The Jewish Story: Recent Episodes
Rav Mike
Biblical changes are happening in the Holy Land. Rabbi Yishai Fleisher and Rav Mike Feuer explore Parshat Bechukotai with an eye to the ingathering of the Jewish people to Israel - their eternal homeland. Welcome back to the Spiritual Cafe Series
Traveling can teach you about where you left, who you are and what the people you meet are called to be. A few take away thoughts from my US tour
We're back. The first episode in a new round of Spiritual Cafe where Yishai and I discuss the responsive creation in which we live.
The quest is the context for life, the journey is life itself. The Torah's quest is for the goodness of creation, and the Jewish Hero's Journey in pursuit of it is made up of seven questions. A live class from R' Mike's US tour.
Another live class from Rav Mike's US tour. What does malchut, kingship, really mean, what are its three scales and how can they be a guide for leadership today?
A live class given the day after Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day. Taking Avraham as our heroic model, we explore how power can make the context for true independence - but what we create in that space depends on a different kind of heroism.
Atzmaut is more self-actualization rather than simple independence. In our quest to understand the meaning of this important day in our time, Avraham can be our heroic guide.
The 8th of Nisan is the yartzheit of two Jewish heroes, Eliyahu Hakim and Eliyahu Bet Tzuri. Executed for a political assasination in the course of the pre-State strugggle, their story teaches us about the warrior and the storyteller, two essential models of Jewish heroism.
Was eating from the Tree of Knowledge part of the plan from the beginning? And how did it pose the essential question which humanity faces?
In the beginning, Adam and Chava were naked and unashamed. What is the connection between these two states, and how did the emergence of desire change everything?
Adam's search for a solution to being alone gives rise to a primary spiritual practice - dveikut, cleaving to the Divine.
Take the first few steps on the Jewish Hero's Journey with Ari Abramowitz as he answers the essential questions: what is good? Whom do you serve? Where do you take your stand?
The essential element that humanity adds to creation is avodah, the ability to actualize potential. This finds its first application in the power of naming, which is how we map, conquer and even create the world.
the not good. It offers a deep commentary on the human condition, - as well as an answer to the 'why?' of creation.
Now that the human capacity for avodah, for actualizing the good which is not yet in creation, has been revealed it is time to enter the garden and take on our first task.
The second telling of the story of creation introduces us to an interactive world, one waiting for humanity to actualize its potential
From Divine cosmology to human existential anthropology, this class starts our exploration of the second telling of creation's story.
A point of heroism from the parsha - Yosef was ready for whatever came, and why he was can teach us all a lesson
Humanity adds a new face to creation, reflective of the Divine. But it's not without controversy.
Rav Mike's annual Hanukkah class in honor of the yartzheit of his father, Charles M. Feuer.
The four ways the will interacts in relationship are enhanced by a fifth - how it acts on itself. Tzimtzum, creative contraction, is the context for creation.
Shimon and Levi went beyond the bounds to rescue their captive sister. It is a heroic sory and a moral dilemma all in one.
If God is unbounded in creative capacity, why is it part of the Divine will that there be agents in creation?
The relative nature of moral good defines the human perspective, but God sees the Essential Good of all creation
When a door is shut before you, how do you know whether to push harder or to walk away?
Tears of futility, words of hope and wisdom on the question - what model of heroism could best serve us now?
A backstory conversation w/David Goodwin. Follow all the way to hear the best anecdotes about my life in the woods!
A conversation on memory and self actualization. Rav Mike and Eitan dig deep into the struggle to be part of the national experience, and dream bid about the opportunity presented by national independence.
What is the difference between fantasy, myth and Torah? How does the sacred imagination serve as a vessel for prophecy? What are we meant to be doing on Seder night? Hear about these questions and more as Rav Mike and Eitan engage in a deep conversation about this unique human capacity.
Here is an introduction to a new way of being. If you are seeking the Torah's guidance on how to become your best self, looking for tools of growth and frames for new consciousnes - tune in and take the Jewish Hero's Journey.Find more information at www.jewishheroism.com and sign up to join a the seven paths workship live or online here - https://forms.gle/N2fauG5MPy4jANzv8
Rav Mike's annual Hanukkah shiur given in honor of his father's yartzheit. The commandment to sanctify God's name was foundational to the Hanukkah story, and has taken a central role once again today as the Jewish people are faced with war. What light can it help us shine in the world?
Join me for a live class at The Torah Cafe. We explore the intersection between the ten days of repentance and October 7th, asking how to take a heroic stance on teshuva.
