Jews in Poland and Lithuania; The Mysterious Radhanites; Eurafrican Jews of the Caribbean; The Remarkable Shem Tov Bible

Enjoyed this conversation with President Kadish and Dr. Leiman!


Who Were The Mysterious Radhanites?


The Remarkable Shem Tov Bible

With Dr. Sharon Liberman Mintz, Judaica curator for Southeby’s, at a private viewing of this amazing 14th century Spanish Bible.


Eurafrican Jews of the Caribbean


Shabbat in Five Towns at YILC; Poland and Lithuania with Dr. Shnayer Leiman; Videos on Sephardic Diaspora in Safed; New Ashkenaz Series for Members

Really looking forward to speaking to this amazing community!



The Sephardic Diaspora: Safed and Rabbi Moshe Cordoeiro (Cordovero)


New Series on Ashkenazic Jewry for Channel Members

RESURGENCE in Jewish History (Shabbaton at YILC, 5 Towns); Intrepid Rabbi-Explorers of the 3rd Century; Sephardic Diaspora in the New World

Really looking forward seeing my friends at YILC!


Meet the Intrepid Explorer-Rabbis of the 3rd Century


Recap of last week’s Guide for the Perplexed Seminar


Sephardic Jews in the New World


Eurafrican Jews in the Caribbean; Jewish Caribbean Migration Patterns; and a retrospective mini-documentary

Hard to believe such beautiful places exist!


Jewish Caribbean Migration Patterns


Eurafrican Jews in the Caribbean


The Sephardic Diaspora: Europe


Want to learn more Jewish History? Try one of these online courses!

Saga of Sephardic Jewry (New Online Course!); Volume II:Chapter 2 now online; Benjamin of Tudela; Guide for the Perplexed; Review of Koren’s New Mikraot Hadorot

Jewish History Lab Report: Friday, January 3, 2025


Benjamin of Tudela, Great Jewish Explorer of the 12th Century!


The Saga of Sephardic Jewry: New Course Now Online!


Stunning new work of Torah Scholarship: The Koren Mikraot Hadorot


Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed: Battle of the Translators

Shabbat in Rosyln, NY; Hello from Jerusalem;

Really looking forward to meeting this community!


Message recorded from Jerusalem last week


Medieval Antisemitism and the Spanish Inquisition

Invitation to LCM Breakfast; Caribbean Jews and the History of Chocolate; Spanish Disputations and the Pogroms of 1391

Please join me at our First Annual Breakfast!


Jews and Chocolate! Who knew?


Disputations and the Pogroms of 1391

The Jews of Bukhara (Sunday in Denver); the Maimonidean Controversy; Save the Date for Roslyn NY

Really looking forward to speaking to the Or Avner community in Aurora, CO!


The Maimonidean Controversy


Save the Date: Shabbaton in Roslyn NY, December 20-21

  • Free Gift from Jewish History @ J!

    Please send your mailing address to abramson@touro.edu and I’ll be happy to send one right out to you.

  • Archival Footage of Rav Kook

    Archival Footage of Rav Kook

    Norm Robinson, a member of the Friends of Jewish History, sent me this interesting video clip that features Rav Avraham Isaac Kook for the first 23 seconds, along with several other rabbinic and political luminaries. Monday’s lecture promises to be especially fascinating for anyone interested in religious thought and Israeli politics.  Please join us!  Register…

  • Who Was Vladimir Jabotinsky?

    Who Was Vladimir Jabotinsky?

    Lecture delivered at the mighty Avenue J campus of Touro College on October 31, 2016 as part of the Jewish History @ J series. Zionist ideologue and multi-lingual journalist, Vladimir (Ze’ev) Jabotinsky was one of the most influential political thinkers of the early twentieth century. Frequently swimming against the tide of dominant Jewish movements, Jabotinsky…

  • Vladimir Jabotinsky Speaks! Paris 1934 footage

    Vladimir Jabotinsky Speaks! Paris 1934 footage

    Here’s some amazing 1934 footage of Vladimir Jabotinsky discussing the status of the Jews in interwar Europe–and the crushing need for the establishment of the State of Israel.  Jabotinsky was one of the few Jewish thinkers of the 1930s who anticipated, in one form or another, the Holocaust that would engulf European Jewry.  He speaks in…

