18Forty Podcast

This episode is sponsored by Brett and Susan Nadritch, who support creative initiatives that strengthen our love for and connection to the People and Land of Israel, in honor of all the lone soldiers in the most recent Hesder draft, the class of Nisan 5786. 

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Michael Olshin, educational director of Yeshivat Torat Shraga in Jerusalem, about the purpose of the gap year in Israel.

In this episode we discuss: 

—What should our hopes and expectations be for the gap year in Israel?
—How can we improve students’ Hebrew proficiency?
—Is it time to reimagine what the gap year in Israel could be, with a focus on contributing to the State of Israel in addition to Torah learning?

Tune in to hear a conversation about our responsibility to create a Yiddishkeit that touches the lives of the wider world.

Interview begins at 14:40.

Rabbi Michael Olshin is the Educational Director of Yeshivat Torat Shraga in Jerusalem, bringing over 25 years of teaching and leadership experience from roles at Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim, Yeshivat Shaalvim, Bet Midrash L'Torah, and youth programs including NCSY, NCSY Kollel, and Camp Mesorah. He also serves as an educator and guide with Jroots, leading educational journeys across Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Ukraine. He lives in Bet Shemesh with his family, and his children have served in elite commando units of the Israel Defense Forces.

References:

If You're Reading These Words by Shlomo Kavas and Racheli Palant-Rozen

A Dreamer and A Fighter: Reflections and Journal Entries by Capt Amitai Zvi Granot

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Michael Eisenberg—a venture capitalist and Torah scholar—about the state of the Jewish People in Israel and the diaspora. 

In this episode we discuss:

—What lies ahead for the Jewish People amid the war with Iran?
—What can Israel and America teach one another about Jewish innovation?
—What should be the religious vision for “secular” Jews in Israel?

Tune in to hear a conversation about where we hope to go together, and how we can get there.

Interview begins at 6:13.

Michael Eisenberg is Co-Founder and General Partner at Aleph, an early-stage venture capital fund managing $850 million, where he has spent over 25 years partnering with Israeli entrepreneurs to build impactful global companies; since 2013, Aleph has invested in more than 50 startups, including Melio, Lemonade (NYSE: LMND), Bringg, JoyTunes, and Healthy.io. He writes the blog Six Kids and a Full Time Job and contributes to Calcalist and TheMarker, is the author of The Hummus Manifesto and five Hebrew books, and frequently lectures on venture capital, Israel, and entrepreneurship. He serves on the boards of Yeshivat Har Etzion and The Shomer Hachadash, and lives in Jerusalem with his wife and eight children.

References:

The Vanishing Jew: A Wake-Up Call From the Book of Esther by Michael Eisenberg

The Tree of Life and Prosperity: 21st Century Business Principles from the Book of Genesis by Michael Eisenberg

Meshekh Chokhmah, Bekhukotai

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a father and daughter who were estranged and then reunited. We also speak with Adam Pollock, the estrangement specialist who inspired them to reconcile. 

In this episode we discuss: 
Are there specific struggles that lead to estrangement in the Orthodox Jewish world?
How do we handle the tension between the need to heal and the need to be right? 
How do we avoid regression once family members have been reunited? 
Tune in to hear a conversation about our essential and unchanging identities that transcend our circumstances.  

Interview begins at 20:50. 

Adam N. Pollock is the founder of Aaron’s Legacy, where he specializes in mediating family estrangement using a blend of ancient wisdom and modern conflict resolution techniques. Since 2015, he has helped individuals and families navigate some of their most painful relational fractures with compassion, rigor, and creativity. A former attorney and business executive, Adam brings decades of experience in negotiation, arbitration, and high-stakes decision-making to his work as an estrangement mediator. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from The George Washington University and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, and is the author of Secrets From the Legal Pad (2023).

References:

Genesis 37:31

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Psalms 121

Titles by C.B. Weinfeld

Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict by Joshua Coleman PhD

Third-Party Peacemakers in Judaism: Text, Theory, and Practice by Daniel Roth

Exodus 13:19

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to philanthropist David Magerman and his daughter Sydney, who decided to make aliyah while on her gap year in Israel.  

In this episode we discuss:
What should we do with the freedom we’ve been given?
What is it like to make the journey toward Orthodoxy as a family? 
What is it like to make aliyah when one’s family is in America?
Tune in for a conversation about building bridges and pipelines across generations and geography. 

Interview begins at 11:57.

David Magerman is the co-founder and managing partner of Differential Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on AI, machine learning, and data science. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University and brings over 25 years of experience in data-driven research and innovation. Previously, he was a founding member and head of production for the equities trading group at a quantitative hedge fund. 

References:

A Letter in the Scroll: Understanding Our Jewish Identity and Exploring the Legacy of the World's Oldest Religion by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

The Steinsaltz Tanya

Genesis 12:1

For more 18Forty:
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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Shaanan Gelman and his son Ziggy about the persistence of a parent-child relationship when the latter faces addiction.  

In this episode we discuss:How does habitual drug use evolve into addiction?
How does a parent help a child struggling with substance abuse?
How do such a parent and child manage the expectations and perceptions of the outside world? 
Tune in for a conversation about how a parent-child relationship survives and emerges resilient from a harrowing ordeal.

Interview begins at 15:05.

Shaanan Gelman, rabbi of Chovevei Tzion in Chicago, holds a degree in Computer Science from Yeshiva College and received semicha from RIETS at Yeshiva University. He studied in Israel at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Gruss Institute, and later served as a Kollel Fellow in Boca Raton, where he held leadership and educational roles. He is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America’s executive board, active in the Chicago Rabbinical Council, and serves on the board of Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago. A committed Zionist, he is active in AIPAC and has led initiatives supporting Israel.

References:

God of Our Understanding: Jewish Spirituality and Recovery from Addiction by Shais Taub

“Being Kevin, Watching ‘Being Charlie’” by Kevin Jack McEnroe

The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath by Leslie Jamison

Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big BookIn the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté 

Addict in the House: A No-Nonsense Family Guide Through Addiction and Recovery by Robin Barnett

Psalms 37

For more 18Forty:
NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join
CALL: (212) 582-1840
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