This series is sponsored by Unpacking Israeli History.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Noam Weissman, executive vice president of OpenDor Media, about Israel education.In a world in which Israel is a key component of Jewish identity, young people often are given a sanitized, doctrinaire understanding of the Jewish state, rather than getting to build on an authentic experience of connection. Dr. Weissman helps us try to correct this by unpacking some recent Jewish history. In this episode we discuss:

• How should we provide Israel education in the contemporary world?
• How can we further uplift and inspire our enduring connection with the Land of Israel?
• What is the difference between education and indoctrination?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the Jewish people, the Jewish land, and the Jewish state.Interview begins at 18:03.Dr. Noam Weissman is the Senior Vice President of OpenDor Media. Noam is also the Founder and Director of LaHaV. Noam previously served as Principal of Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles. Noam earned a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Southern California, with a focus on curriculum design. His dissertation, entitled “Approaching Israel Education,” argues for a new vision in learning about the modern State of Israel, focusing on Zionist identity development, narrative formation, and the ability to have a mature and loving relationship with Israel without sacrificing empathy.References:Seinfeld“Could Judaism Survive Israel?” by Gary EpsteinJewish History UnpackedGenesis 12:1OpenDor MediaThe Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People by Walter Russell Mead The Wondering Jew: Israel and the Search for Jewish Identity by Micah GoodmanSide by Side: Parallel Histories of Israel-PalestineIsrael: A History by Anita ShapiraIsrael: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn by Daniel GordisIsrael: A History by Martin GilbertThe Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership by Yehuda AvnerBonus References from Unpacking Israeli History:AltalenaMunich MassacreKishinevWar of IndependenceYom Kippur WarEntebbeDeir YassinSix-Day War UN Resolution 3379Black PanthersRabin's Assassination

This series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a son who almost intermarried, the mother of a daughter who married a non-Jew, and Huvi and Brian, a couple whose intermarriage turned into a Jewish marriage—about intergenerational divergence in the context of intermarriage. This Pesach, we have the opportunity to reflect on our childhoods and how, through our families, all of our “beginnings” stretch back far beyond our own lifetimes.

• How can a Jewish family navigate the prospect of intermarriage?
• How can we maintain familial bonds with members of interfaith families?
• What ruptures can happen within families and communities when a Jew dates, or marries, a non-Jew, and how can those ruptures be repaired?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how an apparent disaster doesn’t need to be the end of the story.First interview: 16:16Second interview: 50:23Third Interview: 1:17:23References:“Big Gedalia Goomber” by Uncle MoishyArukh HaShulchan, Yoreh De'ah 345 by Yechiel Michel Epstein“Absolute Beginners” by David BashevkinGenesis 12“Family Ties” by David BashevkinShevet Sefer, Yoreh Deah 108 by Simcha Bunim Schreiber

This series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Liel Leibovitz and Lisa Ann Sandell about what happens when one partner wants to increase their religious practice.Liel grew up a secular Israeli, while Lisa was raised in a traditional home of loosening observance. When, eight years ago, Liel brought up the idea of keeping kosher, they realized they were moving in different directions.

• What first drew Liel toward growing religiosity?
• How did Lisa react to the changes in Liel’s worldview and lifestyle?
• How are they able to run a home, marriage, and family together despite being on separate and dynamic paths?

Tune in to hear a conversation about being a “helpmate,” someone who both challenges and uplifts their spouse.Interview begins at 11:21.Lisa Ann Sandell is the author of the young-adult books The Weight of the Sky, Song of the Sparrow, and A Map of the Known World. Liel Leibovitz is editor at large for Tablet Magazine and a host of its weekly culture podcast Unorthodox and daily Talmud podcast Take One.References:8 Minute DafTake One“Eli, the Fanatic” by Philip RothLincolnSin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David Bashevkin Daniel Deronda by George EliotHow the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book by Liel LeibovitzIsaiah 54:10“Everlasting Love” by Rabbi Shlomo & Eitan Katz

This series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Aliza and Ephraim Bulow, a married couple whose religious paths diverged over the course of their shared life. With the loss of a son, granddaughter, and grandson, Ephraim lost his faith in Judaism while Aliza remained an observant believer. As they describe it, now, when making kiddush, Ephraim provides the words and Aliza brings the kavanah. In this episode we discuss:

• What is it like to stay committed to a marriage when one partner loses their religious faith?
• Is there any public embarrassment in having a spouse who is less observant than oneself?
• What might make it worthwhile to keep a religiously divergent marriage intact?
• Which Jewish experiences do Aliza and Ephraim still share?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the love and trust needed to hold a marriage with religious differences together. Interview begins at 12:02.References:Song of Songs “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp)” by Allan Sherman“Seventy-Six Sol Cohens” by Allan ShermanMiriam's Kitchen: A Memoir by Elizabeth Ehrlich

In this special Purim episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we bring you a recording from our live event with the comedian Modi, for our annual discussion on humor. As a preeminent Jewish comedian of only growing popularity, Modi finds himself needing to navigate the nuances of public and private life while he brings “Moshiach energy” to audiences all over the world. In this episode we discuss:

• What makes laughter have ”Moshiach energy”?
• What guidance would Modi have for a parent of a gay child?
• What is Modi’s favorite prayer to lead as a chazan?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the element of redemption we find in humor amid a broken world. Interview begins at 5:08.Voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter, Modi is one of the comedy circuit’s most sought-after performers. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Modi emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of seven and was raised on Long Island. After graduating from Boston University, he worked as an investment banker until his first open-mic night made him realize that stand-up was his true calling. Equipped with a sharp wit and a knack for reading an audience, Modi has gone on to become a successful fixture in New York's vibrant comedy scene, often doing bits that incorporate his heritage, and he is a hit with diverse Jewish audiences as well as fans of all backgrounds and beliefs.References:And Here's Modi - Episode 14 (Rabbi Manis Friedman)Chasing SpielbergTaanit 22aThe Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

This series is sponsored by Ari and Danielle Schwartz in memory of Danielle’s grandfather, Mr. Baruch Mappa, Baruch Ben Asher Zelig HaLevi.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to three different advocates for affordable Jewish education about the state of the tuition crisis.While it is a sensitive subject to discuss, the cost of Jewish education remains one of the most vital issues at play in Jewish life today, as passing on a Torah education to the next generation is of the utmost importance.

• Why is Jewish education so expensive?
• How exactly does the process of providing financial aid work?
• What large-scale measures can be taken to attack the tuition crisis?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can be more effective in our effort to provide a Torah education for all Jewish children. Interview with Richard Hagler begins at 7:20Interview with Chavie Kahn begins at 59:30Interview with Maury Litwack begins at 1:11:42Richard Hagler has been a longtime executive director of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach schools. Chavie Kahn is the director of school strategy and policy at UJA-Federation of New York. Maury Litwack is the managing director of the Orthodox Union and founder of Teach Coalition.References:Teach Coalition18Forty Podcast: “Michael A. Helfand: Church, State, and Jewish Education”America in the King Years trilogy by Taylor Branch

This series is sponsored by Ari and Danielle Schwartz in memory of Danielle’s grandfather, Mr. Baruch Mappa, Baruch Ben Asher Zelig HaLevi.In this edition of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein—an expert on the history of Orthodox girls’ education—about the value of education for all people.With the founding of the Bais Yaakov movement, Sarah Schenirer sought to create a culture of education that was inclusive to the marginalized. Over a century later, we encounter a related but simultaneously new set of challenges. In this episode we discuss:

• What made the early Bais Yaakov movement both controversial and revolutionary?
• What would Sarah Schenirer think of the state of Jewish education in the 21st century?
• Are graduating adults still in need of education and youth programming?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the indispensability of Jewish education from the early 20th century to today.Interview begins at 29:30.Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein is the Academic Dean of Women's Institute of Torah Seminary & College, an Orthodox Jewish college for women. A scholar and author, Dr. Klein speaks on Jewish history, Tanach, leadership and communication skills across the United States and internationally. Dr. Ginsparg Klein received her Ph.D. from New York University, where she researched the history of Orthodox girls’ education in America and the Bais Yaakov Movement. References:18Forty Podcast: “Yitzchak Breitowitz: Navigating Controversy”18Forty Podcast: “Yisroel Kaminetsky: The Goal of Jewish Education”Sarah Schenirer and the Bais Yaakov Movement: A Revolution in the Name of Tradition by Naomi SeidmanReading Jewish Women: Marginality and Modernization in Nineteenth-Century Eastern European Jewish Society by Iris ParushIn Her Hands: The Education of Jewish Girls in Tsarist Russia by Eliyana R. Adler Jewish Girls Coming of Age in America, 1860-1920 by Melissa R. Klapper Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein on Bais Yaakov Education and Culture Across North America, at Harvard Law School

