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We don't have a new episode this week, but we want to share with you an episode of our podcast 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers, recorded on Jan. 13. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch the latest episode every Monday. 

Antisemitism and assimilation are threatening the Jewish People, says Natan Sharansky, but to both Israel offers a solution.

Born in the Soviet Union and imprisoned by the authorities when trying to immigrate to Israel, Sharansky experienced brutal interrogations, forced feedings, and torture — sparking international campaigns to fight for his freedom in 1986. 

Today, Natan is Chairman for the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy and has an extensive record as a human rights activist, Israeli politician, and advocate for the Jewish People. He is the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1986 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006. 

Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including anti-Zionism, hostage negotiations, and the threats of antisemitism and assimilation. 

This interview was held on Jan. 13.

Here are 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. Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?
7. What role should the Israeli government have in religious matters?
8. Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?
9. Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?
10. Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?
11. If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?
12. 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?
13. What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
14. Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?
15. What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after the war?
16. Is Israel properly handling the Iranian threat?
17. Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?
18. Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?

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We don't have a new episode this week, but we invite you to revisit our initial conversation with Professor Haym Soloveitchik, originally aired on Feb. 8, 2022.

In this episode of 18Forty Podcast, we had the privilege of speaking with Professor Haym Soloveitchik, University Professor of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University.

Professor Soloveitchik is a world-renowned scholar whose research has focused on the development of halacha—including martyrdom, pawn-broking and usery, as well as the laws of gentile wine. Much of his popular renown can be attributed to the publication of his article "Rupture and Reconstruction: The Transformation of Contemporary Orthodoxy" in Tradition (Summer 1994 28:4). The essay explores how halacha developed following the rupture of the Holocaust and moved from a mimetic tradition into a text based tradition. Following the article's publication, there have been several critical exchanges, collections of reflections, and conversations—a testimony to its enduring impact. The article and many of the critical exchanges have been collected into a new volume that has recently been published by the Littman Library of Jewish Civilization. It was a unique privilege to have Professor Solovetichik as a guest on 18Forty. In this episode, we discuss:

- How has the shift from a mimetic tradition to a text based tradition affected Jewish life?
- How does the approach of Professor Soloveitchik differ from the notion found within the Conservative movement of Catholic Israel?
- Where can the sense of yirat shamayim—awe of heaven—found instinctively in previous generations, be discovered today?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the implications of the development of halacha from a world renowned scholar and how these changes can affect our lives.

Interview starts at 30:40.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/halacha

References:

Rupture and Reconstruction: The Transformation of Contemporary Orthodoxy, Haym Soloveitchik (Tradition, Summer 1994, 28:4)
On Haym Soloveitchik's "Rupture and Reconstruction: The Transformation of Contemporary Orthodox Society": A Response, Isaac Chavel  (The Torah U-Maddah Journal 1997 vol. 7)
Clarifications and Reply, Haym Soloveitchik (The Torah U-Maddah Journal 1997 vol. 7)
Responding to Rupture and Reconstruction, Hillel Goldberg (Tradition 1997 31:2)
Rupture and Reconstruction Reconsidered, Tradition Symposium (free e-book)
On the Reception of Rupture and Reconstruction, Zev Eleff
Thoughts on Rupture and Reconstruction Twenty Five Years Later, David Brofsky

Rabbi Dr. Haym Soloveitchik graduated from the Maimonides School which his father founded in Brookline, Massachusetts and then received his B.A. degree from Harvard College in 1958 with a major in history. After two years of postgraduate study at Harvard, he moved to Israel and began his studies toward an M.A. and PhD at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, under the historian Professor Jacob Katz. He wrote his Master's thesis on the halacha of gentile wine in medieval Germany. His doctorate, which he received in 1972, concentrated on laws of pawnbroking and usury. He is considered a pioneer and leader in the study of the history of Jewish law.


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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we hear questions, criticisms, complaints, thoughts, and feedback from our listener community. 

