation about where we hope to go together, and how we can get there. Interview begins at 6:13. Michael Eisenberg is Co-Founder and General Partner at Aleph, an early-stage venture capital fund managing $850 million, where he has spent over 25 years partnering with Israeli entrepreneurs to build impactful global companies; since 2013, Aleph has invested in more than 50 startups, including Melio, Lemonade (NYSE: LMND), Bringg, JoyTunes, and Healthy.io. He writes the blog Six Kids and a Full Time Job and contributes to Calcalist and TheMarker, is the author of The Hummus Manifesto and five Hebrew books, and frequently lectures on venture capital, Israel, and entrepreneurship. He serves on the boards of Yeshivat Har Etzion and The Shomer Hachadash, and lives in Jerusalem with his wife and eight children. References: The Vanishing Jew: A Wake-Up Call From the Book of Esther by Michael Eisenberg The Tree of Life and Prosperity: 21st Century Business Principles from the Book of Genesis by Michael Eisenberg Meshekh Chokhmah, Bekhukotai For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become 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. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a father and daughter who were estranged and then reunited. We also speak with Adam Pollock, the estrangement specialist who inspired them to reconcile.  In this episode we discuss:  Are there specific struggles that lead to estrangement in the Orthodox Jewish world?How do we handle the tension between the need to heal and the need to be right? How do we avoid regression once family members have been reunited? Tune in to hear a conversation about our essential and unchanging identities that transcend our circumstances.   Interview begins at 20:50.  Adam N. Pollock is the founder of Aaron’s Legacy, where he specializes in mediating family estrangement using a blend of ancient wisdom and modern conflict resolution techniques. Since 2015, he has helped individuals and families navigate some of their most painful relational fractures with compassion, rigor, and creativity. A former attorney and business executive, Adam brings decades of experience in negotiation, arbitration, and high-stakes decision-making to his work as an estrangement mediator. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from The George Washington University and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, and is the author of Secrets From the Legal Pad (2023). References: Genesis 37:31 The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Psalms 121 Titles by C.B. Weinfeld Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict by Joshua Coleman PhD Third-Party Peacemakers in Judaism: Text, Theory, and Practice by Daniel Roth Exodus 13:19 For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become 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. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to philanthropist David Magerman and his daughter Sydney, who decided to make aliyah while on her gap year in Israel.   In this episode we discuss: What should we do with the freedom we’ve been given?What is it like to make the journey toward Orthodoxy as a family? What is it like to make aliyah when one’s family is in America?Tune in for a conversation about building bridges and pipelines across generations and geography.  Interview begins at 11:57. David Magerman is the co-founder and managing partner of Differential Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on AI, machine learning, and data science. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University and brings over 25 years of experience in data-driven research and innovation. Previously, he was a founding member and head of production for the equities trading group at a quantitative hedge fund.  References: A Letter in the Scroll: Understanding Our Jewish Identity and Exploring the Legacy of the World's Oldest Religion by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks The Steinsaltz Tanya Genesis 12:1 For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join here Become 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. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Shaanan Gelman and his son Ziggy about the persistence of a parent-child relationship when the latter faces addiction.   In this episode we discuss:How does habitual drug use evolve into addiction?How does a parent help a child struggling with substance abuse?How do such a parent and child manage the expectations and perceptions of the outside world? Tune in for a conversation about how a parent-child relationship survives and emerges resilient from a harrowing ordeal. Interview begins at 15:05. Shaanan Gelman, rabbi of Chovevei Tzion in Chicago, holds a degree in Computer Science from Yeshiva College and received semicha from RIETS at Yeshiva University. He studied in Israel at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Gruss Institute, and later served as a Kollel Fellow in Boca Raton, where he held leadership and educational roles. He is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America’s executive board, active in the Chicago Rabbinical Council, and serves on the board of Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago. A committed Zionist, he is active in AIPAC and has led initiatives supporting Israel. References: God of Our Understanding: Jewish Spirituality and Recovery from Addiction by Shais Taub “Being Kevin, Watching ‘Being Charlie’” by Kevin Jack McEnroe The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath by Leslie Jamison Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big BookIn the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté  Addict in the House: A No-Nonsense Family Guide Through Addiction and Recovery by Robin Barnett Psalms 37 For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become 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. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yakov Danishefsky—a licensed clinical social worker and the author of The Attached Haggadah—about the imperfect ways in which we transmit the Jewish story.  In this episode we discuss:How do we deal with the lived reality that the Passover Seder isn’t a perfect transmission of our foundational beliefs? Why do some people try to leave Yiddishkeit while others stay in the community?What is the deeper significance of chametz and matza?Tune in for a conversation about the role of broken expectations in the story of our redemption. Interview begins at 12:29. Rabbi Yakov Danishefsky is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist. He is the founder of Mind Body Therapy, a private group practice in Chicago. Yakov has semicha and a Master’s in Jewish Philosophy from Yeshiva University and is a popular speaker, teacher, and author on the intersection of spirituality, philosophy, and psychology. He is the author of Attached: Connecting to Our Creator: A Jewish Psychological Approach. References: Home Is Where We Start From: Essays by a Psychoanalyst by D. W. Winnicott Reb Meilech on the Haggadah by Yisroel Besser The Attached Haggadah by Rabbi Yakov Danishefsky Attached: Connecting to Our Creator: A Jewish Psychological Approach by Rabbi Yakov Danishefsky Berakhot 3a Tzidkat HaTzadik 154 The Baderech Haggadah by Rav Judah Mischel 18Forty Podcast: Yakov Danishefsky: Religion and Mental Health: God and Us For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840E MAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This week of learning is sponsored by Zachary Schreiber in honor of Tova Bashevkin, because behind every great man is an even greater woman. In this special Purim episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin speaks about the late, great comedian Garry Shandling in honor of his 10th yahrzeit, which is this Purim. In this episode we discuss: What does pop culture tell us about the Torah of our time?What can Garry Shalndling teach us about Purim?What does it mean to see divinity and significance within one another? Tune in for a conversation about how we find joy and inspiration in this impossible life.  References: It's Garry Shandling's Show The Larry Sanders Show The Office 30 Rock The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling “It’s Garry Shandling’s Shpiel” by David Bashevkin  “Garry Shandling's Knockout First Appearance | Carson Tonight Show” Iron Man 2 Captain America: The Winter Soldier Book of Esther For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18fortyX: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This month of learning is sponsored by our dear friends Matt and Mollie Landes of Riverdale for the neshama of Dovid Yehonatan ben Yitzchak Yehuda. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Yehuda Geberer—a researcher, educator, and tour guide—about the history of the yeshiva world. In this episode we discuss: How did we get from the start of the Lithuanian yeshiva movement to the American yeshiva world of today?What were the premodern precursors to yeshivas? What effect did the Vietnam War have on the development of the American yeshiva world?Tune in for a conversation about “change in service of perpetuating the eternal.”  Interview begins at 22:43. Yehuda Geberer is a Jewish history researcher, educator, and licensed tour guide who leads heritage tours in Europe and Israel focused on the modern Jewish story. He guides at Yad Vashem, where he also interviews Holocaust survivors, lectures internationally, hosts the popular Jewish History Soundbites podcast, and writes the “For the Record” column for Mishpacha Magazine. A former Mir Yeshiva student with a business degree from Ono Academic College, he is currently studying Jewish history at Hebrew University and lives in Beit Shemesh with his family. References: Jew Vs Jew: The Struggle For The Soul Of American Jewry by Samuel G. Freedman The Jewish Self by Jeremy Kagan  Lithuanian Yeshivas of the Nineteenth Century: Creating a Tradition of Learning by Shaul Stampfer Making of a Godol by Nathan Kamenetsky Psalms 89 Jewish History Soundbites The Golden Age of the Lithuanian Yeshivas by Ben-Tsiyon Klibansky The World of the Yeshiva: An Intimate Portrait of Orthodox Jewry by William B. Helmreich Bava Batra 21a For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This month of learning is sponsored by our dear friends Matt and Mollie Landes of Riverdale for the neshama of Dovid Yehonatan ben Yitzchak Yehuda. