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 we discuss: - Is religious commitment supposed to be the cure to mental health problems? - How can we deal with the need to be liked? - What enables happy people to be so happy? Tune in to hear a discussion about how one might “become friends with themself” despite life’s difficulties. Message from Dr. Sara Baris begins at 24:26. Conversation with Grandma Millie begins at 1:18:30. Conversation with Jay Richman begins at 1:24:08. David Bashevkin, is the director of education for NCSY, the youth movement of the Orthodox Union, and an instructor at Yeshiva University, where he teaches courses on public policy, religious crisis, and rabbinic thought. He completed rabbinic ordination at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, as well as a master’s degree at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies focusing on the thought of Rabbi Zadok of Lublin under the guidance of Dr. Yaakov Elman. He received a doctorate in Public Policy and Management at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, focusing on crisis management. He has published two books, Sin·a·gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought, as well as a Hebrew work B’Rogez Rachem Tizkor (trans. In Anger, Remember Mercy). References: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21819228/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21819228/ https://youtu.be/zGf6CGBbWFU?si=2-H1nFgBvK32zXxg Introduction to https://www.amazon.com/Loves-Executioner-Other-Tales-Psychotherapy/dp/0465020119 by Irvin D. Yalom https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-No-Escape-Path-Loving-Kindness/dp/1611806054/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2J0GULL1GSXQ7&keywords=wisdom+of+no+escape&qid=1707783244&sprefix=wisdom+of+no+escp%2Caps%2C233&sr=8-1 by Pema Chödrön https://www.amazon.com/How-Meditate-Practical-Making-Friends/dp/1683648420/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1K4D3UCF23TYD&keywords=how+to+meditate&qid=1707783296&sprefix=how+to+meditt%2Caps%2C229&sr=8-5 by Pema Chödrön https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7860890/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10409666/

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we listen and respond to feedback from the 18Forty community on the conversations of our https://18forty.org/israelwar/ 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, we reflect upon those changes. Together, we reflect on those changes. In this episode we discuss: - Why are American Jews misunderstanding the Dati Leumi community? - What does it mean to be a Jew in a post–Oct. 7 world? - In what ways can diaspora Jews aspire to live more like Israeli Jews? Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might continue forward in pursuit of being a unified Jewish People. Feedback messages begin: 9:28 References: https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.3.5?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&lang=bi&with=Translations&lang2=en “https://open.spotify.com/track/56Ku7MX28AHZKiy1g8uiJz?si=f206a986328048cc” by Andy Statman “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6kPDMWv9KA” by Omek Hadavar “https://18forty.org/podcast/yossi-klein-halevi-whats-next-the-future-of-liberal-zionism/” “https://18forty.org/podcast/jonathan-gribetz-teaching-the-palestinian-israeli-conflict/”

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 every step that led him to today. His lessons are immeasurably important. In this episode we discuss: - What does it mean to be working for the “image company”? - How did Lipa break through the barrier to seeking professional help for mental health issues? - How can we maintain sincerity in the face of our own cynicism? Tune in to hear a conversation about the radical honesty it takes to make progress on a mental health journey. Interview begins at 20:26. Lipa, once described as “the Lady Gaga of Hasidic music,” has 18 solo albums to date. He is a father, singer, writer, and visual artist. References: “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnriMnYo_dQ” with Lipa Schmeltzer https://www.amazon.com/Making-Godol-Episodes-Personalities-Improved/dp/9659037929/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1705987762&refinements=p_27%3ANathan+Kamenetsky&s=books&sr=1-1 by Nathan Kamenetsky https://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1982181281 by Walter Isaacson https://www.amazon.com/Untethered-Soul-Journey-Beyond-Yourself/dp/1572245379 by Michael A. Singer https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808 by Eckhart Tolle https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748 by Bessel van der Kolk

