18Forty Podcast

In this annual debate episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin moderates a discussion on finances within the Orthodox Jewish community. The specific resolution is: The current state of semachot in our community and the level of spending on them, as well as extravagance in lifestyle in general, is problematically excessive and should be significantly curtailed.Rabbi Larry Rothwachs defends the affirmative, while Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein argues the negative.In this episode we discuss:—Are extravagant weddings a detriment to the Jewish community, or do the benefits outweigh the negative externalities?—What should the Jewish community spend more and less money on?—Could financial education in Jewish schools alleviate cultural financial pressures?Tune in to hear a conversation about what we desire as a community and how we can attain it.Debate begins at 6:17.Rabbi Larry Rothwachs is a rabbi, therapist, and educator who has led Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck, New Jersey since 2002. A longtime teacher and leader within Yeshiva University and RIETS, he currently serves as Director of Professional Rabbinics at RIETS, head rabbi of Camp Morasha, and founding rabbi of Meromei Shemesh, a new community in Ramat Beit Shemesh. He lives with his wife, Chaviva, and their family.Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein is Dean and Chief Academic Officer of Gratz College and a scholar of Jewish education and history. Formerly Academic Dean at the Women’s Institute of Torah Seminary & College, she is a widely sought speaker on Jewish history, Tanakh, leadership, and communication. She earned her Ph.D. from New York University researching Orthodox girls’ education and the Bais Yaakov movement, and lives in Baltimore with her family.References:18Forty Podcast: “A Debate Between Yitzchak Blau & Itamar Rosensweig: Does Morality Exist Outside of Judaism?”Eruvin 13bWanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke BurgisThe Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn't Have to Be Complicated by Helaine Olen and Harold PollackFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This podcast is in partnership with Rabbi Benji Levy and Share. Learn more at 40mystics.com.As a Chabad Hasid, Rabbi Zevi Slavin’s formative years were spent immersed in the rich traditions of Chassidut and Kabbala. This upbringing provided him with a unique lens through which he continues to learn, study, and connect with others. Drawing on his background, Slavin created “Seekers of Unity,” a Youtube channel dedicated to exploring the philosophy and history of mysticism across diverse traditions. He founded this channel with the goal of forming a community focused on creating a more intimate world together. Now, he joins us to answer eighteen questions with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy on Jewish mysticism including people’s inherent divinity, tapping into the potential of modernity, and the perpetual experience of mount Sinai.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Diana Fersko, senior rabbi of the Village Temple Reform synagogue, about denominations and Jewish Peoplehood. In this episode we discuss:How do we re-determine how to be Jews in America?Is there really an “education gap” between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews? How should we handle the question of “who is a Jew” across denominations?Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might see beyond our proverbial “three blocks."Interview begins at 22:11. Diana Fersko is the Senior Rabbi of The Village Temple, a Reform synagogue at the heart of downtown Jewish life in New York City. An internationally recognized author, speaker, and thought leader, she is a defining voice in the contemporary Jewish world, known for her clarity, compassion, and ability to bring Jewish tradition into meaningful dialogue with modern life. References:View of the World from 9th AvenueTzidkat HaTzadik 54No Country for Old MenThe Tapestry of Jewish Time: A Spiritual Guide to Holidays and Life-Cycle Events by Nina Beth CardinA Letter in the Scroll by Rabbi Jonathan SacksFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Check out our new series in partnership with SHARE, 18 Questions, 40 Jewish Mystics. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast—created in collaboration with Amudim—we speak with Shais Taub, the rabbi behind the organization SoulWords, about shame, selfhood, and authenticity. In this episode we discuss:How are we to deal with the pain of embodiment and individuation?How does one uncover their mission in the world and align their life with the transcendent?How can we work to reorient our desires toward the right things? Tune in to hear a conversation about the interior experience of fragmentation from Ultimate Being. Interview begins at 10:28.Rabbi Shais Taub is a well-known figure in Jewish teachings and personal development and delivers Torah lectures and classes worldwide. He is renowned for his ability to make complex ideas accessible. He heads SoulWords.org and serves as scholar-in-residence at Chabad of the Five Towns in Long Island, New York.References:God of Our Understanding by Shais TaubSin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David BashevkinTop 5 by David BashevkinSeinfeld: “The Soul Mate”"Eric Adams on Dyslexia, Trauma, and Fixing What's Broken in Politics”Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Check out our new series in partnership with SHARE, 18 Questions, 40 Jewish Mystics. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Alon Shalev, a research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, about how Rav Hutner found existential meaning.In this episode we discuss:How do we find and build purpose within our short lives?What is the role of individualism and self-expression in Jewish life? How should we respond to the crisis of perceived meaninglessness in the modern world? Tune in to hear a conversation about the coming together of machshavah, nigleh, and nistar.Interview begins at 23:20.Alon Shalev is a research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and a Research Associate at the Jonathan Sacks Institute at Bar-Ilan University. He holds a doctorate in Jewish Thought from the Hebrew University. He deals with the question of meaning in life in Jewish thought and philosophy, ethics, and political philosophy. His book Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner’s Theology of Meaning was published by Brill. Alon lives in Tzur Hadassah, and is married with three children.References:Terror in Black September: The First Eyewitness Account of the Infamous 1970 Hijackings by David RaabPachad Yitzchak Shavuos by Rav Yitzchok HutnerPachad Yitzchak Purim by Rav Yitzchok Hutner“Letters of Love and Rebuke From Rav Yitzchok Hutner” by David BashevkinBerakhot Chapter 2Between Berlin and Slobodka: Jewish Transition Figures from Eastern Europe by Hillel GoldbergGreat Jewish Letters by Moshe BambergerProverbs 24:16Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner’s Theology of Meaning by Alon ShalevHeidegger and Kabbalah by Elliot R. WolfsonHeidegger and His Jewish Reception by Daniel M. HerskowitzMesillat Yesharim by Moses Chaim LuzzattoWho Is Man? by Abraham J. HeschelHalakhic Man by Rabbi Joseph B. SoloveitchikDr. Alon Shalev on The Podcast of Jewish IdeasPachad Yitzchok Chanukah Rav Yitzchok HutnerFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.