Mendel Horowitz: A Good Enough Elul

Join Talmud Daily! A new free program from 18Forty. Ten-minute episodes a day (video + audio). Plain English. No prior knowledge assumed. No Hebrew required. Begins August 24, 2026. Join here: Talmuddaily.org

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we return to the topic of teshuva by talking to Mendel Horowitz, a Jerusalem-based psychotherapist, researcher, and author who introduces us to the notion of having a Good Enough Elul.

You can learn more about the Good Enough Elul initiative here and read Mendel's article on psychodynamic therapy here.

In this episode we discuss:

—What is the nature of the inner work we do over Elul?
—How do our psychological and religious work overlap and interact?
—How can we detach ourselves from external expectations and learn how to live comfortably in pursuit of our purest desires?

Interview begins at 27:00.

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we discover our most essential selves.

Mendel Horowitz, M.S., is a Jerusalem-based psychotherapist, researcher, and author certified by the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists. His research interests include group therapy and the intersection of masculinity, loneliness, and faith. He is a founding member of United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma & Crisis Response Unit and a member of the Public Outreach Committee of the American Group Psychotherapy Association. His essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Jerusalem Post, JTA, The Forward, and the Jewish Journal, among other publications, and his professional writing has appeared in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy.

References:

Tur

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

Song of Songs 6:3

Psychoanalysis: The Impossible Profession by Janet Malcolm

The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Stephen Grosz

"I'm a Psychodynamic Therapist. Here's What That Means." by Mendel Horowitz

Good Enough Elul on 18Forty

"Good Enough Elul: What This Is and Is Not" by Mendel Horowitz

For more 18Forty:
NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join
Sign up for Talmud Daily
CALL: (212) 582-1840
EMAIL: info@18forty.org
WEBSITE: 18forty.org
IG: @18forty
X: @18_forty
WhatsApp: join here

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.