Sometimes history and the Hebrew calendar coincide in remarkable ways. Join Rav Mike and guest R' Aaron Leibowitz as they discuss the nature of the the spiritual and material challenges faced by the Jewish people today. The conversation touches on the limits the limits of agency, the nature of responsibility and the question of how we hold the pain of past and present in order to make for a better future.
American Jewry stands at a crossroads, facing great risks and real opportunities. Success in such a moment requires clarity of vision, confidence in identity and readiness for action - all elements of a heroic stance. This first class of Rav Mike's recent US tour is an exploration of what Jewish heroism is, how it can be cultivated in our lives and communities, and what a heroic path forward might look like for American Jews today.
Malchut is good made manifest.This class introduces malchut, the seventh and final step in the Torah’s heroic journey. Malchut is the ability to bring the pieces into right relationship - in the personal dimension as identity, between people as leadership and facing creation as Divine consciousness. On the heroic journey it is a manifestation of the goodness we are seeking, whole even when it is not yet the complete expression of creation’s good.We begin by understanding the three dimensions in which the heroic journey takes place, and how malchut can be a manifestation of good in all of them. Along the way we learn that malchut expresses the iterative quality of the heroic journey, how the hero is constantly “coming of age.” Malchut manifests good in a manner which is both the end of a process, and the beginning of a new path toward the good.The second half of the class focuses on the power of the heroic moment, how the hero’s actions can manifest good in multiple dimensions with potentially legendary results. In this context Queen Esther is considered as an archetype of malchut, and her story offered as an example of the power of the heroic moment.
Here is a pre-Pesach conversation with R' Yehuda HaKohen of the Vision Movement where we explore the narrative arc of the Passover story and the nature of freedom. Along the way we touch on the State of Israel's struggle to be free of foreign influence, and how every Jew can become more of who they truly are.
Yosher is integrity, the ability to hold the line.This class introduces yosher as the sixth path of Jewish heroism. The quality of integrity guides us in forming a right relationship with self, other and world – all the facets of truth uncovered on the path of emet. The class begins by touching on how integrity is a quality of heart, and then goes on to an exploration of the root definitions of yosher as it appears in the Torah and the broader Jewish tradition.The second half unpacks the story of Joseph as the archetype of integrity. It traces the arc of his development from a young man who couldn’t hold all the gifts he had been given, to one who becomes the viceroy of Egypt and a model of righteousness. His heroic journey teaches us that “life is the pits,” a phrase whose meaning shifts depending on whether you choose the posture of victim, villain or hero in your own life journey.
It's not every day that you turn fifty. here are some birthday thoughts from Rav Mike - and a blessing to all who tune in!
Here is a discussion with R' Aaron Leibowitz about some of the emotional and spiritual challenges posed by the uncertainty of our national situation, and what Purim might teach us about finding a way forward.
Emet is where the light of the Infinite enters our story. It is the engagement of truth without and within which requires a struggle with the shadow and the unknown. This class introduces emet, the struggle to embrace truth, as the fifth path of Jewish heroism. It begins with an exploration of the Torah's approach to truth as a holistic process with a many-faceted expression. Then it touches on the idea of the path of truth, contrasting the organic approach to the philosophical.Next we engage Yaakov as the archetype of truth, learning how his struggles with his own inner shadow and his twin brother defined his way in the world and made him an embodiment of emet from whom we all can learn. Listen to the end for a surprise addition about the Baal Shem Tov which asks what it means that the stories of the chassidim were all true!
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from hardship and endure prolonged pressure - two qualities which are essential to any hero's journey. This episode explores the quality of חוסן/chosen which is the root of how we understand mental as a path in Jewish Heroism.
Mesirut is the threshold of heroism. It is the power of breaking through which can push a story, a life journey and even history past the bounds of what appears possible.This class introduces mesirah, the power to give more than you have, as the fourth path of Jewish heroism. It begins by introducing the element of heroism which involves breaking boundaries, and then offers an explanation of which our definition of heroism is mesirut nefesh, a going beyond the limits of the embodied self. Next we trace the meaning of term through a powerful metaphor, and three elements of textual exploration. Then Yitzchak is presented as the archetype of mesirut through a look at the story of his binding on the altar. Finally we learn how mesirut has functioned as a heroic driver in Jewish history by examining Theodore Herlz’s life.
Discover the 26 Paths of Jewish Heroism and what it means to be a hero in Rav Mike’s newest podcast series, The Jewish Heroism Project.
There are good things worth fighting for. But what is good? The first class … Read the rest
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Introducing the Jewish Heroism Project! Thanks so much to Israel365 for inviting me to speak about the importance of Heroism, and how it has the potential to change the Jewish people and the world.
