Was the Rebbe’s faith “broken” by the Holocaust?

SPIRITUAL HEROISM AND TRAGIC MARTYRDOM IN THE WARSAW GHETTO.

Get a head start on the first lecture by watching these intermittently interesting videos while peeling potatoes.

Good morning fellow students of Jewish History! Really excited to be starting the Spring Semester of Jewish History Lectures next week–it’s going to be a busy February, but I’m certainly looking forward to speaking with you about these fascinating topics! Here’s a quick list of what, where, and when. Unfortunately not all of these lectures…

Hello fellow students of Jewish history! I am delighted to inform you that, beginning in April 2019, we will embark on a pilot project to explore the historical aspects of the Talmud as part of the incredible OU Daf Yomi Initiative led by Rabbi Moshe Schwed. We will start with tractate Bechoros and, with favorable…

Hello everyone–it’s still a while till our first public lecture on campus, but I was so fascinated by this topic I had to talk about it with you. I hope you enjoy the video! Don’t forget to print out and post the Spring 2019 Schedule of Lectures on your refrigerator of your home, or wherever…

The Jews of Italy Lectures in Jewish History (Spring 2019) The Origins of Italian Jewry Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto: Persecuted Genius Tuesday, February 12, 7:00 PM Sponsored by the Chaim Yaakov Shlomo College of Jewish Studies The Shul, 9540 Collins Avenue, Surfside FL 33154 Torah from the Years of Wrath: The Warsaw Ghetto Writings of…

Brief overview of the earliest settlement of Jews in the Italian peninsula, up to the first Roman-Jewish War.

The Jews of Italy Lectures in Jewish History (Spring 2019) Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto: Persecuted Genius Tuesday, February 12, 7:00 PM Sponsored by the Chaim Yaakov Shlomo College of Jewish Studies The Shul, 9540 Collins Avenue, Surfside FL 33154 Who Was Josephus the Jew? Monday, February 25, 7:00 PM Touro College Main Auditorium, 1602 Avenue…

Weighing only 90 pounds, his first act upon liberation was one that would characterize the remainder of his life: he presented the American commanding officer with a list of names of war criminals to be apprehended for prosecution.

Really happy to see the new book joining the impressive display of Piaseczno Hasidic works at my favorite local Jewish bookstore! Here I am (out of uniform, sorry) with Rabbi Ari Silverstein at Judaica Plus in Cedarhurst. 

  Wow—I checked the site this morning, and discovered that the book on the Piaseczno Rebbe made it to the top 100 in its category on Amazon! Just behind classics by Elie Wiesel, Viktor Frankl, and Simon Wiesenthal! Really proud that people are finding this book meaningful. Thank you! Bit.ly\aishkodesh

Woo-hoo! Visit bit.ly/aishkodesh or click here for the 20% discount, or to RSVP for the book launch on the 30th (free and open to the community!)

I am delighted to inform you that advance copies of my new book are now available from Amazon (this is really advance–I won’t even get my own copy until next week!). I hope to have sufficient copies available for sale and signature at the Book Launch on October 30, but if you want to have…

Brief lecture on the life and work of Shmuel ha-Nagid, an important 11th century Spanish Jewish leader. Also: please join me for the launch of my new book, Torah from the Years of Wrath 1939-1943: The Historical Context of the Aish Kodesh (click here for more information). The launch is scheduled for Monday, October 30 at 7:00 pm…

Brief lecture on the life of Hasdai ibn Shaprut, an important 10th century Jewish leader in Andalusia, who set the foundations for the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. Part of the Jews of Sepharad series, visit jewishhistorylectures.org for more information.  

Brief overview of the Jews in Spain during the two centuries following the Muslim conquest of 711.

  September 18: SEPHARDIC JEWRY AND THE MUSLIM CONQUEST OF 711 Sponsored by Katherine and Vick Crespin, in gratitude to Hashem for protecting their family from harm during Hurricane Irma. Monday, September 18 @ 7pm at the Mighty Avenue J Campus of Touro College 1602 Avenue J Brooklyn NY 11230 Free and Open to the…

A brief overview of the earliest history of Sephardic Jewry, from earliest settlement through the Visigothic period to the Muslim conquest of 711. For the Fall Schedule of Lectures, please click here. To sponsor a lecture, please click here.

Day 17-18-19: Impediments to Teshuvah English Translation Follows 4.1 עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים מְעַכְּבִין אֶת הַתְּשׁוּבָה.  אַרְבָּעָה מֵהֶן עָווֹן גָּדוֹל; וְהָעוֹשֶׂה אֶחָד מֵאַרְבַּעְתָּן–אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַסְפִּיק בְּיָדוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה, לְפִי גֹּדֶל חֶטְאוֹ.  וְאֵלּוּ הֶן:  (א) הַמַּחְטִיא אֶת הָרַבִּים; וּבִכְלַל עָווֹן זֶה, הַמְּעַכֵּב אֶת הָרַבִּים מִלַּעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוָה.  (ב) וְהַמַּטֶּה חֲבֵרוֹ מִדֶּרֶךְ טוֹבָה לְדֶרֶךְ רָעָה, כְּגוֹן מַסִּית…

Day 16: Sticks and Stones Wednesday, September 6, 2017 English Translation Follows 3:14 כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵאַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים אֲנָשִׁים אֵלּוּ שֶׁמָּנִינוּ–אַף עַל פִּי שְׁהֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵין לָהֶן חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.  וְיֵשׁ עֲבֵרוֹת קַלּוֹת מֵאֵלּוּ, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁהָרָגִיל בָּהֶן אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, כְּדֵי לְהִתְרַחַק מֵהֶן וּלְהִזָּהֵר מֵהֶן. וְאֵלּוּ הֶן:  הַמְּכַנֶּה…