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    The year 1840 was a turning point: the Industrial Revolution peaked, the Damascus Affair sparked Jewish unity, and modernity opened new paths for enlightenment. Mystics called it the moment that “the gates of wisdom would open.” For us, 1840 is a symbol of how global upheaval can lead to a reimagined world. Today, we face another “1840 moment”—troubled by tech disruption, mental health crises, and declining faith—that calls for bold questions, timeless sensitivity, and modern sensibilities. That’s what 18Forty is here to explore.

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David Bashevkin

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David Bashevkin

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Guest Profile

David Bashevkin is the founder and host of 18Forty. He is also the director of education for NCSY, the youth movement of the Orthodox Union, and the Clinical Assistant Professor of Jewish Values at the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University. He completed rabbinic ordination at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, as well as a master’s degree at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies focusing on the thought of Rabbi Zadok of Lublin under the guidance of Dr. Yaakov Elman. He completed his doctorate in Public Policy and Management at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, focusing on crisis management.  He has published four books: Sin·a·gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought, a Hebrew work B’Rogez Rachem Tizkor (trans. In Anger, Remember Mercy), Top 5: Lists of Jewish Character and Character, and Just One: The NCSY Haggadah. David has been rejected from several prestigious fellowships and awards.

Guest Interview

18Forty Podcast

Media

Essays

What Abuse in the Jewish Community…

Abuse in the Jewish community is topic that has been discussed more recently, and it’s an important…

Essays

What Biblical Criticism Means to Me

The goal of such an exploration is not to fully answer these pressing questions, rather it is…

Essays

What Censorship Means to Me

The idea of “cancelling” someone is silencing them when an idea they share rubs people the wrong…

Essays

What Comedy Means to Me

Comedy is a tool and resource that we all use to some extent in our daily lives,…

Essays

What Commitment Means to Me

I think the topic of commitment is about our very humanity—how we deal with doubt, make decisions,…

Essays

What God Means to Me

In order to refine our conception of God, it’s important to gaze into our pasts and examine…

Essays

What Halacha Means to Me

Halacha is a system of Jewish law and practice, but the language of halacha tells a story…

Essays

What Jewish Education Means to Me

If I had to describe the state of Jewish education today, I’d quote Charles Dickens: “It was…

Essays

What Jewish Peoplehood Means to Me

The connections and collectiveness of the Jewish People become clearer when we break down the barriers that…

Essays

What Leaving Religion Means to Me

Over time, instead of looking at religious affiliation like a yes or no question, I began to…

Essays

What Mysticism Means to Me

Jewish mysticism expands the limit of what can be thought about, by understanding that not everything can…

Essays

What Prayer Means to Me

I strive for an instinctive prayer—the knowledge that my life, however chaotic it may seem, is being…

Essays

What Rationality Means to Me

Without rationality, we can become unhinged, without any formal metric or system to measure our convictions. But…

Essays

What Science Means to Me

Science is the book that describes our lives; scripture is the book that interprets it.

Essays

What Shabbos Means to Me

Over time, one’s relationship with Shabbos can be indicative about other things and a view into one’s…

Essays

What Social Justice Means to Me

In recent decades, the Jewish communities of North America have become extremely successful, but at what cost…

Essays

What Teshuva Means to Me

I spent so much of my life building up these anxiety-inducing transitions, these Death of Superman narratives,…

Essays

What Wealth Means to Me

Financial success has been a massive blessing for the Jewish community in America, but at what cost?

Essays

What Zionism Means to Me

Why I have a very hard time talking about Zionism could be for endless reasons, but most…

Essays

What the Agunah Crisis Means to…

The development of social media has become a popularized tool for agunot and others struggling with issues…

Essays

What Origins Mean to Me

I have always been fascinated by origins. And perhaps there is no origin story more mysterious, more…

Essays

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Podcasts

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  • Money & Gvir Culture (Kosher Money)
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  • “The Story of Dovid Bashevkin” (Meaningful People)
  • “Cosmic or Homesick” (Homesick for Lubavitch)

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DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY AND LEGACY OF PHILIP EICHEN, EPHRAIM FISHEL BEN MORDECHAI Z”L AND ROSLYN EICHEN, RAZEL BAT GERSHON, Z”L

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