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The Jewish Story Special: A 9 Days Conversation featuring Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz
The Israeli Judicial Reform protests come the same week 18 years after the Gush Katif protests and 2,000 years after the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 21 – The Final Episode of The Jewish Story
There is no way to give closure to six seasons of a story, but you have to try! Here is an interview with Rav Mike … Read the rest
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There is no way to give closure to six seasons of a story, but you have to try! Here is an interview with R' Mike that looks back on the lessons of history and reflects on the challenges of today. It also announces tomorrow's new project - so stay tuned for more amazing stories!
The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 20 – The Temple Mount Part IV
Was Ariel Sharon’s visit to the Temple Mount in 2000 the trigger for what the Arab community calls the Al Aqsa Intifada? Or was this a pre-planned … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 19 – The Temple Mount Part III – The Narrative War
Why is the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism a lighting rod for terrorist attacks and central to Israeli-Arab peace negotiations? Learn … Read the rest
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Was Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount in 2000 the trigger for what the Arab community calls the Al Aqsa Intifada? Or was this a pre-planned assault orchestrated by the likes of Marwan Barghouti, Raed Salah of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel and even the Palestinian Authority?In this final installment of the Temple Mount series, learn about the assassination attempt against Rabbi Yehudah Glick, the lynching of two Israelis in Ramallah, the rejection of Jewish history by PLO leader Yasir Arafat during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and US Secretary of State Madeline Albright, the and the rioting that took the lives of thousands including that of Muhammad al-Durrah during the Second Intifada. Plus, Yehuda Etzion and the Hai Vekayam movement who sought to ensure Jewish people had the right to pray at the Har HaBayit, the site of the Beit HaMikdash. image license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcodeattribution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alisdare/51202927760/in/photostream/
The Jewish Story Season 6
Interlude – Future of American Zionism
Rav Mike Feuer speaks at Valley Beit Midrash in an event co-sponsored by Temple Chai entitled “Is There a Future for American Zionism? American Zionism in the Era of … Read the rest
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Why is the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism alighting rod for terrorist attacks and central to Israeli-Arab peace negotiations? Learn about how the Har HaBayit shifted from being acknowledged by Muslim leaders in the 1920s as a Jewish site to a complete denial by Yasir Arafat by the 1990s.The Oslo Accords, the Camp David Summit and reactions of President Bill Clinton. Plus, the history of the destruction of Jewish antiquities by the Muslim Waqf and the creation of the Temple Mount Sifting Project.
The Jewish Story Season 6
Interlude – Interview with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz
Rav Mike Feuer interviews educator and activist Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz and discuss what it means to be both progressive and orthodox in the Jewish world, as well as … Read the rest
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I am on the road! Here is an interview with educator and activist R' Shmuly Yanklowitz where we discuss what it means to be both progressive and orthodox, as well as his vision of the Jewish story present and future.
The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 18 – The Temple Mount Part II – The Status Quo
Should Jews be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount? Or will it inflame Muslim sensitivities? Learn the history of this debate from … Read the rest
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Should Jews be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount? Or will it inflame Muslim sensitivities? Learn the history of this debate from the Six Day War in 1967 when General Moshe Dayan argued with Rabbi Shlomo Goren on the issue, to the fire started by Australian tourist Denis Michael Rohan, the shooting by Allan Goodman, through the 1980s up until the riots in 1990. Plus learn more about Zionist philosopher Shabtai Ben-Dov, radical activist Yehuda Etzion, Gershon Salomon and the Temple Mount Faithful. What Muslims call the Haram al-Sharif and Al Aqsa Mosque and what Jews call the Har HaBayit and Beit HaMikdash have ramifications for today's conflict.
The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 17 – The Temple Mount Part I – The Hinge Point
Every tale has a point around which it revolves, and for the Jewish Story that is the Temple Mount. Here is the opening … Read the rest
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Every tale has a point around which it revolves, and for the Jewish Story that is the Temple Mount. Here is the opening round in a new series tracing the way in which the sacred mountain in the middle of Jerusalem is still at the center of our story.
The Jewish Story Season 6
Interlude – The Crisis of Israeli Sovereignty
A live webinar on behalf of for Fuel For Truth: Israel Education & Advocacy Training, on “The Crisis of Israeli Sovereignty.” First Rav Mike lays out his innovative … Read the rest
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A live webinar on behalf of for Fuel For Truth: Israel Education & Advocacy Training, on "The Crisis of Israeli Sovereignty." First Rav Mike lays out his innovative approach to three dimensions in which sovereignty is exercised - territorial, economic and cultural. Then in the question and answer he engages the judicial reform protests, the purpose of Israel, what it means to be a Jew in modern society and whether one can believe in both the Nakba and in the miracle of Israel's founding.
