Begin exploring
today’s
biggest Jewish
questions…
×
Reading Jewish History in the Parsha
This podcast was recorded before the recent horrific terrorism against Israel and unspeakable atrocities inflicted upon the Jewish People.
Summary
This podcast was recorded before the recent horrific terrorism against Israel and unspeakable atrocities inflicted upon the Jewish People. We decided to share this Torah initiative now to encourage learning the parsha each week for the protection and success of the State of Israel. Am Yisrael Chai.
This episode is sponsored by Janet and Lior Hod and family, with immense gratitude to Hashem.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we introduce our new initiative “Reading Jewish History in the Parsha.” Each week, David Bashevkin will take you through the original “I Read This Over Shabbos,” in this series of shiurim and essays on the All Parsha app and on Substack.
Here, we speak to Rabbi Moshe Schwed, creator of All Parsha. Tune in to hear about shnayim mikrah and the art of translation.
Interview with Moshe Schwed begins at 28:55.
Rabbi Schwed serves as the Director of the OU Daf Yomi Initiative. After receiving semicha from Beth Medrash Govoha, Rabbi Schwed taught in Yeshiva Gedolah Kesser Torah. Rabbi Schwed is an alumnus of Yeshivos Long Beach and Brisk.
References:
Why Pick On Me? by Louis Sachar
Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen
Printer’s Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History by Rebecca Romney
The Art of Bible Translation by Robert Alter
The Living Torah by Aryeh Kaplan
Community, Covenant And Commitment: Selected Letters And Communications by Joseph B. Soloveitchik
Recommended Podcasts
podcast
Julia Senkfor & Cameron Berg: Does AI Have an Antisemitism Problem?
How can our generation understanding mysticism, philosophy, and suffering in today’s chaotic world?
podcast
Yehuda Geberer: What’s the History of the American Yeshiva World?
We speak with Yehuda Geberer about the history of the yeshiva world.
podcast
Aaron Kotler: Inside the Lakewood Yeshiva
We speak with Rabbi Aaron Kotler about the beginnings of the American yeshiva world.
podcast
What Garry Shandling’s Jewish Comedy Teaches About Purim
David Bashevkin speaks about the late, great comedian Garry Shalndling in honor of his 10th yahrzeit, which is this Purim.
podcast
Haviv Rettig Gur: ‘Hamas is upset the death toll in Gaza isn’t higher’
Haviv answers 18 questions on Israel.
podcast
Ora Wiskind: ‘The presence of God is everywhere in every molecule’
Ora Wiskind joins us to discuss free will, transformation, and brokenness.
podcast
Aliza and Ephraim Bulow: When A Spouse Loses Faith
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.
podcast
Einat Wilf: ‘Jews Are Never Allowed To Win, and Arabs Are Never Allowed to Lose’
The true enemy in Israel’s current war, Einat Wilf says, is what she calls “Palestinianism.”
podcast
Elisheva Carlebach & Debra Kaplan: The Unknown History of Women in Jewish Life
We speak with Professors Elisheva Carlebach and Debra Kaplan about women’s religious, social, and communal roles in early modern Jewish life.
podcast
Alex Edelman: Taking Comedy Seriously: Purim
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David is joined by comedian Alex Edelman for a special Purim discussion exploring the place of humor and levity in a world that often demands our solemnity.
podcast
Benny Morris: ‘We should have taken Rafah at the start’
Leading Israeli historian Benny Morris answers 18 questions on Israel, including Gaza, Palestinian-Israeli peace prospects, morality, and so much more.
podcast
Bruce Feiler: The Stories That Bind Us
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to author Bruce Feiler about family narratives.
podcast
The Dardik Family: A Child Moves Away From Zionism
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Judah, Naomi, and Aharon Akiva Dardik—an olim family whose son went to military jail for refusing to follow to IDF orders and has since become a ceasefire activist at Columbia University—about sticking together as a family despite their fundamental differences.
podcast
Pawel Maciejko: Sabbateanism and the Roots of Secular Judaism
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to historian and professor Pawel Maciejko about the false messiah Sabbatai Zevi, Sabbateanism, and the roots of Jewish secularism.
