Really looking forward to meeting this community!

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




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……

I really got a lot out of researching Korczak’s life and work. Personal recommendation! Heroic pioneer of modern educational theory, Henryk Goldszmit (who wrote under the pen name Janusz Korzcak) ran an orphanage in the beleaguered Warsaw Ghetto, ultimately accompanying his youthful charges to the gas chambers of Treblinka. Part of the Jewish History @……

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……
“Korczak felt that within each child there burned a moral spark that could vanquish the darkness at the core of human nature.” (Betty Jean Lifton) https://www.crowdrise.com/friends-of-jewish-history/fundraiser/avenuej

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……
Here’s an experimental introductory video–let me know what you think! https://www.crowdrise.com/friends-of-jewish-history/fundraiser/avenuej

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……

“If I can’t dance to it, it isn’t my revolution!” A fiery orator and fearless iconoclast, Emma Goldman was one of the most notorious and controversial left-wing thinkers of turn-of-the 20th century America. Sponsor a lecture in the Jewish History @ J Series! https://www.crowdrise.com/friends-of-jewish-history/fundraiser/avenuej

Good morning fans of Jewish History! Really pleased to have positive response on the beautiful Jewish History bookmarks we’ve been sending out (send your mailing address if you’d like one)! Thanks to donors Max Sklar and Suzanne Parella who recently contributed to the Jewish History Scholarship Fund for our students. Meanwhile, we’re still looking for……

Brief overview of the controversy that surrounded the writings of Rabbi Moses Maimonides. Lecture delivered at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst.


Very proud to mark the completion of a cycle of Talmud study on Tuesday night. Here is the video that is scheduled for that morning, describing the process for the 100k+ viewers who follow Jewish History in Daf Yomi at http://www.alldaf.org. New Series! Jewish History in the Torah The Mystery of Michelangelo’s Hebrew Support this……

Who was Rudolf Samoylovich? Livestream of the Siyum ha-Shas (Completion of study of the Babylonian Talmud) October 21 A message from the great people at AllDaf.org: The Jews of Venice New Series! Jewish History in the Torah

Good morning fellow students of Jewish history: I’m very honored to be marking a Siyum ha-Shas (completion of a cycle of study of the Babylonian Talmud) and would love to share the celebration with you. I’ve been working on this since April 2019, producing one video per each folio of the Talmud (2,711 when I’m……
Please celebrate with me! Two Lectures from the Teshuvah Unlocked Series

Lecture Delivered after the Assassination of Mr. Charlie Kirk Question and Answer Session went long Azariah da Rossi and the Earthquake of 1570 New publication! Celebrating a completion of study of the Babylonian Talmud

Need something to read this Elul? Try one of these… Wednesday evening: “Mistakes were made (but not by me)”: A new approach to Vidui (confession) Thursday Evening: Webinar hosted by the University of Maryland

The “Other” Famous Medieval Jewish Explorer Wednesday Night: Rabbi Katz on Forgiveness! (My lectures are September 10, 17)

Personal Reflections on his Historical Contributions Starting this Wednesday Evening with Rabbi Katz! (I’m speaking on September 10 and 17) Thank you Charlotte R. Alexander!

What does Judaism look like with 400 years without Rabbis or Jewish books? Unpacked on Hasidism Teshuvah Unpacked with Rabbi Shua Katz
The remarkable survival of Jews forcibly converted to Islam in 1839
Very excited about this!


