Lectures in Jewish History and Thought. No hard questions, please.
Brief video describing the life and activity of Avraham Zacuto, Spanish-Jewish Astronomer and Historian whose work contributed directly to the travels of Christopher Columbus and other 15th-century explorers.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/yGw7Qydhfgg]
Brief discussion of the anniversary of Tisha B’Av, the onset of World War I, and its implications for Jewish History.
In July of 1942 (coinciding with Av 5702), the Nazis began a major deportation of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp. By September, 235,000 Warsaw Jews were murdered in the gas chambers.
Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitshak) was a great 11th century commentator on the Torah. This brief video outlines his major scholarly contribution within historical context.
Yud Shvat, the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Shvat, is an auspicious date for Chabad Hasidm, commemorating the passing of the 6th Rebbe in 1950 and the ascension to leadership of the 7th Rabbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, one year later on January 17, 1951.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/2Nal_ArtapQ]
[youtube=http://youtu.be/KDpoGsqKcPg]
The Septuagint, an ancient translation of the Torah into Koine Greek, had a tremendous impact on the later Christian understanding of Jewish theology.
At this time of year it’s impossible to escape the ubiquitous holiday music that assults us whenever we turn on the radio or walk through a shopping mall. Few listeners are aware, however, that the syrupy, commercialized versions of holiday cheer have their origins in the musical genius of a Jewish immigrant from Siberia, the phenomenal Irving Berlin. Whatever we may think of the 21st century interpretations of his work, it is undeniable that Berlin had the amazing ability to express the core values of American culture in a way that transcended religious ideology.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/TKRXyBgDw70]
Here’s some additional useful comments from Dr. Carl Singer:
The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 defined, for the purposes of the Nazi regime, exactly who was considered a Jew. This was an essential element in the unfolding of the Holocaust, as the Nuremberg Laws allowed the Nazis to first identify, then exclude, and finally attempt to eliminate Jews from German society. Part of the “This Week in Jewish History” series by Dr. Henry Abramson. More videos available at http://www.henryabramson.com
Brief video highlighting the life and work of Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan (1838-1936), one of the most influential Rabbis of the 20th century. Better known as the Chofetz Chaim (*one who desires life,” taken from Psalm 34).
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) articulated a strategy to allow Jews their traditional observances while participating actively in the modern world. Criticized from both the left and the right, his thought remains highly influential into the 21st century.