Talia Khan: A Jewish Israel Activist and Her Muslim Father [Divergence 5/6]

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to our favorite librarian, Michelle Margolis. Michelle is no stranger to the 18Forty Podcast — she was one of our first guests, and today, she returns to debut our new Show & Tale series, and talk with us about the role of a librarian and the hidden world of Judaica and rare books. Show & Tale is a new 18Forty video series that will take you inside some of the great libraries—both public and private—to explore books and treasures from Jewish history.Michelle Margolis is the Norman E. Alexander Librarian for Jewish Studies at Columbia University. We spoke with her at Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library, located in Butler Library.- Where’s the best place to buy rare Jewish books?- Why would a siddur need to be politically correct?- Where should rare Judaica live? Tune in to hear a conversation about edible glue, fake ivory, and death masks. Interview begins at 15:04 Michelle Margolis is the Norman E. Alexander Librarian for Jewish Studies at Columbia University; co-director of Footprints: Jewish Books Through Time and Place; and President of the Association of Jewish Libraries. Michelle is a favorite past guest at 18Forty and joins us to talk about the work of a librarian. References:Harry Potter by J.K. RowlingThe Story of Dovid Bashevkin by Meaningful People PodcastRav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution by Yehudah MirskyGershom Scholem: Kabbalah and Counter-History by David BialePursuit of Heresy, Rabbi Moses Hagiz and the Sabbatian Controversy by Elisheva CarlebachPulp FictionMaking of a Gadol by Nathan Kamenetsky Columbia Hebrew ManuscriptsFootprints: Jewish Books Through Time and PlaceThe Sarajevo HaggadahThe Prince of the Press by Josh TeplitskyEncyclopedia of Jewish Book Cultures edited by Emil Schrijver The Hebrew Book in Early Italy edited by Joseph R. Hacker and Adam ShearA Sign and a Witness: 2,000 Years of Hebrew Books and Illuminated Manuscripts by William Gross, Orly Tzion, and Falk Wiesemann“Books Weeping for Someone to Visit and Admire Them: Jewish Library Culture in the United States, 1850–1910” by Robert Singerman“Top Five” by Dovid Bashevkin“Top 5 Stuff that Get Yeshiva Guys Into Jewish Studies”Between the Yeshiva World and Modern Orthodoxy: The Life and Works of Rabbi Jehiel Jacob Weinberg, 1884-1966 by Marc B. Shapiro“The Dual Role of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Chajes: Traditionalist and Maskil” by Bruria Hutner David “Rupture and Reconstruction” by Haym Soloveitchik“Facing the Truths of History” by Jacob J. SchacterLithuanian Yeshivas of the Nineteenth Century: Creating a Tradition of Learning by Shaul Stampfer Jew Vs Jew: The Struggle For The Soul of American Jewry by Samuel G. FreedmanAmerican Judaism: A History by Jonathan D. SarnaThe Shul without a Clock: Second Thoughts from a Rabbi's Notebook by Emanuel Feldman Tales Out of Shul: The Unorthodox Journal of an Orthodox Rabbi by Emanuel Feldman “The Haredim: A Defense” by Aharon RoseBy His Light: Character and Values in the Service of God by Aharon LichtensteinThe Book and the Sword: A Life of Learning in the Shadow of Destruction by David Weiss HalivniBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

19 Jul 20221h 23min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to the heads of the three major Jewish publishing houses, Rabbi Gedaliah Zlotowitz of ArtScroll Mesorah Publications, Matthew Miller of Koren Publishers, and Altie Karper of Schocken Books.Aside from all rejecting David Bashevkin’s work, these three pillars of Jewish publishing all share a common goal of contributing to Jewish scholarship in order to help better cultivate the Jewish People. - How can we use storytelling to bring out the best in others?- How was Koren revitalized?- How did some department stores in Germany turn into one of the most successful publishing houses? Tune in to hear a conversation about books, books, books. Interview begins at 13:59 Gedaliah Zlotowitz Rabbi Gedalia Zlotowitz is the president of ArtScroll Mesorah Publications, as well as the president of Mesorah Heritage Foundation. Matthew MillerMatthew Miller is the owner and publisher of Koren Press. Miller founded Toby Press, which published Yehuda Avner’s The Prime Ministers along with other works, and purchased Koren Press in 2007. Altie KarperAltie Karper is the editorial director of Schocken Books, a division of Penguin Random House. Schocken, has a long history as a major publisher of Jewish literature and an early publisher of great thinkers such as Kafka, Rosenzweig, Buber, and Agnon, among many others.References:““Let Me Make You Famous”: How Hollywood Invented Ben Shapiro” by Tina NguyenThe Jewish Bookshelf as a Site of Self-fashioning: Reflections on a Historical Phenomenon in a Contemporary Moment by Elli Fischer and David BashevkinTop Five, A List of Jewish Character and Characters by Dovid BashevkinThe Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan Library of Jewish Thought by Rabbi Aryeh KaplanThe Megillah: The Book of EstherRabbi Meir Zlotowitz by Yisrael BesserAll for the Boss by Ruchoma ShainThe Koren TanakhAmadeus18Forty: Larry and Tzipora Rothwachs: Here Without You — A Child’s Eating DisorderBiblical Images by Rabbi Adin SteinsaltzThe Covenant Kitchen: Food and Wine for the New Jewish Table: A Cookbook by Jeff and Jodie MorganThe Patron, A Life of Salman Schocken by Anthony DavidBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

