18 Questions, 40 Mystics26 Mai 2025

Malka Simkovich: When Did The Jewish Diaspora Begin? (18Forty Podcast Re-Release)

While we await next week's new episode, we invite you to revisit our (third) 18Forty Podcast conversation with Malka Simkovich, originally aired on November 19, 2024.

18Forty is celebrating its fifth year LIVE in NYC on June 9. Reserve your seats today!

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Malka Simkovich—a scholar of Jewish history, the editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society, and a three-time 18Forty guest—about previous Jewish diasporas.

We tend to think of “Israel-diaspora relations” as a modern phenomenon. But, as Dr. Simkovich reminds us, that situation existed well over 2,000 years ago, when some Jews returned to the Land of Israel following the Babylonian exile while others remained abroad. In this episode we discuss:

What are the differences between the notions of golah, diaspora, and galut?
Did ancient diaspora Jews have a political equivalent to “supporting Israel”?
How should Jews live when in a partial state of exile?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the “proto-messianic mindset” throughout Jewish history and today.

Interview begins at 8:58.

Dr. Malka Simkovich is the director and editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society and previously served as 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 Master’s degree in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016), Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism (2018), and Letters From Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity, (2024). This is her third time speaking on 18Forty.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(79)

Moshe Gersht: ‘The world of mysticism begs for practicality’

Rabbi Moshe Gersht first encountered the world of Chassidus at the age of twenty, the beginning of what he terms his “spiritual awakening.” From there, he began to dive deep into Jewish mysticism, vie...

12 Jan 45min

Suri Weingot: ‘The fellow Jew is as close to God as you'll get’

What does it mean to experience God as lived reality? Mrs. Suri Weingot reframes spirituality not as something hidden or elite but as something pulsing through every blade of grass, every Hebrew lette...

5 Jan 35min

Moshe Weinberger: ‘The Jewish People are God's shofar’

In order to study Kabbala, argues Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, one must approach it with humility, holding one’s hands out in the form of a cup as though they are ready to receive. Rabbi Moshe Weinberger h...

29 Des 202559min

Zevi Slavin: ‘To be a mystic is to be human at its most raw’

As a Chabad Hassid, Zevi Slavin’s formative years were spent immersed in the rich traditions of Chassidus and Kabbalah. This upbringing provided him with a unique lens through which he continues to le...

22 Des 202550min

Sarah Yehudit Schneider: ‘Jewish mysticism is not so different from any mysticism’

Rabbanit Sarah Yehudit Schneider believes meditation is the entryway to understanding mysticism. She highlights that traditional Kabbala often focuses on mystical realms associated with the masculine,...

15 Des 202533min

Joey Rosenfeld: "All Jews by definition are mystics'

Rabbi Joey Rosenfeld’s entryway into mystical thought began with the writings of Franz Kafka and Albert Camus. Discussing Jewish mysticism with Rabbi Joey is not just a conversation about ancient text...

8 Des 202559min

Introducing 18 Questions, 40 Mystics with R' Benji Levy

Join Rabbi Benji Levy as he asks 18 existential questions to 40 mystics from around the world.Series launches Monday, Dec. 8.Visit 40mystics.com to learn more.A partnership between Share and 18Forty.

2 Des 202550s

'There is no hope—but there is faith': 5 Israeli Thinkers on the country's future

Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?We asked this question to 40 Israeli Thinkers over the last year. For the first time, come behind the scenes to Sruli Fruchter's favorite...

8 Sep 202524min