podcast
Menachem Penner & Gedalia Robinson: A Child’s Orientation
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Menachem Penner—dean of RIETS at Yeshiva University—and his son Gedalia—a musician, cantor-in-training, and member of the LGBTQ community—about their experience in reconciling their family’s religious tradition with Gedalia’s sexual orientation.
podcast
Lizzy Savetsky: Becoming a Jewish Influencer and Israel Advocate
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Lizzy Savetsky, who went from a career in singing and fashion to being a Jewish activist and influencer, about her work advocating for Israel online.
podcast
Daniel Grama & Aliza Grama: A Child in Recovery
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with Rabbi Daniel Grama—rabbi of Westside Shul and Valley Torah High School—and his daughter Aliza—a former Bais Yaakov student and recovered addict—about navigating their religious and other differences.
podcast
Netta Barak-Corren: ‘I hope that Gaza will see a day when it is no longer ruled by Hamas’
Israel is facing several existential crises—at least three, by Netta Barak-Corren’s account.
podcast
Rav Moshe Weinberger: Can Mysticism Become a Community?
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with Rav Moshe Weinberger, rabbi and educator, to discuss the role of mysticism in modern-day Judaism.
podcast
Anshel Pfeffer: ‘The idea that you’ll obliterate Hamas is as realistic as wanting to obliterate Chabad’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not surprise Anshel Pfeffer over the last 17 months of war—and that’s the most disappointing part.
podcast
Moshe Idel: ‘The Jews are supposed to serve something’
Prof. Moshe Idel joins us to discuss mysticism, diversity, and the true concerns of most Jews throughout history.
podcast
Ken Brodkin: A Shul Becomes Orthodox
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Ken Brodkin, rabbi of New Jersey’s Congregation B’nai Israel, about how he helped turn it into “the Orthodox synagogue for all Jews.”
podcast
Anita Shapira: ‘You cannot wipe out Hamas’
Leading Israel historian Anita Shapira answers 18 questions on Israel, including destroying Hamas, the crisis up North, and Israel’s future.
Recommended Articles
Essays
What is the Megillah’s Message for Jews of the Diaspora?
For some, Purim is the triumph of exile transformed. For others, it warns that exile can never replace the Land of Israel.
Essays
How Orthodox Jews Are Sharing Torah Knowledge Across Denominations
Two programs are already bridging the Orthodox and non-Orthodox divide through the timeless tradition of chavruta learning.
Essays
3 Arguments for God’s Existence
Perhaps the most fundamental question any religious believer can ask is: “Does God exist?” It’s time we find good answers.
Essays
How Jewish Communities Can Help Couples Going Through Divorce
Divorce often upends emotional and financial stability. A Jewish organization in Los Angeles offers a better way forward.
Essays
5 Lessons from the Parsha Where Moshe Disappears
Parshat Tetzaveh forces a question that modern culture struggles to answer: Can true influence require a willingness to be forgotten?
Essays
What the 18Forty Team is Reading This Adar
Identity, desire, women in fiction, and more: What we’re reading before Purim.
Essays
(What) Do Jews Believe About the Afterlife?
Christianity’s focus on the afterlife historically discouraged Jews from discussing it—but Jews very much believe in it.
Essays
Why We Need to Live With Radical Laughter This Purim
Brother Jorge asks: Can we laugh at God? We might answer: We can laugh with God.
Essays
Why Is Meir Kahane Making a Comeback Among Orthodox Jews?
Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wears the mantle of Kahane in Israel. Many Orthodox Jews welcomed him with open arms.
Essays
What Haredim Can Teach Us About Getting Off Our Smartphones
Kosher phones make calls and send texts. No Instagram, no TikTok, and no distractions. Maybe it’s time the world embraces them.
Essays
A Letter to Children Estranged From Their Parents
Children cannot truly avoid the consequences of estrangement. Their parents’ shadow will always follow.
Essays
A Brief History of Jewish Mysticism
To talk about the history of Jewish mysticism is in many ways to talk about the history of the mystical community.
