18Forty Podcast

18Forty
  • 4.8 (701)
  • Judaism
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Helping you find meaning in life through the exploration of Jewish thought and ideas. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

  1. 19h ago

    Shlomo Pill: When a Rabbi Doctor Struggles With Addiction

    This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar. Join Talmud Daily! A new free program from 18Forty. Ten-minute episodes a day (video + audio). Plain English. No prior knowledge assumed. No Hebrew required. Begins August 24, 2026. Join here: Talmuddaily.org In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to rabbi, attorney, and professor Shlomo Pill about how Torah and teshuva have helped him handle his struggle with addiction. In this episode we discuss: —How do we bring ourselves to do teshuva when things outwardly appear to be going well? —How can we give our children Jewish tools for processing, explaining, and coming to terms with life’s difficulties? —How can Torah help us in the inner work of overcoming our negative impulses? Interview begins at 4:53. Tune in to hear a conversation about addiction, teshuva, and the ways Torah can help us make sense of life’s struggles and find a path toward growth. Rabbi Dr. Shlomo C. Pill is a rabbi, attorney, and law professor whose scholarship focuses on Jewish, Islamic, and American law, religious liberty, and the relationship between religious traditions and the American legal system. He is an Assistant Professor of Law at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law and previously taught at Emory University. He is the co-author of Setting the Table: An Introduction to the Jurisprudence of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein’s Arukh Hashulchan and is also the founder of Beis Midrash Nishmas HaTorah in Houston, where he teaches Torah and Penimiyus haTorah. References: Tzidkat HaTzadik 154 Story of Our Lives: An Epic Quest for the Soul of our Tradition by Yaakov Klein Attached by Yakov Danishefsky For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join Sign up for Talmud Daily CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: info@18forty.org WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

    Shlomo Pill: When a Rabbi Doctor Struggles With Addiction

  2. Aug 13

    Mendel Horowitz: A Good Enough Elul

    Join Talmud Daily! A new free program from 18Forty. Ten-minute episodes a day (video + audio). Plain English. No prior knowledge assumed. No Hebrew required. Begins August 24, 2026. Join here: Talmuddaily.org In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we return to the topic of teshuva by talking to Mendel Horowitz, a Jerusalem-based psychotherapist, researcher, and author who introduces us to the notion of having a Good Enough Elul. You can learn more about the Good Enough Elul initiative here and read Mendel's article on psychodynamic therapy here. In this episode we discuss: —What is the nature of the inner work we do over Elul? —How do our psychological and religious work overlap and interact? —How can we detach ourselves from external expectations and learn how to live comfortably in pursuit of our purest desires? Interview begins at 27:00. Tune in to hear a conversation about how we discover our most essential selves. Mendel Horowitz, M.S., is a Jerusalem-based psychotherapist, researcher, and author certified by the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists. His research interests include group therapy and the intersection of masculinity, loneliness, and faith. He is a founding member of United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma & Crisis Response Unit and a member of the Public Outreach Committee of the American Group Psychotherapy Association. His essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Jerusalem Post, JTA, The Forward, and the Jewish Journal, among other publications, and his professional writing has appeared in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. References: Tur Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer Song of Songs 6:3 Psychoanalysis: The Impossible Profession by Janet Malcolm The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Stephen Grosz "I'm a Psychodynamic Therapist. Here's What That Means." by Mendel Horowitz Good Enough Elul on 18Forty "Good Enough Elul: What This Is and Is Not" by Mendel Horowitz  For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join Sign up for Talmud Daily CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: info@18forty.org WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

    Mendel Horowitz: A Good Enough Elul

  3. Aug 5

    Berel Leib Epstein: Why Be a Believer?

