Page 50 - HaMizrachi Sukkot 5783 USA

Get to Know…

Rabbi Dr.

Dovid

Bashevkin

An Interview with

Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy

I first met Rav Dovid when he was a shaliach from Ner Yisrael Yeshiva in Baltimore in Australia and
I was running Bnei Akiva there. He offered to teach in our growing beit midrash, sparking a life-
long friendship. Now the Director of Education for NCSY and Clinical Assistant Professor of Jewish
Values at the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University, Rav Dovid is also the founder of
18forty, an innovative media company taking the Modern Orthodox world – and beyond – by storm.

It’s great to catch up with you! These days, you work in so spoken, and video, within different audiences, and between
many roles, in different spaces. But what is the essence scholarship and more popular ideas. It is called 18forty after
of Rav Dovid Bashevkin? the calendar year 1840, a year when tradition and modernity
began to collide. It also happens to be the year that Izschbitz
Sheesh, Rav Benji. What an opener. My essence? That sounds Chassidut began a movement that has had a major influence on
quite lofty. I do like the question, but it’s hard to answer sincerely my life. 18forty is trying to open doors for people to engage with
(especially since this will be in print). It’s easier to talk about Jewish life with more depth and substance, confronting issues
narishkeit than my essence. In this moment that I’m answering plainly, honestly, with depth and, hopefully, some measure of
the question – and this may change – I feel my essence derives sophistication.
from my Biblical namesake: “And I am prayer,” said King David
(Tehillim 109). I don’t think this is because I am so devout. Far Your work in NCSY seems focused on outreach to those
from it. I miss minyan, I space out. But I think my life itself is a less affiliated, while your work at YU and in 18forty seems
prayer of sorts. In explaining this verse, Reb Simcha Bunim of focused on strengthening those who are more affiliated.
Peshischa says that there are two types of prayer: sometimes What are each of these groups looking for?
someone comes to your house asking for money with brochures
and testimonials explaining what they are collecting for. But I don’t look at these different initiatives as different markets. I
sometimes someone comes to your door and their expression, don’t think of markets or religious levels. I think of language.
their face and their brokenness obviates any need for explanation. Different people respond to different forms of language,
Their life itself is a prayer. I hope the totality of my work serves analogies, and examples. But the underlying struggle of finding
as a prayer for healing and reconciliation for myself, my family, religious meaning and nourishment is the same. It’s what we
and the Jewish people. are all looking for.

Your latest extended prayer is 18forty, which resonates How does the American Jewish experience differ from
with so many. What is it? life in Israel today?
18forty is a multimedia site that tries to build bridges and open It’s hard talking in such broad strokes. The materialism of
doors. It builds bridges between different forms of media, written, America definitely has a disproportionate gravitational pull on

50 |