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 13b

Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis

The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn't Have to Be Complicated by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin responds to listeners’ feedback and comments, in conversation with Denah Emerson.

In this episode we discuss:

—Should every Jew be Orthodox?
—Is the gap year in Israel “just a business”?
—How does one develop their own Jewish identity at a phase in life when it’s no longer mediated by institutions?

Tune in to hear what the 18Forty community has been thinking about regarding the conversations we’ve shared.

Voicemails begin at 9:40.

David Bashevkin is the founder and host of 18Forty. He is also the Clinical Assistant Professor of Jewish Values at Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business. He completed rabbinic ordination at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, a master’s degree at the Bernard Revel Graduate School, and his doctorate in Public Policy and Management at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs. He has published four books, including Sin·a·gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought and a Hebrew work, B’Rogez Rachem Tizkor (trans. In Anger, Remember Mercy).

References: 

18Forty Podcast: “Michael Eisenberg: Iran, USA, Israel: What Comes Next”

Genesis 15

18Forty Podcast: “Michael Olshin: Reimagining the Gap Year in Israel”

18Forty Podcast: “Diana Fersko: An Orthodox Rabbi Interviews a Reform Rabbi”

18Forty Podcast: “Dovid Bashevkin: A Reform Rabbi Interviews an Orthodox Rabbi”

How Judaism Became a Religion: An Introduction to Modern Jewish Thought by Leora Batnitzky

“The Future Is Sephardic” by Mijal Bitton

Joshua 7

18Forty Podcast: “Mark Wildes: Is Modern Orthodox Outreach the Way Forward?”

18Forty Podcast: “Elisheva Carlebach & Debra Kaplan: The Unknown History of Women in Jewish Life”

For more 18Forty:
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Ahead of the next episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we invite you to hear David Bashevkin's appearance on 18 Questions, 40 Mystics.

What does it mean to live a Judaism that fits into our lives? David Bashevkin explores the meeting point of mysticism and modernity. 

The founder of 18Forty, Rabbi Dr. David Bashevkin is the director of education at NCSY as well as an instructor at Yeshiva University. He is the author of four books, and has been rejected from many prestigious fellowships and awards.

Now, he joins us to answer eighteen questions with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy on Jewish mysticism including how to embrace holiness, the purpose of prayer, and the search for meaning in an age of distraction. 

Here are our questions: 
What is Jewish mysticism?
How were you introduced to Jewish mysticism?
In an ideal world, would all Jews be mystics?
What do you think of when you think of God?
What is the purpose of the Jewish people?
How does prayer work?
What is the goal of Torah study?
Does Jewish mysticism view men and women the same?
Should Judaism be hard or easy?
Why did God create the world? 
Can humans do something that is against God’s will?
What do you think of when you think about Moshiach?
Is the State of Israel part of the final redemption?
What is the greatest challenge facing the world today?
How has modernity changed Jewish mysticism?
What differentiates Jewish mysticism from the mysticism of other religions? 
Does one need to be religious to study Jewish mysticism?
Can mysticism be dangerous?
How has Jewish mysticism affected your relationships with yourself and with others?
What is a Jewish teaching that you always take with you?

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we revisit the topic of agunot by talking to Sarah Nissel and Yona Elishis, who run the Jewish Divorce Assistance Center of Los Angeles.

We’re also joined by Keshet Starr, CEO of Shalom Task Force. In this episode we discuss:

• How do potentially amicable divorces escalate to being high-conflict? 
• Why does adversarial divorce seem to be increasingly common in the Jewish community?  
• What do experts in the area of agunot think of the related social-media movements? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about the integrity of our marriages in the Jewish community. 

Interview begins at 15:16.
Keshet Starr joins at 53:20. 

Sarah M. Nissel is the founding Executive Director of the Jewish Divorce Assistance Center and a visiting professor of law and religion at Pepperdine Caruso school of law, where she leads the Faith & Family Mediation Clinic. A Yale and NYU Law graduate, she previously worked in white-collar and complex litigation, served at the Innocence Project, and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and four children.

Yona Elishis is a family law mediator and Adjunct Clinical Professor at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, where she teaches in the Faith & Family Mediation Clinic in partnership with the Jewish Divorce Assistance Center of Los Angeles (JDAC). Trained at Osgoode Hall Law School, Columbia Law School, and New York University School of Law, she previously practiced family and corporate law in Toronto and New York and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and five children.