12 Jul 20221h 39min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Shalom Carmy—philosophy and Jewish-studies professor at Yeshiva University and Editor Emeritus of Tradition—about how he grounds his faith.Rabbi Carmy joins us to discuss the anthropological, covenantal, and experiential bases for religious belief. •What should be the foundation of a person’s faith? •What is the role of personal experience in relation to rational inquiry? •How can we reinvigorate our religious outlook for the modern world? Tune in to hear a conversation about how we handle questions that don’t come with definitive answers. Interview begins at 14:04Rabbi Shalom Carmy is a rabbi and professor, teaching philosophy and Jewish studies at Yeshiva University, where he is Chair of Bible and Jewish philosophy at Yeshiva College and an affiliated scholar at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Shalom is Editor Emeritus of Tradition, Contributing Editor of First Things, and has published hundreds of articles on Jewish thought, Tanach, and other subjects, along with being the mentor of many students over his years of teaching. References:Sefer HaChinukhChidushei Rabeinu Chaim Halevi – Rambam by Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk“A Room With a View, But a Room of Our Own” by Rabbi Shalom Carmy“A Peshat in the Dark: Reflections on the Age of Cary Grant” by Rabbi Shalom CarmyForgive Us, Father-in-Law, For We Know Not What To Think: Letter To A Philosophical Dropout From Orthodoxy by Rabbi Shalom CarmyStrauss, Spinoza & Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith edited by Jeffrey Bloom, Alec Goldstein, and Gil Student"Editor’s Note: Homer and the Bible" by Rabbi Shalom Carmy“Of Eagle’s Flight and Snail’s Pace” by Rabbi Shalom Carmy“Editors Note: Lost Cause: A Conclusion in Which Nothing is Concluded” by Rabbi Shalom CarmyMiddlemarch by George EliotRashi on Tanakh Ramban on TorahRif on TalmudHenry More: The Rational Theology of a Cambridge Platonist by Rabbi Aharon LichtensteinBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

5 Jul 20221h 10min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dr. Malka Simkovich—Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago—about Second Temple Judaism and how it can help us understand what it means to be a Jew in our own time. Malka explores the significance of belief and observance over the history of the Jewish people. •What is the role of mystery in how we understand covenant and chosenness?•What is the relationship between religious life in the ancient world and the Jewish practice we know today? •How does belief facilitate the continuity of the Jewish tradition throughout time? Tune in to hear a conversation about the history and mystery of the Jewish nation.Interview begins at 27:40Dr. Malka Simkovich is the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She earned a doctoral degree in Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism from Brandeis University and a Masters degree in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016), and Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism (2018). References:The Formation of the Talmud: Scholarship and Politics in Yitzhak Isaac Halevy's Dorot Harishonim by Ari BergmannIntroduction to the Mishnah by MaimonidesHow Do We Know This?: Midrash and the Fragmentation of Modern Judaism by Jay M. HarrisFrom Text to Tradition, A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism by Lawrence H. SchiffmanStrauss, Spinoza & Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith edited by Jeffrey Bloom, Alec Goldstein, and Gil StudentResponse to Michael Wyschogrod by David NovakThe Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria by Malka Z. SimkovichDiscovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism by Malka Z. Simkovich Heritage and Hellenism: The Reinvention of Jewish Tradition by Erich S. GruenDiaspora: Jews amidst Greeks and Romans by Erich S. GruenBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

