No responsible teacher wants to teach students to “hate each other” or “hate America.” But we all participate in a sacred covenant with our students: They expect us to tell them the truth.  Please click here to read this article on JTA.

Please join me on Sunday, July 11 for a panel discussion on the history of antisemitism, appropriate for the Nine Days. Discussants include Professor Adam Mendelsohn, director of the Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies & Research and Associate Professor of History at the University of Cape Town, Professor Karen Milner, Gauteng Chair of the SA Jewish Board of…

A brief sampling of some of the humiliations of exile that the Jewish people endured over their millennial exile, shocking yet overshadowed by the far greater tragedies of violent massacres. Lecture delivered on the 17th of Tammuz, on Zoom and live at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst. Premiere with live chat scheduled for Sunday, July…

Hello students of Jewish history! I am very pleased to let you know that we now have a very auspicious number of students in this new experimental online course, A Thousand Years of Ashkenaz. I know some of them from earlier interactions on YouTube and in selected classes, and it promises to be a lively…

Hello fellow students of Jewish history! Here’s a new experimental online course. Please click here for a look at what’s going on: A Thousand Years of Ashkenaz.

Premiering today, hopefully with live chat, at 12pm ET (New York time). Here’s part 1 if you want to catch up or even review.

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…

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…

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…

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…