Lectures in Jewish History and Thought. No hard questions, please.
I spoke about him at a recent Shabbaton in Teaneck, and someone from the UK was in the audience: Dr. Roth pronounced his first name SEH-sil, not SEE-sil. If I had realized this when I made the video I would have used the English pronunciation rather than the American.
Very honored to be serving as a Scholar-in-Residence at Congregation B’nai Yeshurun. Three new lectures on “What is the Meaning of Jewish History?” will examine at the Ancient, Medieval and Modern periods with a view to understanding some of the complexities of interpreting the fascinating, profound history of the Jewish people.
Judging from past experience in Teaneck, I’m preparing myself for some hard questions (yikes). Here’s a fun trailer and details on the lectures.
A tragedy that is still remembered a thousand years later by French communities.
Students in the online Biblical Jewish History course: please log in to access a new module that includes the draft of the Introduction to Volume 1. Chapter Seven is also updated. I’m looking forward to reading your comments!
New students welcomed!
Please join us at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst for a remarkable series of classes in Jewish history! We’re starting at midnight and learning all night till dawn prayers.
In keeping with our theme this year of “Transformation: Personal, Communal, Global,” I’ve chosen to look at the biographies of several key figures in Jewish history and thought whose lives revolved around moments of dramatic transformation: the biblical King Josiah, the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus, the 13th century Rabbenu Yonah, and the 20th-century philosopher Franz Rosenzweig.
Rabbi Ya’akov Trump is teaching a fantastic series of classes alongside my own, and we’re getting together in the middle of the night to team-teach an examination of the Barcelona Disputation and its impact on the personal transformation of Nachmanides. Here’s the schedule:
This promises to be a fantastic night of discussion and ideas–I’m looking forward to my own personal transformation, culminating in dawn prayers! If you’re in town, please feel free to join us.
Very excited to be receiving comments and feedback on the first volume of The Jewish People: A History as it appears, draft chapter by draft chapter, in the Biblical Jewish history course. We are nearing the crucial first century, so dramatic in the millennial history of the Jewish people. If you’d like to read these early chapters and contribute to the success of the overall project, please consider joining us in the course!
June 17-18: B’nei Yeshurun, Teaneck NJ
June 24-25: Congregation Darchei Noam, Fair Lawn NJ
With this lecture, the online course A Thousand Years of Ashkenaz is now complete! Twelve Modules and 56 lessons in length (mostly videos). Enjoy in good health!
Over 200 pages of draft text are now available to students in the Biblical Jewish History course. My publisher’s due date is fast approaching, and –I’m really appreciating the feedback from students! I anticipate we should have the entire first volume, Biblical Israel, ready for submission to the team at Koren Publishers by the end of the summer.
Join us at YILC for an all-night study session! Multiple tracks open (including Jewish History, natch), fantastic youth programming too.
We’re really proud that 45 donors have helped my wife Ilana and I in our drive to raise $3,600 for Renewal this year: we have exceeded that goal, but the website is still open! You still have an opportunity to perform this incomparable mitsvah of saving a human life by supporting kidney donations.
In his typically grandiose fashion, Napoleon addressed the question by reconvening the ancient Great Sanhedrin and asked the Jews of France twelve basic questions.
Part 11 of The Ashkenazium Lectures, premieres today at 12:00 noon ET.
On schedule to have the entire draft of Volume 1 online by the end of the Summer!
On behalf of my wife Ilana, I want to thank you all for supporting our annual fundraiser for Renewal! With your participation we actually exceeded our goal again this year.
If you didn’t get a chance to join us, the website is still live: you’re not too late to join us! https://renewal22.com/henry-and-ilana-abramson
Proud to work with Unpacked on this brief yet sophisticated discussion of a complex topic.
Very pleased to be receiving comments on the draft chapters in my forthcoming book with Koren Publishers! Students registered in the Biblical Jewish History course are welcome to read and critique. New chapter drops this morning; publication scheduled for 2024.
My wife and I are hugely grateful to those of you who donated to Renewal during their annual fundraiser. We have almost met our goal of raising $3,600 to support kidney transplants; a cause that is deeply personal since my wife Ilana chose to become an altruistic donor three years ago. The need is great, but the fundraiser is ongoing for a little while longer–won’t you please join us in this very worthy cause? Please click on the image for more information.
My friends, it’s almost Shabbos. Will you participate? Inscribe your name in the Book of Life by joining the list of donors to Renewal. Your contribution, large or small, will help them find a kidney for someone in desperate need.
We can’t all be heroic altruistic kidney donors. But we can certainly be altruistic dollar donors, at whatever level of commitment we can manage. Please participate, and count yourself among those who provide life.
By helping others enjoy the blessing of life, may you and your loved ones also be blessed with life.
Good shabbos.
Three years ago, on erev Yom Kippur, my wife Ilana donated a kidney to a total stranger. Although she literally gave someone the precious gift of life, it is clear to her (and the entire family) that we have been blessed far more in return.
My wife’s heroic efforts contributed directly to saving one person’s life. She would really love to do it again, but this is an act of altruismthat can only be performed once in a lifetime. Yet by helping Renewal match recipients with donors, provide support to donors and their families through the entire process, you can also take a share in this mitzvah.
May you and your loved ones be blessed for your act of selflessness.
Here’s your opportunity to get an advance look at the first volume of my forthcoming The Jewish People: A History.
Dear fellow students of Jewish History!
I am in the last few months of producing the manuscript of volume one of my forthcoming book, The Jewish People: A History. I’ve been trying an experiment in crowdsourcing the text by allowing access to the draft text to my students, chapter by chapter, in this new online course, Biblical Jewish History. It’s free for teachers and has an almost-free price for students (basically pay what you like: even a low paywall keeps out intellectual vandals). Please consider joining the class! Click on the image above for more information, and if you’re a teacher, please click here.
Presented to Congregation Beth Am, Los Altos CA.
Henry Abramson 