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
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Announcing Jewish History in Daf Yomi
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…
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How an Italian earthquake in 1570 created the first Modern Orthodox Jew
“The Light of the Eyes” caused an intellectually seismic event whose aftershocks reverberate in the Jewish world 500 years later.
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Who Was the Dark-Skinned Woman in the Sarajevo Haggadah?
Who was the mysterious dark-skinned woman in the Sarajevo Haggadah?
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Who Was Shmuel David Luzzatto (ShaDaL)?
Brief overview of the life and work of Shmuel David Luzzatto (ShaDaL), an important 19th-century Italian-Jewish thinker.
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The Mystery of the Birds’ Head Haggadah
Brief description of the world’s oldest illuminated Hebrew manuscript–and a 700-hundred year mystery, solved recently by a 10-year old boy.
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Who Was Azariah de’ Rossi?
He survived the 1570 earthquake in Ferrara–and became the world’s first Modern Orthodox Jew.
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Who Was Rabbi Ovadiah of Bertinoro?
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.
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The Romans Tried to Ban Wild Purim Parties in 408
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!
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Looking for a Sponsor for Monday Night’s Lecture
Connect yourself with the Rav for as long as there is an Internet.
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The Ancona Affair of 1555-56 (Jews of Italy Pt. VI)
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.
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Who Was Natan of Rome? Jews of Italy Pt. V
True, he wrote a dictionary, but cryptic hints in his autobiographical poem suggest a more complicated background.
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Tonight! Nathan of Rome. Also, some Torah on the Piaseczno Rebbe.
Not enough snow to cancel tonight’s class on Nathan of Rome!
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
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Ancient Israel (Crash Course in Jewish History, Pt. 1)
Please enjoy this recording of the first in our new four-part series, Crash Course in Jewish History, offered this month at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst. More information available by clicking here.
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Optional Readings for Crash Course in Jewish History
Crash Course in Jewish History (for very intelligent people) Extra Credit Readings for First Class: Wednesday, September 4, 2019 (privileges will be revoked for anyone who asks hard questions) Ancient History Wednesday, September 4, 2019 What is Jewish History? Peter Steinfels, “Salo Baron, 94, Scholar of Jewish History, Dies,” New York Times, November 26, 1989. 2.…
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Message to Faculty from Dean Abramson
Two brief thoughts on the momentous occasion of the beginning of the new Academic Year.
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Learning Should Be Free! Henry Abramson on Teaching Jewish History to the Global Classroom
Great conversation with Max Sklar on The Local Maximum podcast!
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Wednesday Night: Crash Course in Jewish History
Okay, this is going to be something different: four concentrated lectures on absolutely all of Jewish history, skipping the boring parts so we can cover it all. Free and open to the community; might be recorded for the Internet but depends on if anyone asks hard questions. Join us! Wednesdays in September 2019, 7:30-8:30 pm…
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Global Maimonides on Teshuvah Project Begins!
There are forty days from Rosh Hodesh Elul (today) to Yom Kippur. Please join hundreds (maybe thousands?) of students sharing in my yearly review of the classic work of Moses Maimonides on Teshuvah. Free texts and videos offered in a variety of platforms on social media. May you all have a transformative season of self-improvement,…
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Dr. Daniel Reiser to Speak at Touro College
A world-class scholar of the Holocaust speaks at Touro College.
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Secret Torah NY Discount for Jewish History Students!
I’m really looking forward to lecturing at Citi Field next month as part of the incredible Torah NY gathering. There are going to be some absolutely phenomenal speakers there, including Rabbis Moshe Elefant, Moshe Schwed, Ya’akov Trump, Stephen Weil. They have also let me know that there’s a secret 10% discount for all registrations that…
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Crash Course in Jewish History
Please join us at Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst for four lectures in Jewish History! Details below.
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What’s with all the interviews this week?
This week was unusually busy for interviews! Kind of surprised that people want to talk to me about this stuff, but really glad there are others who find this research FASCINATING. Yesterday I had a great convo with Rabbi Sholom Licht for a print article in Jewish Action. Our discussion began with the Jewish History…
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Siyum Ha-Shas in the Displaced Persons Camp, 1945
“We were only a few broken Jews with two books, but…the day of the Siyum HaShas was my day of victory, the day of victory for all survivors, and the day of victory for every ‘Talmud Jew.’” The brick crematoria of Dachau had barely cooled when the surviving remnants of European Jewry were called upon…
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
Wait, Christopher Columbus was Jewish? Documentary on Roman-Jewish War now Online
Surprised how much attention this got.
Herod’s Tragic Reign
The Fatal Conflict
How Jewish Culture will Thrive after October 7; The Jews of Al-Andalus Part II
Remarks at Lander College for Men
Maimonides and the Controversy over His Work
Jewish Resilience After October 7; American Jews, Post-Honeymoon; The Jews of Al-Andalus
Three Strategies
Jews under the Visigoths II; The Spanish Golden Age
Public at 10am ET (44 minutes)
Online Courses in Jewish History
