Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel. In this special episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rachel Goldberg-Polin—whose son, Hersh, was kidnapped by Hamas and is still held hostage in Gaza—about heading into Passover with our loved ones still captive. Normally, Intergenerational Divergence…

Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a Haredi mother named Dina about her two children who serve in the IDF, one of whom was critically wounded in the current war. Oct. 7 accelerated the already-complicated conversation about Haredi service in…

Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel. This episode is sponsored by the incredible organization Osey Chail, a non-profit organization serving lone soldiers from Haredi and Hasidic homes who are serving in the IDF. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to four Haredi soldiers who served…

Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel. A pre-Pesach message from our partners at Twillory: You can use the coupon code PESACH18 for $18 off all orders of $250 or more, or use the coupon code PESACH36 for $36 off all orders of $350 or more.. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down wit…

This series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel. This episode is sponsored by Twillory. New customers can use the coupon code 18Forty to get $18 off of all orders of $139 or more. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we pivot to Intergenerational Divergence by talking to Rachel Yehuda, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, …

Our mental health series is sponsored by Terri and Andrew Herenstein. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we wrap up our mental health series by talking to Dr. Yael Muskat, director of Yeshiva University’s Counseling Center, and her longtime colleague Dr. Martin Galla about the mental health challenges at the forefront of early adulthood. Young…

Our mental health series is sponsored by Terri and Andrew Herenstein. This episode is sponsored by Twillory. New customers can use the coupon code 18Forty to get $18 off of all orders of $139 or more. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Regine Galanti—a licensed psychologist who specializes in treating anxiety, OCD, and behavior prob…

Our mental health series is sponsored by Terri and Andrew Herenstein. This episode is sponsored by Twillory. New customers can use the coupon code 18Forty to get $18 off of all orders of $139 or more. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yoni Rosensweig, rabbi of the Netzah Menashe community in Beit Shemesh, about the intersection bet…

Our mental health series is sponsored by Terri and Andrew Herenstein. This episode is sponsored by someone supporting 18Forty’s work. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we listen in on a conversation between David Bashevkin and his dear and longtime friend Elie Schulman about the value of therapy. In a culture in which we can feel we’re consta…

Our mental health series is sponsored by Terri and Andrew Herenstein. This episode is sponsored by Aleph Beta in light of their newly released season of the A Book Like No Other podcast. This podcast is a chance to learn alongside Aleph Beta Founder Rabbi David Fohrman, as he embarks on his most far-reaching and in-depth explorations of the Torah t…

Our mental health series is sponsored by Terri and Andrew Herenstein. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin opens up about his mental health journey. Through the lenses of therapy, comedy, books, family history, and positive influences, David shares the experiences that have shaped the way he handles mental health challenges today…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we listen and respond to feedback from the 18Forty community on the conversations of our Israel at War topic. Jews live in two different worlds—one before Oct. 7, and one after. The last few months have transformed the Jewish People across denominations, communities, and countries. Prompted by your feedback, …

In this special episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we introduce the topic of mental health with a conversation featuring world-famous Jewish singer Lipa Schmeltzer. While many people know Lipa’s songs, far fewer know his journey of mental health—a story he never expected to unfold. With raw vulnerability and beautiful passion, Lipa opens up about ever…

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 communit…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Harvard Divinity School visiting scholar Rabbi David Wolpe, MIT PhD student Talia Khan, and Harvard professor Steven Pinker about the new reality for Jews in higher education. Since Simchas Torah, the hostile discourse regarding Israel has become something that no Jewish student can ignore. Jewish …

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jonathan Gribetz, a Princeton professor and scholar of Near Eastern and Judaic studies, about the history of Israel and Palestine. At a time in which we can feel as if we’re all at war, it may be helpful to take a step back and look at the full history between Arabs and Israelis, to gain a deeper u…

In this episode of the18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, about what it means to be a Zionist and a Jew post-October 7. Since Simchas Torah, we’ve spent lots of time airing our political differences with others. What might be harder, though, is asking the uncomfortable questions about our…

In this minisode of the 18Forty Podcast, we reflect upon a year beyond words (and numbers). At every stop of the process in the wild journey that has been 18Forty, we’ve been motivated by our fantastic community members who have pushed us to ask deeper questions, to be more honest with ourselves, and to think more sharply and profoundly about what …

