18Forty Podcast

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Yisroel Besser: How To Share Jewish Stories [Books II 4/4] Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

This series is sponsored by an anonymous lover of books.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yisroel Besser, who authored many rabbinic biographies and brought David Bashevkin to Mishpacha magazine, about sharing Jewish stories.
During his prolific career, Yisroel has written about Jewish lives with an eye for the good—and encouraged others along the way. In this episode we discuss:

How does Yisroel go about writing a rabbi’s biography?
What is the difference between “Shabbos for children” and “Shabbos for grown-ups”?
What unexpected topic does Yisroel wish he could write about?

Tune in to hear a conversation about looking at others with “beautiful eyes,” to tell their stories with a capacity to uplift.
Interview begins at 19:44.
Yisroel Besser is an author and journalist. Yisroel writes for Mishpacha magazine, and has authored several books, such as Reb Shayele: The Warmth and Wonder of Kerestir, The Tosher Rebbe, and Reb Leizer - The life and legacy of Rabbi Eliezer Geldzahler, among others. Yisroel joins us to talk about how we share Jewish stories.
References:
Top 5 by David Bashevkin
ברגז רחם תזכור by David Bashevkin
Reb Shlomo - The Life and Legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld by Yisroel Besser
Reb Meilech on the Haggadah by Yisroel Besser
Warmed By the Fire (Intimate Glimpses of Inspiring Leaders) by Yisroel Besser
Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz: His Vision, Wisdom, and Warmth Lit Up the World by Yisroel Besser
I Samuel 22
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Dara Horn: On Jewish Fiction and Non-Jewish Fiction [Books II 3/4] Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

This series is sponsored by an anonymous lover of books.
This episode is sponsored by Twillory. Use the coupon code 18Forty to get $18 off of all orders more than $139.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dara Horn, a leading contemporary Jewish writer, about how fiction and non-fiction can change the way we view our fellow Jews. While we at 18Forty love scholarly and factual writing, fiction has long enabled the Jewish people to be more imaginative and contemplative about the meaning of Jewish identity and memory in our collective past, present, and future. In this episode we discuss:

What is Dara Horn’s writing process?
What is the role of belief in literature?
Are there living Jews whom we struggle to love?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how, as Dara says, “the uncomfortable moments are where the story is.”
Interview begins at 7:17. Dara Horn is a Jewish American novelist, essayist, and professor of literature. She has written five novels and in 2021, released a non-fiction essay collection titled People Love Dead Jews, which was a finalist for the 2021 Kirkus Prize in non-fiction. Her other books include All Other Nights, The World to Come, Eternal Life, and A Guide for the Perplexed. Dara joins us to talk about Jewish stories, in fiction and non-fiction.
References:
Eternal Life by Dara Horn Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman
Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin
Breakdown & Bereavement by Yosef Haim Brenner
“Becoming Anne Frank” by Dara Horn
People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn
“Savoring the Haterade: Why Jews Love Dara Horn’s ‘People Love Dead Jews’” by Shaul Magid
“American Jews Know How This Story Goes” by Dara Horn
Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi
All Other Nights by Dara Horn
College Commons Podcast from Hebrew Union College
Adventures with Dead Jews from Dara Horn
Mr. Mani by A. B. Yehoshua
Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error by Kathryn Schulz
“Message” by Avi Shafran
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Sarah Hurwitz and Alex Edelman: On Introducing Judaism [Books II 2/4] Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

This series is sponsored by an anonymous lover of books.
This episode is sponsored by Twillory. Use the coupon code 18Forty to get $18 off of all orders more than $139.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to returning guest comedian Alex Edelman, whose show has made it to Broadway, and his chavrusa, Sarah Hurwitz, former White House speechwriter and the author of Here All Along, about how to introduce people to a Judaism that is both inclusive and rigorous.
In this episode we discuss:

