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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The Kabbalah of Forgiveness Level Four: Remember the Family
The Fourth Level: Remember the Family “In the Same Boat (Remember We are Family),” illustration of Level 4 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Fourth Level: Remember the Family Translator’s Introduction The Fourth Level of Mercy calls attention to the fundamental connectedness of humanity. The Jewish people in particular maintain a strong familial…
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The Kabbalah of Forgiveness Level Three: Take Care of it Personally
The Third Level: Take Care of it Personally “Part of the Process (Take Care of it Personally),” illustration of Level 3 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Third Level: Take Care of It Personally Translator’s Introduction The Third Level of Mercy addresses the personal role that God plays in the process of forgiveness. Rather…
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The Kabbalah of Forgiveness Level Two: Let it Go for Now
The Second Level: Let it Go for Now “Whose K’tegors are These? (Let it Go)” Illustration of Level 2 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Second Level: Let it Go for Now The second of the Thirteen Levels, “Who Bears Sin,” describes a degree of mercy that is even more profound than…
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The Kabbalah of Forgiveness Level One: The King Who Endures Insult
The First Level: The King who Endures Insult “The Insulted King,” illustration of Level 1 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily Translator’s Introduction Rabbi Cordovero’s discussion of the Thirteen Levels of Mercy begins with an awesome depiction of human sin from God’s perspective. Given that all power in the Universe has God at…
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Free Download of The Kabbalah of Forgiveness (Expires October 19, 2014)
Please visit https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/464044 and enter coupon code YT52E (Expires October 19, 2014). Please click here for excepts and supporting videos.
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The Kabbalah of Forgiveness Coming in Time for Rosh Hashanah
New for the Season of Repentance: a translation and modern commentary on Rabbi Moshe Cordovero’s classic of Jewish ethics, the Date Palm of Devorah (Tomer Devorah). Learn the Thirteen Levels of Mercy and discover how to forgive others (and yourself). Please visit http://www.jewishhistorylectures.org and click on “The Kabbalah of Forgiveness” for excerpts and videos. Publication date:…
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Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (This Week in Jewish History)
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) articulated a strategy to allow Jews their traditional observances while participating actively in the modern world. Criticized from both the left and the right, his thought remains highly influential into the 21st century.
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Rabbi Hayim of Volozhin (This Week in Jewish History)
Founder of the famous Yeshiva of Volozhin, Rabbi Hayim ben Yitshad was one of the most influential proponents of traditional Talmudic study of the early 19th century. The author of Nefesh haHayim, he articulated a cogent response to the growing Hasidic movement.
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Nicholas Donin and the Disputation of 1240 (This Week in Jewish History)
In 1240 Nicholas Donin, a Jewish convert to Christianity, engaged in a public debate with his former teacher, Rabbi Yechiel of Paris. Donin charged that the Talmud was a noxious document that prevented the Jews from embracing Christianity, and brought a total of 35 distinct accusations against this ancient holy text. Ultimately, 24 carriage loads…
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Jerusalem Day (This Week in Jewish History)
Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushalayim) celebrates the unification of Jerusalem in the context of the Six-Day War of June 1967. This dramatic military achievement represented a victory that was both political and symbolic, giving Jews control over the the Old City and the Temple Mount after nearly 2000 years of exile.
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Alexander’s Learnathon for Israel: Last Week to Participate!
Alexander has done well with his fundraising efforts to participate in the Boys Israel Leadership Training (BILT) program run by the National Council of Synagogue Youth. He’s already raised $858 toward his goal of $3,000! To all of you who participated, thanks very much. If you haven’t yet had a chance, please do so quickly,…
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Rabbi Moshe Isserles (The Rema) This Week in Jewish History
Rabbi Moshe Isserles was an exceptionally important Polish Jew of the 16th century. His commentary on the Code of Jewish Law brought Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jewry together to an unprecedented degree, and established the ascendancy of Polish Jewry over the older German community.
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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Descending into the 14th Century Mikvah in Carpentras, France
The remarkable 14th century Mikvah in the basement of the Carpentras Synagogue. Fed by an artesian well, the waters continue to fill the space, although in the 18th century a more modern Mikvah with heated, filtered water was constructed one floor above.
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Exploring the Interior of the Carpentras Synagogue
Part two of a series of videos on the amazing medieval synagogue in Carpentras, in the Provence region of France. This video looks at the 18th century representation in the Baroque style, with some remarkable features.
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Entering the 14th c. Synagogue in Carpentras, France
Today was an absolutely fascinating day of discovery of Jewish history, exploring the 14th century synagogue in Carpentras, France: the second-oldest currently functioning synagogue in Europe. There are so many amazing things to view, so I’ve decided to break it up into several small videos, starting with this one, which looks at the entrance to…
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Jewish History in Arles, France
Expelled 500 years ago, a traces of medieval Jewish life yet remain in this city on the Rhone river.
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National Geographic Explores the Talmud for Evidence of the Tsunami of 115
Gut moed students of Jewish history! Peter Gwin of National Geographic just released a podcast discussing the research of Dr. Beverly Goodman, a marine archaeologist at the University of Haifa. She’s spent years studying the mysterious destruction of Herod’s port at Caesaria, and argues that it was destroyed in the tsunami of 115. Besides the…
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A very special Erev Yom Kippur message
A very special message on the eve of Yom Kippur. May my wife’s heroism and generosity be a merit for her, our family, and the entire Jewish people.
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The Talmud in National Geographic!
The Talmud in National Geographic! Specifically, the tsnuami of 115 CE and the famous debate over the oven of Akhnai. Just a teaser in this little trailer for the second season (see if you can identify my voice!), the whole podcast is scheduled for release later this month. Was really a lot of fun to…
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A Haredi Rosh Yeshiva Wrote a Novel under a Pseudonym. It’s pretty good.
Here’s my review, published in the Life section of the OU.org blog: A Rosh Yeshiva Wrote a Novel Under a Pseudonym. It’s Pretty Good. Dr. Henry AbramsonSeptember 24, 2019 In the highly-polarized environment of contemporary Jewish culture, it’s easier to imagine a rosh yeshiva banning fiction than writing it. Imagine my surprise when I received a copy…
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Crash Course in Jewish History IV: Contemporary Period
Final installment of the Four-Part Crash Course in Jewish History. Thanks to everyone at Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, especially the very receptive audiences. Wishing you all a Shana Tovah!
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Crash Course in Jewish History, Part III now Online!
Good morning students of Jewish history! Here’s part III of the Crash Course in Jewish History, looking at the Modern period. Thanks to everyone who came out to hear it live! Please click here for the recordings of the first two parts, and information on the final class, scheduled for Wednesday, September 25 at 7:30…
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TONIGHT: Part III, Crash Course in Jewish History
Good morning students of Jewish History! Looking forward to seeing you for the third installment in our fairly popular Crash Course in Jewish History. We’re grateful for the positive response from the live audience, not to mention an unusually large number of online views: as I write this post, the first two parts have been…
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 