We respond to your comments about the direction of the podcast, the diversity of Jewish experience, and the increased centrality of Israel of our lives. In this episode we discuss:

• How has the 18Forty mission evolved in light of changes in the world and in Jewish life?
• Is there an opposite phenomenon to “gvir culture”?
• How should we discuss important issues that are contentious and divisive, such as the Haredi draft and the identity of the messiah?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how 18Forty might become “a beis medrash for the Jewish People.”

Voicemails begin at 19:23

References:

“Switch To Orthodoxy: Continuity Rather Than Triumph” by Sergey Kadinsky

“First-ever Solomon Schechter day school in North America goes Orthodox” by Jackie Hajdenberg

Donate to 18Forty

Subscribe on YouTube

18Forty Podcast: “Pawel Maciejko: Sabbateanism and the Roots of Secular Judaism”

18Forty Podcast: “Joshua Leifer and Shaindy Ort: How Progressive Activists Rediscovered Traditional Jewish Life”

Sliding to the Right: The Contest for the Future of American Jewish Orthodoxy by Samuel C. Heilman

Beyond Sectarianism: The Realignment of American Orthodox Judaism by Adam S. Ferziger

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

Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History by Zev Eleff

18Forty Podcast: “Eli Rubin: Is the Rebbe the Messiah?”

Basi Legani, 5711 by the Lubavitcher Rebbe

18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers

“My Chevruta” by Itzhak David Goldberg

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 Rabbi Dr. Haym Soloveitchik—a pioneer and leader in the study of the history of Jewish law—about how halacha mediates our relationship to God in 2025.

We’ve already spoken with Dr. Soloveitchik in our Halacha series, but a closer reading of his essential work, "Rupture and Reconstruction," demands that we explore it more deeply. In this episode we discuss:

• Why do Jews feel bound by the Talmud in a multicultural world? 
• What does it mean to live in a society that increasingly learns from books and online rather than from mimetic tradition?
• Is a sense of security as a People a breeding ground for unnecessary social differences?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might ensure a more vibrant environment for Jewish life to thrive in a changing world. 

Interview begins at 5:03.

Rabbi Dr. Haym Soloveitchik graduated from the Maimonides School which his father founded in Brookline, Massachusetts, and then received his B.A. degree from Harvard College in 1958 with a major in history. After two years of postgraduate study at Harvard, he moved to Israel and began his studies toward an M.A. and PhD at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, under the historian Professor Jacob Katz. He wrote his Master’s thesis on the halacha of gentile wine in medieval Germany. His doctorate, which he received in 1972, concentrated on laws of pawnbroking and usury. He is considered a pioneer and leader in the study of the history of Jewish law.

References:

Rupture and Reconstruction: The Transformation of Modern Orthodoxy by Haym Soloveitchik

Collected Essays: Volumes I, II, and III by Haym Soloveitchik

Jews and the Wine Trade in Medieval Europe: Principles and Pressures by Haym Soloveitchik

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s Obituary in The Jewish Observer

Igros Hagrid Halevi by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

Rationalism in Politics and other essays by Michael Oakeshott

The Uprooted: The Epic Story of the Great Migrations That Made the American People by Oscar Handlin

The Polish Peasant in Europe and America by William Thomas and Florian Znaniecki

“On the Third Yeshivah of Bavel” by by Haym Soloveitchik

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

We don't have a new episode this week, but we invite you to revisit our conversation with Reuven and Shani Taragin on the future of Religious Zionism, originally aired Jan. 16, 2024.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rav Reuven and Rabbanit Shani Taragin, educational directors of World Mizrachi, about what comes next for Israel’s Dati Leumi (Religious Zionist) community. Additionally, we speak with Gideon Davis, a Religious Zionist soldier serving in Gaza.

Mistakenly, we tend to think of the Dati Leumi community as Israel’s analog to Modern Orthodoxy. That makes us miss, however, that Religious Zionism is a rich worldview unto itself, and is something we all can learn from. In this episode we discuss:

• How does the Dati Leumi community differ from the American Modern Orthodox community?
• What can American Jews better understand about the sacrifices and contributions made by Religious Zionists?
• What does it mean to be a member of the Dati Leumi community in 2024?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how a religious mindset can expand beyond personal piety to include a deep commitment to the Jewish People and the world.