    This episode is sponsored by Dina and Daniel Heiss, in honor of the 10th yahrzeit of Dina’s father, Zev Yehudah ben HaRav Yisrael Michel. May his neshama have an aliya.  In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to author and theoretical physicist Berel Leib Epstein about rational reasons to choose to believe in Judaism and live a Jewish life. In this episode we discuss: —In a time without clear and open revelation and miracles, how do we find God in the modern world? —How is Kabbalah like quantum mechanics? —Why is it worth discussing reasons to believe in God in the first place? Interview begins at 11:40. Tune in to hear a conversation about how we find truth and build meaning in our lives. Dr. Berel Leib Epstein is a theoretical physicist with a background in nonlinear optics and laser physics. After studying under Dr. Phillip Sprangle at the University of Maryland, he joined the Johns Hopkins Physics Laboratory, working on innovative research projects aimed at maintaining America’s technological edge in defense. Berel lives with his wife and children in Baltimore, Maryland, where he also learns in Yeshivas Ner Yisroel. References: Emunah and Physics: A Jewish Resolve by Dr. Berel Leib Epstein For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: info@18forty.org WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

    Berel Leib Epstein: Why Be a Believer?

  4. Jul 28

    YY Jacobson: 'Jews were chosen to hold onto the frequency of redemptive consciousness' [18 Questions, 40 Mystics]

    While we await the next installment of the 18Forty Podcast, we invite you to enjoy this episode from our serires 18 Questions, 40 Mystics.  In this insightful conversation, Rabbi YY Jacobson presents Jewish mysticism as a dynamic framework for consciousness and connection rather than abstract theology. He passionately and clearly illustrates how faith and, ultimately, surrender can redefine how we see ourselves, our pain, and the world around us.  Before the Lubavitcher Rabbi’s passing, Rabbi Jacobson served as one of his oral scribes. As a close disciple of the Rabbi, he developed a strong foundation in the world of Chassidut [Hasidism] and Jewish mysticism. Now, Rabbi Jacobson is a world-renowned speaker and scholar. He now joins us to answer eighteen questions with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy on Jewish mysticism including how Torah is the map of reality, how spirituality should inform your relationships, and the function of humility in religious growth.  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? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

    YY Jacobson: 'Jews were chosen to hold onto the frequency of redemptive consciousness' [18 Questions, 40 Mystics]

  5. Jul 21

    Shalom Rosner and Sara Zimbalist: Loss, Faith, and Gratitude

    In our annual Tisha B'Av episode of the 18Forty Podcast on the theme of loss, we speak with Rabbi Shalom Rosner, who delivered a widely shared eulogy for Eliyahu Moshe ("Eli Mo") Zimbalist, who was killed early in the Gaza war. We also speak with Eli Mo's mother, Sara Zimbalist. In this episode we discuss: —How do we hold the personal experience of loss together with the larger national narrative? —How does the experience of loss change with the passing of time? —What is the significance of this time in Jewish history? Interview with Rabbi Rosner begins at 27:09. Interview with Sara Zimbalist begins at 1:18:10 Tune in to hear a conversation about what continues to ache in the collective heart of the Jewish People—and how we manage to continue to cultivate gratitude. Rabbi Shalom Rosner is the Rosh Beis Medrash of the English-speaking program at JCT Machon Lev and the rabbi of the Nofei Hashemesh community in Beit Shemesh. A musmach of RIETS and graduate of Yeshiva University, he is widely known for his online Daf Yomi and other Torah shiurim, followed by thousands of learners worldwide. Renowned for his clarity in teaching complex sugyot, Rabbi Rosner has taught at Yeshiva University, Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim, and Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh. References: Numbers 14 Taanit 29a Lamentations 2 Sanhedrin 104b  Exodus 1:15 with Rashi Eliyahu Moshe Zimbalist eulogy by R’ Shalom Rosner Shabbat 33b Seder HaYom by Moshe ben Machir Lamentations 3 For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: info@18forty.org WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

    Shalom Rosner and Sara Zimbalist: Loss, Faith, and Gratitude

  6. Jul 14

    Carmi Schwartz: The Road That Got Us Here [American Jewish History 4/4]