How does Alex Edelman write a one-man show “chavrusa-style”?
What, according to Sarah Hurwitz, is the difference between “writing to be read” and “writing to be heard”?
How does a writer bring a rich and relevant body of Jewish knowledge to the masses?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the “neon entrance signs” of Jewish life and how every Jew can find a way into appreciating their inheritance.
Alex Edelman interview begins at 13:32.
Sarah Hurtwitz interview begins at 54:09.
Alex Edelman is a product of Massachusetts’s Maimonides School and has been featured on Conan and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In 2020, he was the head writer and executive producer of the “Saturday Night Seder” YouTube extravaganza, which raised over $3.5 million for the CDC Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. His show Just For Us is running on Broadway! While nights tend to sell out quickly, tickets are available here.
Sarah Hurwitz is an American speechwriter. Sarah was a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama in 2009 and 2010, and head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama from 2010 to 2017, and was appointed to serve on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council by Barack Obama shortly before he left the White House. Sarah is the author of Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life—in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There).
References:
“Failure Goes to Yeshivah: What I’ve Learned From the Failure Narratives of My Students” by David Bashevkin
This Is My God by Herman Wouk
People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present by Dara Horn
For the Relief of Unbearable Urges: Stories by Nathan Englander
White nights: The story of a prisoner in Russia by Menachem Begin
The Lonely Man of Faith by Joseph B. Soloveitchik
God in Search of Man : A Philosophy of Judaism by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Suddenly, a Knock on the Door: Stories by Etgar Keret
From Text to Tradition, a History of Judaism in Second Temple and Rabbinic Times: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism by Lawrence H. Schiffman
To the End of the Land by David Grossman
My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life—in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There) by Sarah Hurwitz
As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg
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Josh Foer: How Can You Make a Digital Library for All? [Books II 1/4] Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

This series is sponsored by an anonymous lover of books.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Joshua Foer, co-founder of Sefaria, about the revolutionary digital Jewish library of which he was the visionary.
Prior to Sefaria, the possibility of finding the Talmud and other central Jewish texts in translation online felt entirely out of reach. Now, we take for granted that any Jew in the world can access the fullness of the tradition.
In this episode we discuss:

How did Foer come up with the idea for a comprehensive website of Jewish texts?
What was Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s role in Sefaria putting his translation of the Talmud online?
How does digitization change our relationship to Jewish books?
What does having a “gender-sensitive” Tanakh actually mean?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how to make the depth and breadth of Torah available to the entire Jewish community.
Interview begins at 30:30.
Joshua Foer is an author and founder. His book Moonwalking with Einstein was an international bestseller, and he is the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, Sefaria, the design competition Sukkah City, and most recently the Lehrhaus in Boston, Massachusetts. Josh joins us to talk about books real and virtual, and how to build a digital library.
References:
Book Journey with Elli Fischer
Sefaria
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
Talmud: The William Davidson Edition
“Is Sefaria Kosher?” by Gil Student
THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition
Berakhot 22a
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Dov Singer: Living a Prayerful Life [Prayer & Humanity 5/5] Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by our friends Rabbi Sruli and Hindy Motzen.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dov Singer, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Mekor Chaim and founder of the Beit Midrash L'Hitchadshut, about how prayer can bring clarity to the essentials of our existence.
Rav Singer helps us understand how we can move our concerns from the “X-axis” (the things we want) to the “Y-axis” (our innermost desires that drive us). In this episode we discuss:

What does it mean to be a “prayer man”?
How can one effectively set the intention to bring their prayer to a more profound place?
What does it mean to have a “chavrusa in davening”?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the role of deep desire within the routine of daily prayer.
Interview begins at 21:00.
Rabbi Dov Singer is a trailblazing Israeli educator, spiritual thinker, and thinker. Rav Dov is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Mekor Chaim, the founder of the Beit Midrash L'Hitchadshut, and an international lecturer. He is the author of the Hebrew bestseller on prayer, Tikon Teffilati, which is available in English as Prepare My Prayer. He is well known in Israel for his workshops, prayer events, and teacher trainings, as well as a spiritual leader of many.
References:
Prologue to Love’s Executioner by Irvin D. Yalom
“Theologies of Prayer: Dov Singer and Arthur Green in ‘Conversation’” by Steven Gotlib
Olat Reiyah by Rav Kook
Prepare My Prayer by Dov Singer
Likutei Halakhot by Reb Noson of Breslov
“Give Me One Prayer” by Shmuel
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Debbie Stone: Can Prayer Be Taught? [Prayer & Humanity 4/5] Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Mosaica Press, whose books—including a range of titles on prayer—can be purchased for 18% off with the coupon code 18FORTY.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dr. Debbie Stone, an educator of young people, about how she teaches prayer.
We also speak with David’s dear friend Brad Greenbaum about the experience of prayer in serious times of need—and with Rabbi Yaakov Glasser about how he helps people who are struggling in their spiritual lives.
In this episode we discuss:

What did Debbie learn about our relationship with prayer in the process of creating a siddur for teenagers?
How can educators better accommodate for the discomfort with tefillah often felt by newcomers?
What is the role of “real estate” in prayer?

