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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Shavuot in the Warsaw Ghetto (1940)
Shimon Huberband was a student of the Rebbe and an amateur historian working for Emanuel Ringelblum’s underground Oneg Shabbat archive (Rabbi Huberband, who was killed along with Ringelblum and most of the archivists, was probably instrumental in convincing the Rebbe to entrust his manuscript to Ringelblum for burial). Rabbi Huberband visited the court of Piaseczno…
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Who Was HaRav Ovadia Yosef?
Brief overview of the life and work of Hakham Ovadia Yosef, prominent Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel. Final installment in the Spring 2018 Lecture Series: The Sephardic Diaspora. Sponsored by Katie and Vick Crespin of Miami Beach, FL In honor of the Six Million and all who were killed just for being Jewish.
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Greetings from Harvard
Hello everyone– Had a great time here at the “Touro of Cambridge.” Great colleagues, great students, but looking forward to returning to the Mighty Avenue J for tomorrow’s lecture on Hakham Ovadya Yosef, last of the Spring 2018 series). Here’s a couple photos my wife took of me at my old hangouts: Widener Library and…
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Who Are the Crypto-Jews?
Brief lecture on the Crypto-Jews. Part 9 of The Sephardic Diaspora series. If you have difficulty seeing the video please click here.
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Parashat Emor in the Warsaw Ghetto (May 11, 1940)
The brief sense of relief felt by Warsaw Jews at the beginning of Passover 1941 did not last. Decrees expelling Jews from several towns were scheduled for the intermediate days of the holiday, and pressures upon the Jewish community increased dramatically. Diarists of the Ghetto record widespread confusion among the population over new Nazi policies…
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Reminder: No class tonight, resume next week
Good morning students of Jewish History! Just a reminder that we will not be meeting tonight; classes will resume on Monday May 7. You can always use the extra time to catch up on some reading! Click here for a few suggestions. Looking forward to learning with you next week, the penultimate lecture in the…
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No Jewish History Lecture Monday April 30
Good morning– Just a quick note to those who attend in person at the Mighty Avenue J campus: we will not be meeting this Monday, April 30. Planning to reconvene on Monday, May 7 with the penultimate lecture of the season–the history of the Crypto-Jews. Fascinating stuff, I think. H P.S. Seeking sponsors for the…
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The Secret Treasure of the Cairo Geniza (Talk at The WELL)
Here’s the video of the talk I gave at The WELL, my favorite institution of Sephardic Studies in New York. Really wonderful audience. Having difficulty seeing the video? Click here.
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The Walls of the Warsaw Ghetto: The Rebbe on Parashat Metsora, 1940
In early April 1940, Warsaw Jews were distressed to witness the initial construction of walls in several parts of the city. Up until this point, the concentration of Jews in certain parts of Warsaw was effected by administrative decree, with few permanent physical structures demarcating the boundaries of the ghetto. Debates raged within the Nazi…
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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 in Visigothic Spain
Jewish History Lab Report February 12, 2021 Jewish History Lab Lectures Scheduled for Next Week (Advance access for YouTube channel members at the Student Level) 49. Early Jewish Settlement in Spain (Scheduled for Sunday @ 1:00 PM ET) 50. Jews in Visigothic Spain (Scheduled for Monday @1:00 PM ET) Researchers: The Amazing Journey of Yisrael…
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Jews in Late Roman Period, The Convert who Illustrated the Maxwell House Haggadah, and the Tragic Jewish Backstory to yelling “fire” in a theater
Jewish History Lab Report for February 5, 2021. Videos dropping next week (advance viewing for Students now available): Researchers video: Text version at JTA here. Colleagues Live Class on Wednesday: Jews in Visigothic Iberia Other Publications: The German Convert who Illustrated the Maxwell House Haggadah Have an excellent Shabbos! Looking forward to learning more Jewish…
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Jewish History Lab Report (January 29, 2021) Babylonian Center, Talmud, Amsterdam Haggadah
Hello fellow students of Jewish History! Here’s this week’s Jewish History Lab Report. Dropping next week: Researchers Video: Who Illustrated the Amsterdam Haggadah of 1695? Next Week: Under Christian Rule A Bird-Headed Haggadah (Why?) https://www.thejewishstar.com/Print_E…
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What is the Meaning of Jewish History?
A brief overview of some historiographic theory as it relates to Jewish history, also considering the impact of Postmodernism. Here’s a link to Rosman, Moshe. How Jewish is Jewish History?. United Kingdom: Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2009. Another fairly recent and important work is Yerushalmi, Yosef Hayim. Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory. United Kingdom: University of Washington Press, 2011.
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Please take this brief, anonymous survey
Good morning fellow students of Jewish History! Do you watch the Jewish History Lab series? If so, please contribute your thoughts in this brief, anonymous survey. We’ll be starting the second semester later this month, and I value your opinion! https://bit.ly/jhljanuary2021
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Rabbi Kalonymus Kalmish Shapira: Sunday Night
Sunday, January 10, 8pm. Sponsored by Congegration Darchei Noam of Fair Lawn, NJ. Register at dno.am/5781/webinar.
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Spiritual Heroism in a Time of Quarantine
The Holocaust Writings of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalmish Shapira (The Aish Kodesh הי׳׳ד) Please join me on Sunday, January 10 at 8PM ET for a discussion of the Warsaw Ghetto experience of the Aish Kodesh, and what lessons we may glean for the present season of quarantine. http://dno.am/5781/webinar
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Wishing you all a healthy 2021
Hello fellow students of Jewish history! I hope this message finds you and your loved ones healthy and secure. Just a brief note to let you know the website will have some reduced functionality over the next week or so. I like to take the turn-over of the Gregorian calendar to renovate and reorganize my…
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Why are Jews Fasting on the 25th of December?
Some historical reflections on the Fast of the 10th of Tevet.
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Jewish History Lab (New Lecture Series for Fall 2020)
Good afternoon fellow students of Jewish history! Please click here for the Fall 2020 series in Jewish history: an experiment I’m calling Jewish History Lab. Beginning with the Ancient Period!
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
Jews under the Visigoths II; The Spanish Golden Age
Public at 10am ET (44 minutes)
Online Courses in Jewish History



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






