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 reunite. 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.For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

David Magerman, a philanthropist and tech investor focused on Jewish life in Israel. Sydney Magerman, his daughter who made aliyah during a gap-year and studied in seminary. They discuss family religious shifts, the decision-making and logistics of making aliyah, building pipelines from American programs to Israeli universities, and how Israeli religious culture compares to American communities.

Zerachia (Ziggy) Gelman, who lived with substance use disorder and found recovery through peer support, and Shaanan Gelman, a rabbi and community leader navigating parenting through crisis. They discuss how casual use became addiction. They recount medical trauma, concealed relapses, a frightening LSD incident, urgent moves to inpatient care, and how Jewish peer communities and AA supported recovery.

Yakov Danishefsky, a licensed clinical social worker and author bridging Jewish thought and psychology, reflects on how the Seder teaches through messy practice. He explores why people stay or leave Jewish life, the meaning of chametz and matza, parenting through ritual, and crafting a living Haggadah. The conversation centers on expectation, containment, and transmitting faith through relationship and practice.

A conversation about how pop culture reveals spiritual opportunities across generations. A look at Garry Shandling’s life, comedy, and spiritual searching. Connections between diary-style intimacy, breaking the fourth wall, and Purim’s themes of role-playing and concealed meaning. Reflections on seeing significance in others and creating as a gift to the world.

Yehuda Geberer, a researcher, educator, and licensed tour guide who hosts Jewish History Soundbites, traces the rise of the modern yeshiva from Valozhin to today. He describes earlier study models, Reb Chaim Volozhin’s structural innovations, the rise of American yeshivas, and forces like welfare policy and the Vietnam draft that reshaped the landscape.

Aaron Kotler, grandson of Rav Aharon Kotler and senior Lakewood figure, reflects on the founding vision of Beis Medrash Govoah. He recounts why Lakewood became a yeshiva center. He explores the global mission of yeshivas, the rise of kolelim, and how sustained Torah learning reshaped American Jewish life. Practical tips for philanthropy and building resilient communities are discussed.

Elisheva Carlebach, a Columbia professor of early modern Jewish life and print culture, and Debra Kaplan, a Bar-Ilan social historian of Jewish women, dig into archival surprises about women’s roles. They discuss sources that reveal literacy, synagogue attendance, women’s officials and burial societies. The conversation highlights how communal structures shaped and recorded women’s public and religious lives.

Ari Israel, longtime Hillel leader who builds campus community and teaches Jewish leadership, and Eitan Webb, rabbinic director of Princeton Chabad and campus chaplain, talk campus Jewish life. They discuss a post‑October 7th resurgence, parents spurring student engagement, Hillel and Chabad cooperation, balancing attention to antisemitism, and core campus Jewish education and practices.

Rabbi Mark Wildes, founder of Manhattan Jewish Experience and ordained at Yeshiva University, leads Modern Orthodox outreach and Jewish education for young professionals. He discusses who does outreach and why, the challenge of sustaining newcomers after programs, making Shabbat inviting for many, and how small communities help integrate people into lasting Jewish life.