Tune in to hear a conversation about all that goes into cultivating a practice of thankfulness within our communities.
Brad Greenbaum interview begins at 14:55.
Debbie Stone interview begins at 33:55.
Yaakov Glasser interview begins at 1:20:48.
Dr. Debbie Stone is an educator and lecturer. Dr. Stone serves as the Associate Head for Judaics at the Jewish Leadership Academy in Miami. She received her Doctorate in Education from Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School. Dr. Stone previously served as the associate director of education for NCSY, and authored the Koren NCSY Siddur, helping students learn and connect to prayer in Judaism.
References:
Three Steps Forward by Menachem Tenenbaum
The Musaf Prayer by Elchanan Adler
DMC: The Amidah by Ira Kosowsky
The Feigenbaum Teen Siddur by Yitzchak Feigenbaum

The Song of Shabbos by Yitzchok Alster
The Art of Tefillah by Shlomo David and Daniel Glanz
The Koren NCSY Siddur by Debbie Stone and Daniel Rose
“In Her Place” by Yisroel Besser
Netiv Ha'Avodah 10 by the Maharal of Prague
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Moshe Koppel: Artificial Intelligence and Torah [Prayer & Humanity 3/5] Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to returning guest Moshe Koppel—a computer scientist and Talmud scholar—about Torah and its intersection with artificial intelligence.
In a world in which technology puts vast libraries of Torah at our fingertips, we are tasked with thinking more deeply about what essentially human abilities we bring to the enterprise of Torah and tefillah. In this episode we discuss:

What computer-based innovations are on the horizon in the realm of Torah study?
Will AI ever be able to reliably answer our halachic questions?
Will advances in technology drastically change the experience of Shabbos observance?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how AI has the potential to make our Jewish lives richer—if we use it wisely.
Interview begins at 18:21.
Dr. Moshe Koppel is a computer scientist, Talmud scholar, and political activist. Moshe is a professor of computer science at Bar-Ilan University, and a prolific author of academic articles and books on Jewish thought, computer science, economics, political science, and other disciplines. He is the founding director of Kohelet, a conservative-libertarian think tank in Israel, and he advises members of the Knesset on legislative matters. Dr. Koppel is the author of three sharply thought books on Jewish thought and previously joined 18Forty to talk about Halacha as Language.
References:
“Funes the Memorious” by Jorge Luis Borges
The Mind of a Mnemonist by A.R. Luria

Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking by Douglas R. Hofstadter & Emmanuel Sander

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter

Meta-Halakhah: Logic, Intuition, and the Unfolding of Jewish Law by Moshe Koppel

2001: A Space Odyssey

DICTA: Analytical tools for Hebrew texts
“Digital Discourse and the Democratization of Jewish Learning” by Zev Eleff
Tzidkat HaTzadik: 211 by Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin
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Dovid'l Weinberg: The Song of Prayer [Prayer & Humanity 2/5] May 29, 2023

Show notes

This episode is sponsored in memory of Rabbi Eliezer Skaist, HaRav Eliezer Daniel ben HaRav Eliyahu Dovid A"H, by his family.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dovid'l Weinberg—a rabbi, educator, musician, poet, and author—about the wide range of modes and levels of prayer.
Rav Dovid’l speaks with us about how prayer can be our bridge between our lonely place in the world and God’s omnipresence. In this episode we discuss:

What is the relationship between Creation and prayer?
How does communication between people relate to our communication with the Divine?
If it often doesn’t seem to affect very much, why does prayer matter?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how finite humans seek to speak with an infinite God.
Interview begins at 10:24.
Rav Dovid'l Weinberg is an educator, musician, poet, and author. Rav Dovid’l teaches as a Ra’am in Yeshivat Orayta; is the Rosh Kollel of Camp HASC's Kollel Toras Chesed; is a co-founder of The Mishna Project, an educational tool which aids the memorization of mishnayos through music; played guitar for the band Omek Hadavar; and writes his own music. He is the author of Birth of the Spoken Word: Personal Prayer as the Goal of Creation and the recently published Reflections on Oros HaTorah.
References:
“Only You” by Dovid'l Weinberg
The Lonely Man of Faith by Joseph B. Soloveitchik
Birth of the Spoken Word: Personal Prayer as the Goal of Creation by Dovid'l Weinberg.
Pirkei Avot
Genesis
Chiddushei Rabbeinu Chaim Halevi Gilyonos Chazon Ish by Chaim Brisker and Chazon Ish
Halakhic Man by Joseph B. Soloveitchik
Worship of the Heart: Essays on Jewish Prayer by Joseph B. Soloveitchik
Rav Schwab on Prayer by Shimon Schwab
Siddur Tehillat Hashem
Sichot HaRan by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
To Have or To Be? by Erich Fromm
Berogez Racheim Tizkor by David Bashevkin
Olat Reiyah by Rav Kook
A Call to the Infinite by Aryeh Kaplan
Chassidus Mevueres - Avodas Hatefillah by Schneur Zalman of Liadi
Tikkun HaKlali by Rebbe Nachman
Reflections on Oros HaTorah by Dovid'l Weinberg
Shemoneh Esrei: Exploring the Fundamentals of Faith through the Amida Prayer by Ezra Bick
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Samuel Lebens: The Hard Problem of Prayer [Prayer & Humanity 1/5] May 23, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Samuel Lebens—a philosophy professor, rabbi, and Jewish educator—about the nature of consciousness.
At a time when artificial intelligence can make us question what it even is that makes humans unique, we look deeply into our ability to have personal experiences and turn them into new ideas. In this episode, we discuss with Sam:

