18Forty is celebrating its fifth year LIVE in NYC on June 9. Reserve your seats today!

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin moderates a dialogue between Aryeh Englander—the ex-Orthodox Jew known as “Philo Judeas,” who is a moderator of the ambitious Frum/OTD Dialogue Facebook group—and Daniel Hagler, a frum surgeon and a moderator of the Facebook group Respectfully Debating Judaism.  

Together, we talk about seeking meaning, uncovering religious truths, and making the most of the precious gift we call “life.” In this episode we discuss: 

• How do we know if Judaism is “real” and true? 
• How is a religious commitment like a romantic one? 
• Which is more important: Judaism being true or Judaism being useful?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the ways in which we chase truth and determine how we ought to live our lives. 

Interview begins at 19:29.
Follow-up Hagler interview begins at 1:19:04. 

References:

18Forty Podcast: “Philo Judaeus: Is There a Room for Dialogue?”

Judaism on Trial: Jewish-Christian Disputations in the Middle Ages by Hyam Maccoby

Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy by David J. Chalmers

Tzidkat HaTzadik 41

18Forty Podcast: “Rav Moshe Weinberger: Can Mysticism Become a Community?”
“Worlds Together” in Mishpacha

Jewish Philosophy as a Guide to Life: Rosenzweig, Buber, Levinas, Wittgenstein by Hilary Putnam

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Slate Star Codex

Eruvin 13b

How Judaism Became a Religion: An Introduction to Modern Jewish Thought by Leora Batnitzky

18Forty Podcast: “Malka Simkovich: The Mystery of the Jewish People”

A Letter in the Scroll: Understanding Our Jewish Identity and Exploring the Legacy of the World's Oldest Religion by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Kiddushin 30a

Leviticus 10:16

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, talk to Moshe Krakowski, a professor at Yeshiva University, about his work on Attrition and Connection in American Orthodox Judaism, the OU’s study on what we crassly call “OTD.” 

Dr. Krakowski takes us “under the hood” of those who leave their religious communities to show us what factors lead Jews to leave faith behind. In this episode we discuss: 

• Why do so many of us choose the countercultural life of Orthodox Judaism? 
• What leads someone to leave a religious community—or seek out a more insular one? 
• How do we create a Jewish world that is sticky, rich, and spiritually nourishing? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about why we leave Jewish communities and, maybe more importantly, why we stay. 

Interview begins at 9:29.

Moshe Krakowski is a professor at the Azrieli Graduate School for Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University, where he also directs Azrieli’s doctoral program. He studies American Haredi education and culture, focusing on the relationship between communal worldview, identity, and education. He also works on curriculum, cognition, and inquiry learning in Jewish educational settings.

References:

18Forty’s OTD Archive

“Passing Through” by David Bashevkin

Attrition and Connection in American Orthodox Judaism by Dr. Moshe Krakowski, Dr. Rachel Ginsberg, Aliza Goldstein, Abby Nadritch, Joshua Schoenberg, and Akiva Schuck

“Yiddishe Taavos” by Motty Ilowitz

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In anticipation of our upcoming series, we want to share with you our episode with Shulem Deen, originally released in June 2020. 

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David discusses with special guest and former member of the Ultra-Orthodox community, Shulem Deen, the struggle and importance of balancing one’s individual needs with those of the community.

Though many of us are aware of the extreme disconnect that exists between the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and the secular world, the result of this unfortunate dynamic offers powerful insight. In particular, the intense and likely under-discussed experience of ex-Ultra-Orthodox community members (a group referred to by many as ‘Off The Derech’ or OTD) raises important questions about the reality of this intercommunity conflict and life as a modern Jew. In what ways do the religious and secular worlds misunderstand each other? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Ultra-Orthodox and secular worlds in facilitating a positive life for their members? How can we as individuals combat the inescapable myopia of living within a social bubble? Tune in to join David and Shulem in seeking answers to these important questions.

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.
This episode is sponsored by Yeshivat Shalshelet, which gives children with language-based learning differences the confidence and skills to thrive academically, emotionally, and spiritually. Donate to its matching campaign at theshalsheletdifference.org.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Bayla Gopin—a student with dyslexia— and her mother, Chana, who brought Bayla to Yeshivat Shalshelet when her previous school was ignoring her needs.

We also sit down with Shulamit Roth, Shalshelet’s founder, to talk about how we can expand the circle of who Yiddishkeit is for. In this episode we discuss: 

• Does our emphasis on text-based learning leave some students out? 
• How do we handle the perceived social stigma of needing to deviate from our “Plan A”?
• How does a child deal with switching schools when school is such a huge part of their world?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can nurture every student the way he or she was created. 

Interview begins at 11:40.