Interview with Gideon Davis begins at 6:09.
Interview with Reuven and Shani Taragin begins at 36:42.

Rav Reuven Taragin is a former Wexner Fellow and Musmach of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate. Rav Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel where he is responsible for the program’s quality and message and the welfare of each of its talmidim. Rav Taragin is also the Rosh Beit Midrash at Camp Moshava (I.O.), and Rav of Kehillat Eretz Chemdah in Katamon.

Rabbanit Shani Taragin is a noted author and teacher at Midreshet Lindenbaum, Midreshet Torah V’Avodah, MaTaN, Migdal Oz, Sha’alvim for Women, Lander College, and the Women’s’ Beit Midrash in Efrat and Ramat Shilo.

The Taragins are the Educational Directors of World Mizrachi and the RZA (Religious Zionists of America), and they also serve as Roshei Beit Medrash for the Beit Medrash Program in Camp Moshava IO during the summer. They have six children and live in Alon Shvut, Gush Etzion.

References:

The Matrix

Adjusting Sights by Haim Sabato

Tanakh

The Rav Speaks by Joseph B. Soleveitchik

“How Will Redemption Begin?” by David Bashevkin

Meshekh Chokhmah by Meir Simha HaKohen Dvinsk

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, recorded on Nov. 25. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch the latest episode every Monday. 

The true enemy in Israel's current war, Einat Wilf says, is what she calls "Palestinianism."

Once part of the Israeli left, Einat Wilf is a popular political thinker on Israel, Zionism, and foreign policy. Her 2020 co-authored book, "The War of Return," outlines what she believes lies at the core of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict: the Palestinian people's "Right of Return" is what makes this conflict unresolvable.

Einat served in Israel's Knesset from 2010 to 2013 and now lectures and writes widely on contemporary issues. She is the author of seven books and hosts the "We Should All Be Zionists" podcast. She has a BA from Harvard, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge. 

Now, Einat joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including what Palestinianism is, why Israel's war aims are flawed, and the future of Gaza.

This interview was held on Nov. 25.

Here are 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. Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?
7. What role should the Israeli government have in religious matters?
8. Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?
9. Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?
10. Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?
11. If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?
12. 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?
13. What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
14. Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?
15. What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after the war?
16. Is Israel properly handling the Iranian threat?
17. Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?
18. Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?

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

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a panel of rabbis about yeshiva, seminary, and the “year in Israel.” Additionally, we hear from Dov Rosenblatt, who more than two decades ago wrote the satirical song “Flippin’ Out.” 

Gap-year programs have become one of the primary points of contact that American Jews have with Israel. But, paradoxically, the year in Israel is a quintessentially American experience. In this episode we discuss:

• What are the signs of a healthy gap-year experience? 
• How can gap-year programs become more focused on Israel? 
• How has the year in Israel changed in a post–October 7 world?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how the gap year can meet the needs of this generation.

Interview with Dov Rosenblatt begins at 16:25.
Shaalvim Dinner panel with Ari Waxman, Judah Mischel, and Gershon Turetsky begins at 33:36.

References:

“Flippin' Out” by Blue Fringe

Flipping Out? Myth or Fact? The Impact of the "Year in Israel" by Shalom Z. Berger, Daniel Jacobson, Chaim I. Waxman

“Why Space Tourists Won't Find the Awe They Seek” by Henry Wismayer

18Forty Podcast: “Rav Judah Mischel: A Change in Progress”

“‘Dumbed-Down Catholicism Was a Disaster’” by Molly Worthen

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

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Mickey and Ortal Flaumenhaft—David Bashevkin’s Israeli neighbors in Teaneck—about their experiences living Jewishly in three different countries. 

When the Flaumenhafts were in Israel for their son’s bar mitzvah on October 7, Mickey made the decision to join his unit in Gaza. In this episode we discuss:

• What does a couple consider when making the decision to leave Israel? 
• What can Americans learn from the way Judaism permeates Israeli culture?
• How has the American Jewish community’s connection to Israel deepened since October 7?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to hold the entirety of the Jewish People in our hearts, no matter where we might be. 

