18Forty Podcast

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 world over New York City?
Tune in for a conversation about how the entire Jewish community can build on the successes of the yeshiva world. 

Interview begins at 28:07.

Rabbi Aaron Kotler is the president of the Beth Medrash Govoha, also known as the Lakewood Yeshiva. As Lakewood has grown, Rabbi Kotler has been active in public policy matters, serving on various boards devoted to the expansion of regional health care, transportation, housing, education, and economic development. He is the son of Rav Shneur Kotler zt”l and grandson of Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l.

References:

“Bret Stephens' State of World Jewry Address” 

“A Moving Appeal for Kosher Food for Jewish Soldiers in the Polish Army With the Signature of Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin”

World of the Yeshiva: An Intimate Portrait of Orthodox Jewry by William B. Helmreich

Field of Dreams (1989)

The Talmud

“Overklalified” by Avigdor Goldberger

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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 the structure of Jewish life and its implications for women? 
Tune in for a conversation about how women shaped—and were shaped by—the structures of the early modern kehillah.

Interview begins at 9:13.

Elisheva Carlebach is the Salo Wittmayer Baron Professor of Jewish History, Culture, and Society at Columbia University and Director of its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. A specialist in Early Modern European Jewish history, her work explores Jewish–Christian relations, religious dissent, conversion, messianism, and communal life. She is the award-winning author of The Pursuit of Heresy, Divided Souls, and Palaces of Time, and has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and honors including Columbia’s Lenfest Distinguished Faculty Award.

Debra Kaplan teaches early modern Jewish history at Bar-Ilan University. A social historian, she is the author of Beyond Expulsion (2011) and The Patrons and their Poor (University of Pennsylvania 2020; winner of the Rosl und Paul Arnsberg-Preis).

References:

“Notes Toward Finding the Right Question” by Cynthia Ozick

A Woman Is Responsible for Everything: Jewish Women in Early Modern Europe by Debra Kaplan and Elisheva Carlebach

Women and the Messianic Heresy of Sabbatai Zevi, 1666 - 1816 by Ada Rapoport-Albert

Mothers and Children: Jewish Family Life in Medieval Europe by Elisheva Baumgarten

Coming of Age in Medieval Egypt: Female Adolescence, Jewish Law, and Ordinary Culture by Eve Krakowski

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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 Princeton University Chabad House in 2002, with his wife Gitty. He has been a Jewish Chaplain at Princeton University since 2007. In addition to his Princeton activities, Eitan serves on the board of directors of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation, and of the Sinai Scholars Society. 

Rabbi Ari Israel serves as Maryland Hillel’s Executive Director—a role he has held for more than 20 years. In addition to Rabbinic ordination, Ari has Master's degrees in Medieval Jewish History as well as Secondary Education. Ari is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland where he teaches a Jewish Leadership course. 

References:

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Tanya by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi

Likkutei Sichot - Volume 10

This Is My God by Herman Wouk

For more 18Forty:
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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 becoming a rabbi, he received a JD from the Cardozo School of Law and a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University. Since founding MJE 20 years ago, Rabbi Wildes has become one of America’s most inspirational and dynamic Jewish educators. He lives with his wife Jill and their children Yosef, Ezra, Judah and Avigayil on the Upper West Side where they maintain a warm and welcoming home for all.

References:

Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life by Charlie Kirk

The Lonely Man of Faith by Joseph B. Soloveitchik

This Is My God by Herman Wouk

“Is Modern Orthodox Kiruv Possible?” by Steven Gotlib

For more 18Forty:
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EMAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: 18forty.org
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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 a more intimate world together. 

Now, he joins us to answer eighteen questions with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy on Jewish mysticism including people’s inherent divinity, tapping into the potential of modernity, and the perpetual experience of mount Sinai.

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