Shulamit Roth is a language and speech pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping students with language based learning disabilities. Her passion for teaching Jewish students with language-based learning disabilities led her to founding Yeshivat Shalshelet, where she helps students access the beauty of Torah and achieve their academic and personal potential.

References:

Born Losers by Scott A. Sandage

“Amen al Ha'yeladim” by Chanan Ben Ari

Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin

Proverbs 22:6

Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz M.D.

18Forty Podcast: “Yehuda and Ilana Turetsky: Why Would an American Rabbinic Couple Move to Israel?”

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.
This episode is sponsored by Ketubah.com. Find the perfect ketubah for your wedding at Ketubah.com—beautiful designs, halachic accuracy, and personalized guidance every step of the way.

This episode is also sponsored by our friends at Sofer.Ai. 

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Talia Khan—a Jewish MIT graduate student and Israel activist—and her father, an Afghan Muslim immigrant, about their close father-daughter relationship despite their ideological disagreements. 

When Talia gained national attention in 2023 testifying before Congress and expressing her anger with the hostility toward Jews on MIT’s campus, many wondered what her Muslim father thought of her activism. In this episode we discuss: 

• What was Talia’s father’s reaction to her public advocacy on  behalf of Jews and Israel? 
• How do Talia and her father stay close despite their fundamental ideological differences?
• Why are Jewish-Muslim relations so strained? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about how humanity’s story of redemption takes form in a father-daughter relationship.

Interview begins at 11:09.

Talia Khan is an MIT graduate student in mechanical engineering, the president of the MIT Israel Alliance, a Fulbright Brazil alumna, and the daughter of a Jewish mother and an Afghan Muslim immigrant father. 

References:

18Forty Podcast: “What’s Next: Higher Education for Jews: David Wolpe, Talia Khan, and Steven Pinker”

Golda (2023)

Rashi on Genesis 15:15, Bereshit Rabbah 30 

Meshekh Chokhmah by Meir Simha HaKohen Dvinsk

Genesis 17:18

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

This episode is sponsored by an anonymous friend who supports our mission.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to bestselling author Susan Cain about her bittersweet relationship with her mother, an Orthodox Jew and daughter of a prominent rabbi. 

Susan’s book Bittersweet explores their journey together and grapples with what it means when our lives and relationships don’t exactly meet our expectations. In this episode we discuss:

• How do our relationships with our parents change in adulthood? 
• Why are sad songs often some of our favorites? 
• How can we make meaning of the yearning we experience?

Tune in to hear a conversation about “longing for the source” and “uniting with the beloved of the soul.”

Interview begins at 11:01.

Susan Cain is the  ​​No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. She is also a speaker, influencer, and the creator of the newsletter community thequietlife.net.

References:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain

“Rabbi Israel Schorr, 94; Led Brooklyn Synagogue”

The Letters Of J.R.R. Tolkien

Beit Yaakov on Torah

“Anthem” by Leonard Cohen

Einstein and the Rabbi by Naomi Levy

“Rav Shagar: Zionism and Exile Within the Home” by Ari Ze’ev Schwartz and Levi Morrow

Divrei Soferim 16 by Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin

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

Avodat Yisrael by Israel Hopstein of Kozhnitz

“The Transformation of ‘Next Year in Jerusalem’ in the Postwar American Haggadah” by Jonathan D. Sarna

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

This episode is sponsored by an anonymous friend who supports our mission.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Judah, Naomi, and Aharon Akiva Dardik—an olim family whose son went to military jail for refusing to follow to IDF orders and has since become a ceasefire activist at Columbia University—about sticking together as a family despite their fundamental differences. 

On Aharon’s 14th birthday, the Dardiks moved from America to the Neve Daniel in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria. Since then, their relationships to Israel have diverged but they have refused to be divided. In this episode we discuss:

• Why did Aharon initially choose to stay anonymous to protect his parents from public pushback?
• How can we identify positive qualities in people we viscerally disagree with? 
• Do differences over Israel and Zionism need to tear families apart? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about how the Jewish People can learn to think less institutionally and more familially. 

Interview begins at 19:08.

Rabbi Judah Dardik is an Assistant Dean and full-time Ramm at Yeshivat Orayta in the Old City of Jerusalem, where he teaches and oversees student welfare. He is also the Dean of the Orayta Center for Jewish Leadership and Engagement. Before making Aliyah, he completed 13 years as the spiritual and community leader of Beth Jacob Congregation, in Oakland, California.

Naomi Dardik, with her husband, Judah, served the Beth Jacob community in Oakland for thirteen years. Now, she leads the team of Relationship Experts at "OurRitual," a young company based in Tel Aviv that is building new ways to help couples access relationship support. She earned her BA in psychology from Barnard College and her MSW from UC Berkeley.

