18Forty Podcast

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi YY Jacobson, one of the foremost online teachers of Torah, about how each of us can find the moshiach inside of us by experiencing Hashem’s infinite love and presence in the present moment.

In this episode we discuss:

—Why has there been a shift in the way we approach publicly sharing Torah?
—What is the nature of the Torah approach to vulnerability?
—What are we trying to achieve...

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. Join here: Talmuddaily.org

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Etan Epstein, the founder of The 300 Club, a program of committing to learning Torah for five minutes a day.

We also speak with two participants in the program, Richard Weissberg and Susan Sorosky. 

In this episode we discuss:

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. Join here: Talmuddaily.org

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Tania Friedlander, leadership-and-performance coach, attorney by training, and former champion athlete, about how her husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis challenged her expectations and taught her to become capable of more.

In this episode we discuss:

—What does it mean to mak...

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. Join here: Talmuddaily.org.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Ben and Yael de Toledo, founders of Pnima Jerusalem, a soulful community in Jerusalem, about doing teshuva by returning to community.

In this episode we discuss:

—What are the ingredients necessary for finding and building a community?
—How does...

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 we...

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 di...

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...

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 worl...

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?

Intervi...

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.

T...

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.

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 learne...

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Elana Moskowitz, an educator at Michlelet Mevasseret Yerushalayim, about how her American Jewish upbringing shaped her life and worldview.

Moskowitz grew up Orthodox in America in the 1990s—alongside her brother David Bashevkin—before moving to Israel and joining a Haredi community in Jerusalem. 

In this episode we discuss: 

—What is the unique new contribution of American Judaism to the Jewish story? 
—What have been the successes and failures of Judaism on American shores? 
—How do familial and institutional influences shape the lives we belie...

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?

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 i...

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 R...

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 ma...

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 integr...

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...

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 N...

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 Isra...

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 begin...

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...

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 buildin...

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 sur...

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

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yakov Danishefsky—a licensed clinical social worker and the author of The Attached Haggadah—about the imperfect ways in which we transmit the Jewish story. 

In this episode we discuss:How do we deal with the lived reality that the Passover Seder isn’t a perfect transmission of our foundational beliefs? Why do some people try to leave Yiddishkeit while others stay in the community?What is the deeper signific...

This week of learning is sponsored by Zachary Schreiber in honor of Tova Bashevkin, because behind every great man is an even greater woman.

In this special Purim episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin speaks about the late, great comedian Garry Shandling in honor of his 10th yahrzeit, which is this Purim.

In this episode we discuss:
What does pop culture tell us about the Torah of our time?What can Garry Shalndling teach us about Purim?What does it mean to see divinity and significance within one another? Tune i...

This month of learning is sponsored by our dear friends Matt and Mollie Landes of Riverdale for the neshama of Dovid Yehonatan ben Yitzchak Yehuda.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Yehuda Geberer—a researcher, educator, and tour guide—about the history of the yeshiva world.

In this episode we discuss:
How did we get from the start of the Lithuanian yeshiva movement to the American yeshiva world of today?What were the premodern precursors to yeshivas? What effect did the Vietnam War have on the development of the Ameri...

This month of learning is sponsored by our dear friends Matt and Mollie Landes of Riverdale for the neshama of Dovid Yehonatan ben Yitzchak Yehuda.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rabbi Aaron Kotler, president of the Beth Medrash Govoha and a grandson of Rav Aharon Kotler, about the beginnings of the American yeshiva world.

In this episode we discuss:
What is the difference between “Modern Orthodox” and “American yeshivish”?What does it mean to truly learn Torah lishmah?Why did Lakewood become the center of the yeshiva...

This month of learning is sponsored by our dear friends Matt and Mollie Landes of Riverdale for the neshama of Dovid Yehonatan ben Yitzchak Yehuda.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Professors Elisheva Carlebach and Debra Kaplan, scholars of early modern Jewish history, about women’s religious, social, and communal roles in early modern Jewish life.

In this episode we discuss:
How have women’s prayer and shul-going habits changed over time? When did the women’s chevra kadisha become a Jewish institution? How did Jewish emancipation alter th...

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rabbis Eitan Webb and Ari Israel, head of a campus Chabad and Hillel respectively, about Jewish life on college campuses today. 

In this episode we discuss:Has there been a recent Jewish awakening on college campuses?How much attention should we pay to campus antisemitism?Are Chabad and Hillel able to work together on college campuses?Tune in to hear a conversation about what comes next for Jewish students in secular colleges. 

