We're taking a week off from our main podcast, but we want to share with you an episode of our new podcast, 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers, recorded on Nov. 25. Subscribe to on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch the latest episode every Monday. 

The true enemy in Israel's current war, Einat Wilf says, is what she calls "Palestinianism."

Once part of the Israeli left, Einat Wilf is a popular political thinker on Israel, Zionism, and foreign policy. Her 2020 co-authored book, "The War of Return," outlines what she believes lies at the core of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict: the Palestinian people's "Right of Return" is what makes this conflict unresolvable.

Einat served in Israel's Knesset from 2010 to 2013 and now lectures and writes widely on contemporary issues. She is the author of seven books and hosts the "We Should All Be Zionists" podcast. She has a BA from Harvard, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge. 

Now, Einat joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including what Palestinianism is, why Israel's war aims are flawed, and the future of Gaza.

This interview was held on Nov. 25.

Here are our 18 questions:

1. As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?
2. What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?
3. How do you think Hamas views the outcome and aftermath of October 7—was it a success, in their eyes?
4.  What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?
5. Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?
6. Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?
7. What role should the Israeli government have in religious matters?
8. Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?
9. Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?
10. Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?
11. If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?
12. Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?
13. What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
14. Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?
15. What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after the war?
16. Is Israel properly handling the Iranian threat?
17. Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?
18. Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a panel of rabbis about yeshiva, seminary, and the “year in Israel.” Additionally, we hear from Dov Rosenblatt, who more than two decades ago wrote the satirical song “Flippin’ Out.” 

Gap-year programs have become one of the primary points of contact that American Jews have with Israel. But, paradoxically, the year in Israel is a quintessentially American experience. In this episode we discuss:

• What are the signs of a healthy gap-year experience? 
• How can gap-year programs become more focused on Israel? 
• How has the year in Israel changed in a post–October 7 world?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how the gap year can meet the needs of this generation.

Interview with Dov Rosenblatt begins at 16:25.
Shaalvim Dinner panel with Ari Waxman, Judah Mischel, and Gershon Turetsky begins at 33:36.

References:

“Flippin' Out” by Blue Fringe

Flipping Out? Myth or Fact? The Impact of the "Year in Israel" by Shalom Z. Berger, Daniel Jacobson, Chaim I. Waxman

“Why Space Tourists Won't Find the Awe They Seek” by Henry Wismayer

18Forty Podcast: “Rav Judah Mischel: A Change in Progress”

“‘Dumbed-Down Catholicism Was a Disaster’” by Molly Worthen

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Mickey and Ortal Flaumenhaft—David Bashevkin’s Israeli neighbors in Teaneck—about their experiences living Jewishly in three different countries. 

When the Flaumenhafts were in Israel for their son’s bar mitzvah on October 7, Mickey made the decision to join his unit in Gaza. In this episode we discuss:

• What does a couple consider when making the decision to leave Israel? 
• What can Americans learn from the way Judaism permeates Israeli culture?
• How has the American Jewish community’s connection to Israel deepened since October 7?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to hold the entirety of the Jewish People in our hearts, no matter where we might be. 

Interview begins at 7:45.

Mickey Flaumenhaft is the Director of Development at American Friends of Migdal Ohr, a welfare organization for Israel’s orphaned and at-risk youth. Mickey served reservist duty in Gaza this past year. Ortal Flaumenhaft is a first-grade teacher for Hebrew and Judaic studies at Yeshivat He'Atid in Teaneck.

References:

A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut

To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility by Jonathan Sacks

The Legends of Rabbah Bar Bar Hannah with the Commentary of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook by Bezalel Naor

18Forty Podcast: “Bezalel Naor: Rav Kook’s Mystical Vision of Zionism”

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky—a rosh mesivta of Yeshiva Sha’alavim—and Dr. Ilana Turetsky—a Yeshiva University faculty member supervising student-teachers in Israel—about their experience raising kids in Israel.

