History for the Curious - The Jewish History Podcast

#26 - Time III - The Holocaust Calendars: 1944

Were the Jews the victims of WWII? How did they experience Time? The passing of a single day... And how did a few unsung heroes sanctify Shabbos and give hope to those around them?

#25 - Time II - The Schism: 921-923

What year are we in? When is New Year’s Day? (Not Rosh Hashana - The other one !)? Why did Jews celebrate Yom Kippur on different days 1,100 years ago? A look at 2,000 years of disputes and the occasional ex-communication

#24 - Time I - The Journey: 882

Travelers often leave imprints, but perhaps none as mysterious or eye-opening as a Jewish explorer in the 9th century. An enigma which will very probably impact events at the End of Time. And of course there is the matter of the elephant in the room

#23 - Political intrigues III - London: 1655

The Jews are unwelcome across Europe although England now offers the appearance of hope. But it's a high-stakes game which someone will lose and the tangled politics may just be too much too soon.

#22 - Political intrigues II - Italy: 1556

Ancona was a place of refuge for Portuguese Marranos, until the betrayal. Which left the Jews of Pesaro with a choice: Take revenge and risk the anger of the Pope or flee to Turkey.

#21 - Political Intrigues I - Paris: 1894

Dreyfus - a watershed event in France’s history. But it is preceded by dire scandals, leaving France looking for a scapegoat, which would linger until the French holocaust in 1942

#20 - American Beginnings V - The Passport: 1911

In the game of politics, an American passport is the ticket to freedom, but not necessarily for the Jews. And victory is often short-lived.
But who was She? The Jew described by the NY Times as the most politically powerful woman in the USA? 

#19 - American Beginnings IV - The Immigrant: 1905

It took enterprise to survive in the early years, with some taking their 'careers' to an extreme. But The Forverts was always around to offer advice - some of it decidedly UnOrthodox

#18 - American Beginnings III - The Passage: 1881

To Go or Not to Go - that was The Question. Although the German Jews got there first, as did Jewish America’s first congressman (1845-1851), only to be committed later to an asylum for the insane.

#17 - American Beginnings II - California: 1851

The Gold Rush brought thousands of Jews from all over the world to the untamed Wilderness of the West, arousing the interest of the Rothschilds, Strauss and the Orthodox community of Jerusalem.

#16 - American Beginnings I- The Jewish Spy: 1776

Three Jews in Colonial America:  An Officer serving under Benedict Arnold, a Spy who worked for George Washington and a Chocolate manufacturer who tried to make peace.

#15 - Controversial Prayers III- The Angels 1609

Sholom Aleichem - a Friday night prayer of possible heresy, that breaks one of the Rambam’s 13 Principles of Faith.And how did Hollywood get it so wrong?

#14 - Controversial Prayers II - Amsterdam 1708

“Times are a Changing” and change brought a clash between Kabbala & Halacha, Orthodoxy & Reform, The New World & The Old.

#13 - Controversial Prayers I - The Czar: 1861

How loyal were the Jews to Czar Alexander II ? Why was there a fast day in England in 1803 & in America in 1812?Salvation isn’t always Redemption.

#12 - Prague IV - The Edict of Tolerance: 1782

A new emperor & new clothes. Language. Education. Freedom?. And a eulogy in Shul for Maria Theresa by the Noda Biyehuda, the world-famous Rabbi of Prague.

#11 - Prague III - The Exile: 1745

An 8 year war involving Vienna, Berlin & Prague, which leaves the Jews no option other than a face-to-face meeting with King George II of England.

#10 - Prague II - The Priest: 1726

Why would a zealous missionary priest, print the Talmud for the Jews of Prague? And what controversial role did a famous Dayan in Prague play?

#9 - Prague I- The Books: 1704

The revenge of an apostate Jew and the clash of Politics, Religion and Money over a library valued in the millions. 

#8 - Holocaust Dilemmas III- The Fugitive: 1944

How do you survive lying alone in a grave for 2 months? Where does a teenager find the determination and belief to overcome betrayal, loss and danger through the terrible years of war?

#7 - Holocaust Dilemmas II- The Kapo: 1943

Who were the Kapos? Listen to an unknown story of tragedy and heroism. A Kapo in Auschwitz. A family pulled apart. A truth eventually uncovered.