Really looking forward seeing my friends at YILC!

Lectures in Jewish History and Thought. No hard questions, please.





Widely regarded as one of the most brilliant experts in Jewish law of the twentieth century, the Chazon Ish played a major role in the development of the modus vivendi between secular and religious Israelis.

Ms. Tiffany Grossman is well-known to the members of our live audience in Brooklyn as the friendly face of the Jewish History @ J lecture series, greeting you at the entrance and welcoming everyone to participate actively. Behind the scenes, this talented Marketing Major uses her social media savvy to promote the lectures and generate leads…

OPRAH SPONSORS JEWISH HISTORY LECTURE! Well, almost, not exactly, sort of actually even better–Dr. Gary Neuman and his wife Michal have sponsored the lecture on Elie Wiesel, scheduled for December 19. As I’m sure you are aware, Dr. Neuman is a world-renowned psychologist who has appeared on Oprah many times, so that’s almost like Oprah…

I really got a lot out of researching Korczak’s life and work. Personal recommendation! Heroic pioneer of modern educational theory, Henryk Goldszmit (who wrote under the pen name Janusz Korzcak) ran an orphanage in the beleaguered Warsaw Ghetto, ultimately accompanying his youthful charges to the gas chambers of Treblinka. Part of the Jewish History @…

https://livestream.com/accounts/18514275/events/6706730/videos/143129283/player?width=640&height=360&enableInfo=true&defaultDrawer=&autoPlay=true&mute=false Unfortunately, my usual recording setup failed the night I gave this lecture last week, but b”H we have a backup from the Young Israel’s livestream account! Enjoy in good health.

From Betty Jean Lifton’s biography, citing Korczak’s memoirs of his years working in the Jewish Orphanage of Warsaw (How to Love a Child): An eight-year old boy woke with a toothache. Grabbing Korczak’s hand, he spilled out his anguish: “…then my mother died. Then I was sent to my grandmother, but she also died. Then…
“Korczak felt that within each child there burned a moral spark that could vanquish the darkness at the core of human nature.” (Betty Jean Lifton) https://www.crowdrise.com/friends-of-jewish-history/fundraiser/avenuej

If so, here’s two great causes to add to your list. Jewish History @ Avenue J Scholarship Fund goes directly to support undergraduate students at the Mighty Avenue J campus of Touro College. Friends of Jewish History supports the public Jewish history lecture series. Nu? Make your Bubbie proud, do something good. Thanks! (Can’t see the…
Here’s an experimental introductory video–let me know what you think! https://www.crowdrise.com/friends-of-jewish-history/fundraiser/avenuej

Friends and colleagues! One of our core values is that high-quality, academic information on Jewish history should be FREE. We’re very proud of our altruistic approach, and we don’t want to change. At the same time, we have a Jewish History student intern to support, a shoestring advertising budget to spread the word, and of…


Postmodernism and the Talmud in an era of unlimited connectivity.

Torah from the Years of Wrath: The Warsaw Ghetto Writings of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalmish Shapira

Stories You Never Learned in Yeshivah: Three Surprising Lectures in Talmudic History. Please come by and say hello!

A brief overview of three categories of exceptional women who made the Talmud possible: supporters, enablers, and even teachers. Lecture delivered at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst on November 20, 2019.

Join us for a brief study of the lives and work of three very different women and their relationship to Talmud study.

Hello friends and colleagues in Toronto! I am delighted to be coming back to visit the old stomping grounds this coming Friday, eh? I hope some of you will be able to join me for a Shabbaton at the Aish Thornhill Community Shul, followed by the David Shemtow Memorial Holocaust Lecture on Sunday night. Please…
Brief visit to the Jewish community of Lyon, France. Considered the “capital of the resistance” during the Nazi occupation, the local population made much use of the so-called “traboule” passageways scattered throughout the old city.
Brief video on Daniel Bomberg and the early days of Talmudic printing in Venice. Lecture delivered at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst on November 13, 2019.
The Jews of Avignon are often known as the Pope’s Jews because they found shelter in the old city during the tumultuous 14th century under the Popes who briefly made their home in France rather than Italy.

This strange sculpture above the “Jewish Door” of the Saint Siffrein Cathedral continues to mystify visitors to Carpentras, France. What does it mean?

This was, for me personally, one of the highlights of my trip with Kosher River Cruises along the Rhone in the south of France. The President of the Carpentras synagogue, Mr. Meyer Benzecrit, graciously invited me to tour a section of the 14th century synagogue not yet open for public view. Excavations have revealed some…

Join me for three rather idiosyncratic, surprising lectures on the history of the Talmud and its transmission in the modern era. Three Wednesdays beginning November 13 at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst. Free and open to the community, no hard questions please.