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


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

Fantastic Voyage of Discovery with Kosher River Cruises A Difficult Conversation Recent Conference Presentation in Toronto

Surprised how much attention this got. Herod’s Tragic Reign The Fatal Conflict

Remarks at Lander College for Men Maimonides and the Controversy over His Work

Public at 10am ET (44 minutes) Online Courses in Jewish History

This is one of the most bizarre periods of Jewish history, and that’s saying a lot.

New Lecture Series: The History of Sephardic Jewry

Stories of Personal Transformation for Elul Napoleon’s 1808 Imperial Decree on Jewish Names The History of Sephardic Jewry (Lecture, 75 minutes) Jews, Wine, and Bordeaux (7 minutes)

Jewish Resilience after the Bar Kochba Rebellion New Series! Cool Things I Read in the Encyclopedia Judaica YouTube Colleagues: Volume II of The Jewish People: A History now appearing online

Revised with several more videos, new online quizzes to test your knowledge of Biblical Jewish History! Napoleon’s 12 Questions and the Fateful Jewish Answers Depictions of Jewish Women in the Tripartite Mahzor

I can’t believe the audience stayed for almost two hours. Tisha B’Av lecture at Congregation Ahavat Torah in Englewood, New Jersey Tu B’Av in Jewish History Shabbaton in Washington, September 13-14