This series is sponsored by Ari and Danielle Schwartz in memory of Danielle’s grandfather, Mr. Baruch Mappa, Baruch Ben Asher Zelig HaLevi.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak to Michael A. Helfand, a Pepperdine Law professor specializing in religious liberty, about the meaning of the First Amendment as it relates to the funding of religious schools.With education so deeply essential to the modern Jewish community, we are confronted with the high cost of private schooling. In America, is the government able to step in and help? Should it?

• Why doesn’t the government fully fund religious schools?
• What is the “Lemon test”?
• Does “separation of the church and state” mean the government cannot support any religious institution, or only that it must support all religious institutions equally?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the history and status of religious schools in American law.Interview begins at 9:58.Professor Michael Helfand is an expert on religious law and religious liberty. A frequent author and lecturer, his work considers how U.S. law treats religious law, custom and practice, focusing on the intersection of private law and religion in contexts such as religious arbitration, religious contracts and religious torts. He is currently an associate professor at Pepperdine University School of Law and co-director of Pepperdine University’s Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish Studies. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University. Professor Helfand is an executive board member of the Beth Din of America, where he serves as a consultant on the enforceability of rabbinical arbitration agreements and awards in U.S. courts.References:The New American Judaism by Jack Wertheimer“Remembering Rabbi Norman Lamm” by Michael A. HelfandTo Build a Wall by Gregg IversReligion and State in the American Jewish Experience by Jonathan D. Sarna and David G. Dalin

In this edition of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to David’s rebbe, Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky, longtime principal of DRS Yeshiva High School, about the state of Jewish education in America.We find ourselves in a transformative time in the realm of Jewish education. Jewish literacy is at an all-time high, and yet we are still faced with existential angst. In this episode, Yisroel Kaminetsky tells us what goes into creating a yeshiva experience that delivers the most benefit to the most students — and how we can avoid instances of people falling through the cracks.

• How can we build a Jewish-education system that provides a “path home” for every Jew?
• How can parents supplement the education their children get at school?
• How should we define success, and in what ways can a yeshiva, God forbid, fail a student?

Tune in to hear a conversation about laying the groundwork for a strong Jewish future.Interview begins at 25:58.References:A Tale of Two Cities by Charles DickensLithuanian Yeshivas of the Nineteenth Century by Shaul StampferFamilies, Rabbis and Education by Shaul StampferMemorable Encounters by Dr. Joseph Kaminetsky“I Want Arvei Psachim with Rabeinu Dovid Rishus Cold Rishus Seltzer CHECK OUT OF LIFE” on YouTubeMesilat Yesharim by Moshe Chaim Luzzatto

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, you, our listeners, feature as our guests as we listen to your responses to our series on Romance & Commitment and the Origins of Judaism. It is our double-absolute privilege to hear how 18Forty’s explorations of the big, juicy Jewish ideas have interacted with your own lives. In this episode we discuss:

• What are the audience’s reflections on dating, loneliness, and belonging?
• What are some potential future 18Forty topics?
• How does David remember all the things he reads?
• And of course, what pronunciation corrections do listeners have for David?

Tune in as we check in on the 18Forty audience and hear the thoughts that have been most pressing on your minds. Please do leave us your own voicemail with feedback or questions that we may plan on a future episode, at 917-720-5629.Voicemails begin at 4:40. References:18Forty Podcast: “How Different Jewish Communities Date”18Forty Podcast: “Channah Cohen: The Crisis of Experience” 18Forty Podcast: “Lawrence Schiffman: The World of Early Judaism”18Forty Podcast: “Tova Ganzel: The Judaism of the Prophets & the People”The Shame Borne in Silence: Spouse Abuse in the Jewish Community by Rabbi Abraham J. TwerskiPri Tzadik by Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin18Forty Podcast: “Ari Koretzky: In Conversation with Dovid Bashevkin”The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-ExupéryFrankenstein by Mary Shelley