Aharon Akiva Dardik is a philosophy and political science double major at Columbia University. His activism in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza was noted in The New York Times. He formerly lived in Neve Daniel with his family. 

References:

“Forgive Me, My King I Did Not Know You Were Also a Father” by David Bashevkin

Beit Yishai by Rabbi Shlomo Fisher

“It Can Be Lonely to Have a Middle-of-the Road Opinion on the Middle East” 

Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza by Peter Beinart

The Power of Showing Up by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson

“Family Ties” by David Bashevkin

“Spending the Seder Alone” by David Bashevkin

Baderech by Rabbi Judah Mischel

“Pesach Letter to My Child” by Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky

For more 18Forty:

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

This episode is sponsored by an anonymous friend who supports our mission.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yehuda, Bayla, Elisha, and Avi Samter—members of a family that made aliyah from the comfortable Five Towns life a decade ago—about the divergence between Jewish life in America and in Israel. 

Whether one serves in the IDF has become a major realm of bifurcation within the Jewish People, and it’s a gap that we often fail to bridge even within our own social circles. In this episode we discuss:

• How does making aliyah and entering the army change prior friendships? 
• Why should every Jew imagine the possibility of living an elevated life defending the Jewish People in the Land of Israel? 
• What differentiates Five Towns Judaism from spirituality in the Land of Israel? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about unifying “both sides” of the Jewish People. 

Interview begins at 8:02. 

The Samter family made Aliyah from America and now have two sons serving in the Israel Defense Forces, fighting in the wars over the last 16 months in Gaza and Lebanon.

References:

Survivor Israel

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

This episode is sponsored by an anonymous friend who supports our mission.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Simon Jacobson—a leading rabbi in the internet age who previously worked closely with the Lubavitcher Rebbe—and his mother, Silvia, who was born into a Chabad family in Europe nearly 90 years ago.

Together, they have witnessed and experienced the development of the Chabad movement and the Jewish People over several historic eras. In this episode we discuss:

• How has Chabad managed to maintain continuity over wildly different generations and historical contexts? 
• What can the mystical notions of tzimtzum, concealment, and revelation teach us about parenting? 
• How has the way we talk about “trauma” evolved over generations?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can transmit tradition to our children with confidence and rootedness in order to find a dwelling place for God in every generation. 

Interview begins at 11:15.

Rabbi Simon Jacobson heads The Meaningful Life Center, called a “Spiritual Starbucks” by The New York Times, which bridges the secular and the spiritual through a wide variety of live and online programming. He is the author of the best-selling book Toward a Meaningful Life, a William Morrow publication that has sold over 400,000 copies to date. Rabbi Jacobson is a speaker, educator, and mentor.

Sylvia, Simon's mother, is the matriarch of the Jacobson family. 

References:

Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity: An Existential History of Chabad Hasidism by Eli Rubin

Toward a Meaningful Life by Simon Jacobson

“Tzomo Lecho Nafshi”

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Vanity Fair by by William Makepeace Thackeray

The Algemeiner

“Rabbi Simon Jacobson Appears on Larry King Live | June 1994”

The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler

For more 18Forty:

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Eitan Hersh, a professor of political science at Tufts University, about teaching students of radically different political and religious views how to speak to one another.

College campuses have been a hotbed of contentious conversations, especially on issues around Israel, and Prof. Hersh is someone who’s been teaching his students to turn their disputes productive. In this episode we discuss:

• What happens when Hersh brings up Jewish topics in his college classes? 
• How are students discussing the issue of removing international students who support terrorist organizations? 
• How would Hersh teach Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews to understand one another?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what happens when personal subjects become the content of a college course. 

Interview begins at 7:25.

Eitan Hersh is a professor of political science at Tufts University. His research focuses on US elections and civic participation. Hersh is the author of Politics is for Power (Scribner, 2020), Hacking the Electorate (Cambridge UP 2015), as well as scholarly articles. He earned his PhD from Harvard in 2011 and served as assistant professor of political science at Yale University from 2011-2017. His public writings have appeared in venues such as The New York Times, USA Today, The Atlantic, POLITICO, and The Boston Globe. 

References:

“Where the Left Studies the Right” by Barton Swaim

“A Conservative Thought Experiment on a Liberal College Campus” by Rachel Slade

The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher

Halacha Headlines

18Forty Podcast: “Elie Schulman: Does Therapy Work? A Patient’s Journey”

The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America by Coleman Hughes

The Two-Parent Privilege by Melissa S. Kearney

Hacking the Electorate: How Campaigns Perceive Voters by Eitan D. Hersh

For more 18Forty:

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