Jewish Biography as History These lectures study various individuals in Jewish history–the leaders and the led, the virtuous and the villainous. Some of the lectures feature more in-depth analysis of their lives and contributions, others are just excuses to discuss the larger historical times in which they lived. Each lecture is about 60 minutes in length. You may find the briefer Essential Lectures in Jewish History series useful for contextual information. Enjoy them in good health! Ancient Period Abraham Hillel Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai Rabbi Meir Bruria Rachel, Wife of Akiva Judah Maccabbee Josephus Josephus Against Apion Salome Paul of Tarsus Bar Kochba Babatha Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai Philo Medieval Period Anan ben David Eldad ha-Dani Sa’adia Gaon Sherira Gaon Aaron of Lincoln Rashi Rashi (Letters Flying Free) Count Emicho Yocheved bat Rashi Rabenu Gershom Me’or ha-Golah Avraham Ibn Ezra Qasmunah Shlomo ben Adret (the Rashba) Maimonides The Maimonidean Controversy Avraham ben HaRambam Nahmanides Benjamin of Tudela Nicholas Donin Wuhsha the Broker Yehudah Ha-Levi Shmuel ha-Nagid Yehudah He-Hasid Maharam of Rothenburg Don Isaac Abravanel Dona Gracia Nasi Benvenida Abravanel Johannes Pfefferkorn David Reubeni The Soncino Family Uriel Da Costa Modern Period Rabbi Shlomo Alkabets Rabbi Moshe Cordovero Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Arizal) Rabbi Yosef Karo Rabbi Chaim Vital Gluckel of Hameln Nathan of Hanover Shabbetai Tsvi Sarah, Wife of Shabbetai Tsvi Johann Eisenmenger Baruch Spinoza Rabbi Moshe Hayim Luzzatto (the Ramchal) Israel ben Eliezer (The Ba’al Shem Tov) Sarah bas Tovim Moses Mendelssohn Salomon Maimon Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo (The Vilna Gaon) Rabbi Schneur Zalman (The Alter Rebbe) Pinhas Hurwitz Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav Bilhah Abigaill Levy Franks Khane-Rokhl Webermakher Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch Rahel Varnhagen Heinrich Graetz Theodor Herzl Leon Trotsky Shalom Aleichem Solomon Mikhoels Sarah Bernhardt Shimon Dubnow Sarah Schenirer Stephen Samuel Wise Sigmund Freud Henrietta Szold Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook Evgenia Ginzburg Emanuel Ringelblum Hannah Szenes Albert Einstein Isaac Bashevis Singer Betty Friedan Menachem Begin Golda Meir Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson Rabbi Israel Salanter Heinrich Heine Benjamin Disraeli Franz Kafka Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan (The Chofetz Chaim) Emma Goldman Vladimir Ze’ev Jabotinsky Rabbi Kalonymus Kalmish Shapiro (The Piaseczno Rebbe) Janusz Korczak Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson Rav Kook The Chazon Ish Rabbi Dr. Yosef Baer (J.D.) Soloveitchik (The Rav) Elie Wiesel Henry Abramson1. The Land of Israel About Henry Abramson Cart Causes Checkout Contact (if really necessary) Courses Essential Lectures in Jewish History High School Resources I Survived Jewish History (Spring 2020) Jewish Biography as History Jewish History in Daf Yomi Jewish History Lab Jewish History Lab (Fall 2020) Jewish History Lectures Latest Posts Maimonides on Teshuvah (PDF Download) MANIFESTO Medieval Jewish History Modern Jewish History My account My Courses People of the Book Professor Tools! Public Lectures (Fall 2019) Recommended Reading Request Complimentary Course Registration Form Shop SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 10: THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 11: THE CORDOBA CALIPHATE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 12: THE KINGDOMS OF ARAGON AND CASTILLE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 1: THE GREEK EMPIRE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 2: THE ROMAN EMPIRE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 3: THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 4: THE SASSANIAN EMPIRE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 5: THE VISIGOTHIC EMPIRE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 6: THE RASHIDUN CALIPHATE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 7: THE UMAYYAD CALIPHATE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 8: THE KINGDOM OF AXUM SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 9: THE KINGDOM OF KHAZARIA SURVIVE JEWISH HISTORY Teacher Training Thank you! The Holocaust: Thirty Brief Lectures The Jewish People: A History (Draft) The Jews of Italy (Spring 2019) The Jews of Sepharad (Fall 2017 Lectures) The Jews of the Danube (Fall 2018) The Jews of the Rhone (Summer 2019) The Kabbalah of Forgiveness The Sea of Talmud The Sephardic Diaspora (Spring 2018) Ukrainians and Jews in Revolutionary Times What People are Saying Why? Torah from the Years of Wrath Share this:TwitterTumblrFacebookLinkedInEmailRedditLike this:Like Loading...