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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Who Was Sarah, Wife of Shabbetai Tsvi?
Orphaned by the Eastern European pogroms of 1648-49, the volatile Sarah became the spouse of the infamous messianic pretender. Her life, filled with controversy, illustrates the egalitarian elements in Shabbetai Tsvi’s antinomian message. Here is a link to the Prezi.
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Sarra Copia Sulem’s Manifesto
Sarra Copia Sulam’s Manifesto People of the Book: Great Works of the Jewish Tradition Dr. Henry Abramson This article appeared in the February 17, 2016 edition of the Five Towns Jewish Times. An unlikely literary duel in Venice took an unexpected turn in 1621 with the appearance of a slim volume entitled “The Manifesto of…
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NO CLASS THIS MONDAY! PRESIDENTS’ DAY
Feb 22. Sarah, wife of Shabbetai Tsvi Orphaned by the Eastern European pogroms of 1649-49, the volatile Sarah became the spouse of the infamous messianic pretender. Feb 29. Hillel Ba’al Shem A mysterious figure of the late 17th and early 18th centuries whose recently discovered work sheds light on the world of popular culture from…
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The Tzemach David
The Tzemach David People Of The Book: Classic Works Of The Jewish Tradition (This article originally appeared in the Five Towns Jewish Times on February 11, 2016.) David Gans (1541–1613) was a scientist and a rabbi in an age when the dual pursuit of these intellectual passions was a life-threatening occupation. He studied Torah under Rabbi…
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Who Was Sarra Copia Sulem?
When Sarra, a bright young poetry lover of 17th century Venice, wrote to a senior literary figure, she thought she was merely expressing her admiration for his literary work. In the end, she was forced to defend publicly her refusal to leave Judaism. Click here for the Prezi. Sarra Copia Sulam’s Manifesto People of the…
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Encyclopedia of Jewish Medical Ethics
People Of The Book: Classic Works Of The Jewish Tradition By Dr. Henry Abramson Few books demonstrate the enduring value of halachah as Dr. Avraham Steinberg’s monumental Encyclopedia of Jewish Medical Ethics. We live in an age when the most elemental aspects of the human condition are subject to unprecedented manipulation, with everything from the moment…
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Who Was Rabbi David Gans?
David Gans (1541-1613) was a Rabbinic scholar, historian, and astronomer. A student of Rabbi Moshe Isserles and the Maharal of Prague, he collaborated actively with Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler and left behind important scholarly works. Click here for the Prezi.
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Sefer HaChinuch (People of the Book)
People Of The Book: Classic Works Of The Jewish Tradition By Dr. Henry Abramson Written with a deep humility that nevertheless could not disguise the author’s brilliance,Sefer HaChinuch remains one of the most thought-provoking halachic studies some 800 years after it first appeared in the Iberian Peninsula. The deceptively simple title, “The Book of Education,” alludes to the anonymous…
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Touro Dean Eyes Women’s Role in Kabbalistic Tzfat
The Jewish Star, January 27, 2016 By Celia Weintrob On Rosh Chodesh Shevat, women who attended the Ohel Sara Amen Group in Lawrence enjoyed a lecture by the witty and informative Dr. Henry Abramson about the contribution of women to the Kabbalistic fellowship in Tzfat. Identifying himself as a “specialist in the history of ideas,”…
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Christians, Jews, and Science in 1616
“Nicholas Copernicus’ book “On the Revolution of the Earth Around the Sun” should be suspended…and that all similar works which contain these teachings should be prohibited.” (Bishop of Albano, March 1616) “Nicholas Copernicus, a scholar of genius…in this domain man is completely at liberty to discover the theory which seems to him to be most…
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ALEXANDER DOES IT AGAIN!
Battling unseasonably frigid temperatures, Alexander heroically completed his fourth full marathon in Miami today! A tremendous achievement! Most importantly, with your support he surpassed his fundraising target, bringing in a total of $3,299 for Friendship Circle, helping children with autism and other disorders! Congratulations to Alexander, and thank you all for participating!
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People of the Book: The Ways of the Righteous
“When I speak, I regret what I say, but when I am silent, I do not regret. And if I may regret my silence once, I regret speaking many times over.” —Gate 21: The Gate of Silence, The Ways of the Righteous Is it possible that The Ways of the Righteous, among the most influential works…
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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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.
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 