18Forty Podcast 18Forty

This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and a leader of the Reform Movement, about the way Jewish Peoplehood is understood among the non-Orthodox majority of American Jews.

Rabbi Hirsch is known in the Reform Movement and beyond for his decades-long staunch commitment to Jewish Peoplehood. We recorded this interview before Oct. 7, and especially considering Rabbi Hirsch’s leadership on issues related to Zionism, a follow-up conversation with him will follow shortly. In this episode we discuss:
Where should the State of Israel fit into our priorities as a people? How has Reform Judaism course-corrected its views on Jewish Peoplehood over time?How can we be a unified people when we can’t always agree on who is a Jew?Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might improve the state of interdenominational relations.

Interview begins at 19:50.

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is a leader of the Reform Movement. He is the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and former executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America/World Union for Progressive Judaism, North America. He wrote two books: The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi's Reflections on Love, Courage, and History (2023) and One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them (2003), which he co-authored with Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman.

References:

One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them by Ammiel Hirsch and Yaakov Yosef Reinman

The Impostor by Avner Gold

18Forty Podcast: “Altie Karper: When a Book Is Banned”

“The Believer” by Armin Rosen

“Dissent in the Reform Ranks” by Armin Rosen

The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi's Reflections on Love, Courage, and History by Ammiel Hirsch

The Book of Jewish Values: A Day-by-Day Guide to Ethical Living by Joseph Telushkin

“Who Can Be Called Rabbi?” by Gil Student

“Shomer Yisroel” by Omek Hadavar

This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we begin our Denominations series by talking to Zev Eleff—historian, author, and the president of Gratz College—about the development of the denominations of Judaism we have in America today. 

We’ve been occupied for months with defending our right to be Jews in America, so perhaps this is the right time to return to considering the purpose of the Jewish lives we want to live. In this episode we discuss:

How did America’s Jewish “denominations”—better termed “movements”—as we know them come to be?What have the different Jewish movements each contributed to American Jewish life?How can we get back to not just fighting antisemitism, but uncovering the meaning of our Judaism?Tune in to hear a conversation about how previous generations of American Jews have handled the issues that, to one degree or another, threatened to divide us. 

Interview begins at 49:36.

Rabbi Dr. Zev Eleff is the president of Gratz College. Zev is the author and editor of nine books and more than 50 scholarly articles in the fields of Jewish Studies and American Religion, including Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History, Dyed in Crimson: Football, Faith, and Remaking Harvard's America, and Authentically Orthodox: A Tradition-Bound Faith in American Life. Zev’s research focuses on American Jewish history, sports, and Modern Orthodox history.

References:

Jonathan Haidt on The Daily Show

Ammi Hirsch on Campus Chaos

“Failure Goes to Yeshivah: What I’ve Learned From the Failure Narratives of My Students” by David Bashevkin

Authentically Orthodox: A Tradition-Bound Faith in American Life by Zev Eleff

The Birth of Conservative Judaism by Michael Cohen

American Judaism by Jonathan D. Sarna

The Jews of the United States, 1654 to 2000 by Hasia R. Diner

Jew Vs Jew: The Struggle For The Soul Of American Jewry by Samuel G. Freedman

This Is My God by Herman Wouk

Jewish Continuity in America by Abraham J. Karp

18Forty Podcast: “Halacha as a Language”

Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this special episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rachel Goldberg-Polin—whose son, Hersh, was kidnapped by Hamas and is still held hostage in Gaza—about heading into Passover with our loved ones still captive.

Normally, Intergenerational Divergence feels like something of a choice. But now, Jewish families have been split apart by force. In this episode we discuss:

How do we foster a continued connection to the members of our family who are missing?What difficult thoughts and questions will we bring to the Seder table this year?What does it mean to express hope via the Pesach Seder amid these bitter times? We hope wholeheartedly that this conversation about missing our children at the time of Passover will be made irrelevant and the hostages will soon return home. 

Interview begins at 7:17.

