18Forty Podcast
Mar 18, 2020
Talmud as an Agent of Chaos: A Conversation with Ari Bergmann
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Talmud as an Agent of Chaos: A Conversation with Ari Bergmann by 18Forty
More episodes from 18Forty Podcast
3 days ago
How Can We Help Israel? Finding Our Purpose
In this episode of the _18Forty Podcast_, we talk to Noa Lewis, CEO of Echad and a volunteer with the IDF’s women’s casualty-treatment unit, about the sense of purpose it takes to unify the Jewish People with the Land of Israel.
In dire times, we are compelled to move collectively closer to fulfilling the redemptive vision of every Jew living up to their ultimate mission. And Noa, with all of the work she does for the Jewish nation, is the perfect inspiration for us to look toward. In this episode we discuss:*
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* What makes someone feel called to do the holy work of caring for the dead bodies of _Chayalim_?
* What has been the atmosphere of everyday life in Israel during the war?
* What does it mean to live a purpose-driven life?*
*Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can use our ordinary human bodies to carry out the extraordinary responsibility of being a part of _Am Yisroel_.
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*Interview begins at 10:45.
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*Born in Jerusalem and having lived in the Ukraine and Australia, Noa is the founder and CEO of Echad. Noa has founded and managed a youth program in the Ukraine, opened and managed a women's Jewish learning center in Australia and initiated many community activities including international group tours to Israel and has project managed many community events. Noa has a wealth of experience initiating and developing community projects connecting different Jewish communities around the world and is an active volunteer in a unit for emergency services.
*References:
*Parshat Korach
Genesis 22:19
Isaiah 60:21*
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Nov 28, 2023
The Opportunity and Difficulty of Unity: On the Israel March
In this episode of the _18Forty Podcast_, we talk to Eric Fingerhut—president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America—and Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff, a scholar and professor at Yeshiva University, about the need for Jewish unity and the barriers to achieving it.
In recent weeks, the Jewish community has been confronted with questions of collective Jewish existence in a way we haven’t seen in decades. In response, the Jewish world has had to join together with an _achdus_ we previously weren’t even sure was possible. In this episode we discuss:*
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* What went into planning the historic and enormous March for Israel?
* What are the opportunities and challenges for Jewish unity in times of crisis?
* What can the current movement for Jewish solidarity learn from past moments from American and Jewish history? Tune in to hear a conversation about mobilizing a people known for its proclivity for disagreement.
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*Interview with Eric Fingerhut begins at 7:26.
Interview with Rabbi Rakeffet begins at 56:31
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*Eric Fingerhut is the President and CEO of The Jewish Federations of North America. Prior to his appointment at JFNA, Fingerhut served as the President and CEO of Hillel International from 2013-19. He was an Ohio state senator from 1997 to 2006, and he represented Ohio’s 19th congressional district in the U.S. Congress from 1993 to 1994.
Rabbi Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff is a renowned scholar, historian, author, and teacher, and he is currently professor of rabbinic literature at Yeshiva University’s Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Institute in Jerusalem. Rabbi Rakeffet has written many entries for Encyclopedia Judaica, including the one on Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Rabbi Rakeffet served in the Israel Defense Forces until the maximum allowable age, and served in Lebanon during the 1982 Lebanon War. In 1980, he was recruited by Aryeh Kroll to join Mossad's clandestine Nativ operation to teach Torah in the Soviet Union.*
References:*
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*_The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut_
_Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn_ by Daniel Gordis
_Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation _by Yossi Klein Halevi
“Rabbinic Authority and Leadership On the Contemporary Scene” by Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff
Taanit 20a
“Crisis Management” by David Bashevkin
“Rafael Halperin”*
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Nov 21, 2023
Our Heart: One Child Married, One Child Missing
In this episode of the _18Forty Podcast_, we talk to Rabbi Doron Perez, executive chairman of the Mizrachi World Movement, about the sacrifices the Jewish People must make to preserve the precious gift of the State of Israel.
In a single day, Rabbi Doron Perez found out that his son Yonatan had been shot and injured in the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks—and his other son, Daniel, was “missing in action” and presumably held hostage. Only 10 days later, the family went on to hold Yonatan’s wedding, with Daniel’s status still completely unknown.
In this episode we discuss:*
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* What is the experience of a parent with a child who is held hostage?
* How does family life go on when a child is missing?
* What is the role of joy in a time of tragedy?Tune in to hear a conversation about the tears of suffering that fuel our future tears of _simcha_.
Interview begins at 5:40.
Rabbi Doron Perez is the executive chairman of the Mizrachi World Movement, a position he has held since he returned to Israel in 2014 from Johannesburg, South Africa. He is the author of the book _Leading the Way_, and a sought-after speaker and scholar-in-residence in communities in Israel and around the world. At World Mizrachi, Doron’s major focus is on organizational transformation and invigorating the global Religious Zionist movement with its dual focus on Jewish and Zionist identity and destiny.
*References:
*Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:2
_The Jewish State: From Opposition to Opportunity_ by Doron Perez
_Pachad Yitzchak al Shavuot_ by Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner
Jeremiah 31
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