  • Still looking for Intern in Jewish History

    Still looking for Intern in Jewish History

    Thanks to all the parents who submitted their children’s names as candidates for the Internship in Jewish History. Unfortunately, I can only consider applications from people who are willing to take the job. Here’s the revised job description: Intern in Jewish History: Hard work, long hours, meager compensation. Chance at everlasting fame and glory, promoting…

  • How to Pronounce “Jabotinsky” Properly and Impress all Your Friends

    How to Pronounce “Jabotinsky” Properly and Impress all Your Friends

    Hello Lovers of Jewish History! By now you must be talking to all your former friends and colleagues about the upcoming Jewish History @ J series of lectures, and hyping up the first biography of Vladimir Jabotinsky scheduled for Monday, October 31. It occurred to me that it might be helpful for you to get some…

  • Thank you Mr. Paul Shaviv!

    Thank you Mr. Paul Shaviv!

    Thank you to Mr. Paul Shaviv, a scholar and master educator, for supporting the Jewish History @ J series! His donation is in memory of Dr. Yishai Shachar z”l – 1935-1977, whose 39th Yahrzeit was on 5 Tishrei. ‘Haval al d’avdin..’ Historian, teacher, gentleman. On behalf of all the students who benefit from the lectures,…

  • Minutes of the First Meeting of the Friends of Jewish History last night!

    Minutes of the First Meeting of the Friends of Jewish History last night!

    Minutes of the Friends of Jewish History Meeting (10/13/16) 1) We’ll try to post videos of the Monday night lectures by Tuesday Afternoon 2) We hope to run live q&a sessions on Thursdays at 7PM EST 3) Printing some Jewish History @ J bookmarks/fridge magnets for Friends and attendees 4) Looking to hire an Intern…

  • “Who Was Vladimir Jabotinsky?” Sponsored by Norman and Bridgette Robinson!

    “Who Was Vladimir Jabotinsky?” Sponsored by Norman and Bridgette Robinson!

    “Who Was Vladimir Jabotinsky?” is sponsored by Norman and Bridgette Robinson in memory of Leona Robinson of blessed memory. In the words of her son, she was “an avid reader who loved history” who would have enjoyed this lecture. Thank to the Robinsons for becoming the first members of the Friends of Jewish History! Their…

  • Paid Internship in Jewish History

    Paid Jewish Internship in Jewish History for qualified Avenue J student! Hard work, long hours, meager compensation. Chance at everlasting fame and glory, promoting the study of Jewish history. Must be organized, diligent, and personable. Will train. Contact me directly at abramson@touro.edu.

  • First Meeting of the Friends of Jewish History!

    First meeting of the Friends of Jewish History! New Friends welcome! Agenda: exciting plans for the Fall 2016 lectures. Thursday, October 13, 7:00-7:30 pm EST. Web login: https://zoom.us/j/7186385458?pwd=v4EFhXcDlhAJZNeQOp%2FfXA%3D%3D Password: geshikhte Telephone call-in: Dial: +1 408 638 0968 (US Toll) or +1 646 558 8656 (US Toll) Meeting ID: 718 638 5458 International numbers available: https://zoom.us/zoomconference?m=30Usrg3JHXCdvXk7rk3huvZeSoE2JRQ9

The Jews of Bukhara (Denver, CO); The Jews of the Lesser Antilles; Varieties of Crypto-Jewish Identity; Wait, Alexander Hamilton was Jewish?

Looking forward to a wonderful Shabbat in the Denver Jewish community!


Our Itinerary of Discovery in the Western Caribbean


Channel Members


Premiering at 10am ET


  • Bilhah Abigaill Levy Franks: Jewish Women Building America

    Bilhah Abigaill Levy Franks: Jewish Women Building America

    Bilhah Abigaill Levy Franks lived in New York City in the early decades of the eighteenth century. Her correspondence with Naftali, her eldest son, reveals much about the inner life of a Jewish woman in colonial America. Part of the Jewish Biography as History series by Dr. Henry Abramson.

  • Jewish-Christian Disputation in the Middle Ages: This Week in Jewish History

    Jewish-Christian Disputation in the Middle Ages: This Week in Jewish History

    Forced debates between Jews and Christians were a feature of medieval Jewish life, often with dire consequences.

