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 Greenland, Derek Gormin, Ben Spanjer, Nati Stern, and Celeste. In this episode we discuss: What gets lost in translation when we superimpose...

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 is vital in a time when there is so much at stake morally and the Israeli army receives so much (often uninformed) criticism. In this episode we...

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 trauma? How can we meet the emotional needs of “lone soldiers”?How can we maintain unity during frightening times? Tune in to hear a conversation...

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, everyone in Israel has been called to help in whatever way possible, and they’ve proven that heroism is a team effort and can take place in...

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 and family, with immense gratitude to Hashem. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we introduce our new initiative “Reading Jewish History in...

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 how these issues play out within the Jewish community. In this episode we discuss: What strategies can be employed by families carrying the...

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 Mikhael - Essays on Yom Kippur and Teshuvah, which is the centerpiece of this conversation. In this episode we discuss: How does teaching Torah to...

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 stories that have perfect and happy endings, but sometimes the most meaningful teshuva does not fix all of one’s problems immediately. In this...

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, and the boundaries of teshuva. In a world of ubiquitous transgression, our desire for justice and healing feels perpetually unsatisfied. Why is...

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 Kalish’s students, as well as a Mesivta of Waterbury dorm counselor. In a Jewish world full of pre-blazed trails, one of the great challenges of...

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 Schwartz A”H. Additionally, we speak with Shelley and Ruvan Cohen about Nathaniel Cohen A”H. As we move toward Tisha B'Av, we hear two stories of...

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 others along the way. In this episode we discuss: How does Yisroel go about writing a rabbi’s biography?What is the difference between...

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. While we at 18Forty love scholarly and factual writing, fiction has long enabled the Jewish people to be more imaginative and contemplative about...

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 speechwriter and the author of Here All Along, about how to introduce people to a Judaism that is both inclusive and rigorous. In this episode...

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 of reach. Now, we take for granted that any Jew in the world can access the fullness of the tradition. In this episode we discuss: How did...

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 from the “X-axis” (the things we want) to the “Y-axis” (our innermost desires that drive us). In this episode we discuss: What does it mean to...

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 experience of prayer in serious times of need—and with Rabbi Yaakov Glasser about how he helps people who are struggling in their spiritual lives. In...

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 to the enterprise of Torah and tefillah. In this episode we discuss: What computer-based innovations are on the horizon in the realm of Torah...

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 bridge between our lonely place in the world and God’s omnipresence. In this episode we discuss: What is the relationship between Creation and...

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 this episode, we discuss with Sam: Why do we each have a subjective consciousness?What is the relationship between prayer and our lives?What is the...

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. Serena Benovitz, Chana Berkowitz, Yehoshua Fass, Edo Lavi, and Ahron Levi shed light on the nuances and complexities involved in moving to...

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 have our own state, Jewish law seems more difficult and complicated to implement than ever. In this episode we discuss: What is the effect of...

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. Whether you're on a fertility journey, a professional, clergy, or lay leader in the space, or if you want to know how to be more sensitive to your...

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 knowledge of current affairs in the land. Lahav Harkov helps us learn how to gain a deeper understanding. In this episode we discuss: How can...