28 Jun 20221h 26min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Steven Gotlib, a fellow at Beit Midrash Zichron Dov and Rabbinic Educator at the Village Shul, about the relationship between first principles and how we are to live. Rabbi Gotlib is some rabbi who is a lot more than just some rabbi. Steven has thought long and hard about the truth claims of Judaism and the claim Judaism makes on individuals’ lives. •How does a Conservative Jewish teenager turn into an Orthodox rabbi and outreach professional? •Should the pursuit of truth override pragmatism? •What factors should go into someone’s decision to be Orthodox? •Should experiential knowledge take precedence over rational arguments? Tune in to hear a conversation about the path and process of a rabbi’s struggle with faith and philosophy.Interview begins at 15:37.Rabbi Steven Gotlib received rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, certificates in Mental Health Counseling and Spiritual Entrepreneurship, and a BA in Communication and Jewish Studies from Rutgers University. Read his review on Lehrhaus of the book, "Strauss, Spinoza, and Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith," titled “(How) Can we Know Orthodox Judaism is True?” (https://thelehrhaus.com/timely-thoughts/how-can-we-know-orthodox-judaism-is-true/#) References:Torah Umadda by Rabbi Norman LammAnother Way, Another Time: Religious Inclusivism and the Sacks Chief Rabbinate by Meir PersoffMystical Experience of God: A Philosophical Inquiry by Jerome GellmanThe Principles of Judaism by Samuel LebensGod in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism by Abraham Joshua HeschelAnd from There You Shall Seek by Joseph B. SoloveitchikNefesh HaChayim by Chaim of VolozhinTanya by Shneur Zalman of LiadiBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

21 Jun 20221h 25min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jeff Bloom about the assumptions that Orthodox Judaism makes about ideology, and how we ground our faith even if we don’t have irrefutable evidence.Jeff is some guy who is a lot more than just some guy. Jeff unpacks Leo Strauss’s defense of Orthodoxy and explains how our personal life stories dictate how we see the world. - Why have we designed a system in which we don’t rummage around assumptions?- How do we read the Bible in an Orthodox lens?- Is Orthodoxy merely a warm infrastructure or is it a rationally grounded approach to life?Tune in to hear a conversation about intellectual authenticity and the axioms of belief. Interview begins at 14:25Jeffrey Bloom is a graduate of the University of Chicago. After college, he studied in a number of Orthodox yeshivot in Israel and now lives with his wife and family in New Jersey. He works as an analyst at a hedge fund and is the co-editor of Strauss, Spinoza & Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith. To get an entry point into Jeff’s thinking, read his thoughtful introduction to the book, and once you are there, check out Jeremy Kagan’s thought-provoking article on the history of rational thinking as well as the crucial conclusion to the work, accessible here.References:18Forty - Samuel Lebens: The Line Between Rationality and Mysticism18Forty - Zohar Atkins: Between Philosophy and Torah18Forty - Simi Peters: Building New Faith Foundations18Forty - Shmuel Phillips: Reclaiming Judaism18Forty - Anxiety and Rationality: A Personal Anonymous AccountStrauss, Spinoza & Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith edited by Jeffery Bloom, Alec Goldstein & Gil StudentJudaism Straight Up by Moshe Koppel“Children of Skeptics” by Thomas MerrillApples of Gold in Pictures of Silver: Honoring the Work of Leon R. Kass edited by Yuval Levin, Thomas W. Merrill and Adam Schulman18Forty - Agnes Callard: A Philosophy of Change“An Argument for Businessmen” by Shalom CarmyPermission to Believe: Four Rational Approaches to God's Existence by Lawrence KelemenPermission to Receive by Lawrence KelemenReason To Believe: Rational Explanations of Orthodox Jewish Faith by Chaim Jachter Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le CarréAni Maamin: Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth, and the Thirteen Principles of Faith by Joshua BermanThe Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis by Leon KassFounding God's Nation: Reading Exodus by Leon KassThe Revelation at Sinai: What Does “Torah from Heaven” Mean? by Gil Student and Yoram HazonyJewish Self: Recovering Spirituality in the Modern World by Jeremy KaganThe Choice to Be: A Jewish Path to Self and Spirituality by Jeremy KaganThe Intellect and the Exodus: Authentic Emuna for a Complex Age by Jeremy Kagan“The Nature and Pursuit of Truth in Different Cultural Context” by Jeremy KaganThe book of DanielBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