Essays
3 Questions To Ask Yourself Whenever You Hear a Dvar Torah
Not every Jewish educational institution that I was in supported such questions, and in fact, many did not invite questions such as…
Essays
Did All Jews Pray the Same in Ancient Times?
Jews from the Land of Israel prayed differently than we do today—with marked difference. What happened to their traditions?
Essays
How Archaeology Rewrote the History of Tefillin
From verses in Parshat Bo to desert caves, tefillin emerge as one of Judaism’s earliest embodied practices.
Essays
Between Modern Orthodoxy and Religious Zionism: At Home as an Immigrant
My family made aliyah over a decade ago. Navigating our lives as American immigrants in Israel is a day-to-day balance.
Essays
Three New Jewish Books to Read
These recent works examine disagreement, reinvention, and spiritual courage across Jewish history.
Essays
The Siddur Has a Lot of Prayers. Where Did They Come From?
Between early prayer books, kabbalistic additions, and the printing press, the siddur we have today is filled with prayers from across history.
Essays
What Religious Zionists Taught Me About Reading Tanach as a Living Story
In Israel’s Religious Zionist world, Tanach is not only a way to understand contemporary Jewish history—it is also a guide for the…
Essays
A Jew in the King’s Court: Dual Loyalty in the Book of Esther
The Book of Esther suggests that diaspora is not merely a temporary or anomalous state but an integral part of Jewish history…
Essays
Letting Go of the Scary God
Changing how God appeared in my life began with changing how God appeared in my mind. I needed to let go of…
Essays
What Are the Origins of the Oral Torah?
A bedrock principle of Orthodox Judaism is that we received not only the Written Torah at Sinai but also the oral one—does…
Essays
The New Tower of Babel
Watching AI spread through every corner of life raises an unsettling question: What kind of world are we building for our children?
Essays
The Four Pillars That Actually Shape Jewish High School
These four forces are quietly determining what our schools prioritize—and what they neglect.
Recommended Videos
videos
Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin: How Torah Gives Us Faith and Hope
In this special Simchas Torah episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin—parents of murdered hostage Hersh…
videos
An Orthodox Rabbi Interviews a Reform Rabbi | Dovid Bashevkin & Diana Fersko
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Diana Fersko, senior rabbi of the Village Temple Reform synagogue, about denominations…
videos
A Vulnerable Conversation About Shame, Selfhood, & Authenticity with Shais Taub & David Bashevkin
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Shais Taub, the rabbi behind the organization SoulWords, about shame, selfhood, and…
videos
The Hasidic Rebbe Who Left it All — And Then Returned
Why did this Hasidic Rebbe move from Poland to Israel, only to change his name, leave religion, and disappear to Los Angeles?
videos
Joey Rosenfeld: What Does Jewish Mysticism Say About This Moment?
We speak with Joey Rosenfeld about how our generation can understand suffering.
videos
A Reform Rabbi Interviews an Orthodox Rabbi | Dovid Bashevkin & Diana Fersko (Part 2)
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin answers questions from Diana Fersko, senior rabbi of the Village Temple Reform synagogue,…
videos
Why Naftuli Moster Left Haredi Education Activism
We speak with Naftuli Moster about how and why he changed his understanding of the values imparted by Judaism.
videos
Moshe Benovitz: Why Religious Change Doesn’t Always Last
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, recorded live at Stern College, we speak with Rabbi Moshe Benovitz, director of NCSY Kollel,…
videos
Five Years of 18Forty
18Forty helps users find meaning through the exploration of Jewish thought and ideas.
videos
Torah Study and ChatGPT: How Should Jewish Education Respond to AI?
On this 18Forty panel, we speak with Alex Jakubowski of Lightning Studios, Sara Wolkenfeld of Sefaria, and Ari Lamm of BZ Media…
videos
Moshe Gersht: ‘The world of mysticism begs for practicality’
Rabbi Moshe Gersht first encountered the world of Chassidus at the age of twenty, the beginning of what he terms his “spiritual…
videos
Mysticism
In a disenchanted world, we can turn to mysticism to find enchantment, to remember that there is something more under the surface…