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Eli Paley, the publisher of Mishpacha magazine, about the role of Haredi society at this pivotal moment in Israel’s history. As we emerge from a time when Israel’s Haredi and secular cultures have experienced an upswell of unity, the Jewish People will move forward (in some way) forever changed. An…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Michael Eisenberg, a venture capitalist and staunch defender of Israel, about how the people of Israel have risen to the occasion by creating a “civic revolution.” With all that is at stake for the Jewish People right now, we’ve been forced to reconsider what our personal goals and collective missi…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Noa Lewis, CEO of Echad and a volunteer with the IDF’s women’s casualty-treatment unit, about the sense of purpose it takes to unify the Jewish People with the Land of Israel. In dire times, we are compelled to move collectively closer to fulfilling the redemptive vision of every Jew living up to t…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Eric Fingerhut—president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America—and Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff, a scholar and professor at Yeshiva University, about the need for Jewish unity and the barriers to achieving it. In recent weeks, the Jewish community has been confronted with questions of…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Doron Perez, executive chairman of the Mizrachi World Movement, about the sacrifices the Jewish People must make to preserve the precious gift of the State of Israel. In a single day, Rabbi Doron Perez found out that his son Yonatan had been shot and injured in the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon, the esteemed Israeli posek, about the role of halacha during a war. Additionally, we are joined by Rabbi Shmuel Ismach, a rebbe at Yeshiva University and a rabbi at Young Israel of Great Neck. Amid the darkest and most chaotic times, we require the guidance of halacha even mo…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to journalist Matti Friedman, author of Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai, about how the Israel-Hamas war is (mis)understood globally. Additionally, we speak to a series of students and educators about the state of antisemitism on school campuses. Special thanks to these guests: Moshe, Micah Gre…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Daniel Statman, a professor of philosophy at the University of Haifa, about what it means to wage a moral war. Professor Statman helped revise Ruach Tzahal, the IDF’s code of ethics, which outlines the values that determine what the IDF can and can’t do during a war. Understanding these specifics i…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk about mental health amid the current war with Dr. Danny Brom of Metiv, Mike Meyerheim and Susan Cohen of KeepOlim, Rabbi Reuven Taragin of Acheinu, Dr. Ayala Dayan, Dr. Jacob Freedman, and three students spending a gap year in Israel. In this episode we discuss: What is the science of war-induced trau…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we listen to the voices of several of our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael, including Naama, Tania Hammer, Gedalia Zemel, Rabbi Dov Fendel, Rav Elyada Goldvicht, Rabbanit Rachelle Fraenkel, Jeremy and Emily Tibbetts, Sruli Fruchter, and our dearest friend Denah Emerson. In light of the terror attacks, ev…

This podcast was recorded before the recent horrific terrorism against Israel and unspeakable atrocities inflicted upon the Jewish People. We decided to share this Torah initiative now to encourage learning the parsha each week for the protection and success of the State of Israel. Am Yisrael Chai. This episode is sponsored by Janet and Lior Hod an…

In times like these, it feels impossible to find words. No individual has words to describe this horror, but we—the Jewish People—do have words. We turn to the only words we have left: words of prayer, of comfort, of our prophets, and of Torah. We are with Israel in love, support, and prayer. May God protect the Jewish People.…

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by Dr. Leah Younger of Younger Psychology. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to psychologist Dr. Joshua Coleman, about the nuances of familial estrangement and reconciliation. Then, we hear from mindset coach Jason Blau and translator Izzy Posen about ho…

This series is sponsored by our friends Mira and Daniel Stokar. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Michael Rosensweig, a Rosh Yeshiva and the Rosh Kollel of the Beren Kollel Elyon at RIETS, about how we can return as a people to the world of Torah study. Rabbi Rosensweig is the author of the recently published book Mimini Mikh…

This series is sponsored by our friends Mira and Daniel Stokar. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to an anonymous guest about infidelity and its consequences and aftermath. Additionally, we receive the expertise of clinical psychologist Dr. Malika Bhowmik, on re-establishing intimacy after violations of trust. We love to tell teshuva …

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by our friends at Shikey Press, a boutique publisher of Jewish content disrupting the traditional model of book publishing. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Martha Minow, a legal scholar and a professor at Harvard Law School, about forgiveness, law, …