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rabbi Aaron Kotler, president of the Beth Medrash Govoha and a grandson of Rav Aharon Kotler, about the beginnings of the American yeshiva world. In this episode we discuss: What is the difference between “Modern Orthodox” and “American yeshivish”?What does it mean to truly learn Torah lishmah?Why did Lakewood become the center of the yeshiva world over New York City?Tune in for a conversation about how the entire Jewish community can build on the successes of the yeshiva world.  Interview begins at 28:07. Rabbi Aaron Kotler is the president of the Beth Medrash Govoha, also known as the Lakewood Yeshiva. As Lakewood has grown, Rabbi Kotler has been active in public policy matters, serving on various boards devoted to the expansion of regional health care, transportation, housing, education, and economic development. He is the son of Rav Shneur Kotler zt”l and grandson of Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l. References: “Bret Stephens' State of World Jewry Address”  “A Moving Appeal for Kosher Food for Jewish Soldiers in the Polish Army With the Signature of Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin” World of the Yeshiva: An Intimate Portrait of Orthodox Jewry by William B. Helmreich Field of Dreams (1989) The Talmud “Overklalified” by Avigdor Goldberger For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This month of learning is sponsored by our dear friends Matt and Mollie Landes of Riverdale for the neshama of Dovid Yehonatan ben Yitzchak Yehuda. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Professors Elisheva Carlebach and Debra Kaplan, scholars of early modern Jewish history, about women’s religious, social, and communal roles in early modern Jewish life. In this episode we discuss: How have women’s prayer and shul-going habits changed over time? When did the women’s chevra kadisha become a Jewish institution? How did Jewish emancipation alter the structure of Jewish life and its implications for women? Tune in for a conversation about how women shaped—and were shaped by—the structures of the early modern kehillah. Interview begins at 9:13. Elisheva Carlebach is the Salo Wittmayer Baron Professor of Jewish History, Culture, and Society at Columbia University and Director of its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. A specialist in Early Modern European Jewish history, her work explores Jewish–Christian relations, religious dissent, conversion, messianism, and communal life. She is the award-winning author of The Pursuit of Heresy, Divided Souls, and Palaces of Time, and has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and honors including Columbia’s Lenfest Distinguished Faculty Award. Debra Kaplan teaches early modern Jewish history at Bar-Ilan University. A social historian, she is the author of Beyond Expulsion (2011) and The Patrons and their Poor (University of Pennsylvania 2020; winner of the Rosl und Paul Arnsberg-Preis). References: “Notes Toward Finding the Right Question” by Cynthia Ozick A Woman Is Responsible for Everything: Jewish Women in Early Modern Europe by Debra Kaplan and Elisheva Carlebach Women and the Messianic Heresy of Sabbatai Zevi, 1666 - 1816 by Ada Rapoport-Albert Mothers and Children: Jewish Family Life in Medieval Europe by Elisheva Baumgarten Coming of Age in Medieval Egypt: Female Adolescence, Jewish Law, and Ordinary Culture by Eve Krakowski For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18fortyX: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rabbis Eitan Webb and Ari Israel, head of a campus Chabad and Hillel respectively, about Jewish life on college campuses today.  In this episode we discuss:Has there been a recent Jewish awakening on college campuses?How much attention should we pay to campus antisemitism?Are Chabad and Hillel able to work together on college campuses?Tune in to hear a conversation about what comes next for Jewish students in secular colleges.  Interview begins at 18:01. Rabbi Eitan Webb co-founded the Princeton University Chabad House in 2002, with his wife Gitty. He has been a Jewish Chaplain at Princeton University since 2007. In addition to his Princeton activities, Eitan serves on the board of directors of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation, and of the Sinai Scholars Society.  Rabbi Ari Israel serves as Maryland Hillel’s Executive Director—a role he has held for more than 20 years. In addition to Rabbinic ordination, Ari has Master's degrees in Medieval Jewish History as well as Secondary Education. Ari is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland where he teaches a Jewish Leadership course.  