18Forty Podcast

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Adam Ferziger, a historian of modern Jewish movements, about how American Jews have helped shape the evolution of Israeli Judaism.In this episode we discuss:—Why are Jewish religious boundaries in Israel often “more porous” than those in America?—Why did McDonald’s succeed in Israel while Starbucks failed?—What can Israelis take from the thick...

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Alana Newhouse, the founder and editor-in-chief of Tablet Magazine, about why seemingly everyone is arguing about Zionism. In this episode we discuss:—What causes spikes in antisemitism?—What is the role of rapid technological change in flattening the differences between people?—What makes Israel a model for a nation that other countries should...

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...

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...

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 reconcile. In this episode we discuss: Are there specific struggles that lead to estrangement in the Orthodox...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...