References:

“One Tiny Seed” by Rachel Goldberg-Polin

“To the Boys in the Room” by Rachel Goldberg-Polin

Sefer HaMenucha on Mishneh Torah, Leavened and Unleavened Bread 8:2

“A Prayer for Israel To Add to Your Pesach Seder” by Yosef Zvi Rimon

Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a Haredi mother named Dina about her two children who serve in the IDF, one of whom was critically wounded in the current war. 

Oct. 7 accelerated the already-complicated conversation about Haredi service in the army. Here, Dina shares with us her first-hand experience as a mother of chayalim. In this episode we discuss:
What is it like being in the Haredi minority of IDF parents—and what is it like being one of the comparatively few IDF parents in the Haredi community? What is the experience of religiously raised soldiers remaining observant in the army?What is it like for a mother to send her son into battle?Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might, as Dina puts it, be machmir about how we relate to others.
 
Interview begins at 7:16.

References:

“A Mother’s Miracle” by Sara Bonchek

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

This episode is sponsored by the incredible organization Osey Chail, a non-profit organization serving lone soldiers from Haredi and Hasidic homes who are serving in the IDF. 

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to four Haredi soldiers who served in the IDF about breaking from family and communal expectations by enlisting, and the subsequent Intergenerational implications. 

We also speak with Yael Ruzievich of the “adoptive family” of lone soldier David Mittelman, who was killed on Oct. 7. Hashem yikkom damo. In this episode we discuss:
How do soldiers from the Haredi world relate to their parents after joining the IDF?What does the “adoptive family” of a Haredi lone soldier look like? How can we do more for those who make immense sacrifices to defend the Jewish People?Tune in to hear a conversation about how to handle divisive debates—such as Haredim enlisting for Israeli military service—as a unified Jewish family. 

First soldier interview begins at 16:47.
Second soldier interview begins at 26:06.
Interview with Yael Ruzievich begins at 50:46.
Third soldier interview begins at 1:32:01.
Fourth soldier interview begins at 1:40:45.

Haredi soldiers are in a difficult place, often struggling with a lack of social and familial support, due to their community’s stance on army service. The organization Osey Chail fills this gap, supporting soldiers from Haredi backgrounds with kosher food, foster families, apartments, and unity events, among other programs. We’re honored to speak to Haredi soldiers who were part of Osey Chail, as well as families that adopted them.

References:

Shomer Yisrael

Osey Chail

נגמר by Idan Amedi

Donate Dog Tags

Donate Toward Mittelman Park

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with an intergenerational rabbinic pair: Rabbi Haskel Lookstein and his son, Rabbi Joshua Lookstein.

Following in the footsteps of a successful parent can involve a crushing degree of pressure. In the Jewish world, perhaps the quintessential case of this is the challenge of being the scion of a prominent rabbinic family (what some might call a “dynasty”). In this episode we discuss:

How did family, friends, and congregants react to Joshua leaving the family pulpit? How can children find agency amid family expectations?How do leaders of Jewish institutions manage the most foundational Jewish institution: the family? Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can grapple wisely with professional divergence across generations.

Interview begins at 12:53.

Rabbi Dr. Haskel Lookstein is the Rabbi Emeritus of Kehilath Jeshurun in Manhattan, where he served most of his entire rabbinic career. He was also the principal of the Ramaz School from 1966 through 2015. R. Lookstein has been highly involved in leadership in the Jewish community for decades. He serves as the Joseph H. Lookstein Professor of Homiletics at Yeshiva University, where he has taught since 1979. He also serves as a Vice President of the Bet Din of America. 

Rabbi Joshua Lookstein is the Associate Head of School at the Ramaz School. Rabbi Lookstein previously served as the Head of School at Westchester Day School and a Major Gifts Officer at UJA-Federation of New York, and as Executive Director of the S. Daniel Abraham Foundation. Rabbi Lookstein is responsible for ensuring the values of the school are sustained throughout a student’s education.

References:

“The Lookstein Legacy: An American Orthodox Rabbinical Dynasty?” by Adam S. Ferziger

The Shawshank Redemption

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

This episode is sponsored in honor of Robert and Sandy April, loyal congregants and students of Rabbi Lookstein for many years. May they continue to learn from Rabbi Lookstein's lessons and actions for many years to come.