18Forty Podcast

Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a father and daughter who were estranged and then reunited. We also speak with Adam Pollock, the estrangement specialist who inspired them to reconcile. 

In this episode we discuss: 
Are there specific struggles that lead to estrangement in the Orthodox Jewish world?
How do we handle the tension between the need to heal and the need to be right? 
How do we avoid regression once family members have been reunited? 
Tune in to hear a conversation about our essential and unchanging identities that transcend our circumstances.  

Interview begins at 20:50. 

Adam N. Pollock is the founder of Aaron’s Legacy, where he specializes in mediating family estrangement using a blend of ancient wisdom and modern conflict resolution techniques. Since 2015, he has helped individuals and families navigate some of their most painful relational fractures with compassion, rigor, and creativity. A former attorney and business executive, Adam brings decades of experience in negotiation, arbitration, and high-stakes decision-making to his work as an estrangement mediator. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from The George Washington University and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, and is the author of Secrets From the Legal Pad (2023).

References:

Genesis 37:31

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Psalms 121

Titles by C.B. Weinfeld

Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict by Joshua Coleman PhD

Third-Party Peacemakers in Judaism: Text, Theory, and Practice by Daniel Roth

Exodus 13:19

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to philanthropist David Magerman and his daughter Sydney, who decided to make aliyah while on her gap year in Israel.  

In this episode we discuss:
What should we do with the freedom we’ve been given?
What is it like to make the journey toward Orthodoxy as a family? 
What is it like to make aliyah when one’s family is in America?
Tune in for a conversation about building bridges and pipelines across generations and geography. 

Interview begins at 11:57.

David Magerman is the co-founder and managing partner of Differential Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on AI, machine learning, and data science. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University and brings over 25 years of experience in data-driven research and innovation. Previously, he was a founding member and head of production for the equities trading group at a quantitative hedge fund. 

References:

A Letter in the Scroll: Understanding Our Jewish Identity and Exploring the Legacy of the World's Oldest Religion by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

The Steinsaltz Tanya

Genesis 12:1

For more 18Forty:
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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Shaanan Gelman and his son Ziggy about the persistence of a parent-child relationship when the latter faces addiction.  

In this episode we discuss:How does habitual drug use evolve into addiction?
How does a parent help a child struggling with substance abuse?
How do such a parent and child manage the expectations and perceptions of the outside world? 
Tune in for a conversation about how a parent-child relationship survives and emerges resilient from a harrowing ordeal.

Interview begins at 15:05.

Shaanan Gelman, rabbi of Chovevei Tzion in Chicago, holds a degree in Computer Science from Yeshiva College and received semicha from RIETS at Yeshiva University. He studied in Israel at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Gruss Institute, and later served as a Kollel Fellow in Boca Raton, where he held leadership and educational roles. He is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America’s executive board, active in the Chicago Rabbinical Council, and serves on the board of Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago. A committed Zionist, he is active in AIPAC and has led initiatives supporting Israel.

References:

God of Our Understanding: Jewish Spirituality and Recovery from Addiction by Shais Taub

“Being Kevin, Watching ‘Being Charlie’” by Kevin Jack McEnroe

The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath by Leslie Jamison

Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big BookIn the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté 

Addict in the House: A No-Nonsense Family Guide Through Addiction and Recovery by Robin Barnett

Psalms 37

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Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yakov Danishefsky—a licensed clinical social worker and the author of The Attached Haggadah—about the imperfect ways in which we transmit the Jewish story. 

In this episode we discuss:How do we deal with the lived reality that the Passover Seder isn’t a perfect transmission of our foundational beliefs? 
Why do some people try to leave Yiddishkeit while others stay in the community?
What is the deeper significance of chametz and matza?
Tune in for a conversation about the role of broken expectations in the story of our redemption.

Interview begins at 12:29.

Rabbi Yakov Danishefsky is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist. He is the founder of Mind Body Therapy, a private group practice in Chicago. Yakov has semicha and a Master’s in Jewish Philosophy from Yeshiva University and is a popular speaker, teacher, and author on the intersection of spirituality, philosophy, and psychology. He is the author of Attached: Connecting to Our Creator: A Jewish Psychological Approach.

References:

Home Is Where We Start From: Essays by a Psychoanalyst by D. W. Winnicott

Reb Meilech on the Haggadah by Yisroel Besser

The Attached Haggadah by Rabbi Yakov Danishefsky

Attached: Connecting to Our Creator: A Jewish Psychological Approach by Rabbi Yakov Danishefsky

Berakhot 3a

Tzidkat HaTzadik 154

The Baderech Haggadah by Rav Judah Mischel

18Forty Podcast: Yakov Danishefsky: Religion and Mental Health: God and Us

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This week of learning is sponsored by Zachary Schreiber in honor of Tova Bashevkin, because behind every great man is an even greater woman.

In this special Purim episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin speaks about the late, great comedian Garry Shandling in honor of his 10th yahrzeit, which is this Purim.

In this episode we discuss:
What does pop culture tell us about the Torah of our time?
What can Garry Shalndling teach us about Purim?
What does it mean to see divinity and significance within one another? 
Tune in for a conversation about how we find joy and inspiration in this impossible life. 

References:

It's Garry Shandling's Show

The Larry Sanders Show

The Office

30 Rock

The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling

“It’s Garry Shandling’s Shpiel” by David Bashevkin 

“Garry Shandling's Knockout First Appearance | Carson Tonight Show”

Iron Man 2

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Book of Esther

For more 18Forty:
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