When a Parent Becomes Estranged [Divergence VI 4/4]
18Forty Podcast
18Forty
4.7 • 704 Ratings
🗓️ 30 March 2026
⏱️ 139 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to a father and daughter who were estranged and then reunited. We also speak with Adam Pollock, the estrangement specialist who inspired them to reconcile.
In this episode we discuss:
- Are there specific struggles that lead to estrangement in the Orthodox Jewish world?
- How do we handle the tension between the need to heal and the need to be right?
- How do we avoid regression once family members have been reunited?
Interview begins at 20:50.
Adam N. Pollock is the founder of Aaron’s Legacy, where he specializes in mediating family estrangement using a blend of ancient wisdom and modern conflict resolution techniques. Since 2015, he has helped individuals and families navigate some of their most painful relational fractures with compassion, rigor, and creativity. A former attorney and business executive, Adam brings decades of experience in negotiation, arbitration, and high-stakes decision-making to his work as an estrangement mediator. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from The George Washington University and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, and is the author of Secrets From the Legal Pad (2023).
References:
Genesis 37:31
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Psalms 121
Titles by C.B. Weinfeld
Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict by Joshua Coleman PhD
Third-Party Peacemakers in Judaism: Text, Theory, and Practice by Daniel Roth
Exodus 13:19
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi friends, a quick word from our sponsors, the incredible organization, Mugin David Adom. |
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| 1:46.2 | Not the kind that weighs on you, the kind that defines you. The kind that says, I am the person |
... |
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