Really looking forward to meeting this community!

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



Traveling on College business. Sorry to all my loyal in-person students! Please forward this message to your friends (no need to send it to your former friends–if they show up, it serves them right, eh?).
Please enjoy this week’s column in the Five Towns Jewish Times! http://5tjt.com/mesilat-yesharim/

Presentation on the history of the Khazar conversion to Judaism, with updated material based on recent research.
Please enjoy my latest feature in the Five Towns Jewish Times! http://5tjt.com/people-of-the-book-classic-works-of-the-jewish-tradition-3/

Lecture on the great 2nd-century Rabbi Meir, one of the most important figures in the history of Jewish thought in ancient Israel. Here’s the link to the Prezi.

People of the Book: Classics of the Jewish Tradition Please click here for the original article in the Five Towns Jewish Times by Dr. Henry Abramson Rabbi Moshe Cordovero’s ‘Tomer Devorah’ “Even if you cannot find any reason to forgive a person, there was nevertheless once a time when this person did no wrong. Think……

Lecture on Against Apion, an important literary response to antisemitism in the Roman Empire written by the 1st century historian Flavius Josephus. And here’s the Prezi: http://prezi.com/yzmhlmrhf2ac/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy.

We begin the Fall 2015 Lectures in Jewish History series with a presentation on the life and work of Judah (Yehudah) Maccabee, famed military commander of the Hasmonean revolt. Enjoy in good health! Here’s the link to the Prezi.

Please enjoy my first column in the Five Towns Jewish Times! People of the Book: Classic Works of the Jewish Tradition By Dr. Henry Abramson According to my knowledge of the words of the Sages and the history of the Jewish people in general, we have never experienced such horrific suffering as has been visited……

JEWISH HISTORY @ AVENUE J A Community Project of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences Monday Evenings, 7-8 pm, 1602 Avenue J, Brooklyn NY 11230 Beginning October 19, 2015 Open to the Community Separate Seating All Lectures are Free of Charge


Preserved in a medieval anthology of women poets, Qasmunah’s unique voice stands out as one of the few surviving voices of the Jewish Golden Age in Spain. Recent Publications by Dr. Abramson (better in print than on video anyway):

What, exactly is Chanukah (or is it Hanukah, or Hannukkah)? This short video describes the historical origins of the holiday, notes the ironic nature of its observance in the American context, and has a couple of jokes besides. Suggested Holiday Gifts (Maybe for people you don’t especially like). Many titles available……

Hailed as one of the greatest commentators on the Torah, Abraham ibn Ezra lived a life of great scholarly accomplishment amidst great personal suffering.

A MESSAGE FROM ALEXANDER ABRAMSON: Hey everybody, this year I have the good fortune to be in Israel and to be able to run the Jerusalem Marathon. The charity that I am going to be running for is called Crossroads and I believe it is an excellent cause. Their mission is to help teens who……

At this time of year it’s impossible to escape the ubiquitous holiday music that assults us whenever we turn on the radio or walk through a shopping mall. Few listeners are aware, however, that the syrupy, commercialized versions of holiday cheer have their origins in the musical genius of a Jewish immigrant from Siberia, the phenomenal Irving……

Reputed to be the wealthiest man in 11th century England–wealthier even than the King–Aaron of Lincoln was a hugely successful moneylender whose achievements included the financing of many cathedrals. His story, while exceptional in terms of scope, is nevertheless instructive of the Jewish experience in the medieval economy as a whole.

Enjoying a great faculty workshop on video blogging with Dr. Stefanie Herron and Dr. Lee Isogai Williams!

Just returned from two intense days meeting with the amazing AvenueJ faculty. Great group of dedicated, enthusiastic experts in their fields with a passion for teaching! Can’t wait to get started working with these really inspirational professors.

Claiming descent from the long-lost Ten Tribes of Israel, Eldad was a ninth-century traveler with a fantastic story: beyond the “River Kush” lay an intact civilization of Jews who enjoyed political sovereignty, in preparation for their eventual return to the Land of Israel in messianic times. Surviving shipwreck, cannibals and attack from fire-worshipping pagans, Eldad’s……

The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 defined, for the purposes of the Nazi regime, exactly who was considered a Jew. This was an essential element in the unfolding of the Holocaust, as the Nuremberg Laws allowed the Nazis to first identify, then exclude, and finally attempt to eliminate Jews from German society. Part of the “This……


