Matisyahu: Teshuva in the Spotlight [Teshuva IV 5/5]

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar, and this episode is sponsored by dailygiving.org.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to musician Matisyahu Miller—known as “Matisyahu”—who has publicly re-embraced his Judaism and Zionism since October 7.

Matisyahu’s public persona has long been subject to scrutiny and analysis. Comparatively few people, though, have listened to his story in depth. In this episode we discuss:

• How has the public expression of Matisyahu’s Jewish identity ebbed and flowed throughout his life?
• Is there anything Matisyahu would change about the Orthodox community?
• How has the inwardness of Matisyahu’s Jewish identity guided him throughout his life?

Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to be, in Matisyahu’s words, “a pnimius Yid.”

Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and alternative rock musician. He's known for his skill in blending reggae and hip hop as he provides a raw expression of his spirituality. His long and winding career consists of seven albums including chart-topping Light, Youth, Spark Seeker, Akeda, and Undercurrent with hits such as "One Day", "Sunshine", and "King Without A Crown". Through his lyrics, Matisyahu develops a personal, artistic, and sophisticated way to express the yearning for deep spiritual meaning, and as his own beliefs opened up to find more variety and depth, the desire for his performances to match the unpredictable flow of life developed as well. 

References:

The Office 

Light by Matisyahu

Akeda by Matisyahu

Holy Brother: Inspiring Stories and Enchanted Tales about Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach by Yitta Halberstam Mandelbaum

The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel

Politics Of Experience by R.D. Laing

"Spiritual Schadenfreude: The Case of Matisyahu’s Beard" by David Bashevkin

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