Really looking forward seeing my friends at YILC!
RESURGENCE in Jewish History (Shabbaton at YILC, 5 Towns); Intrepid Rabbi-Explorers of the 3rd Century; Sephardic Diaspora in the New World
Eurafrican Jews in the Caribbean; Jewish Caribbean Migration Patterns; and a retrospective mini-documentary
Hard to believe such beautiful places exist!
Jewish Caribbean Migration Patterns
Eurafrican Jews in the Caribbean
The Sephardic Diaspora: Europe
Want to learn more Jewish History? Try one of these online courses!
Saga of Sephardic Jewry (New Online Course!); Volume II:Chapter 2 now online; Benjamin of Tudela; Guide for the Perplexed; Review of Koren’s New Mikraot Hadorot
Jewish History Lab Report: Friday, January 3, 2025
Benjamin of Tudela, Great Jewish Explorer of the 12th Century!
The Saga of Sephardic Jewry: New Course Now Online!
Stunning new work of Torah Scholarship: The Koren Mikraot Hadorot
Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed: Battle of the Translators
Shabbat in Rosyln, NY; Hello from Jerusalem;
Really looking forward to meeting this community!
Message recorded from Jerusalem last week
Medieval Antisemitism and the Spanish Inquisition
Invitation to LCM Breakfast; Caribbean Jews and the History of Chocolate; Spanish Disputations and the Pogroms of 1391
Please join me at our First Annual Breakfast!
Jews and Chocolate! Who knew?
Disputations and the Pogroms of 1391
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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What is Crypto-Judaism?; New Unpacked video on Hasidism; Teshuvah Unlocked Webinars
What does Judaism look like with 400 years without Rabbis or Jewish books? Unpacked on Hasidism Teshuvah Unpacked with Rabbi Shua Katz
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The Jews of Mashhad (Meshed): Crypto-Judaism in an Islamic Context
The remarkable survival of Jews forcibly converted to Islam in 1839
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NEW BOOK JUST RELEASED! Discovering the Crypto-Jews of Portugal
Very excited about this!
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Tisha B’Av Livestream; The Survival of the Mir Yeshivah; New Book Release on Tuesday
Survival Strategies: Confronting Hate in Jewish History Live at Congregation Ahavat Torah in Englewood at 9:30 am, Sunday August 3 Or join us via Zoom Webinar at 6:15 pm at Congregation Darchei Noam. Release date: Tuesday, August 5 Working as a mining engineer in a remote part of northern Portugual, Samuel Schwarz made a remarkable…
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A Siyum in Lublin; Survival Strategies on Tisha B’Av (Englewood), New Book Release on August 5
Something for the 9 Days Livestream: https://youtube.com/live/hNli4Id6wWA?feature=share YouTube members: a second presentation is planned for 6:15 pm via Zoom (interactive). Please see your Community Tab for the link. Release Scheduled for 11 Av/5 August
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Jewish Poland and Lithuania; Hasidim, Mitnagdim and Maskilim; Strategies for Survival; The Crypto-Jews of Portugal
From a recent issue of the Queens Jewish Link (click here to read the full article) Hasidm, Mitnagdim and Maskilim (Lecture delivered at the JLI National Jewish Retreat) Tisha B’Av at Congregation Ahavat Torah, Englewood NJ Coming Soon: Discovering the Crypto-Jews of Portugal
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A Visit to Poland and Lithuania
Visiting my ancestral home in Lithuania, first family member in a century
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Why do Koreans Love the Talmud? Shabbat Next Week in Woodmere NY
Looking forward to discussing the history of Jerusalem!
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Some Videos to Have in Mind for Passover
Here’s a few notes on the Exodus that you might find useful. Have a wonderful holiday!
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Why I love My Job; The Magnificent 17th century Synagogue of Tiktin; The Jews of the Russian Empire; The Fruit of Haste is Regret
Our Annual Charity Campaign begins March 25! The 1642 Synagogue of Tykocin (Tiktin) A Lightning Survey of Russian Jewish History The Guide for the Perplexed: The Fruit of Haste is Regret The Jews of Ashkenaz Lectures
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Exclusionary Pressures in Medieval Latin Ashkenaz; Jews of the Russian Empire; Maimonides on Biblical Metaphor
The Decline of Ashkenaz in the High Middle Ages From its Origins to the 20th century Maimonides on Biblical Metaphor
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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“The Grinch Who Stole Chanukah”
Feedback on this lecture was very positive, but one person suggested I was “the Grinch who stole Chanukah.” Kind of an ironically Hellenistic comment. So viewer beware: this is a more historical treatment of the social, economic, and political roots of the Maccabean revolt. Happy Hannukah!
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Tonight: Beyond dreidels. A real look at the history of the Maccabean Revolt
Tonight at YILC: a deeper discussion of the Maccabean Revolt, from Antiochus’ inferiority complex to fissures between Jewish factions under Yehudah Maccabee’s role. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly) relevant issues for our own times. What else are you doing tonight? Join us at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst at 7:30 for a timely talk on Chanukah.…
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Confessions of a Poor Talmud Student
Always distracted but historical minutiae, I don’t think I was ever going to be a great Talmud student. Now, with the introduction of the amazing All Daf app (slated for launch on December 22), there’s finally a place for my approach to Talmud! Please enjoy this brief video from the recent Torah NY conference at…
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Truth Will Spring from the Earth: Gutenberg, the Internet, and the New Uncertainty Principle
Conference theme: Sustainability, Resilience, and the Torah.
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Free copy of The Sea of Talmud, and Warm Thanks to Theodore Sternberg
The Internet is a strange and often wonderful place. Here’s a personal story from last week. When I first wrote The Sea of Talmud: A Brief and Personal Introduction seven years ago, Theodore Sternberg wrote one of the sharpest Amazon reviews of the first edition: “Too much about Henry Abramson, not enough about the Talmud.”…
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Free Ebook: The Sea of Talmud
Hello fellow students of Jewish history! I’m pleased to announce that the second edition of The Sea of Talmud: A Brief and Personal Introduction is now available in a second, revised edition, in commemoration of the upcoming Siyum ha-Shas! From Sunday December 8 through Thursday December 12 the Kindle ebook edition will be available for…
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Astonishing Document from Bergen-Belsen Bet Din up for Auction
I got chills reading pages from this record book of Bet Din decisions from Bergen Belsen. Read this great piece of journalism by Molly Boigon at The Forward. Proud to have been asked for some background information.
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
Henry Abramson 