Hailed as one of the greatest commentators on the Torah, Abraham ibn Ezra lived a life of great scholarly accomplishment amidst great personal suffering.
Who Was Ibn Ezra? Jewish Biography as History Dr. Henry Abramson
THIS YEAR IN JERUSALEM: Alexander Abramson Runs the Jerusalem Marathon for Crossroads
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 are stranded on the streets whether because they are homeless, receiving abuse, or have drug or alcohol substance issues, and Crossroads gets them back into a better place. I myself have never been in any of those negative situations but I can’t imagine what I would do in their situations. I’m assuming it’s very scary and traumatic, thankfully though for those teens there is a organization (Crossroads) that helps them get out of their horrible situation and I would like to help them out. Please donate whatever you can to this worthy cause at my page http://run4crossroads.com/give/alexander-abramson/ whatever you can give is fantastic, thanks.
Irving Berlin and the Creation of Popular American Culture (This Week in Jewish History)
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 Berlin. Whatever we may think of the 21st century interpretations of his work, it is undeniable that Berlin had the amazing ability to express the core values of American culture in a way that transcended religious ideology.
Here’s some additional useful comments from Dr. Carl Singer:
His actions were acknowledged with such accolades as the Army’s Medal of Merit from President Truman in 1945; a Congressional Gold Medal for “God Bless America” and other patriotic songs from President Eisenhower in 1954; and the Freedom Medal from President Ford in 1977. In 2002, the U.S. Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, named the Army Entertainment Division (AED) World Headquarters “The Irving Berlin Center” in his honor. Also that year he was commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp.
Irving Berlin “God Bless America” – The Ed Sullivan Show God Bless America Irving Berlin on Ed Sullivan May 5, 1968
Irving Berlin – ‘Oh, How I Hate to get up in the Morning’ Oh how I hate to get up in the morning 1943 “this is the Army”
Kate Smith, God Bless America Kate Smith – God Bless America introducing “a new song”
———
I believe there was a slight error towards the end of the presentation: “Congressional Medal of Honor” — is likely a misnomer. To the best of my knowledge there is no such medal.
There is the Congressional Gold Medal. The “Medal of Honor” (no “Congressional“) is the nation’s highest military award.
Who Was Aaron of Lincoln? Jewish Biography as History
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.
Great Faculty Workshop on Blogging!
Enjoying a great faculty workshop on video blogging with Dr. Stefanie Herron and Dr. Lee Isogai Williams!
Really excited to be part of Touro College’s Avenue J campus!
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.
Who was Eldad ha-Dani? Jewish Biography as History by Dr. Henry Abramson
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 story of the mystical river Sambatyon and the Jews who lived there captivated the Jewish mind for centuries, and had a lasting impact on the development of Christian thought as well. But was he for real?
Dr. Abramson is way better in print (and taller, too):
- Henry Abramson
- #14269 (no title)
- 1. The Land of Israel
- About Henry Abramson
- Ancient Jewish History
- Bechoros
- Books and Publications
- Cart
- Causes
- Checkout
- Colleagues
- Contact (if really necessary)
- Courses
- Crash Course in Jewish History
- Essential Lectures in Jewish History
- High School Resources
- I Survived Jewish History (Spring 2020)
- Jewish Biography as History
- Jewish History in Daf Yomi
- Jewish History in Daf Yomi
- Jewish History Lab
- Jewish History Lab (Fall 2020)
- Jewish History Lectures
- Latest Posts
- Maimonides on Teshuvah
- Maimonides on Teshuvah (PDF Download)
- MANIFESTO
- Medieval Jewish History
- Modern Jewish History
- My account
- My Courses
- People of the Book
- Professor Tools!
- Public Lectures (Fall 2019)
- Published Works
- Recommended Reading
- Request Complimentary Course Registration Form
- Scholar In Residence Topics
- Search by Semester
- Shop
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 10: THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 11: THE CORDOBA CALIPHATE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 12: THE KINGDOMS OF ARAGON AND CASTILLE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 1: THE GREEK EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 2: THE ROMAN EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 3: THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 4: THE SASSANIAN EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 5: THE VISIGOTHIC EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 6: THE RASHIDUN CALIPHATE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 7: THE UMAYYAD CALIPHATE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 8: THE KINGDOM OF AXUM
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 9: THE KINGDOM OF KHAZARIA
- SURVIVE JEWISH HISTORY
- Teacher Training
- Thank you!
- The Holocaust: Thirty Brief Lectures
- The Jewish People I: Biblical Jewish History
- The Jewish People II: Medieval Jewish History.
- The Jewish People: A History (Draft)
- The Jews of Italy (Spring 2019)
- The Jews of Sepharad (Fall 2017 Lectures)
- The Jews of the Danube (Fall 2018)
- The Jews of the Rhone (Summer 2019)
- The Kabbalah of Forgiveness
- The Sea of Talmud
- The Sephardic Diaspora (Spring 2018)
- Ukrainians and Jews in Revolutionary Times
- What People are Saying
- Why?
- Torah from the Years of Wrath
Who Was Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai? Jewish Biography as History Dr. Henry Abramson
Emerging from a cave after twelve years of isolated Torah study, Rabbi Shimon Yohai went on to become one of ancient Israel’s most celebrated Kabbalists and leaders of the Jewish people.
Dr. Abramson in Print (and eBooks!)
Who Was Babatha? Jewish Biography as History Dr. Henry Abramson
Rolling her precious documents and carefully wrapping them in a leather pouch tied with twine, Babatha buried her entire legal history in the floor of the cave she shared with Bar Kochba’s rebels. They would remain entombed in that desolate refuge for 1800 years until their discovery by archaeologist Yigael Yadin, and then the life of an otherwise forgotten 2nd-century woman suddenly came to light: her marriages, custody battles for her son, property disputes, and much more. The Babatha archive constitutes an amazing source of information for the history of Jewish women in ancient Israel.
The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 (This Week in Jewish History) Dr. Henry Abramson
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 Week in Jewish History” series by Dr. Henry Abramson. More videos available at http://www.henryabramson.com
Henry Abramson 