North American Orthodox Judaism has developed strong boundaries deciding who is in and who is out of the community. But, when we look to our friends in Israel, we find that our approach is by no means the only one. In this episode we discuss:

• How does Israel’s Hardal community differ from America’s Centrist Orthodox community? 
• What do olim parents think of the way religion and politics are intertwined in Israel? 
• How has “flip-out” culture in gap-year programs evolved in recent decades?

Tune in to hear a conversation about understanding religious growth in ways that transcend “right” and “left.” 

Interview begins at 11:41.

Rav Yehuda Turetsky is a rosh mesivta of Yeshiva Sha’alavim. After attending Shaalvim, he returned to Yeshiva University, where he received a B.A. in Psychology, M.S. in Jewish Education, and Semicha as a member of the Wexner Semicha Honors Program. He has published articles on a variety of topics, including Gemara, Medical Halacha, Jewish Education, and the Sociology of the Modern Orthodox community. 

Dr. Ilana Turetsky is a faculty member at Azrieli Graduate School of Yeshiva University, teaching online courses and supervising student-teachers in Israel. She holds a Doctorate and Master’s degree from Azrieli Graduate School, a Bachelor’s degree from Stern College, and a Misrad HaChinuch Te’udat Hora’ah in Tanach Education from Herzog College. 

References:

Machshava on the Parsha with Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky

“Sliding to the Left? Contemporary American Modern Orthodoxy” by Yehuda Turetsky and Chaim I. Waxman


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details.

Noam Taragin, son of our recent guest Rabbi Moshe Taragin, was seriously injured in Lebanon. We ask to pray for his quick healing: Noam Avraham ben Atara Shlomit.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Shayna Goldberg—a teacher, mashgicha ruchanit, yoetzet halacha, and author—about the unique features of Israel’s Religious Zionist community.

Jews in America are proud of the institutions and culture built over the past century, but we tend to forget that Israel’s Dati Leumi community has developed its own parallel—and vastly different—culture. In this episode we discuss:

• How did Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Rav Kook lay the groundwork for our different religious communities today? 
• How does religious life in Israel compare with America?
• How have religious Israeli women’s attitudes toward army service evolved over the years?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how deeply Jewish practice and spirituality penetrate everyday life in Israel’s religious communities. 

Interview begins at 12:42.

Rabbanit Shayna Goldberg teaches Israeli and American post-high school students and is the mashgicha ruchanit in the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women in Migdal Oz, an affiliate of Yeshivat Har Etzion. She is a yoetzet halacha, a contributing editor for Deracheha: Women and Mitzvot, and the author of the book, What Do You Really Want? Trust and Fear in Decision Making at Life's Crossroads and in Everyday Living (2021).

References:

“Rabbi Soloveitchik Meets Rav Kook” by Jeffrey Saks

Orot HaTeshuvah by Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook

Prepare My Prayer by Rabbi Dov Singer

Works of Rav Shagar

Sus Anochi by Rabbi Jacob Sasson

Zeved Tov by Rabbi Zevulun Charlop

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details. 

Noam Taragin, son of our previous guest Rabbi Moshe Taragin, was seriously injured in Lebanon. We ask to pray for his quick healing: Noam Avraham ben Atara Shlomit.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Malka Simkovich—a scholar of Jewish history, the editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society, and a three-time 18Forty guest—about previous Jewish diasporas. 

We tend to think of “Israel-diaspora relations” as a modern phenomenon. But, as Dr. Simkovich reminds us, that situation existed well over 2,000 years ago, when some Jews returned to the Land of Israel following the Babylonian exile while others remained abroad. In this episode we discuss:

• What are the differences between the notions of golah, diaspora, and galut?
• Did ancient diaspora Jews have a political equivalent to “supporting Israel”? 
• How should Jews live when in a partial state of exile?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the “proto-messianic mindset” throughout Jewish history and today. 