    In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jewish communal executive Carmi Schwartz about lessons he’s learned in his 90-plus years as a member and leader of the Jewish community.  In this episode we discuss:  —What draws a professional to Jewish communal work rather than business pursuits or Torah scholarship? —How does one imbue organizational and Zionist work with religious Jewish content? —What has it been like to directly witness the Jewish community’s tensions around driving on Shabbat, patrilineal descent, and recognition of non-Orthodox conversions? Interview begins at 10:20. Tune in to hear a conversation about all of the forks in the road that brought us to this moment in American Jewish history. Carmi Schwartz is a longtime leader in the North American Jewish federation system. He served as Executive Vice President of the Council of Jewish Federations (CJF), one of the organizations that later merged into today's Jewish Federations of North America. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions with Jewish federations in Metropolitan New Jersey, Baltimore, Utica, Miami, and Montreal. References: No Country for Old Men (2007) For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: info@18forty.org WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

    Carmi Schwartz: The Road That Got Us Here [American Jewish History 4/4]

  7. Jul 7

    Jenna Weissman Joselit: Being Jewish in America [American Jewish History 3/4]

    In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jenna Weissman Joselit, a professor of Jewish studies and history, about the everyday expressions of Judaism that reinforce the identity and distinctiveness of the Jewish People.  In this episode we discuss: —What consequential institutional decisions shaped the trajectory of American Judaism? —What overlooked personalities and phenomena contributed to the development of American Judaism? —What is the role of the tallis in American Jewish aesthetics? Interview begins at 10:42. Tune in to hear a retrospective reflection on modern Jewish life and culture. Jenna Weissman Joselit is the Charles E. Smith Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of History at The George Washington University. She specializes in the history and culture of America’s Jews, U.S. cultural history, and the relationship between material culture and identity. She is the author of Set in Stone: America’s Embrace of the Ten Commandments, The Wonders of America: Reinventing Jewish Culture, 1880–1950, which received the National Jewish Book Award in History, and A Perfect Fit: Clothes, Character, and the Promise of America. She writes a monthly column on American Jewish culture for Tablet and has been a frequent contributor to the Jewish Review of Books, The New Republic, TNR Online, Gastronomica, and the Forward. References: American Judaism: A History by Jonathan D. Sarna Mordecai M. Kaplan: Restless Soul by Jenna Weissman Joselit New York's Jewish Jews: The Orthodox Community in the Interwar Years by Jenna Weissman Joselit Our Gang : Jewish Crime and the New York Jewish Community, 1900-1940 by Jenna Weissman Joselit Set in Stone: America's Embrace of the Ten Commandments by Jenna Weissman Joselit Jenna Weissman Joselit in Tablet For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: info@18forty.org WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

    Jenna Weissman Joselit: Being Jewish in America [American Jewish History 3/4]

  8. Jun 30

    Zev Eleff: 250 Years of American Judaism [American Jewish History 2/4]

    In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to historian Zev Eleff about what 250 years of Jewish life in America can teach us about religion, identity, and the future of American Judaism. In this episode we discuss: —Why did colonial Jews support the American Revolution despite knowing the dangers of opposing those in power? —How did Jewish denominations and institutions as we know them emerge in America, and what roles did Zionism and U.S. immigration policy play in this? —Where are we headed on our American Jewish journey, and what have we learned along the way? Tune in to hear a conversation about the intersection of the Jewish story and American exceptionalism. Interview begins at 11:00. 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. His research focuses on American Jewish history, sports, and Modern Orthodox history. References: Jeremiah 29:7 The Greatest of All Time: A History of an American Obsession by Zev Eleff Authentically Orthodox: A Tradition-Bound Faith in American Life by Zev Eleff 18Forty Podcast: “Zev Eleff: Is This the End of American Judaism?” American Judaism: A History by Jonathan D. Sarna The Rag Race: How Jews Sewed Their Way to Success in America and the British Empire by Adam D. Mendelsohn For more 18Forty: NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840 EMAIL: info@18forty.org WEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18forty X: @18_forty WhatsApp: join here Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

    Zev Eleff: 250 Years of American Judaism [American Jewish History 2/4]
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Helping you find meaning in life through the exploration of Jewish thought and ideas. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Information

  • Creator
    18Forty
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    291
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 18Forty
  • Show Website
    18Forty Podcast

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