Interview begins at 18:01.

Rabbi Eitan Webb co-founded the Pr...

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Mark Wildes, founder and director of Manhattan Jewish Experience, about Modern Orthodox outreach.

In this episode we discuss:
Why aren’t more aspiring rabbis attracted to kiruv? How can we help people make the transition from outreach programs to the “real world”?How can we make the case for Shabbos for the masses? Tune in to hear a conversation about the “non-professional kiruv” of the Modern Orthodox community.

Interview begins at 22:45.

Rabbi Mark Wildes was ordained from Yeshiva University, but before b...

This podcast is in partnership with Rabbi Benji Levy and Share. Learn more at 40mystics.com.

As a Chabad Hasid, Rabbi Zevi Slavin’s formative years were spent immersed in the rich traditions of Chassidut and Kabbala. This upbringing provided him with a unique lens through which he continues to learn, study, and connect with others. 

Drawing on his background, Slavin created “Seekers of Unity,” a Youtube channel dedicated to exploring the philosophy and history of mysticism across diverse traditions. He founded this channel with the goal of forming a community focused on creating...

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin answers questions from Diana Fersko, senior rabbi of the Village Temple Reform synagogue, about denominations and Jewish Peoplehood.

In this episode we discuss:
How did David become an Orthodox rabbi with an interest in the broader Jewish world?Where does David get his sense of commandedness and obligation from? How should Israel factor into our thinking about Jewish unity?Tune in to hear a conversation about what it would mean for us to speak Judaism as a “first language.”

Interview begins at 29:05. 

Diana...

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Diana Fersko, senior rabbi of the Village Temple Reform synagogue, about denominations and Jewish Peoplehood. 

In this episode we discuss:
How do we re-determine how to be Jews in America?Is there really an “education gap” between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews? How should we handle the question of “who is a Jew” across denominations?Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might see beyond our proverbial “three blocks."

Interview begins at 22:11. 

Diana Fersko is the Senior Rabbi of The Village Templ...

Check out our new series in partnership with SHARE, 18 Questions, 40 Jewish Mystics. 

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, originally released in 2021, we talk to Rabbi Pini Dunner and Rav Moshe Weinberger about the Yabloner Rebbe and his astounding story of teshuva.

The Yabloner Rebbe was a chassidishe rebbe who helped found Kfar Chassidim. He disappeared and went to Los Angeles, where he went off the derech, but he later returned to Judaism and Kfar Chassidim in a remarkable example of teshuva.
Who was the Yabloner Rebbe?Why did he leave his faith?W...

Check out our new series in partnership with SHARE, 18 Questions, 40 Jewish Mystics. 

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast—created in collaboration with Amudim—we speak with Shais Taub, the rabbi behind the organization SoulWords, about shame, selfhood, and authenticity. 

In this episode we discuss:
How are we to deal with the pain of embodiment and individuation?How does one uncover their mission in the world and align their life with the transcendent?How can we work to reorient our desires toward the right things? Tune in to hear a conversation about the interio...

Check out our new series in partnership with SHARE, 18 Questions, 40 Jewish Mystics. 

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Philip Goff—a philosophy professor who devotes much of his work to investigating the ultimate nature of reality—about consciousness, mysticism, and God. 

We also hear from Rabbi Eli Rubin about the possibility of “Jewish panpsychism.”

In this episode we discuss:
What is the relationship between consciousness and scientific observation?How should people find purpose in their lives?How does a secular philosopher make the decision to turn to religion?T...

Check out our new series in partnership with SHARE, 18 Questions, 40 Jewish Mystics. 

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Alon Shalev, a research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, about how Rav Hutner found existential meaning.In this episode we discuss:
How do we find and build purpose within our short lives?What is the role of individualism and self-expression in Jewish life? How should we respond to the crisis of perceived meaninglessness in the modern world? Tune in to hear a conversation about the coming together of machshavah, nigleh, and nistar.

This podcast is in partnership with Rabbi Benji Levy and Share. Learn more at 40mystics.com.
Rav Joey Rosenfeld’s entryway into mystical thought began with the writings of Franz Kafka and Albert Camus. Discussing Jewish mysticism with Rav Joey is not just a conversation about ancient texts and ideas, but it is a journey into the soul, wherein he describes how mystical principles can transform relationships, heal trauma, and guide us in a modern world.Rav Joey Rosenfeld is a practicing psychotherapist in the field of addiction, focusing on the interface between philosophy, spirituality, and psychology. He...