The Dardik Family: A Child Moves Away From Zionism [Divergence 3/6]

18Forty Podcast

18Forty

Religion & Spirituality, Judaism

4.6 • 638 Ratings

🗓️ 8 April 2025

⏱️ 109 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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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 Judah, Naomi, and Aharon Akiva Dardik—an olim family whose son went to military jail for refusing to follow to IDF orders and has since become a ceasefire activist at Columbia University—about sticking together as a family despite their fundamental differences.

On Aharon’s 14th birthday, the Dardiks moved from America to the Neve Daniel in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria. Since then, their relationships to Israel have diverged but they have refused to be divided. In this episode we discuss:

Why did Aharon initially choose to stay anonymous to protect his parents from public pushback?
How can we identify positive qualities in people we viscerally disagree with?
Do differences over Israel and Zionism need to tear families apart?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how the Jewish People can learn to think less institutionally and more familially.

Interview begins at 19:08.

Rabbi Judah Dardik is an Assistant Dean and full-time Ramm at Yeshivat Orayta in the Old City of Jerusalem, where he teaches and oversees student welfare. He is also the Dean of the Orayta Center for Jewish Leadership and Engagement. Before making Aliyah, he completed 13 years as the spiritual and community leader of Beth Jacob Congregation, in Oakland, California.

Naomi Dardik, with her husband, Judah, served the Beth Jacob community in Oakland for thirteen years. Now, she leads the team of Relationship Experts at "OurRitual," a young company based in Tel Aviv that is building new ways to help couples access relationship support. She earned her BA in psychology from Barnard College and her MSW from UC Berkeley.

Aharon Akiva Dardik is a philosophy and political science double major at Columbia University. His activism in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza was noted in The New York Times. He formerly lived in Neve Daniel with his family.

References:

“Forgive Me, My King I Did Not Know You Were Also a Father” by David Bashevkin

Beit Yishai by Rabbi Shlomo Fisher

“It Can Be Lonely to Have a Middle-of-the Road Opinion on the Middle East”

Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza by Peter Beinart

The Power of Showing Up by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson

“Family Ties” by David Bashevkin

“Spending the Seder Alone” by David Bashevkin

Baderech by Rabbi Judah Mischel

“Pesach Letter to My Child” by Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky

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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 with traditional
1:45.4	sensitivities to give you new approaches to timeless Jewish ideas. I'm your host David Bischephkin
1:51.4	and this month we are continuing our annual exploration of intergenerational divergence.
1:57.6	Thank you so much to our dearest friends and sponsors of this series year after year,
2:02.7	Danny and Sarlah Turkel. I am so grateful for your friendship and support over all these years.
2:08.6	And thank you to our anonymous episode supporter, Moshe. We're very grateful for you,
2:13.5	and I really hope we connect soon. This podcast is part of a larger exploration of those big, juicy
2:19.2	Jewish ideas, so be sure to check out 1840.org where you can also find videos, articles, recommended
2:25.5	readings, and weekly emails. This, I believe, is the fifth year that we are approaching
2:31.7	Pesach through the lens of intergenerational divergence on 1840.
	...

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