1) What qualities make the nominee deserving of the Z3 Bridge Builder Award?

Rabbi Dr. Dovid Bashevkin exemplifies the very essence of a Jewish bridge builder: intellectually honest, religiously grounded, and emotionally generous across lines of difference. As founder of 18Forty and host of the 18Forty Podcast, he has cultivated one of the most ideologically, denominationally, and demographically diverse Jewish communities in contemporary media—Hasidic, Orthodox, Yeshivish, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Halachic Egalitarian Jews; all ages—18-65+; etc. This is not accidental. Dovid has spent years intentionally crafting a space that encourages Jews to engage with one another, not through diluted compromise, but through dignified curiosity about other beliefs and ideologies.

Crucially, Dovid does not pretend that denominational divides are insignificant. “The goal is not to minimize the seriousness of the divides,” he says. Nor is his aim to promote a post-denominational Judaism. He is unabashedly Orthodox and makes no effort to hide that. What makes him deserving of this award is precisely the balance he strikes: holding ideological convictions firmly, while opening the door to dialogue and understanding with Jews from every background. He has clarified that his goal is “not to convince people to become Orthodox,” but rather to “present the lessons that have been nurtured by the Orthodox community so that they can reach a wider audience.”

Dovid’s work emerges from a sincere commitment to Klal Yisrael. He has explicitly pushed back against the insular instinct in Orthodox communities to define Jewish peoplehood narrowly. For Dovid, Jewish peoplehood is not a slogan—it’s a theological and communal imperative.

In an era of polarization, his platform provides what he calls a “Beit Midrash for the study of the Jewish People”—a space to learn not just about Judaism, but about Jews. The language he uses is not accidental; it reflects a vision of serious, reverent engagement with the lived realities of the Jewish people across all affiliations. His methodology is not transactional or condescending, but rooted in the belief that “each of us are a vessel for holiness, no matter your affiliation.”

These are not vague ideals—they are realized practices. Dovid regularly hosts guests from across the denominational spectrum, engages controversial topics with nuance, and consistently models what he calls “balancing modern sensibilities with traditional sensitivities.” That balance is rare, essential, and worthy of recognition.

2) In what ways has the nominee demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to their work in bridging divides?

Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin’s leadership is defined by intellectual courage and pastoral sensitivity. What makes his work exceptional is that he doesn’t merely talk about bridging divides but builds the actual platforms, frameworks, and language that allow it to happen.

Through the 18Forty podcast and his broader media platform, including in-person shiurim, lectures, and more, Dovid has facilitated serious, often painful, conversations between Jews across every ideological and denominational divide. He has done so while staying true to his own Orthodox convictions, modeling what it means to speak across lines without compromising core beliefs.

He has hosted a Zionist "settler" rabbi who maintains a relationship with his non-Zionist son, brought Reform and Orthodox Jews in conversation, and constantly advocates for greater understanding — and when institutions, fail to deliver, Dovid takes charge.

He does not shy away from complexity. In fact, he believes it’s a feature—not a bug—of Jewish life. As he explains, “We’re not trying to sell anything. We’re trying to understand where Jews are in their lives—what their families look like, their commitments, their education—and how Torah can speak to that, without judgment, without naïveté.”

This leadership extends to both his audience and his guests. He has interviewed leading figures from every stream of Judaism—such as Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of the Reform movement—and treated each with respect, even when fundamental disagreements emerge. These conversations are not debates; they’re opportunities for mutual understanding, anchored in shared love of Jewish peoplehood. He often reflects on the risk of “conversations that confer legitimacy,” and he navigates that terrain delicately—honoring ideological boundaries while seeking common ground.

Dovid’s commitment also shows up pedagogically. He is an educator who refuses to give in to cynicism or triumphalism. In a climate where it is fashionable to say “Kaddish” over declining movements, he has publicly stated: “I fully reject any sentiment or glee at the failure of other movements… I don’t want to say Kaddish for any sort of Jewish affiliation until I am fully confident that there is one stream that can actually address the vast, vast majority of the Jewish people.”

That is the language of responsibility, not ideology. Dovid takes ownership of the collective Jewish future, and invites others to do the same—whether they are Orthodox or not, religious or secular, Zionist or disaffected.

What’s most remarkable is that he does all this without an institution behind him, without a pulpit, and without a formal title. His leadership comes from credibility, integrity, and consistency. In a world of noise, he speaks with clarity. In a world of fracture, he builds bridges—and he does so with the care of a rabbi, the insight of a thinker, and the heart of a brother.

3) How has the nominee's work impacted the Jewish community and beyond?

The impact of Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin’s work is measurable in the stories of transformation his listeners share—stories of reconnection, redefinition, and reengagement with Jewish life across the spectrum. Through the 18Forty podcast and platform, he has touched thousands of Jews who felt alienated, disillusioned, or overlooked by institutional Jewish life. His gift is in creating a spiritual and intellectual home for people who otherwise feel homeless in the Jewish landscape.

In his own words, he describes 18Forty as a place for “passing notes in the back of the classroom”—a metaphor for how online communities can create intimacy, honesty, and connection even outside of traditional institutions. For many, this is not just rhetoric. Listeners include secular Jews exploring Torah for the first time, formerly Orthodox Jews rethinking their relationship with tradition, and lifelong Orthodox Jews reimagining their relationship to Klal Yisrael. Across all these groups, Dovid provides what he calls “an entrance sign, not an exit sign”—a place to begin again.

One Reform-raised listener wrote that 18Forty helped her realize she didn’t need to abandon Judaism, only to re-encounter it in a deeper, truer form. A Yeshivish listener in Lakewood recommended a sociological book by a JTS professor that Dovid later featured—showing how porous his audience boundaries really are. Another wrote that for the first time, he felt “seen” in a Jewish conversation that didn’t caricature his doubts or sideline his background. These testimonials aren’t fringe—they’re the norm for his community.

Dovid’s work also impacts the broader Jewish discourse. His framing of Judaism’s “purpose” beyond merely responding to antisemitism—insisting that “we fight antisemitism so we can focus on the purpose of Judaism”—has reshaped how educators, rabbis, and influencers talk about Jewish identity, particularly post-October 7th. He has urged Jewish communities to “look more closely at what Klal Yisrael actually looks like”—a challenge to see Jews as they are, not just as we wish them to be.

Outside the Jewish community, his model of religious dialogue has inspired interfaith thinkers and educators seeking to navigate their own denominational rifts with grace and depth. His articulation of the dangers of “transactional kiruv” and preference for “chinuch”—creating receptacles for holiness—has also shaped how outreach professionals and communal leaders think about education and engagement.

In short, Rabbi Bashevkin’s impact is both wide and deep. He is not building unity by erasing difference, but by dignifying it. He is not glossing over divides, but facing them with Torah, empathy, and integrity. He is creating a Judaism capacious enough to hold us all—and a conversation honest enough to change lives.