Why do we each have a subjective consciousness?
What is the relationship between prayer and our lives?
What is the “Turing test,” and how does it relate to prayer?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how consciousness gives us the ability to transform words into prayer, to “sing a new song.”
Interview begins at 31:28.
Rabbi Dr. Samuel Lebens is an associate professor in the philosophy department at the University of Haifa, as well as a rabbi and Jewish educator. Samuel holds a PhD in philosophy from Birkbeck College (University of London), and his academic interests cover the philosophy of religion, metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of language. Samuel teaches at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education and the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies. Samuel’s most recent book, of several, is A Guide for the Jewish Undecided, groundbreaking work has an engaging style that makes it accessible to all readers, while not losing the clarity and rigor characteristic of analytic philosophy. Samuel’s first book was a study of Bertrand Russell’s dynamic theories about the nature of meaning. Samuel previously joined us to talk about rationality and mysticism.
References:
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter
Galileo's Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness by Philip Goff
“Perpetual Prophecy: An Intellectual Tribute to Reb Zadok Ha-Kohen of Lublin on His 110th Yahrzeit” by David Bashevkin
Being John Malkovich
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Anomalisa

Netivot Olam by the Maharal of Prague
Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris
Rupture and Reconstruction: The Transformation of Contemporary Orthodoxy by Haym Soloveitchik
“God and his imaginary friends: a Hassidic metaphysics” by Samuel Lebens
2001: A Space Odyssey
“A Conversation With Bing’s Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled” by Kevin Roose
The Most Human Human: What Talking with Computers Teaches Us About What It Means to Be Alive by Brian Christian
Shemot Rabbah
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The How and Why of Moving to Israel [Zionism 4/4] May 15, 2023

Show notes

This series is sponsored by Unpacking Israeli History.
This episode is sponsored by Daf Yomi with Shaul C. Greenwald, a fast-moving energetic daf shiur, delivered with clarity and intensity.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a series of guests who have made aliyah about the practical factors involved with building a life in Israel.
Serena Benovitz, Chana Berkowitz, Yehoshua Fass, Edo Lavi, and Ahron Levi shed light on the nuances and complexities involved in moving to Israel, though for many of us, the mere thought of uprooting our lives and going to an unfamiliar place is intimidating enough. In this episode we discuss:

What inspires people to leave their homes and begin anew in Israel?
What are the difficulties that come with making aliyah?
What does the process of moving to Israel generally involve?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what is unique about deciding to lead a Jewish life in the Jewish state.
Serena Benovitz Interview: 11:58
Chana Berkowitz Interview 37:17
Yehoshua Fass Interview: 43:27
Edo Lavi Interview: 1:40:10
Ahron Levi Interview: 2:08:18
Aliyah—the "pilgrimage" of moving to Israel that literally translates to "ascent"—is a multi-layered subject. We are joined by Rabbi Yehoshua Fass of Nefesh B'Nefesh to break it down.
Rabbi Yehoshua Fass is Co-Founder of Nefesh B’Nefesh and has served as the organization’s Executive Director since 2002. After receiving his rabbinic ordination and degrees in biology and education from Yeshiva University, Rabbi Fass assumed the position of Associate Rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue of Florida and served as a member of the Beit Din of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council.
This episode is sponsored by Daf Yomi with Shaul C. Greenwald, a fast-moving energetic daf shiur, delivered with clarity and intensity. The shiur moves swiftly through the daf, while still managing to explain well the difficult portions of the sugya. The shiur is available daily on all podcast platforms, All Daf, and on Torah Anytime.
References:
The Koren Mahzor for Yom Haatzma'ut and Yom Yerushalayim by Jonathan Sacks
Genesis 12
Nefesh B’Nefesh
Tzidkas HaTzadik
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
הארץ אשר אראך by Rabbi Shnayor Burton
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

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