Interview begins at 7:45.

Mickey Flaumenhaft is the Director of Development at American Friends of Migdal Ohr, a welfare organization for Israel’s orphaned and at-risk youth. Mickey served reservist duty in Gaza this past year. Ortal Flaumenhaft is a first-grade teacher for Hebrew and Judaic studies at Yeshivat He'Atid in Teaneck.

References:

A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut

To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility by Jonathan Sacks

The Legends of Rabbah Bar Bar Hannah with the Commentary of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook by Bezalel Naor

18Forty Podcast: “Bezalel Naor: Rav Kook’s Mystical Vision of Zionism”

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

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky—a rosh mesivta of Yeshiva Sha’alavim—and Dr. Ilana Turetsky—a Yeshiva University faculty member supervising student-teachers in Israel—about their experience raising kids in Israel.

North American Orthodox Judaism has developed strong boundaries deciding who is in and who is out of the community. But, when we look to our friends in Israel, we find that our approach is by no means the only one. In this episode we discuss:

• How does Israel’s Hardal community differ from America’s Centrist Orthodox community? 
• What do olim parents think of the way religion and politics are intertwined in Israel? 
• How has “flip-out” culture in gap-year programs evolved in recent decades?

Tune in to hear a conversation about understanding religious growth in ways that transcend “right” and “left.” 

Interview begins at 11:41.

Rav Yehuda Turetsky is a rosh mesivta of Yeshiva Sha’alavim. After attending Shaalvim, he returned to Yeshiva University, where he received a B.A. in Psychology, M.S. in Jewish Education, and Semicha as a member of the Wexner Semicha Honors Program. He has published articles on a variety of topics, including Gemara, Medical Halacha, Jewish Education, and the Sociology of the Modern Orthodox community. 

Dr. Ilana Turetsky is a faculty member at Azrieli Graduate School of Yeshiva University, teaching online courses and supervising student-teachers in Israel. She holds a Doctorate and Master’s degree from Azrieli Graduate School, a Bachelor’s degree from Stern College, and a Misrad HaChinuch Te’udat Hora’ah in Tanach Education from Herzog College. 

References:

Machshava on the Parsha with Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky

“Sliding to the Left? Contemporary American Modern Orthodoxy” by Yehuda Turetsky and Chaim I. Waxman


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

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details.

Noam Taragin, son of our recent guest Rabbi Moshe Taragin, was seriously injured in Lebanon. We ask to pray for his quick healing: Noam Avraham ben Atara Shlomit.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Shayna Goldberg—a teacher, mashgicha ruchanit, yoetzet halacha, and author—about the unique features of Israel’s Religious Zionist community.

Jews in America are proud of the institutions and culture built over the past century, but we tend to forget that Israel’s Dati Leumi community has developed its own parallel—and vastly different—culture. In this episode we discuss:

• How did Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Rav Kook lay the groundwork for our different religious communities today? 
• How does religious life in Israel compare with America?
• How have religious Israeli women’s attitudes toward army service evolved over the years?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how deeply Jewish practice and spirituality penetrate everyday life in Israel’s religious communities. 

Interview begins at 12:42.

Rabbanit Shayna Goldberg teaches Israeli and American post-high school students and is the mashgicha ruchanit in the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women in Migdal Oz, an affiliate of Yeshivat Har Etzion. She is a yoetzet halacha, a contributing editor for Deracheha: Women and Mitzvot, and the author of the book, What Do You Really Want? Trust and Fear in Decision Making at Life's Crossroads and in Everyday Living (2021).

References:

“Rabbi Soloveitchik Meets Rav Kook” by Jeffrey Saks

Orot HaTeshuvah by Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook

Prepare My Prayer by Rabbi Dov Singer

Works of Rav Shagar

Sus Anochi by Rabbi Jacob Sasson

Zeved Tov by Rabbi Zevulun Charlop

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