Really looking forward to meeting this community!

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



Primo Levi died in Auschwitz–forty years later. (Elie Wiesel)

Good morning students of Jewish History! I am proud to announce a new pilot project: Jewish History in Daf Yomi, part of the Orthodox Union Daf Yomi Initiative under the leadership of Rabbi Moshe Schwed. Here’s the basic idea: brief (5-minute) videos discussing a historical issue raised in the world cycle of daily Talmud study……

“The Light of the Eyes” caused an intellectually seismic event whose aftershocks reverberate in the Jewish world 500 years later.

Who was the mysterious dark-skinned woman in the Sarajevo Haggadah?

Brief overview of the life and work of Shmuel David Luzzatto (ShaDaL), an important 19th-century Italian-Jewish thinker.

Brief description of the world’s oldest illuminated Hebrew manuscript–and a 700-hundred year mystery, solved recently by a 10-year old boy.

He survived the 1570 earthquake in Ferrara–and became the world’s first Modern Orthodox Jew.

Brief overview of the life and work of Rabbi Ovadiah of Bertinoro (Bartenura), best known for his commentary on the Mishnah but also an important communal leader in late 15th-early 16th century Jerusalem.

Hello everyone–here’s a brief historical article for this time of year that appeared in today’s JTA. Thanks to my daughter Raphaela and Laura Adkins at JTA for some amazing editing help. Enjoy in good health!

Connect yourself with the Rav for as long as there is an Internet.

The remarkable story of two powerful Jewish women from Spain and Portugal and the challenge to Pope Paul IV for his maltreatment of Portuguese Jews in Italy.

True, he wrote a dictionary, but cryptic hints in his autobiographical poem suggest a more complicated background.


I enjoyed this conversation at the recent JLI Retreat. I thought this turned out okay. Looking forward to setting up the next one! Review of Ilan Pappe, A History of Modern Palestine

Grateful to Beth Israel and the Jewish National Fund for the Invitation. Invitation-only lectures for students at the University of British Columbia and elsewhere: please contact Hillel BC for details. Jewish Prayer under the Inquisition The Strange Inscriptions of Trancoso, Portugal With Pyotr Kurzin of The Global Gambit New Episodes of Jewish History Nerds Podcast!……

Part III of a lecture series delivered at Beth Jacob Synagogue in Beverly Hills, CA; What does “From the River to the Sea” Really Mean?; What is Judaism without Rabbis or Books? Crypto-Jewish Prayer in Portugal Very Proud to work with Unpacked on this sensitive topic What would Judaism be like without Rabbis and Texts?

Captain Artur de Barros Basto, Apostle to the Marranos Unfortunately necessary discussion. Reflections on Social Media and Academia on YouTube (Part I) Proud to work with Unpacked on these difficult topics. Three New Episodes of Jewish History Nerds! Devorah Romm, The Maiden of Ludmir, and Hillel Ba’al Shem Click here to listen, or download from……

Burned at the stake in 1603. Channel Members: Researchers HaShomer HaChadash: I personally support this organization for Israeli and Diaspora Youth
Hello Fellow Students of Jewish History! Because so many of you are interested in Jewish History, I was honored by YouTube with the Silver Play Creator Award. Thank you so much! Here’s a short thank-you video, going over a bit of the history of this channel. I am very grateful, and look forward to learning……

Some words of comfort and consolation from Jewish history for our challenging time. Part III of the Series on The Shaping of the Jewish Mind Review of Yossi Klein Halevi, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor

The Medieval Akedah: The Crusades and the Shaping of the Ashkenazic Mind The Crucible of Spain: The Inquisition and the Shaping of the Sephardic Mind Moses Mendelsohn on Jewish History Nerds! Click here or visit your favorite podcast provider for the first two seasons and the beginning of the third!

With all this talk about Genocide, let’s look at the Jewish person who actually invented the word. The Jewish History Nerds are Back for Season Three! Yael and Schwab are back! Go to your favorite podcast provider to catch Episode 1: Heinrich Graetz. Enjoy in good health!

Who Wrote the Ve-Hu Rahum Prayer? Please join me this week at the Young Israel of Plainview Gaza in Jewish History and the Future of American Jewish Youth Between Ashkenaz and Sefarad: The Shaping of the Jewish Mind Zoom link available to members of the YouTube Channel at Colleague Level, please check Community Notes

Please join me in Long Island this Shabbos! Gaza, Israel, and the Future of American Jewish Youth

Livestream at youtube.com/@YOFHS


