Sarah Hurwitz and Alex Edelman: On Introducing Judaism [Books II 2/4]

18Forty Podcast

18Forty

Religion & Spirituality, Judaism

4.6 • 638 Ratings

🗓️ 4 July 2023

⏱️ 114 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This series is sponsored by an anonymous lover of books.

This episode is sponsored by Twillory. Use the coupon code 18Forty to get $18 off of all orders more than $139.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to returning guest comedian Alex Edelman, whose show has made it to Broadway, and his chavrusa, Sarah Hurwitz, former White House speechwriter and the author of Here All Along, about how to introduce people to a Judaism that is both inclusive and rigorous.

In this episode we discuss:

How does Alex Edelman write a one-man show “chavrusa-style”?
What, according to Sarah Hurwitz, is the difference between “writing to be read” and “writing to be heard”?
How does a writer bring a rich and relevant body of Jewish knowledge to the masses?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the “neon entrance signs” of Jewish life and how every Jew can find a way into appreciating their inheritance.

Alex Edelman interview begins at 13:32.
Sarah Hurtwitz interview begins at 54:09.

Alex Edelman is a product of Massachusetts’s Maimonides School and has been featured on Conan and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In 2020, he was the head writer and executive producer of the “Saturday Night Seder” YouTube extravaganza, which raised over $3.5 million for the CDC Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. His show Just For Us is running on Broadway! While nights tend to sell out quickly, tickets are available here.

Sarah Hurwitz is an American speechwriter. Sarah was a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama in 2009 and 2010, and head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama from 2010 to 2017, and was appointed to serve on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council by Barack Obama shortly before he left the White House. Sarah is the author of Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life—in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There).

References:

“Failure Goes to Yeshivah: What I’ve Learned From the Failure Narratives of My Students” by David Bashevkin

This Is My God by Herman Wouk

People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present by Dara Horn

For the Relief of Unbearable Urges: Stories by Nathan Englander

White nights: The story of a prisoner in Russia by Menachem Begin

The Lonely Man of Faith by Joseph B. Soloveitchik

God in Search of Man : A Philosophy of Judaism by Abraham Joshua Heschel

Suddenly, a Knock on the Door: Stories by Etgar Keret

From Text to Tradition, a History of Judaism in Second Temple and Rabbinic Times: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism by Lawrence H. Schiffman

To the End of the Land by David Grossman

My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life—in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There) by Sarah Hurwitz

As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi friends, a few months ago we advertised the birth of a new community in Israel.
0:05.4	Eden Bait Shemesh, a community tailored made for all those of us in need of a five-year plan,
0:12.7	and let's face it, we are living in a time when every single one of us should be drafting the five-year plan for our futures in Israel.
0:20.5	Our own listeners from within the 1840 community have purchased in Eden, an opportunity which
0:26.4	they will longingly watch unfold into a reality, a shul, and a community.
0:32.1	I am so proud that the leaders behind Aden are none other than Rabbi Benny and Khani Krohn. I know them personally because they are the rabbi and Rebitten of my own personal community.
0:43.6	And they are the ones leading this new development community. And I know for my own life that their stewardship, their leadership, is you know this is going to be a welcoming, joyous, incredible
0:55.7	community where everyone is going to be able to feel comfortable and build a home.
1:00.2	On June 29th, Eden will be hosting a webinar to speak in detail about the vision for this project.
1:07.7	In order to register, please click the link below or email info at
1:12.7	Edenbateshemesh.com to find out more. Once again, that's info at Edenbateshemesh.com
1:20.2	to find out more. The Korantanach of the land of Israel offers a groundbreaking way to experience the Hebrew Bible,
1:31.2	spearheaded by editor-in-chief David Arnowitz and featuring a fresh English translation by Rabbi
1:38.5	Lord Jonathan Sacks, Zatzal.
1:40.8	This edition brings the biblical world to life by blending the sacred text with cutting-edge
1:47.2	insights from archaeology, history, and ancient near-eastern studies. Unlike traditional editions,
1:54.1	this Tanakh places the events, laws, and prophecies of the Bible into the rich, historical,
2:00.3	cultural, and geographic context in which they
2:03.3	occurred, offering a deeper, more accurate understanding of the text. Readers explore the world of
2:10.1	the Tanakh as it truly was, from architecture and politics to poetry and language, making ancient
2:16.6	stories vivid, relevant, and alive.
2:19.9	Five volumes are currently available.
	...

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