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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Origins of Polish Jewry (This Week in Jewish History)
This week marks the death anniversary of King Boleslaw V (The Chaste) in 1279. Boleslaw followed the tradition of his predecessors in Poland by creating incentives for Jewish settlement in Poland, including the establishment of Magdeburg Recht. Ultimately, these policies proved extremely attractive to Ashkenazi Jews from the Rhineland, making Poland a great center of…
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The Jewish Kingdom of Khazaria HIS 155 1.9
To view the Prezi associated with this lecture, please click here.
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Jews in the Early Muslim Period HIS 155 1.8
To view the Prezi associated with this lecture, please click here.
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The Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 (This Week in Jewish History)
The Fourth Lateran Council, which met in 1215 at the behest of Pope Innocent III, issued several pieces of Church legislation with dire implications for Jews. The doctrine of transubstantiation was confirmed, leading to a new element in antisemitic canards: accusations that Jews “desecrated the host.”
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Shmuel ha-Nagid (Jewish Biography as History)
Poet, politician and philosopher, Shmuel ha-Nagid was an exemplar of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry.
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Anwar Sadat Visits Israel (This Week in Jewish History)
In November of 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat flew to Israel to address the Knesset. His meeting with his former enemy Prime Minister Menachem Begin ultimately resulted in the sometimes strained but nevertheless enduring Israel-Egypt peace accord, but his unpopularity with hardline Egyptians, opposed to making peace with Israel, resulted in his assassination in 1981.
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HIS 155 1.7 The Talmud
To view the Prezi associated with this lecture, please click here. Excerpts from The Sea of Talmud: A Brief and Personal History Henry Abramson (2012) The Yeshiva administration must have put considerable thought into the wording of the hand-lettered sign posted outside the cafeteria. Many young men studying Talmud at this Jerusalem institution were taking…
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Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon: Maimonides
Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1135-1204) was a towering figure in medieval Jewish history, and continues to cast a long shadow into the Jewish present. Nevertheless, the work of the philosopher-physician endured significant controversy, including an especially sad episode in which Jews actually consigned his works to the flames.
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HIS 155 1.6 Jewish Communal Structure: The Kehillah
To view the Prezi associated with this lecture, please click here.
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Jacob Frank and the Burning of the Talmud (This Week in Jewish History)
One of the more colorful false messiahs in Jewish history, Jacob Frank made a career of conversion–first to Islam, then to Christianity, all the while leading a neo-Sabbatean movement that emphasized antinomian “purification through transgression.” His appeal to the Church in 1757 resulted in a modern-day disputation over the Talmud, and ultimately the burning of…
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The Jews of Khazaria
In one of the most bizarre episodes in Jewish history, the Central Asian kingdom of Khazaria converted to Judaism in the eighth century. Multiple sources confirm the conversion, yet the entire story remains a mystery. What was the nature of their Judaism? More importantly, what happened to them?
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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Reminder: No Class Tonight!
Celebrating Hanukkah! We are scheduled to resume on Monday, December 14 at 7 pm with a presentation on Dona Gracia Nasi.
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Who was Avraham Maimuni?
Lecture on Avraham ben HaRambam, an important Jewish leader and scholar of 13th century Egypt. Best known as the son of the illustrious Maimonides, Avraham Maimuni was a brilliant thinker whose descendants led the Jewish community of Egypt for nearly 200 years. Here’s the link to the Prezi: http://prezi.com/3apfvk1ctjkg/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
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Alexander Runs for Team Friendship
My son Alexander is once again running for Team Friendship in the Miami Marathon this January. Please enjoy this video that features his effort for this worthy cause, and support him at http://www.miami.teamfriendship.org/Alex!
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Jewish History in Christian Context
By popular demand, I’ve set up a new playlist of my lectures that cater to students of the Jewish roots of Christianity and selected lectures on the experience of Jews living in Christian lands. Enjoy in good health!
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The Memoirs of Gluckel of Hameln
Please enjoy this week’s column in the Five Towns Jewish Times, a discussion of the memoirs of Gluckel of Hameln, a remarkable woman from 17th-century Germany.
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TONIGHT! The History of Chanukah
Live in Boca Raton! Looking forward to speaking at the Chabad of West Boca. Click here to RSVP!
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The Chofetz Chaim
Please enjoy this week’s article in the Five Towns Jewish Times. http://5tjt.com/chofetz-chaim/
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Who Was Count Emicho? Jews and the First Crusade
Lecture on Count Emicho and the Jews of Germany during the First Crusade (1096). Here’s a link to the Prezi.
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The Kuzari: This Week’s Column
Please enjoy this week’s column in the Five Towns Jewish Times! http://5tjt.com/the-kuzari/
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Hey, no lecture this week, we’ll resume on Monday November 20
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?).
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Mesilat Yesharim
Please enjoy this week’s column in the Five Towns Jewish Times! http://5tjt.com/mesilat-yesharim/
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
