What Generational Differences Mean to Me
My father is quite different religiously than his father was. Growing up in…
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Intergenerational Divergence
Judaism is a religious culture that places an intense emphasis on continuing the chain of tradition through the context of the family. Yet in an ever-changing contemporary world, families often disagree—sometimes in fundamental ways—about how to live this life. Faced with this disagreement between generations, some choose to ignore these differences, focusing instead on the…
- Essays
- Essays
How Family Has Stretched and Changed Throughout the Ages
Meet Oswald Spengler (1880-1936). Oswald, or Ozzie for short, was a German historian…
- Essays
Intergenerational Divergence: A Story of Unchanging Change
Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to…
Intergenerational Divergence
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
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…
podcast
Private: A Child Becomes Orthodox
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Robyn—a Reform rabbi who works with interfaith…
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…
podcast
Andrew Solomon: Far from the Tree
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Andrew Solomon – a Pulitzer Prize finalist -…
podcast
Intergenerational Divergence: Recap, Reflections, and Response
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to the families from our previous series on intergenerational…
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
Larry and Tzipora Rothwachs: Here Without You — A Child’s Eating Disorder
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Larry Rothwachs and his daughter Tzipora about…
podcast
Moshe and Asher Weinberger: Heart of the Fire: Together Even with Small…
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rav Moshe Weinberger, Rebbe of Kehillas Aish Kodesh…
podcast
Adina and Eric Yoffie: A Different Path, Still Family
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Eric and Dr. Adina Yoffie about their…
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…
podcast
Liel Leibovitz and Lisa Ann Sandell: When A Spouse Finds Faith
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Liel Leibovitz and Lisa Ann Sandell about what…
podcast
When A Child Intermarries
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a son who almost intermarried, the mother of…
podcast
Rachel Yehuda: Intergenerational Trauma and Healing
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we pivot to Intergenerational Divergence by talking to Rachel Yehuda, a…
podcast
Haskel and Josh Lookstein: Finding Your Path in a Rabbinic Dynasty
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with an intergenerational rabbinic pair: Rabbi Haskel Lookstein…
podcast
Finding a Home for Haredi IDF Soldiers
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to four Haredi soldiers who served in the IDF…
podcast
A Haredi Mother Sending Her Children To Serve
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a Haredi mother named Dina about her two…
podcast
Rachel Goldberg-Polin: A Hostage’s Mother Fighting for His Freedom
In this special episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rachel Goldberg-Polin—whose son, Hersh, was kidnapped by…
podcast
Sylvia and Simon Jacobson: How Different Generations Talk About Jewish Life
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Simon Jacobson—a leading rabbi in the internet…
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…
podcast
The Samter Family: American Parents With Israeli Sons Fighting in Gaza
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yehuda, Bayla, Elisha, and Avi Samter—members of a…
podcast
Susan Cain: A Daughter’s Bittersweet Longing for Her Mother
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to bestselling author Susan Cain about her relationship with…
podcast
Talia Khan: A Jewish Israel Activist and Her Muslim Father
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Talia Khan—a Jewish MIT graduate student and Israel…
podcast
The Gopins: When a Child Cannot Read
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Bayla Gopin—a student with dyslexia— and her mother,…
book
Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity
An award-winning book from a writer famous for deeply human profundity, Far from the Tree is a powerful exploration of the question that every family faces in their own ways: how people who love each other work to accept each other for who they are, while helping them become their best selves. Solomon documents with exquisite compassion families with intergenerational divergence, considering families living with deafness, schizophrenia, or criminality, and others with children who are prodigies and those who differ in their gender or sexual identities from their familial culture. In each case, Solomon considers the great beauty and love that can emerge from these differences, and how ordinary families have grown to love each other.
book
The Chameleon in the Closet: A Conservative Jewish Mother Reaches Out to Her Orthodox Sons
This touching memoir is a testament to the deeply personal journey that one mother went through in learning to live and love with her children through their differences. As the title indicates, this is a story of a Conservative Jewish woman with two sons who decided to become Orthodox Jews and her process towards understanding and appreciating their decisions, no matter how difficult they may have been for her at first. This book speaks to the heart of the challenge and opportunity of intergenerational divergence and is a meditation that anyone who has experienced change will appreciate. This book pairs well with Jerome R. Mintz’s classic work, Hasidic People: A Place in the New World. Hasidic People is a deeply investigated social history of the Chassidic community in New York, with a particular eye to the stages of change, growth,…
book
The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Tell Your Family History, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More
This is a guidebook for developing a deeper family culture through wisdom and expertise of people from some of the most creative minds in America. Written by Bruce Feiler, a seasoned writer about faith, family, and the meeting point between the two—this book is full of fascinating perspectives on how to build a happy family, drawing on insights from all corners of culture and society. Take his advice or leave it, Feiler offers fresh and fun roads to familial growth with hands-on practices targeted at answering core questions that many families face: How do we manage the chaos of our lives? How do we teach our kids values? How do we make our family happier?