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 community as Israel’s analog to Modern Orthodoxy. That makes us miss, however, that Religious Zionism is a rich worldview unto itself, and is something we all can learn from. In this episode we discuss: - How does the Dati Leumi community differ from the American Modern Orthodox community? - What can American Jews better understand about the sacrifices and contributions made by Religious Zionists? - What does it mean to be a member of the Dati Leumi community in 2024? Tune in to hear a conversation about how a religious mindset can expand beyond personal piety to include a deep commitment to the Jewish People and the world. Interview with Gideon Davis begins at 6:09. Interview with Reuven and Shani Taragin begins at 36:42. Rav Reuven Taragin is a former Wexner Fellow and Musmach of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate. Rav Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel where he is responsible for the program’s quality and message and the welfare of each of its talmidim. Rav Taragin is also the Rosh Beit Midrash at Camp Moshava (I.O.), and Rav of Kehillat Eretz Chemdah in Katamon. Rabbanit Shani Taragin is a noted author and teacher at Midreshet Lindenbaum, Midreshet Torah V’Avodah, MaTaN, Migdal Oz, Sha’alvim for Women, Lander College, and the Women’s’ Beit Midrash in Efrat and Ramat Shilo. The Taragins are the Educational Directors of World Mizrachi and the RZA (Religious Zionists of America), and they also serve as Roshei Beit Medrash for the Beit Medrash Program in Camp Moshava IO during the summer. They have six children and live in Alon Shvut, Gush Etzion. References: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/ https://www.amazon.com/Adjusting-Sights-Haim-Sabato/dp/159264127X by Haim Sabato https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Tanakh https://www.israelbookshoppublications.com/store/pc/The-Rav-Speaks-p567.htm by Joseph B. Soleveitchik “https://outorah.org/p/184334/” by David Bashevkin https://www.sefaria.org/Meshekh_Chokhmah%2C_Vaera.7?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en by Meir Simha HaKohen Dvinsk

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 families have been asking: Is it even worth it to send our sons and daughters to these colleges? In this episode we discuss: - Is it better for Jews to change the system from within, or without? - What has changed about the Jewish experience at American colleges since Oct. 7? - What is the way forward regarding free speech and Jewish rights on campus? Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might work toward a reimagined and refocused higher education. Interview with David Wolpe begins at 4:27. Interview with Talia Khan begins at 29:30. Interview with Steven Pinker begins at 1:05:12. Named The Most Influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek and one of the 50 Most Influential Jews in the World by The Jerusalem Post, David Wolpe is a visiting scholar at Harvard Divinity School and the Max Webb Rabbi Emeritus of Sinai Temple, a Conservative shul in Los Angeles. Rabbi Wolpe previously taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, Hunter College, and UCLA. He is the author of eight books, including the national bestseller https://www.amazon.com/Making-Loss-Matter-Creating-Difficult/dp/1573228206. His new book is titled https://www.amazon.com/David-Divided-Heart-Jewish-Lives/dp/0300188781. Talia Khan is an MIT graduate student in mechanical engineering, the president of the MIT Israel Alliance, and a Fulbright Brazil alumna. Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. He conducts research on language, cognition, and social relations, writes for publications such as the New York Times, Time and The Atlantic, and is the author of twelve https://stevenpinker.com/publications?type=book, including https://stevenpinker.com/publications/language-instinct-19942007, https://stevenpinker.com/publications/how-mind-works-19972009, https://stevenpinker.com/publications/blank-slate-20022016, https://stevenpinker.com/publications/stuff-thought-language-window-human-nature, https://stevenpinker.com/publications/better-angels-our-nature https://stevenpinker.com/publications/sense-style-thinking-persons-guide-writing-21st-century, https://stevenpinker.com/publications/enlightenment-now-case-reason-science-humanism-and-progress, and https://theopenscholars.com/pinker/publications/rationality-what-it-why-it-seems-so-scarce-and-why-it-matters. References: “https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/29/wolpe-hatred-jews/” by David J. Wolpe https://www.amazon.com/Israel-Eternity-Abraham-Joshua-Heschel/dp/0374507406 by Abraham Joshua Heschel https://www.amazon.com/Jerusalem-Larry-Collins/dp/0671662414 by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre “https://18forty.org/articles/when-calls-for-jewish-genocide-can-cost-a-university-its-government-funding/” by Michael A. Helfand “https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/12/11/opinion/steven-pinker-how-to-save-universities-harvard-claudine-gay/” by Steven Pinker https://www.amazon.com/Coddling-American-Mind-Intentions-Generation/dp/0735224897 by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt https://www.amazon.com/Canceling-American-Mind-Undermines-Threatens/dp/1668019140/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1704765381&sr=8-1 by Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott https://www.amazon.com/Constitution-Knowledge-Jonathan-Rauch/dp/0815738862 by Jonathan Rauch

