18Forty Podcast

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak to the Perez family, whose son Daniel, Hashem yikkom damo, was killed defending Israel and the Jewish People on October 7. We’re joined by Daniel’s father, Doron; his mother, Shelley; and his siblings, Shira, Adina, and Yonatan, to hear about Daniel’s courageous life and the unfathomable loss endured by his family and the Jewish People. In this episode we discuss:What does living a life of sanctity and purpose mean, especially in the face of terror and tragedy? How did Daniel’s siblings cope with the loss of their beloved brother? Amid the absence of loss, how can we find the presence of purpose?Tune in to hear a conversation about the clarity of mission that might help us heal from the trauma of October 7.Interview begins at 28:00.References:Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 2:4 Parshat Sh'lachShuvi V'nechze Al H'torah by Rabbi Moshe ShapiroPeri Tzadik by Rav Tzadok HaKohen of LublinJerusalem Talmud Berakhot 1:1Psalms 121“Brother” by KodalineEzekiel 16:6The Bayit in every BayitBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Yehoshua Pfeffer, a prominent Haredi social thinker and activist, shares insights on the challenges surrounding the Haredi draft in Israel. He discusses the complexities of integrating Haredi citizens into military service while navigating tensions between religious beliefs and civic responsibilities. Pfeffer also explores the relationship between Judaism and democracy, questioning whether Israel should be a religious state. His reflections on identity, Messianism, and the need for coexistence highlight the ongoing societal debates within modern Israel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Eli Rubin—a scholar, Lubavitcher Hasid, and author of the forthcoming book Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity: An Existential History of Chabad Hasidism—about life’s big cosmic questions.Chabad and the Rebbe are so ubiquitous in Jewish life that we tend to overlook Chabad’s underlying philosophy. Here, we take the time to look under the hood of the Mitzvah Tank. In this episode we discuss:At its core, what is Hasidism about, and how did the Rebbe implement these essentials in a new time and a new land? What should we picture when we imagine moshiach? Has Chabad splintered off from mainstream Judaism the way some have feared?Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to want moshiach now. Interview begins at 11:27. Eli Rubin, a contributing editor at Chabad.org, is the author of Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity: An Existential History of Chabad Hasidism (forthcoming from Stanford University Press). He was a co-author of Social Vision: The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Transformative Paradigm for the World (Herder and Herder, 2019). He studied Chassidic literature and Jewish Law at the Rabbinical College of America and at Yeshivot in the UK, the US and Australia, and received his PhD from the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies, University College London.References:Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity: An Existential History of Chabad Hasidism by Eli RubinSocial Vision: The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Transformative Paradigm for the World by Philip Wexler, Eli Rubin, and Michael Wexler18Forty Podcast: “Eli Rubin: How Do Mysticism and Social Action Intersect”Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 32Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 36Open Secret: Postmessianic Messianism and the Mystical Revision of Menahem Mendel Schneerson by Elliot R. WolfsonMishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 12Eruvin 13bThe Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference by David BergerThe Messiah Problem by Chaim RapoportIggeret HaKodesh: Epistle 27Engaging the Essence: The Philosophy of the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Rabbi Dr. Yosef BronsteinBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Join our email list to receive, among other great 18Forty content, a coupon code for 10% off your Koren Publishers order, good through Aug. 31. 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 15:33Yosef 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 BronsteinTanyaThe Steinsaltz TanyaLessons in TanyaHeaven on Earth Reflections on the theology of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Faitel LevinHalakhic Man by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik18Forty Podcast: "Yosef Bronstein: Rav Tzadok & Rav Kook on Jewish History"Pirkei Avot 1KuzariMishneh TorahOpen Secret by Elliot R. WolfsonThe Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference by David BergerSichos“Bittul Torah or a Taste of the World To Come? Fathers and Young Children” by Yosef BronsteinBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

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 FaderMitzvah Girls: Bringing Up the Next Generation of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn by Ayala FaderMystics, Mavericks, and Merrymakers by Stephanie Wellen LevineSocial Vision: The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Transformative Paradigm for the World by Philip WexlerChava Green on Chabad.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

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:TanyaMishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 11Shulchan ArukhShulchan Arukh HaRavRashi on Genesis 1:1Likkutei SichotToward a Meaningful Life by Simon JacobsonTorah Studies by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson and Rabbi Jonathan SacksTurning Judaism Outwards by Chaim MillerRebbe by Joseph TelushkinBecome 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 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 ThinkersLeviticus 19:17Genesis 12:3Amos 9The War of Return by Adi Schwartz and Einat WilfJewish Wisdom by Joseph TelushkinThe Book of Jewish Values by Joseph TelushkinThis episode is sponsored by Twillory. New customers can receive a discount by using the coupon code 18Forty.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Subscribe to 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch the latest episode every Monday.  —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:As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?How do you think Hamas views the outcome and aftermath of October 7—was it a success, in their eyes?What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict after the war?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 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 HeschelThe Sabbath by Abraham Joshua HeschelBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

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