18Forty Podcast

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details. Noam Taragin, son of our previous guest Rabbi Moshe Taragin, was seriously injured in Lebanon. We ask to pray for his quick healing: Noam Avraham ben Atara Shlomit.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Malka Simkovich—a scholar of Jewish history, the editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society, and a three-time 18Forty guest—about previous Jewish diasporas. We tend to think of “Israel-diaspora relations” as a modern phenomenon. But, as Dr. Simkovich reminds us, that situation existed well over 2,000 years ago, when some Jews returned to the Land of Israel following the Babylonian exile while others remained abroad. In this episode we discuss:What are the differences between the notions of golah, diaspora, and galut?Did ancient diaspora Jews have a political equivalent to “supporting Israel”? How should Jews live when in a partial state of exile?Tune in to hear a conversation about the “proto-messianic mindset” throughout Jewish history and today. Interview begins at 8:58.Dr. Malka Simkovich is the director and editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society and previously served as the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and Director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She earned a doctoral degree in Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism from Brandeis University and a Master’s degree in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016), Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism (2018), and Letters From Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity, (2024). This is her third time speaking on 18Forty.References:18Forty Podcast: “Malka Simkovich: The Mystery of the Jewish People”18Forty Podcast: “Malka Simkovich: The Secrets of Second Temple Judaism”Letters from Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity by Malka Z. SimkovichThe Antiquities of the Jews by JosephusThe Elephantine Papyri in English: Three Millennia of Cross-Cultural Continuity and Change by Bezalel PortenRosh Hashanah 18bBen SiraZechariah 8:19Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This episode is sponsored by Eden Beit Shemesh. Contact Rina Weinberg at [email protected] for more details. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rav Moshe Taragin, rosh mesivta at Yeshivat Har Etzion, about the interrelated missions of American and Israeli Jews—and the stake that each of us holds in the Jewish redemptive story. In this episode we discuss:How should young American Jews experience Israel in their formative years? How has October 7 altered the diaspora community’s orientation toward Israeli society?How can we be less intimidated by the differences between frumkeit in America and Israel’s religious culture?Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to engage with the “front stage” of Jewish history.Interview begins at 19:21Rav Moshe Taragin has been a rosh mesivta at Yeshivat Har Etzion in the Gush since 1994. He has semikha from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, a BA in Computer Science from Yeshiva College, and an MA in English Literature from City University. Rabbi Taragin previously taught Talmud at Columbia University, lectured in Talmud and Bible at the IBC and JSS divisions of Yeshiva University, and served as Assistant Rabbi at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue. In addition, Rabbi Taragin currently teaches at the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women of Yeshivat Har Etzion in Migdal Oz in Gush Etzion. He is a 1983 alumnus of Har Etzion.References:Reclaiming Redemption by Rabbi Moshe TaraginDark Clouds Above, Faith Below by Rabbi Moshe Taragin“The Waste Land” by T. S. EliotBerakhot 5a18Forty Podcast: “Yosef Bronstein: Only for Chabad? Modern Orthodoxy and the Rebbe” Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

We're taking a week off from our main podcast, but we want to share with you an episode of our new podcast, 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers, recorded on Sept. 9. Subscribe to on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to catch the latest episode every Monday. Until Hamas is gone, Haviv Rettig Gur says, Gaza will be unable to recover after the war.The Times of Israel journalist and political analyst has emerged as a leading voice for the Israeli public and the Jewish world for deeper understandings of the war's developments. Haviv has covered Israeli politics — domestic and foreign — for nearly two decades and speaks internationally about Zionism, the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, and Israel's future.Haviv was previously the director of communications for the Jewish Agency for Israel, and currently teaches history and politics at Israeli premilitary academies.Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including the country's leadership, Western media, and the Palestinian future.Here are our 18 questions:As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?Do you think Western media covers the Israel-Hamas War fairly?What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?What role should the Israeli government have in religious matters?Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — such as in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict after the war?Where do you read news about Israel?Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by dailygiving.org.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to musician Matisyahu Miller—known as “Matisyahu”—who has publicly re-embraced his Judaism and Zionism since October 7.Matisyahu’s public persona has long been subject to scrutiny and analysis. Comparatively few people, though, have listened to his story in depth. In this episode we discuss:How has the public expression of Matisyahu’s Jewish identity ebbed and flowed throughout his life?Is there anything Matisyahu would change about the Orthodox community?How has the inwardness of Matisyahu’s Jewish identity guided him throughout his life?Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to be, in Matisyahu’s words, “a pnimius Yid.”Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and alternative rock musician. He's known for his skill in blending reggae and hip hop as he provides a raw expression of his spirituality. His long and winding career consists of seven albums including chart-topping Light, Youth, Spark Seeker, Akeda, and Undercurrent with hits such as "One Day", "Sunshine", and "King Without A Crown". Through his lyrics, Matisyahu develops a personal, artistic, and sophisticated way to express the yearning for deep spiritual meaning, and as his own beliefs opened up to find more variety and depth, the desire for his performances to match the unpredictable flow of life developed as well. References:The Office Light by MatisyahuAkeda by MatisyahuHoly Brother: Inspiring Stories and Enchanted Tales about Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach by Yitta Halberstam MandelbaumThe Sabbath by Abraham Joshua HeschelPolitics Of Experience by R.D. Laing"Spiritual Schadenfreude: The Case of Matisyahu’s Beard" by David BashevkinBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.