18Forty Podcast

This episode is sponsored by Brett and Susan Nadritch, who support creative initiatives that strengthen our love for and connection to the People and Land of Israel, in honor of all the lone soldiers in the most recent Hesder draft, the class of Nisan 5786. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Michael Olshin, educational director of Yeshivat Torat Shraga in Jerusalem, about the purpose of the gap year in Israel.In this episode we discuss: —What should our hopes and expectations be for the gap year in Israel?—How can we improve students’ Hebrew proficiency?—Is it time to reimagine what the gap year in Israel could be, with a focus on contributing to the State of Israel in addition to Torah learning?Tune in to hear a conversation about our responsibility to create a Yiddishkeit that touches the lives of the wider world.Interview begins at 14:40.Rabbi Michael Olshin is the Educational Director of Yeshivat Torat Shraga in Jerusalem, bringing over 25 years of teaching and leadership experience from roles at Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim, Yeshivat Shaalvim, Bet Midrash L'Torah, and youth programs including NCSY, NCSY Kollel, and Camp Mesorah. He also serves as an educator and guide with Jroots, leading educational journeys across Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Ukraine. He lives in Bet Shemesh with his family, and his children have served in elite commando units of the Israel Defense Forces.References:If You're Reading These Words by Shlomo Kavas and Racheli Palant-RozenA Dreamer and A Fighter: Reflections and Journal Entries by Capt Amitai Zvi GranotFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to 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 EisenbergThe Tree of Life and Prosperity: 21st Century Business Principles from the Book of Genesis by Michael EisenbergMeshekh Chokhmah, BekhukotaiFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome 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 reunite. 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.For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome 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 SacksThe Steinsaltz TanyaGenesis 12:1For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome 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 McEnroeThe Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath by Leslie JamisonAlcoholics 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 BarnettPsalms 37For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome 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. WinnicottReb Meilech on the Haggadah by Yisroel BesserThe Attached Haggadah by Rabbi Yakov DanishefskyAttached: Connecting to Our Creator: A Jewish Psychological Approach by Rabbi Yakov DanishefskyBerakhot 3aTzidkat HaTzadik 154The Baderech Haggadah by Rav Judah Mischel18Forty Podcast: Yakov Danishefsky: Religion and Mental Health: God and UsFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: <a...

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 ShowThe Larry Sanders ShowThe Office30 RockThe 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 2Captain America: The Winter SoldierBook of EstherFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome 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. FreedmanThe Jewish Self by Jeremy Kagan Lithuanian Yeshivas of the Nineteenth Century: Creating a Tradition of Learning by Shaul StampferMaking of a Godol by Nathan KamenetskyPsalms 89Jewish History SoundbitesThe Golden Age of the Lithuanian Yeshivas by Ben-Tsiyon KlibanskyThe World of the Yeshiva: An Intimate Portrait of Orthodox Jewry by William B. HelmreichBava Batra 21aFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp:<a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/JmShFj7nnSZJqTLLZYNfLJ" target="_blank"...

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. HelmreichField of Dreams (1989)The Talmud“Overklalified” by Avigdor GoldbergerFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome 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 OzickA Woman Is Responsible for Everything: Jewish Women in Early Modern Europe by Debra Kaplan and Elisheva CarlebachWomen and the Messianic Heresy of Sabbatai Zevi, 1666 - 1816 by Ada Rapoport-AlbertMothers and Children: Jewish Family Life in Medieval Europe by Elisheva BaumgartenComing of Age in Medieval Egypt: Female Adolescence, Jewish Law, and Ordinary Culture by Eve KrakowskiFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: <a...