Keshet Starr is the CEO of Shalom Task Force, which works to combat and prevent domestic abuse in the Jewish community. Previously, she led the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot. She lives in Hillside, New Jersey, with her family. 

References:

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden

See What You Made Me Do: Power, Control and Domestic Violence by Jess Hill

Marriage Story (2019)

Gett (2014)


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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Adam Ferziger, a historian of modern Jewish movements, about how American Jews have helped shape the evolution of Israeli Judaism.

In this episode we discuss:

—Why are Jewish religious boundaries in Israel often “more porous” than those in America?
—Why did McDonald’s succeed in Israel while Starbucks failed?
—What can Israelis take from the thick communal culture of American Judaism?

Tune in to hear a conversation about Religious Zionism, American aliyah, and the emergence of a distinctly Israeli Judaism shaped by sovereignty, Hebrew culture, and modern religious life.

Interview begins at 9:32.

Professor Adam S. Ferziger is a historian of modern Jewish religious movements and responses to secularization. He holds the Samson Raphael Hirsch Chair at Bar-Ilan University and is a senior associate at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. He is the author of several influential books, including Beyond Sectarianism: The Realignment of American Orthodox Judaism, winner of the National Jewish Book Award.

References:

“Orthodoxy in American Jewish Life” by Charles S. Liebman

Beyond Sectarianism: The Realignment of American Orthodox Judaism by Adam S. Ferziger

Agents of Change: American Jews and the Transformation of Israeli Judaism by Adam S. Ferziger

The Israeli Century: How the Zionist Revolution Changed History and Reinvented Judaism by Yossi Shain

18Forty Podcast: “Shayna Goldberg: Inside Israel’s Religious Zionist Community”

“Conan O’Brien on Failure and Conviction”

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Alana Newhouse, the founder and editor-in-chief of Tablet Magazine, about why seemingly everyone is arguing about Zionism. 

In this episode we discuss:

—What causes spikes in antisemitism?
—What is the role of rapid technological change in flattening the differences between people?
—What makes Israel a model for a nation that other countries should consider following?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can bring redemption through the Jewish People to the entire world.

Interview begins at 10:00.

Alana Newhouse is the founder and editor-in-chief of Tablet Magazine, which she launched in 2009 after serving as a reporter and editor at The Forward and beginning her career with publicist David Garth. An editor who writes occasional essays for The New York Times and elsewhere, she is known for “Everything Is Broken” and “Brokenism.” Raised between the Five Towns and Sheepshead Bay, she is married to journalist David Samuels and serves as president of the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, whose work has been recognized by The Wall Street Journal.

References:

Take One

“Everything Is Broken” by Alana Newhouse

“Zionism for Everyone” by Alana Newhouse

Genesis 12:3

Pluribus

Idiocracy (2006)

Independence Day (1996)

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge M.D.

For more 18Forty:
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This episode is sponsored by Brett and Susan Nadritch, who support creative initiatives that strengthen our love for and connection to the People and Land of Israel, in honor of all the lone soldiers in the most recent Hesder draft, the class of Nisan 5786. 

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Michael Olshin, educational director of Yeshivat Torat Shraga in Jerusalem, about the purpose of the gap year in Israel.

In this episode we discuss: 

—What should our hopes and expectations be for the gap year in Israel?
—How can we improve students’ Hebrew proficiency?
—Is it time to reimagine what the gap year in Israel could be, with a focus on contributing to the State of Israel in addition to Torah learning?

Tune in to hear a conversation about our responsibility to create a Yiddishkeit that touches the lives of the wider world.

Interview begins at 14:40.

Rabbi Michael Olshin is the Educational Director of Yeshivat Torat Shraga in Jerusalem, bringing over 25 years of teaching and leadership experience from roles at Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim, Yeshivat Shaalvim, Bet Midrash L'Torah, and youth programs including NCSY, NCSY Kollel, and Camp Mesorah. He also serves as an educator and guide with Jroots, leading educational journeys across Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Ukraine. He lives in Bet Shemesh with his family, and his children have served in elite commando units of the Israel Defense Forces.

References:

If You're Reading These Words by Shlomo Kavas and Racheli Palant-Rozen

A Dreamer and A Fighter: Reflections and Journal Entries by Capt Amitai Zvi Granot

For more 18Forty:
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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Michael Eisenberg—a venture capitalist and Torah scholar—about the state of the Jewish People in Israel and the diaspora. 

In this episode we discuss:

—What lies ahead for the Jewish People amid the war with Iran?
—What can Israel and America teach one another about Jewish innovation?
—What should be the religious vision for “secular” Jews in Israel?