  • Johann Eisenmenger and the Talmud

    Johann Eisenmenger and the Talmud

    Posing as a would-be convert to Judaism, Johann Andreas Eisenmenger studied Rabbinic literature for 19 years before publishing a massive two-volume denunciation of the Talmud called “Judaism Revealed” in 1711. His defamation of Jews and Judaism has been the foundation of much antisemitic diatribe for the last three centuries. Part of the Jewish Biography as…

  • Sarah bas Tovim: The Power of Women’s Prayer

    Sarah bas Tovim: The Power of Women’s Prayer

    Sarah bas Tovim was one of the most prolific authors of tekhines, prayers composed specifically for Jewish women in Eastern Europe. Her work illustrates the deeply spiritual lives of simple women, and sheds significant light on the social history of the shtetl. Part of the Jewish Biography as History series by Dr. Henry Abramson.

  • New! Essential Lectures in Jewish History Series (Short and Interesting, like a lot of us)

    New! Essential Lectures in Jewish History Series (Short and Interesting, like a lot of us)

    This brief lecture inaugurates a new series: Essential Lectures in Jewish History, brief overviews of major themes and periods, designed as introductions to more detailed treatments in the Jewish Biography as History s series. Enjoy in good health! Lectures by Dr. Henry Abramson. To view the Prezi associated with this lecture, please click here.

  • Alexander shows up in official Miami Marathon video!

    My son Alexander shows up in official Miami Marathon video at 0:38 seconds (red bandana) http://youtu.be/gxJRzYzQfoQ Please sponsor him at http://www.teamfriendship.org/Alexander to help kids with disabilities!

  • Baruch Spinoza: Philosophy and Tolerance

    Baruch Spinoza: Philosophy and Tolerance

    Revered by many as a pivotal figure in modern religious philosophy yet reviled by his contemporaries in the Jewish community of Amsterdam, Baruch Spinoza was placed in herem (excommunication) in 1666 for his public pronouncements challenging religious doctrine. Part of the Jewish Biography as History lecture series by Dr. Henry Abramson.

  • Please Support Alexander’s Marathon Bid for Friendship Circle

    Please Support Alexander’s Marathon Bid for Friendship Circle

    Hello everyone: my son Alexander is once again training to run the ING Miami Marathon to raise funds for Friendship Circle, a non-profit organization that helps children, teens and adults with special needs. Alexander is an avid runner with a long history of running for charitable causes: in 2010 he ran his first half-marathon (at…

  • Rabbi Isaac Luria (The Arizal) Jewish Biographies Lecture

    Rabbi Isaac Luria (The Arizal) Jewish Biographies Lecture

    Emerging from the sixteenth-century Safed Circle of Jewish mystics, Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Arizal) was a pivotal figure in the history of Kabbalah. His influence on later Jewish movements, in particular Hasidism, is still felt to this day. Part of the Jewish Biography as History lecture series by Dr. Henry Abramson.

  • David Reubeni: Politics and the Messiah

    David Reubeni: Politics and the Messiah

    David Reubeni was one of the most colorful messianic figures of Jewish history.  A little person with a shady background, he was received with dignity by Popes and Kings in the fifteenth century, regaling them with tales of the Jews of the east and promising them great military victories should they enlist his service. He…

  • Nahmanides: Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman

    Nahmanides: Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman

    Nahmanides (Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman, or Ramban) was one of the most important thinkers of Jewish history. Brilliantly creative and intellectually courageous, his commentary on the Torah is widely studied eight centuries after his passing. Part of the Jewish Biography as History series by Dr. Henry Abramson.

  • Henrietta Szold: Founder of Hadassah

    Henrietta Szold: Founder of Hadassah

    American-born Henrietta Szold was an extremely influential Zionist leader and organizer, founder of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. To view the Prezi associated with this video, click here.

Visits to Synagogues in Bordeaux and Libourne (France); Another Open Letter to Jewish Participants in anti-Israel Protests re: Amsterdam; Conference Presentation on Sheptytsky and WW II

Fantastic Voyage of Discovery with Kosher River Cruises


A Difficult Conversation


Recent Conference Presentation in Toronto


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