Really looking forward seeing my friends at YILC!

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





Please join me for a far-ranging discussion, rooted in the caustic sectarianism of First Century Judaea but with implications for our current Covid-19 reality. Register for the free webinar at http://www.ahavathtorah.org/Tammuz.

The Humility of Rabbi Zecharyah: Jewish Sectarianism in the First Century, the Beginning of our Exile, and a Reflection of our Troubled Times. Webinar sponsored by Congregation Ahavath Torah (Englewood, NJ) in commemoration of the communal period of reflection and Teshuvah that begins on the 17th of Tammuz. Lecture by Dr. Henry Abramson, Dean and…

Enjoyed this far-reaching conversation with Rabbi Aaron Parnes on his innovative Chinuch Podcast. Enjoy in good health!

NEW YORK (JTA) — “Pray for the welfare of the state,” Rabbi Hanina writes, “for if it were not for the fear thereof, people would swallow each other alive.” As cities around the nation burn with righteous indignation over yet another horrific incident of police brutality directed against a black man, Jewish leaders must reflect on our…
Please visit https://www.rayze.it/kidney/abramson to help support Renewal.

Looking forward to this special presentation at Congregation Ohav Emeth via Zoom: a look at the incomparable Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s last words to his students and an overview of his tragically brief yet incredibly important life, filled with contributions to the religious, scholarly and intellectual future of the Jewish people. In honor of Yom…
Join me for a live chat on the historical perspective to our contemporary public health emergency. 2PM EDT. If you cannot see the image, here’s the link: https://youtu.be/GQTtvikHvmk. Stay healthy, everyone!

My favorite editor, Laura Adkins of JTA, asked me for some thoughts on what Jewish institutions of higher education might face in the post-coronavirus era. I’m really glad she did! Please click here for the article.

Please join me on Thursday at 2PM for “Plague and Pandemic in Jewish History,” a brief overview of the experience of epidemics and pandemics in Jewish history. Please visit bit.ly/pandemicjewishhistory for more information.

Please join me for a special webinar on The Response to Pandemics in Jewish History, scheduled for Thursday, May 14 at 2:00 pm EST. Participation is free and open to the community, but registration in advance is required to maintain security and prevent the unwanted intrusions of intellectual vandals. Please click on the image or…
Good morning–this is a recording of a recent webinar for educators.
Really enjoyed this conversation with Rabbi Avi Heller in the OU Daily Dvar. Please visit ou.org/dvar for more! https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/09LzDHPZ-CaCeohc3.js


Forced debates between Jews and Christians were a feature of medieval Jewish life, often with dire consequences.

Posing as a would-be convert to Judaism, Johann Andreas Eisenmenger studied Rabbinic literature for 19 years before publishing a massive two-volume denunciation of the Talmud called “Judaism Revealed” in 1711. His defamation of Jews and Judaism has been the foundation of much antisemitic diatribe for the last three centuries. Part of the Jewish Biography as…

Sarah bas Tovim was one of the most prolific authors of tekhines, prayers composed specifically for Jewish women in Eastern Europe. Her work illustrates the deeply spiritual lives of simple women, and sheds significant light on the social history of the shtetl. Part of the Jewish Biography as History series by Dr. Henry Abramson.

This brief lecture inaugurates a new series: Essential Lectures in Jewish History, brief overviews of major themes and periods, designed as introductions to more detailed treatments in the Jewish Biography as History s series. Enjoy in good health! Lectures by Dr. Henry Abramson. To view the Prezi associated with this lecture, please click here.
My son Alexander shows up in official Miami Marathon video at 0:38 seconds (red bandana) http://youtu.be/gxJRzYzQfoQ Please sponsor him at http://www.teamfriendship.org/Alexander to help kids with disabilities!

Hello everyone: my son Alexander is once again training to run the ING Miami Marathon to raise funds for Friendship Circle, a non-profit organization that helps children, teens and adults with special needs. Alexander is an avid runner with a long history of running for charitable causes: in 2010 he ran his first half-marathon (at…

Emerging from the sixteenth-century Safed Circle of Jewish mystics, Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Arizal) was a pivotal figure in the history of Kabbalah. His influence on later Jewish movements, in particular Hasidism, is still felt to this day. Part of the Jewish Biography as History lecture series by Dr. Henry Abramson.

David Reubeni was one of the most colorful messianic figures of Jewish history. A little person with a shady background, he was received with dignity by Popes and Kings in the fifteenth century, regaling them with tales of the Jews of the east and promising them great military victories should they enlist his service. He…

Nahmanides (Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman, or Ramban) was one of the most important thinkers of Jewish history. Brilliantly creative and intellectually courageous, his commentary on the Torah is widely studied eight centuries after his passing. Part of the Jewish Biography as History series by Dr. Henry Abramson.

American-born Henrietta Szold was an extremely influential Zionist leader and organizer, founder of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. To view the Prezi associated with this video, click here.