Justin Cohen

My mother is Tunisian/Turkish and my father is from Iraq.  My parents raised us in a Masorti household and our shul was "conservadox".  I went to Hebrew school three days a week, from kindergarten through 12th grade.  My parents understand the importance of knowing what it means to be Jewish, which is a big deal in the suburbs.

Exactly.  I got a lot more interested in Jewish learning in college, through the Chabad on Campus rabbi, Rabbi Shmuel Rothstein.

I was at Onward Israel, which is a summer internship program in Israel.  While there I attended ITV events and met Rabbi Ari Maman...

It's an outreach program for Anglos in Tel Aviv.  I think it stands for "Inspired Tel Aviv".  So Rabbi Maman was running programs with ITV and I really connected with him.  When the summer was ending, he offered me to continue learning via The Podcast Fellowship.

I thought, "wow--we get paid to watch videos?"

I personally would have done it without the stipend.  But the stipend is great.  I think $15 is enough to get a college-aged kid interested.

Sure.  Whenever Ari sends me a podcast it usually is very relevant to something going on in my life.  It's one of those things where there are no coincidences!  As an example, earlier today we were discussing a podcast about evidence (how much evidence plays a role in our accepting anything).   Ari didn't know this, but I'm currently taking a communications class on evidence.  Also, I go to the Kollel here two nights a week for a shiur and one of this week’s shiur topics was evidence!

I really like Rabbi Tatz.  He’s funny, knows what he’s talking about and he has very good explanations of things.

Hishtadlut, the idea of effort and its relationship to Emunah.

It's all part of the spectrum.  Chabad puts at least a little chassidus in everything.  With Rabbi Ari it's more Rambam-style rationalism.

Another thing about Rabbi Ari is we’re both Sephardi, which is a big thing; in the US I haven’t had much experience with Sephardi role models.

Also, because Ari is in Israel, doing TPF every week is a constant reminder that the whole Torah is tied to Israel.  This really raised the level of learning that I’m doing.

I heard a rumor that you're heading to yeshiva.

B'ezrat Hashem, I'm going to Ohr Somayach for a few months.   When I get back, I may work for my dad, who runs a consumer chemical company.  I hope to use what I’ve learned in school to help the business grow.

I'm looking forward to building a good base while I’m there so I can have the tools to continue growing in learning.  I hope to advance in Gemara and to learn Rashi script.

Yes.  “The Podcast Fellowship is an easy way to connect to Jewish learning while being a college student”.