The Jews of Bukhara (Sunday in Denver); the Maimonidean Controversy; Save the Date for Roslyn NY
Really looking forward to speaking to the Or Avner community in Aurora, CO!
The Maimonidean Controversy
Save the Date: Shabbaton in Roslyn NY, December 20-21
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Who Was Nahmanides?
A brilliant 13th-century scholar of Rabbinic thought, Nahmanides’ defense of Judaism in a forced Church-sponsored debate earned him exile from his native Spain. An elderly sage, he emigrated to the Land of Israel, where he found a tiny Jewish community, desperately hanging onto the traditions of their ancestors. Summoning upon an immense reserve of energy,…
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The Land of Israel from Bar Kochba to the Muslim Conquest
Brief survey of the major historical developments and themes affecting the land of Israel between the 2nd-century Bar Kochba rebellion and the Muslim conquest in the seventh century. Part of the Israel: The Land and its People series.
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Who Was Rabbi Akiva?
Certainly one of the greatest Rabbis of the entire Talmud, Akiva son of Joseph did not begin his study of Judaism before adulthood. His trajectory of incredible spiritual growth was punctuated by moments of great personal tragedy, and his martyrdom at the hands of the Romans after the failed second-century Bar-Kochba revolt has an enduring…
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Who Was King Herod?
One of the greatest builders of ancient Israel, King Herod exploited his power as a Roman-sponsored ruler to develop the Temple, yet earned a reputation as a feared tyrant responsible for horrific massacres. HIs rule set the tone for the political climate in the Land of Israel during the tumultuous decades prior to the growth…
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Who Was Yohanan Kohen Gadol?
Born in the times of the Hasmonean rebellion celebrated with the holiday of Chanukah, Yohanan Cohen Gadol was one of the most prominent Jewish leaders during the brief period of Jewish freedom in the 2nd century BCE. Caught in the swirling controversy of internal religious debate, in his old age he abandoned his Pharisaic roots…
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Who Was King David?
“Sweet singer of Israel,” David was the poet-warrior King who led the Jewish people to political and cultural prominence. Denied his most cherished goal of building the Temple, he lived a life of great personal challenge and heroic resurgence from tragedy, and his biography left an indelible mark on the Jewish understanding of leadership.
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Who Was Joshua?
The Bible describes how the Jewish people, emerging from Egyptian servitude and decades of wandering in the Sinai desert, followed Joshua’s military leadership to conquer the Land of Israel and establish the ancient foundations of their Torah-centered society. This lecture will survey the archeological and historical record to understand the larger context of the Biblical…
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Webinar on First Century Judaism Monday March 13, 6:00 pm EST
Join me for a live webinar on the complex topic of Judaism in the first century on Monday, March 13 at 6:00 pm EST. We will look at several of the most important themes of this century: the conflict with the Romans that ended in the destruction of the Temple, the sectarian movements including the…
The Jews of Bukhara (Denver, CO); The Jews of the Lesser Antilles; Varieties of Crypto-Jewish Identity; Wait, Alexander Hamilton was Jewish?
Looking forward to a wonderful Shabbat in the Denver Jewish community!
Our Itinerary of Discovery in the Western Caribbean
Channel Members
Premiering at 10am ET
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Jews, the First Crusade, and the Culture of Ashkenaz
After a discussion of Jewish communal structure in the medieval era, we will look at the devastation of the First Crusade and the Rhineland Massacres of 1096, follow up with some thoughts on the long-term impact on Ashkenazi Culture. Premiering today at 1 pm.
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Interview with Dr. Michael Chighel of The Ashkenazium
Yikes! This interview started out with a lot more personal material than I intended, but I had a lot of fun speaking with my colleague and friend Dr. Michael Chighel, Dean of Ashkenazium Jewish History MA in Budapest. Enjoy in good health!
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Jewish Life in the Dark Ages, the Rishonim, and Maimonides (Jewish History Lab)
Here’s the latest videos from the Jewish History Lab series.
