Naftuli Moster: Leaving Haredi Education Activism [Teshuva 5/6]
18Forty Podcast
18Forty
4.7 • 704 Ratings
🗓️ 21 September 2025
⏱️ 99 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Naftuli Moster, a former activist for major changes in Hasidic education, about how and why he changed his understanding of the values imparted by Judaism.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why did Naftuli stop campaigning for fundamental reform in Hasidic education?
- Why are Jews often drawn to movements that can be counterproductive to their interests?
- How did October 7 make Naftuli rethink his relationship with the Jewish world?
Interview begins at 25:09.
Naftuli Moster is the founder and CEO of Shtetl, a non-profit media outlet serving as a free press for the Haredi community. He formerly worked with YAFFED, an organization that pushes for reform in Haredi and Hasidic education.
References:
“‘Why I left Hasidic education activism’ | Naftuli Moster”
Tosafot on Pesachim
“The Words of the Master and the Life of the Student” by Shalom Carmy
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Night by Elie Wiesel
For more 18Forty:
NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join
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.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | You know what made Rabbi Sachs distinctive? |
| 0:03.0 | He created Torah commentary for this generation, people who want to engage thoughtfully with the world while staying rooted in tradition. |
| 0:11.0 | He didn't ask you to choose between serious Torah study and intellectual engagement with contemporary ideas. |
| 0:17.0 | Instead, he showed how Torah wisdom can engage with philosophy, science, ethics, the big questions |
| 0:23.2 | thoughtful people care about. Now his approach is available in complete Chumish format. It's called |
| 0:29.7 | the Rabbi Sachs Chimish, and his commentary is integrated right with the Torah text alongside |
| 0:35.5 | Rashi and Unkelis. If you're someone who wants Torah study that engages seriously with the intellectual currents of our time, this is the Torah commentary for our generation. Now available at koranpub.com. That's k-O-R-E-N-P-U-B-com or at your local bookstore. |
| 0:55.4 | And I'll just add, just on a personal note, I have seen the Rabbi Sacks-Klemish. |
| 0:59.7 | It is really incredible, and I think Rabbi Sacks as a translator, in the greatest sense of the word, when I say translator, I don't mean somebody who took a word from one language and rendered into another |
| 1:12.3 | language. What I mean is somebody who is able to translate ideas and values in a way that |
| 1:18.1 | preserves the timelessness and eternity of those ideas, yet is able to translate them in a way |
| 1:24.5 | that resonates for our generation. I have seen the Rabbi Sachs-Homish. |
| 1:29.2 | I have learned it. I have studied from it. And I could not recommend it more to our listeners. |
| 1:34.3 | This should be in every Jewish home. It's now available at corinpub.com or at your local bookstore. |
| 1:41.2 | By the Rabbi Sachs-Humish now. |
| 1:48.5 | Hi, friends. It's Dev david here in a longer letter a listener recently wrote to me about an experience he had during one of our episodes this is a real |
| 1:53.8 | direct quote i found myself driving with tears rolling down my face completely overtaken by what i was |
| 2:00.4 | hearing and i realized I had to thank |
| 2:03.1 | you. Not just for that episode, but for what 1840 has become for me. Not every reaction is quite like |
| 2:10.0 | that, but your support for 1840 ensures every Jew has a place to cry, to question, to discover parts |
| 2:17.2 | of Yiddishkite. they never knew how to access. |
| 2:19.9 | Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at 1840.org slash donate. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from 18Forty, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of 18Forty and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