14 Jun 20221h 34min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we listen to voicemails sent in by you, our listeners, and reflect on the community we have built beyond our conversations.- What do Pick-Up Sticks have in common with the sorites paradox?- How has wealth seeped into our subconscious Jewish intergenerational trauma?  - Does an accusation of abuse have the potential to ruin someone’s life even if they’re not convicted?Tune in to hear a conversation about leaky roofs, trench coats, and bobbing boats. Voicemails begin at 11:42.References:Saturday Night Live - Father-Son Podcasting MicrophoneBoJack HorsemanThe Little RascalsIntroduction to Love's Executioner : & Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom18Forty - Alex Edelman: Taking Comedy Seriously: PurimMegillat EstherMegillat EichaTinyana, Likutei Moharan by Rebbe Nachman of BreslovPachad Yitzchak by Rabbi Yitzchak HutnerPirkei Avot 2:1Frum/OTD Dialogue Respectfully Debating Judaism18Forty -  Listener Questions and Behind the Scenes with The 18Forty Team"The View from Pew: Where Do We Go from Here?" 18Forty - Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz: A Healthy Relationship with HalachaThe Rav Rimon Bencher18Forty - Larry And Tzipora Rothwachs: Here Without You — A Child’s Eating Disorder18Forty - Rav Aaron Lopiansky: What Tribes Do You Contain Inside?10 Minute Halacha18Forty - Dr. Tamara Morsel-Eisenberg: Discovering Your Halachic Story18Forty - Marika Feuerstein: The Mentsch of Malden Mills: A Granddaughter Reflects on the Life and Legacy of Aaron Feuerstein"What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank" by Nathan EnglanderBad Jews by Joshua Harmon18Forty - Aharon Schrieber: What Happens When You Call the Police?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

7 Jun 20221h 12min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Shira Berkovits, president and CEO of Sacred Spaces, about institutional abuse awareness and prevention.Shira is an attorney and psychologist, as well as the founder of Sacred Spaces, which partners with Jewish institutions to prevent and respond to sexual abuse and other abuses of power. Shira explains how Jewish institutions can better respond to and prevent abuse. - What preventative measures can a Jewish institution take against abuse?- Does religious affiliation make responding to incidents of abuse easier or harder? - How do we begin to heal following incidents of abuse?Tune in to hear a conversation about protecting our safe spaces. Interview begins at 20:17.Shira Berkovits is President and CEO of Sacred Spaces. A behavioral psychologist with a research background in creating large-scale organizational change, and an attorney specialized in criminal law, Shira has spent years studying the intersection of psychology and law as related to sexual offending in faith communities. Shira partners with Jewish leaders to build healthy and accountable institutions, working with a uniquely Jewish lens to foster sacredness and reduce the risk of harassment, abuse, and other interpersonal harm. Shira joins us to talk about creating and cultivating safe spaces in our communities.If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please get help.If you are in immediate danger or need emergency assistance, call 911.Shalom Task Force Hotline: 718.337.3700; Toll Free: 888.883.2323 Jewish Board Of Family And Children’s Services Domestic Violence Services: 212.262.7655New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG): 212.613.5000References:The ApostleDoubt“Crisis Change and the Continuous Art of Individual Interpretation and Negotiation: The Aftermath of Clerical Abuse in Newfoundland” by Marion Bowman“God is at Stake: Crisis Communications Following Religious Leadership Crises” by David BashevkinSin-a-gogue: Sin, and Failure in Jewish Thought by David BashevkinThe Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor DostoevskThe Grand Inquisitor by Fyodor DostoevskSacred Spaces“Institutional Abuse in the Jewish Community” by Shira BerkovitsCenter for Court Innovation The Innocence ProjectThe CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) StudyGundersen National Child Protection Training Center2013 Resolution: Preventing Sexual Abuse in our CommunityAleinu Safeguarding Children CampaignKeilim Policy ToolkitThe Office: "Search Committee" (Season 7, Episode 24)“The 10 Best Practices”“Institutional Child Sexual Abuse—Not Just a Catholic Thing” by Kelly ClarkLeviticus 18Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse“I Was Shamed and Shunned for Revealing My Abuse” by Ruth KrevskyMishna Torah - Hilchot Teshuva by MaimonidesStop It NowWhat's OK? Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual AbuseGenesis 27The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide by Shira Berkovits and Basyle Tchividjian“Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Within Youth-serving Organizations: Getting Started on Policies and Procedures”“Debunking Common Myths”Moed Katan 17aMalachi 2:7 Kiddushin 54aYUTorahTorahAnytimeAdditional Resources: “Preventing Abuse in Jewish Organizations that Serve Youth: Ten Policies to Create Safer Environments” by Shira Berkovits“Vayikra as a Model for Transparent Communal Governance” by Shira Berkovits, Esq., Ph.D. and Rabbi Steven Exler“Closing the Gap in Best Practices for Prevention and Response to Sexual Abuse of Minors in Jewish Organizations”“A Conversation on Safeguarding Youth in Jewish Communities” by Shira Berkovits and Daniella Pitkoff Sacred Spaces Protocols for Safeguarding Children and Teens in Online Communication TrainingCheshbon Hanefesh GuideProtocols for Safeguarding Children and Teens in Online Communications“An Assessment of Menlo’s Church Report” by Zero Abuse Project and Sacred SpacesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

24 Mai 20221h 32min