Sylvia and Simon Jacobson: How Different Generations Talk About Jewish Life [Divergence 1/6]

18Forty Podcast

18Forty

Religion & Spirituality, Judaism

4.6 • 638 Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2025

⏱️ 110 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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

This episode is sponsored by an anonymous friend who supports our mission.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Simon Jacobson—a leading rabbi in the internet age who previously worked closely with the Lubavitcher Rebbe—and his mother, Silvia, who was born into a Chabad family in Europe nearly 90 years ago.

Together, they have witnessed and experienced the development of the Chabad movement and the Jewish People over several historic eras. In this episode we discuss:

How has Chabad managed to maintain continuity over wildly different generations and historical contexts?
What can the mystical notions of tzimtzum, concealment, and revelation teach us about parenting?
How has the way we talk about “trauma” evolved over generations?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can transmit tradition to our children with confidence and rootedness in order to find a dwelling place for God in every generation.

Interview begins at 11:15.

Rabbi Simon Jacobson heads The Meaningful Life Center, called a “Spiritual Starbucks” by The New York Times, which bridges the secular and the spiritual through a wide variety of live and online programming. He is the author of the best-selling book Toward a Meaningful Life, a William Morrow publication that has sold over 400,000 copies to date. Rabbi Jacobson is a speaker, educator, and mentor.

Sylvia, Simon's mother, is the matriarch of the Jacobson family.

References:

Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity: An Existential History of Chabad Hasidism by Eli Rubin

Toward a Meaningful Life by Simon Jacobson

“Tzomo Lecho Nafshi”

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Vanity Fair by by William Makepeace Thackeray

The Algemeiner

“Rabbi Simon Jacobson Appears on Larry King Live | June 1994”

The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler

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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
0:42.4	personal community and they are the ones leading this new development community. And I know for my own life that
0:49.6	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.
1:07.6	In order to register, please click the link below or email info at
1:12.7	Edenbateschemish.com to find out more. Once again, that's info at Edenbateshemesh.com
1:20.2	to find out more. Hi friends and welcome to the 1840 podcast where each month we explore different topic balancing modern sensibilities
1:45.1	with traditional sensitivities to give you new approaches to timeless Jewish ideas.
1:50.8	I'm your host, David Bischofkin, and this month we are beginning our annual series on
1:56.0	intergenerational divergence that we try to do each and every year before the holiday of Passover,
2:02.6	Pesach, where we explore the divergence of different generations, parents and children, husbands,
2:07.9	and wives. This podcast is part of a larger exploration of those big, juicy Jewish ideas.
2:14.2	So be sure to check out 1840.org. That's the number one eight followed by the
2:18.4	word 40, f-o-t-y-y-dot-org, where you can also find videos, articles, recommended readings,
2:23.2	and weekly emails. I also want to make a very special note of recognition to our series
2:29.1	sponsor from the very beginning, Danny and Sarlah Terkel. I am so grateful for your support and believing
	...

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