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Amsterdam: Refuge of Rabbi Moshe Hayim Luzzatto
Brief review of the troubled journey of Rabbi Moshe Hayim Luzzatto, a brilliant young scholar of the 18th century who was persecuted by opponents and hounded across Europe before finding his way to the more tolerant intellectual climate of Amsterdam.
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Truth will Spring from the Earth: Gutenberg, the Internet, and the New Uncertainty Principle
//embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=5035317&width=auto&height=auto&HideVideoInfo=false “Truth will Sprout from the Earth: Gutenberg, the Internet, and the New Uncertainty Principle.” Presentation at the XIII International Torah and Science Conference, Miami. Introductory remarks by Dr. Nathan Katz.
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Runaway Yeshiva Bochur’s Work May Aid COVID Research
Runaway Yeshiva Bochur’s Work May Aid COVID Research The Jewish Star (March 24, 2021) Shortly after emigrating to Israel in 1901, this Telz-educated orphaned son of a rosh yeshiva earned an unlikely nickname: “the crazy fly-catcher.” Israel Aharoni’s odyssey into the world of middle eastern zoology, long recognized in the scientific world with over 30…
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The Ashkenazium: Graduate Studies in Budapest
Really thrilled to be part of the inaugural visiting faculty of the Ashkenazium! Please check out this introductory video that beautifully captures the historic “vibe” of the school and its Dean, Dr. Michael Chigel.
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The Jews of Egypt after the Exodus, and the Third Plague
A brief overview of the history of Jewish life in Egypt. After looking briefly at the Exodus itself, we look at some major population centers in Elephantine, Alexandria, and Cairo, to the present day. To avoid any possible confusion: this lecture does not argue for continuity between the Jewish population described in the account of…
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The Geonim of Baghdad and the Origins of the Jews of North Africa (today at noon New York time)
A brief look at the social and economic background of the post-Talmudic era in Baghdad, with an important digression into the 8th-10th century revolution in information technology that helped propel the authority and influence of the Geonim. The following video will look at the early history of North Africa, an area influenced by their scholarship…
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No, Ashkenazi Jews are not Khazars; Menasseh ben Israel and the Ten Lost Tribes
Premiering today at 12:00 noon ET.
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The Jews of Africa #BlackHistoryMonth
Preliminary remarks on the study of the Jews in Africa, followed by The Jews of Ethiopia (origins to 1862). Premiering today at 12 noon ET. Note: for some reason this particular topic attracts an unusual amount of inappropriate commentary. Scholarly, collegial discussion is welcomed here; but I intend to remove hateful remarks, and commentators who…
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Esther as Crypto-Jew: Jewish History, Identity and the Missing 107 Verses from the Book of Esther
Some thoughts on the literary figure of Queen Esther on the eve of the holiday of Purim. Talk originally delivered to members of Project Makom on February 21, 2022. http://www.projectmakom.org
Visits to Synagogues in Bordeaux and Libourne (France); Another Open Letter to Jewish Participants in anti-Israel Protests re: Amsterdam; Conference Presentation on Sheptytsky and WW II
Fantastic Voyage of Discovery with Kosher River Cruises
A Difficult Conversation
Recent Conference Presentation in Toronto
Wait, Christopher Columbus was Jewish? Documentary on Roman-Jewish War now Online
Surprised how much attention this got.
Herod’s Tragic Reign
The Fatal Conflict
How Jewish Culture will Thrive after October 7; The Jews of Al-Andalus Part II
Remarks at Lander College for Men
Maimonides and the Controversy over His Work
Jewish Resilience After October 7; American Jews, Post-Honeymoon; The Jews of Al-Andalus
Three Strategies
Jews under the Visigoths II; The Spanish Golden Age
Public at 10am ET (44 minutes)
Online Courses in Jewish History
Jewish Life in Visigothic Spain; Commemorating October 7
This is one of the most bizarre periods of Jewish history, and that’s saying a lot.
New Lecture Series: The Sweep of Sephardic History; Faith in Times of Crisis: Commemorating the Tragedy of October 7
New Lecture Series: The History of Sephardic Jewry
