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our religious lives. It is quite scary, and it’s reshaping religious What do you think Jewish life in general and Religious
life. Zionism specifically will look like 100 years from now?
In Israel, the stakes are real, while in America, it often feels I hope people find a way to feel the redemptive nature of religious
like we are just trying to preserve the communities we have – life. I am worried that a lot of our current models and conceptions
replacing our lives with the lives we provide our children. In may have to crumble to make way for that. But I am certain that
Israel, everyone is building something new together. the revolution has begun, and it begins in Israel.

Much of your formative religious development happened What is the defining feature of Jewish life today?
in Israel. What role does it play today in your Jewish life?
Jews seek meaning. Even when it isn’t obvious. Specifically when
I have begun taking Israel much more seriously. Growing up, it it is not obvious. We insist on finding, discovering, constructing
was about the Israel Day parade, blue and white cookies, and meaning. It is at the center of Torah. Being a doresh (a seeker)
political activism. These are all very important but in a way of meaning.
diminish the enormity of what Israel represents. The writings of
Gershom Scholem have made me rethink Israel and the enormity What do you wish Jewish youth today would understand
of what it means to have a Jewish state. On a very personal level, better?
I often reflect on the idea of experiencing a taste of exile within That Judaism is much richer, more resilient, and more real than
redemption and redemption within exile, which I think is the whatever current sociological conception and form Judaism
present situation of the Jewish people.
takes in any particular generation.
What role should Religious Zionism play in all this? What What do you wish Jewish leaders today would understand
needs to change as society develops in new directions? better?
The next generation needs new language to highlight the chiddush We need to promote new voices even at the expense of our own.
(novelty) of Israel. Many of us take it for granted. So much of our
conversation revolves around political advocacy or marveling Looking at your life, it seems you have had success after
at Israel’s technological achievements. These are wonderful, success. Have you ever experienced failure or challenges
but as Israel develops in the mind of the world, we must you couldn’t overcome? What gave you the resilience to
remind ourselves of the gravity and enormous responsibility of persevere?
having a Jewish state for the Jewish people. We must confront
the challenges of preserving Jewish life and observance for Ha! I seriously can’t tell if this is a joke. My life is littered with
the broader Israeli public, many of whom are not religiously failures. It is literally the topic of my book, Sin∙a∙gogue: Sin and
committed. We need to take the gift of Israel more seriously. In Failure in Jewish Thought. My greatest challenges have nothing to
a way, the extremes – rabid Zionists and anti-Zionists – have it do with my career. They are me: my jealousies, imperfections,
right, because they’re taking this seriously. It is everyone in the frustrations and impatience. I can’t discuss this in some short,
middle that needs a wakeup call to take a second look and really pithy and meaningful way because it is literally the struggle of life
figure out how to bring Jews together experientially in Israel. itself. What do I do to persevere? There is no other option. Once
you start seeing struggles as a function of life itself, they become
You always end your interviews with rapid fire questions, easier and less surprising. Maybe more than anything else I have
so I want to pose a few for you. What books would you learned to be compassionate to myself. “In [my own impatience
recommend to HaMizrachi readers? and] anger, I have remembered mercy” (Chavakuk 3:2).

David Biale’s Gershom Scholem: Kabbalah and Counter History is
powerful and revolutionary. Also, every Jew needs to read What would you like your legacy to be? How do you want
Yehudah Mirsky’s biography of Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of to be remembered?
Revolution. Rav Benji – what are you trying to do to me here?! My legacy? I
am 37! I’m trying to get through the day and stay afloat. I don’t
If you were able to take a fully-paid sabbatical to write have time to think about my legacy. I hope people see me as a
another PhD, what subject would you choose? mensch, empathetic, and authentic. When I have more time, I’ll
I would love to study religious crises from a psychological let you know about my legacy. It’ll probably involve a glamourous
framework. I wrote a book about the theological framework and statue. Or a street named after me in Israel. Rechov Dovid Bashevkin.
my PhD discusses the organizational framework. I would love It has a nice ring. In the meantime, I’ll continue to try to pave
to explore this phenomenon more deeply from a psychological pathways – in my lifetime – for myself and others to walk upon
perspective. and find nourishment from G-d and the Jewish people.

What time do you go to sleep and wake up? Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy is a co-founder of the philanthropic advisory: Israel
Impact Partners, Keshev mental health center, and an AI summarizing
I go to sleep around 1:30–2:00 am and wake up between 7:00 and start-up called Tanna. He is the former CEO of Mosaic United, Dean of
8:00 am. I go to sleep and wake up too late and hope that habit Moriah College and teaches globally in person and online @RabbiBenji:
changes sometime soon. www.RabbiBenji.com

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