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 understanding of the challenges we face in 2024. Jonathan Gribetz helps us do this. In this episode we discuss: - What was discourse between Jews and Arabs like during the infancy of Zionism? - When and how did this discussion begin to deteriorate and become often counterproductive? - What can a current Ivy League professor teach us about discussing Israel today? Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might seek out the seeds of a reconciliation between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael. Interview begins at 4:50. Jonathan Marc Gribetz is Associate Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Judaic Studies at Princeton University, where he teaches about the history of Jerusalem, Palestine, Israel, and Jewish and Arab nationalisms. He is the author of https://www.amazon.com/Defining-Neighbors-Zionist-Arab-Encounter-Christians/dp/069117346X. References: https://www.amazon.com/Defining-Neighbors-Zionist-Arab-Encounter-Christians/dp/069117346X by Jonathan Marc Gribetz https://www.amazon.com/Zionist-Idea-Historical-Analysis-Reader/dp/0827606222 by Arthur Hertzberg https://www.amazon.com/Zionism-Emotional-State-Jewish-Studies/dp/0813576091 by Derek J. Penslar https://www.amazon.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict-Schusterman-Israel-Studies/dp/1611688116/ref=sr_1_1?crid=G707UOEATXKI&keywords=1929+year+zero&qid=1704147496&s=books&sprefix=1929+year+z%2Cstripbooks%2C160&sr=1-1 by Hillel Cohen https://www.amazon.com/Arabs-Israelis-Conflict-peacemaking-Middle/dp/1350321389 by Abdel Monem Said Aly, Shai Feldman, and Khalil Shikaki https://www.climatwins.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Difference-Rabbinic-Judaism-Professor-Gribetz/dp/0691192855 by Sarit Kattan Gribetz https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.15.15?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&lang=bi&with=Translations&lang2=en

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 own beliefs. Our guest today has decades of experience with this kind of soul-searching. In this episode we discuss: - What is our relationship to the State of Israel, and how seriously must we take our participation in the building and rebuilding of the nation we envision? - How might we maintain a sense of empathy for and kinship with the Muslim world and the Palestinian people? - Why is it so important that we continue to have a Jewish state? Tune in to hear a conversation about the tensions that come with trying to uphold the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians. Interview begins at 6:54. Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Together with Imam Abdullah Antepli of Duke University, he co-directs the Institute's Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), which teaches emerging young Muslim American leaders about Judaism, Jewish identity and Israel. Halevi’s 2013 book, https://www.amazon.com/Like-Dreamers-Paratroopers-Reunited-Jerusalem/dp/0060545763, won the Jewish Book Council's Everett Book of the Year Award. His latest book, http://letterstomyneighbor.com/, is a New York Times bestseller. He writes for leading op-ed pages in the US, including the Times and the Wall Street Journal, and is a former contributing editor to the New Republic. References: “https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/10/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-yossi-klein-halevi.html” with Ezra Klein and Yossi Klein Halevi https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Palestinian-Neighbor-Yossi-Halevi/dp/0062844911 by Yossi Klein Halevi https://www.amazon.com/Like-Dreamers-Paratroopers-Reunited-Jerusalem/dp/0060545763 by Yossi Klein Halevi https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Israels-Response-Yehoshafat-Harkabi/dp/0029137608 by Yehoshafat Harkabi

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 it means to be a Jew today. We’ve grown with you and for you, and we’re so thankful to be able to provide everything we can for you all. More than anything, organic growth inspires us—people finding out about 18Forty from a friend who can’t stop thinking about a recent interview they listened to, articles and podcasts shared in Whatsapp groups and discussed around Shabbos tables across the world, with feedback streaming in from every corner of the Jewish world. To another year of more growth, curiosity, and asking better questions—for everything, thank you!

