Really looking forward seeing my friends at YILC!

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




Titled “poet of shame and guilt” by a recent biographer, Franz Kafka’s early twentieth-century writings have challenged generations of readers worldwide. Inspired in part by his early infatuation with his Jewish background, his haunting and opaque tales continued to be studied as statements of the modern condition.
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.
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.
Elie Wiesel was a Nobel laureate for literature and a relentless champion of human rights. His best known work is Night, based on his experiences in the Holocaust.
Named in the Torah as “the father of many peoples,” Abraham the Patriarch is revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the original proponent of monotheism. This lecture will survey what the archeological and historical record reveals about the demographic, economic, and cultural environment in Israel when the Patriarchs and Matriarchs walked the land.
Good morning everyone! For those of you who signed up to follow my lectures via email: I’m migrating your address to Constant Contact today. This will give you a much richer experience, with embedded videos and photos, eliminating a click or two. Don’t worry, I will delete your current email on this site, so you won’t…
Israel: The Land and its People. Spring 2017. http://ow.ly/VWMP307xVGn

Israel: The Land and its People Spring 2017 Lecture Series Calendar of Lectures February 6: Abraham Named in the Torah as “the father of many peoples,” Abraham the Patriarch is revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the original proponent of monotheism. This lecture will survey what the archeological and historical record reveals about the…
Dropped in to Crown Heights today to pick up a copy of Rabbi Chaim Miller’s new work on the Tanya (and get an inscription from the illustrious author). Really enjoyed his biography of the Rebbe, looking forward to reading his latest work. http://ow.ly/i/qhMHD

Black Fire upon White Fire: Communicating through Silence in the Mussar Tradition (click on the image for a brief video introduction) https://youtu.be/sQBChkPCs4Q

2016 End of Year Report Jewish History Lectures: Fantastic Growth! http://ow.ly/5pb5307eQzA


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.

Proud to be included in this series–really hoping to see some of my Florida friends in February! Here’s a recent video on the same topic (really an introduction):

Nominated for a Covenant Award—I need your support!

Twelve Lectures on Mesilat Yesharim, Lecture One. Offered in conjunction with a class I plan to begin this Shabbat at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst.

Brief overview of the life and works of Bertha Pappenheim. Although she is often recognized as “Anna O,” who had a huge influence on the history of psychoanalysis, most of her life was actually dedicated to the rights and protection of women and children.

Final lecture of the Fall 2018 lectures in Jewish History. No hard questions, please.