Interview begins at 8:58.

Dr. Malka Simkovich is the director and editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society and previously served as the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and Director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She earned a doctoral degree in Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism from Brandeis University and a Master’s degree in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016), Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism (2018), and Letters From Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity, (2024). This is her third time speaking on 18Forty.

References:

18Forty Podcast: “Malka Simkovich: The Mystery of the Jewish People”

18Forty Podcast: “Malka Simkovich: The Secrets of Second Temple Judaism”

Letters from Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity by Malka Z. Simkovich

The Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus

The Elephantine Papyri in English: Three Millennia of Cross-Cultural Continuity and Change by Bezalel Porten

Rosh Hashanah 18b

Ben Sira

Zechariah 8:19


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details. 

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rav Moshe Taragin, rosh mesivta at Yeshivat Har Etzion, about the interrelated missions of American and Israeli Jews—and the stake that each of us holds in the Jewish redemptive story. 

In this episode we discuss:

• How should young American Jews experience Israel in their formative years? 
• How has October 7 altered the diaspora community’s orientation toward Israeli society?
• How can we be less intimidated by the differences between frumkeit in America and Israel’s religious culture?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to engage with the “front stage” of Jewish history.

Interview begins at 19:21

Rav Moshe Taragin has been a rosh mesivta at Yeshivat Har Etzion in the Gush since 1994. He has semikha from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, a BA in Computer Science from Yeshiva College, and an MA in English Literature from City University. Rabbi Taragin previously taught Talmud at Columbia University, lectured in Talmud and Bible at the IBC and JSS divisions of Yeshiva University, and served as Assistant Rabbi at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue. In addition, Rabbi Taragin currently teaches at the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women of Yeshivat Har Etzion in Migdal Oz in Gush Etzion. He is a 1983 alumnus of Har Etzion.

References:

Reclaiming Redemption by Rabbi Moshe Taragin

Dark Clouds Above, Faith Below by Rabbi Moshe Taragin

“The Waste Land” by T. S. Eliot

Berakhot 5a

18Forty Podcast: “Yosef Bronstein: Only for Chabad? Modern Orthodoxy and the Rebbe” 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

We're taking a week off from our main podcast, but we want to share with you an episode of our new podcast, 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers, recorded on Sept. 9. Subscribe to on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch the latest episode every Monday. 

Until Hamas is gone, Haviv Rettig Gur says, Gaza will be unable to recover after the war.

The Times of Israel journalist and political analyst has emerged as a leading voice for the Israeli public and the Jewish world for deeper understandings of the war's developments. Haviv has covered Israeli politics — domestic and foreign — for nearly two decades and speaks internationally about Zionism, the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, and Israel's future.

Haviv was previously the director of communications for the Jewish Agency for Israel, and currently teaches history and politics at Israeli premilitary academies.

Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including the country's leadership, Western media, and the Palestinian future.

Here are our 18 questions:

1. As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?
2. What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?
3. Do you think Western media covers the Israel-Hamas War fairly?
4. What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?
5. Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?
6. What role should the Israeli government have in religious matters?
7. Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?
8. Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?
9. Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?
10. Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?
11. If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?
12. Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — such as in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?
13. What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
14. Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?
15. What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict after the war?
16. Where do you read news about Israel?
17. Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?
18. Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by dailygiving.org.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to musician Matisyahu Miller—known as “Matisyahu”—who has publicly re-embraced his Judaism and Zionism since October 7.

Matisyahu’s public persona has long been subject to scrutiny and analysis. Comparatively few people, though, have listened to his story in depth. In this episode we discuss:

• How has the public expression of Matisyahu’s Jewish identity ebbed and flowed throughout his life?
• Is there anything Matisyahu would change about the Orthodox community?
• How has the inwardness of Matisyahu’s Jewish identity guided him throughout his life?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to be, in Matisyahu’s words, “a pnimius Yid.”

Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and alternative rock musician. He's known for his skill in blending reggae and hip hop as he provides a raw expression of his spirituality. His long and winding career consists of seven albums including chart-topping Light, Youth, Spark Seeker, Akeda, and Undercurrent with hits such as "One Day", "Sunshine", and "King Without A Crown". Through his lyrics, Matisyahu develops a personal, artistic, and sophisticated way to express the yearning for deep spiritual meaning, and as his own beliefs opened up to find more variety and depth, the desire for his performances to match the unpredictable flow of life developed as well. 

References:

The Office 

Light by Matisyahu

Akeda by Matisyahu

Holy Brother: Inspiring Stories and Enchanted Tales about Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach by Yitta Halberstam Mandelbaum

The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel

Politics Of Experience by R.D. Laing

"Spiritual Schadenfreude: The Case of Matisyahu’s Beard" by David Bashevkin

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

In this special episode of the 18Forty Podcast, in honor of the anniversary of October 7, we revisit and reflect on the conversations we’ve had that have helped us process this tumultuous time. 

The past year has been long and painful, and we’ve been constantly reminded that the trajectory of Jewish history is still at stake. This makes it imperative for us to examine our lives and our relationship to God and to the Jewish People during these Ten Days of Repentance. In this episode we discuss:

• What is the role of memory in the Jewish experience, and what are the memories of October 7 that we will hold with us? 
• How has the terror attack altered the way we live and the way we understand the world?
• How have our theological and ideological beliefs developed over the past year?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to be a Jew during this consequential period in the Jewish story.

Interview highlights begin at:

    Rachel Goldberg-Polin: 16:17
    Danny Brom: 23:27
    Dina: 30:23
    Jonathan Gribetz: 37:29
    Doron Perez: 46:29
    Noa Lewis: 59:22

References:

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi

“The Man in the Arena” by Theodore Roosevelt

“Shomer Yisroel” by Omek Hadavar

18Forty Podcast: Rachel Goldberg-Polin: “A Hostage’s Mother Fighting for His Freedom”

18Forty Podcast: “The Trauma of War: Mental Health Professionals in Israel”

18Forty Podcast: “A Haredi Mother Sending Her Children To Serve”

Defining Neighbors: Religion, Race, and the Early Zionist-Arab Encounter by Jonathan Marc Gribetz

Reading Herzl in Beirut: The PLO Effort to Know the Enemy by Jonathan Marc Gribetz

18Forty Podcast: “Jonathan Gribetz: Teaching the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict”

18Forty Podcast: “Doron Perez: One Child Married, One Child Missing”

18Forty Podcast: “On Loss: Defending Israel on Oct. 7”

Ecclesiastes 3

18Forty Podcast: “Noa Lewis: How Can We Help Israel?”

Genesis 29:17

Rashi on Genesis 29:17

“Forgive Me, My King I Did Not Know You Were Also a Father” by David Bashevkin

Yoma 39b

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by dailygiving.org.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Emmi Polansky, known on social media as @livingemunah, about her journey finding agency as a single mother. 

Sometimes, when we talk about teshuva, we’re referring to repentance for our specific sins. Another type of teshuva, as we explore, is a return to God as we celebrate our own worthiness and tzelem Elokim. In this episode we discuss:

• What is it like to participate in chagim and simchas during the process of divorce?
• How do we pick up the pieces when our plans for a perfect familial and spiritual life fall apart?
• How did fitness help improve Emmi ‘s mental and emotional health?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to repeatedly return to God in times of apparent loneliness. 

Interview begins at 12:21.

References:

Chagigah 15a

As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg

Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin

@livingemunah on Instagram 

Emunah Minute on WhatsApp

Bilvavi Mishkan Evne

18Forty Podcast: “Rav Moshe Weinberger: Can Mysticism Become a Community?”

18Forty Podcast: “Moshe and Asher Weinberger: Heart of the Fire”

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.