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by our anonymous friend R.G. In this episode of the18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Daniel Kalish, Menahel of the Mesivta of Waterbury, about how, with the right help, every person can forge their own path of religious commitment. We also get to meet five of Rabbi Ka…

This episode is sponsored by Dani and Nechamie Silberberg-Chitrik, in appreciation of the 18Forty Podcast and the work it does in having meaningful and thought-provoking conversations across all areas of Jewish life. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Sara and Avi Schwartz about the life and loss of their daughter, Yakira Leeba Schw…

This series is sponsored by an anonymous lover of books. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yisroel Besser, who authored many rabbinic biographies and brought David Bashevkin to Mishpacha magazine, about sharing Jewish stories. During his prolific career, Yisroel has written about Jewish lives with an eye for the good—and encouraged…

This series is sponsored by an anonymous lover of books. This episode is sponsored by Twillory. Use the coupon code 18Forty to get $18 off of all orders more than $139. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dara Horn, a leading contemporary Jewish writer, about how fiction and non-fiction can change the way we view our fellow Jews. Whi…

This series is sponsored by an anonymous lover of books. This episode is sponsored by Twillory. Use the coupon code 18Forty to get $18 off of all orders more than $139. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to returning guest comedian Alex Edelman, whose show has made it to Broadway, and his chavrusa, Sarah Hurwitz, former White House spe…

This series is sponsored by an anonymous lover of books. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Joshua Foer, co-founder of Sefaria, about the revolutionary digital Jewish library of which he was the visionary. Prior to Sefaria, the possibility of finding the Talmud and other central Jewish texts in translation online felt entirely out o…

This episode is sponsored by our friends Rabbi Sruli and Hindy Motzen. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dov Singer, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Mekor Chaim and founder of the Beit Midrash L'Hitchadshut, about how prayer can bring clarity to the essentials of our existence. Rav Singer helps us understand how we can move our concerns f…

This episode is sponsored by Mosaica Press, whose books—including a range of titles on prayer—can be purchased for 18% off with the coupon code 18FORTY. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dr. Debbie Stone, an educator of young people, about how she teaches prayer. We also speak with David’s dear friend Brad Greenbaum about the exper…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to returning guest Moshe Koppel—a computer scientist and Talmud scholar—about Torah and its intersection with artificial intelligence. In a world in which technology puts vast libraries of Torah at our fingertips, we are tasked with thinking more deeply about what essentially human abilities we bring …

This episode is sponsored in memory of Rabbi Eliezer Skaist, HaRav Eliezer Daniel ben HaRav Eliyahu Dovid A"H, by his family. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dovid'l Weinberg—a rabbi, educator, musician, poet, and author—about the wide range of modes and levels of prayer. Rav Dovid’l speaks with us about how prayer can be our bri…

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Samuel Lebens—a philosophy professor, rabbi, and Jewish educator—about the nature of consciousness. At a time when artificial intelligence can make us question what it even is that makes humans unique, we look deeply into our ability to have personal experiences and turn them into new ideas. In thi…

This series is sponsored by Unpacking Israeli History. This episode is sponsored by Daf Yomi with Shaul C. Greenwald, a fast-moving energetic daf shiur, delivered with clarity and intensity. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a series of guests who have made aliyah about the practical factors involved with building a life in Israel.…

This series is sponsored by Unpacking Israeli History. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Elli Fischer— a writer, translator, and editor—about the relationship between Jewish law and the Jewish state. For almost 2,000 years, we were able to maintain a system of Jewish law without the convenience of a homeland. Yet now, when we…

This series is sponsored by Unpacking Israeli History. This week, we are sponsored by the Inaugural Global Jewish Fertility Support Summit, organized by the nonprofit I Was Supposed To Have A Baby. Taking place on Sunday, May 7th, via Zoom, this summit will include some of the most prominent voices from 15 major fertility organizations worldwide. W…

This series is sponsored by Unpacking Israeli History. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Lahav Harkov, senior contributing editor and diplomatic correspondent of The Jerusalem Post, about the media we consume regarding Israel. Living in the diaspora and caring deeply about Israel can be challenging when one does not have first-hand…

This series is sponsored by Unpacking Israeli History. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Noam Weissman, executive vice president of OpenDor Media, about Israel education. In a world in which Israel is a key component of Jewish identity, young people often are given a sanitized, doctrinaire understanding of the Jewish state, rather …