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. And Eli Paley is particularly equipped to understand the segments and the wholeness of Israeli society. In this episode we discuss: - What comes next as we rebuild as a more cohesive nation? - Can we reimagine the relationship between Haredi and secular Israelis? - What unique contributions does Haredi society offer to Israel? Tune in to hear a conversation about the transformation and rebirth that Israel is undergoing. Interview begins at 12:09. Eli Paley, an alumnus of the Chevron Yeshiva, is owner of Mishpacha Media Group and publisher of the Mishpacha weekly magazine for the Haredi and Dati sectors, in Israel and abroad, in Hebrew and English. He is a businessman and social activist, and is chairman of the Paley Family Foundation which supports and promotes Torah centers and social initiatives in the Haredi community. He is a member of the Jewish Funders Network and is active in several philanthropic organizations. References: https://18forty.org/simkovichbookjourney/ “https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/06/opinion/mirror-mirror-of-the-fall.html” by Maureen Dowd https://mishpacha.com/ https://machon.org.il/en/home-page/ https://www.amazon.com/Real-Jews-Orthodox-Struggle-Identity/dp/0465018548 by Noah Efron

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 mission ought to be. And Michael has been at the forefront of that discourse. In this episode we discuss: - How does service in the IDF empower Israeli citizens at a young age? - What is the current raison d'être of the Jewish People? - What is Michael’s notion of “covenantal capitalism”? Tune in to hear a conversation about how, together, we summon the agency to transform our lives and uplift the world. Interview begins at 4:35. Michael Eisenberg is a General Partner at Aleph, an early-stage venture capital fund with $850M under management. Since 2006, he has been writing the blog “Six Kids and a Full Time Job,” on topics ranging from politics to technology, Judaism, and macroeconomics. Michael has also published numerous books, including https://www.amazon.com/Tree-Life-Prosperity-Business-Principles/dp/1637580703, https://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Jew-Wake-Up-Call-Esther/dp/1543128130/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ATFIKJ67OQYC&keywords=the+vanishing+jew&qid=1702344814&s=books&sprefix=the+vanishing+jew%2Cstripbooks%2C177&sr=1-1, and Ben Barukh. In 2020, he established the Nevo Network, a first-of-its-kind fellowship program to elevate olim (immigrants to Israel) working in high-tech and serves as the organization’s chairman. Michael lives in Jerusalem with his wife and eight children. References: “https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/israel-version-3-0/2023/11/30/” by Rabbi Moshe Taragin https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1731402917163287005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1731402917163287005%7Ctwgr%5Eadbd059549cf39d2643a07051a3135f1bb717b18%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fisrael-news%2Farticle-776539 https://www.amazon.com/Altneuland-Old-New-Land-Theodor-Herzl/dp/1557427313 by Theodor Herzl “https://fortune.com/2023/05/04/transactional-thinking-humanity-covenantal-capitalism-modern-democracy-michael-eisenberg/” by Michael Eisenberg https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.16.18?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&lang=bi&with=Translations&lang2=en https://www.amazon.com/Range-Generalists-Triumph-Specialized-World/dp/0735214484 by David Epstein https://www.amazon.com/Red-Notice-Finance-Murder-Justice/dp/1476755744 by Bill Browder https://www.amazon.com/Halakhic-Man-Rabbi-Joseph-Soloveitchik/dp/0827603975 by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik https://www.sefaria.org/Sotah.49b.2?lang=bi https://readingjewishhistoryintheparsha.substack.com/ with David Bashevkin https://18forty.org/simkovichbookjourney/ with Malka Simkovich