18Forty Podcast

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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 1:12

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:

1. As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?
2. What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?
3. How do you think Hamas views the outcome and aftermath of October 7—was it a success, in their eyes?
   
   
4. What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?
5. Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?
6. Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?
7. Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?
8. What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
   
   
9. Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?
10. 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



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

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 Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and a leader of the Reform Movement, about the way Jewish Peoplehood is understood among the non-Orthodox majority of American Jews.

Rabbi Hirsch is known in the Reform Movement and beyond for his decades-long staunch commitment to Jewish Peoplehood. We recorded this interview before Oct. 7, and especially considering Rabbi Hirsch’s leadership on issues related to Zionism, a follow-up conversation with him will follow shortly. In this episode we discuss:

• Where should the State of Israel fit into our priorities as a people? 
• How has Reform Judaism course-corrected its views on Jewish Peoplehood over time?
• How can we be a unified people when we can’t always agree on who is a Jew?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might improve the state of interdenominational relations.

Interview begins at 19:50.

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:

One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them by Ammiel Hirsch and Yaakov Yosef Reinman

The Impostor by Avner Gold

18Forty Podcast: “Altie Karper: When a Book Is Banned”

“The Believer” by Armin Rosen

“Dissent in the Reform Ranks” by Armin Rosen

The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi's Reflections on Love, Courage, and History by Ammiel Hirsch

The Book of Jewish Values: A Day-by-Day Guide to Ethical Living by Joseph Telushkin

“Who Can Be Called Rabbi?” by Gil Student

“Shomer Yisroel” by Omek Hadavar


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