References: No Country for Old Men (2007) Tanya by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi Likkutei Sichot - Volume 10 This Is My God by Herman Wouk For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Mark Wildes, founder and director of Manhattan Jewish Experience, about Modern Orthodox outreach. In this episode we discuss: Why aren’t more aspiring rabbis attracted to kiruv? How can we help people make the transition from outreach programs to the “real world”?How can we make the case for Shabbos for the masses? Tune in to hear a conversation about the “non-professional kiruv” of the Modern Orthodox community. Interview begins at 22:45. Rabbi Mark Wildes was ordained from Yeshiva University, but before becoming a rabbi, he received a JD from the Cardozo School of Law and a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University. Since founding MJE 20 years ago, Rabbi Wildes has become one of America’s most inspirational and dynamic Jewish educators. He lives with his wife Jill and their children Yosef, Ezra, Judah and Avigayil on the Upper West Side where they maintain a warm and welcoming home for all. References: Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life by Charlie Kirk The Lonely Man of Faith by Joseph B. Soloveitchik This Is My God by Herman Wouk “Is Modern Orthodox Kiruv Possible?” by Steven Gotlib For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This podcast is in partnership with Rabbi Benji Levy and Share. Learn more at 40mystics.com. As a Chabad Hasid, Rabbi Zevi Slavin’s formative years were spent immersed in the rich traditions of Chassidut and Kabbala. This upbringing provided him with a unique lens through which he continues to learn, study, and connect with others.  Drawing on his background, Slavin created “Seekers of Unity,” a Youtube channel dedicated to exploring the philosophy and history of mysticism across diverse traditions. He founded this channel with the goal of forming a community focused on creating a more intimate world together.  Now, he joins us to answer eighteen questions with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy on Jewish mysticism including people’s inherent divinity, tapping into the potential of modernity, and the perpetual experience of mount Sinai. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin answers questions from Diana Fersko, senior rabbi of the Village Temple Reform synagogue, about denominations and Jewish Peoplehood. In this episode we discuss: How did David become an Orthodox rabbi with an interest in the broader Jewish world?Where does David get his sense of commandedness and obligation from? How should Israel factor into our thinking about Jewish unity?Tune in to hear a conversation about what it would mean for us to speak Judaism as a “first language.” Interview begins at 29:05.  Diana Fersko is the Senior Rabbi of The Village Temple, a Reform synagogue at the heart of downtown Jewish life in New York City.  An internationally recognized author, speaker, and thought leader, she is a defining voice in the contemporary Jewish world, known for her clarity, compassion, and ability to bring Jewish tradition into meaningful dialogue with modern life. For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here References: “Judaism as a First Language” by Moshe Koppel Judaism Straight Up by Moshe Koppel Tzidkat HaTzadik 41 Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin B'Rogez Rachem Tizkor by David Bashevkin Taanit 20a Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Diana Fersko, senior rabbi of the Village Temple Reform synagogue, about denominations and Jewish Peoplehood.  In this episode we discuss: How do we re-determine how to be Jews in America?Is there really an “education gap” between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews? How should we handle the question of “who is a Jew” across denominations?Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might see beyond our proverbial “three blocks." Interview begins at 22:11.  Diana Fersko is the Senior Rabbi of The Village Temple, a Reform synagogue at the heart of downtown Jewish life in New York City.  An internationally recognized author, speaker, and thought leader, she is a defining voice in the contemporary Jewish world, known for her clarity, compassion, and ability to bring Jewish tradition into meaningful dialogue with modern life.  References: View of the World from 9th Avenue Tzidkat HaTzadik 54 No Country for Old Men The Tapestry of Jewish Time: A Spiritual Guide to Holidays and Life-Cycle Events by Nina Beth Cardin A Letter in the Scroll by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Check out our new series in partnership with SHARE, 18 Questions, 40 Jewish Mystics.  In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, originally released in 2021, we talk to Rabbi Pini Dunner and Rav Moshe Weinberger about the Yabloner Rebbe and his astounding story of teshuva. The Yabloner Rebbe was a chassidishe rebbe who helped found Kfar Chassidim. He disappeared and went to Los Angeles, where he went off the derech, but he later returned to Judaism and Kfar Chassidim in a remarkable example of teshuva. Who was the Yabloner Rebbe?Why did he leave his faith?What inspired him to return?Tune in to hear a conversation about the astounding story of the Yabloner Rebbe. References: The God of Loneliness by Philip Schultz The Amazing Return of the Yabloner Rebbe by Rabbi Pini Dunner The Astonishing Story of the Yabloner Rebbe by Rabbi Pini Dunner Mavericks, Mystics & False Messiahs by Rabbi Pini Dunner Rabbi Pini Dunner Website Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.