Tune in to hear a conversation about where we hope to go together, and how we can get there.

Interview begins at 6:13.

Michael Eisenberg is Co-Founder and General Partner at Aleph, an early-stage venture capital fund managing $850 million, where he has spent over 25 years partnering with Israeli entrepreneurs to build impactful global companies; since 2013, Aleph has invested in more than 50 startups, including Melio, Lemonade (NYSE: LMND), Bringg, JoyTunes, and Healthy.io. He writes the blog Six Kids and a Full Time Job and contributes to Calcalist and TheMarker, is the author of The Hummus Manifesto and five Hebrew books, and frequently lectures on venture capital, Israel, and entrepreneurship. He serves on the boards of Yeshivat Har Etzion and The Shomer Hachadash, and lives in Jerusalem with his wife and eight children.

References:

The Vanishing Jew: A Wake-Up Call From the Book of Esther by Michael Eisenberg

The Tree of Life and Prosperity: 21st Century Business Principles from the Book of Genesis by Michael Eisenberg

Meshekh Chokhmah, Bekhukotai

For more 18Forty:
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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a father and daughter who were estranged and then reunited. We also speak with Adam Pollock, the estrangement specialist who inspired them to reconcile. 

In this episode we discuss: 

• Are there specific struggles that lead to estrangement in the Orthodox Jewish world?
• How do we handle the tension between the need to heal and the need to be right? 
• How do we avoid regression once family members have been reunited? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about our essential and unchanging identities that transcend our circumstances.  

Interview begins at 20:50. 

Adam N. Pollock is the founder of Aaron’s Legacy, where he specializes in mediating family estrangement using a blend of ancient wisdom and modern conflict resolution techniques. Since 2015, he has helped individuals and families navigate some of their most painful relational fractures with compassion, rigor, and creativity. A former attorney and business executive, Adam brings decades of experience in negotiation, arbitration, and high-stakes decision-making to his work as an estrangement mediator. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from The George Washington University and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, and is the author of Secrets From the Legal Pad (2023).

References:

Genesis 37:31

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Psalms 121

Titles by C.B. Weinfeld

Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict by Joshua Coleman PhD

Third-Party Peacemakers in Judaism: Text, Theory, and Practice by Daniel Roth

Exodus 13:19

For more 18Forty:
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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to philanthropist David Magerman and his daughter Sydney, who decided to make aliyah while on her gap year in Israel.  

In this episode we discuss:

• What should we do with the freedom we’ve been given?
• What is it like to make the journey toward Orthodoxy as a family? 
• What is it like to make aliyah when one’s family is in America?

Tune in for a conversation about building bridges and pipelines across generations and geography. 

Interview begins at 11:57.

David Magerman is the co-founder and managing partner of Differential Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on AI, machine learning, and data science. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University and brings over 25 years of experience in data-driven research and innovation. Previously, he was a founding member and head of production for the equities trading group at a quantitative hedge fund. 

References:

A Letter in the Scroll: Understanding Our Jewish Identity and Exploring the Legacy of the World's Oldest Religion by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

The Steinsaltz Tanya

Genesis 12:1

For more 18Forty:
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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Shaanan Gelman and his son Ziggy about the persistence of a parent-child relationship when the latter faces addiction.  

In this episode we discuss:

• How does habitual drug use evolve into addiction?
• How does a parent help a child struggling with substance abuse?
• How do such a parent and child manage the expectations and perceptions of the outside world? 

Tune in for a conversation about how a parent-child relationship survives and emerges resilient from a harrowing ordeal.

Interview begins at 15:05.

Shaanan Gelman, rabbi of Chovevei Tzion in Chicago, holds a degree in Computer Science from Yeshiva College and received semicha from RIETS at Yeshiva University. He studied in Israel at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Gruss Institute, and later served as a Kollel Fellow in Boca Raton, where he held leadership and educational roles. He is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America’s executive board, active in the Chicago Rabbinical Council, and serves on the board of Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago. A committed Zionist, he is active in AIPAC and has led initiatives supporting Israel.

References:

God of Our Understanding: Jewish Spirituality and Recovery from Addiction by Shais Taub

“Being Kevin, Watching ‘Being Charlie’” by Kevin Jack McEnroe

The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath by Leslie Jamison

Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big BookIn the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté 

Addict in the House: A No-Nonsense Family Guide Through Addiction and Recovery by Robin Barnett

Psalms 37

For more 18Forty:
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