The Jewish Story Season 6
Interlude – Constitution Now!
Rav Mike Feuer calls for a constructive alternative to the current mass protests against judicial reform being debated in Israel’s Knesset. Along the way he touches upon some historical context about … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 16 – The Endgame (American Anti-Semitism Part VII)
The final installment in the series on the tri-partite part nature of American Antisemitism. This episode revisits all three forms of Jew-hatred characteristic of society in … Read the rest
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Here is my call for a constructive alternative to the current mass protests against judicial reform. Along the way we touch some historical context abouy Ben Gurion, Aharon Barak, Meir Kahane and what the Israeli Declaration of Independence actually says. On the way toward a new model of national covenant we need to learn to speak to one another again, and that also requires understaningd how the Disengagement from Gaza and destruction of Gush Katif in 2005 affect our current political situation.
The final installment in the series on the tri-partite part nature of American antisemitism. This episode revisits all three forms of Jew-hatred characteristic of society in the United States and touches base with their manifestation in the new millennia. Along the way we identify the narrative endgame driving each of these stories of destruction and consider what the Jews ought to do about it.Learn about the 2001 Durban Conference, James Baldwin, the Oklahoma City Bombing, and Jewish students on college campus today.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcodehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/ethnosax/15483604147
The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 15 – Progressing Towards Anti-Semitism (American Anti-Semitism Part VI)
Anti-Jewish and Anti-Israel leftists and progressives. Learn why Jews vote Democratic, and how Tikkun Olam became the civil religion of liberal American Jews. As Jews … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Interlude – Interview with Ken Jacobson of the ADL
Is Judeophobia getting worse in the US? Kenneth Jacobson has worked for the Anti-Defamation League since 1971 and as deputy director, he shares his unique view … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 14 – American Antisemitism Part V
This episode opens up our exploration of the third face of American antisemitism with the backstory of progressive Jew-hate. Listen in to uncover the ongoing impact of Soviet … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 13 – American Antisemitism Part IV
When the cracks start to open up in American race relations, Jew-hate seeps into the mainstream. Here is an episode about Reverend Jesse Jackson, Minister Louis Farrakhan and … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Interlude – The Inner Pressure of the Present Moment
Sometimes you have to get out of your own head in order to know what you really think. Here is an episode where my good friend … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 12 – American Antisemitism Part III
Jew-hatred has two fundamental elements no matter where it manifests – one connected to the role Jews play in society, the other the role we play in the … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 10 – American Antisemitism Part II
In part 2 of our exploration of the new face of the oldest hate focuses on the history of Jewish response to American Antisemitism through a look at … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 10 – American Antisemitism Part I
Antisemitism. It’s an old topic, but somehow seems to be making yet another comeback in America. Here is the introductory episode in my quest to understand the rebirth … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Interlude – Greek Wisdom and Cultural Sovereignty
Here is my annual Hanukkah class in honor of my father, Charles Feuer/Betzalel ben Avraham ob’m. As the end of the Hasmonean kingdom that was established after the … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 9 – Boundary Issues Part V
Uzi Dayan was national security advisor to both Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon, helping them navigate the stormy waters of the Camp David summit, the Oslo war and … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 8: Boundary Issues Part IV
Though the first intifada paved the way for the wall, the second – known as the Oslo War – brought it into being. This episode makes a bridge between … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 7 – Boundary Issues Part III
Violence often has an arc, and in this episode we trace how the intifada progresses together with the Israeli policies of suppression and separation. Along the way we … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Interlude – On Violence
In this episode we take a break from tracking the evolution of Israel’s separation wall to consider the deeper issues of violence on which it is built. Rav Yehuda Hakohen of … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 6: Boundary Issues Part II – The Intifada
When the intifada erupted it caught the Israeli army and leadership unprepared. Part two of the series exploring the evolution of the separation barrier explores Defense … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 5: Boundary Issues Part I
Almost two thousand years ago the Sages determined that Am Yisrael was bound in exile by an oath not to go up to the land “like a wall.” Now … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Interlude: The Sukkot Interlude
The Zohar calls the Sukkah “the shade of faith.” Here are some impromptu thoughts from me to you as I sit in the shade of my sukkah – inspired by these … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 4: Electoral Dysfunction Part III
Here is the final installment in the series detailing the evolution of Israel’s electoral system. It brings us almost all the way to the present, touching on topics like … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Interlude: Interview with Rabbi Aharon Ariel Lavi
Here is an interview with Rabbi Aharon Ariel Lavi, of Hakhel: The Jewish Intentional Communities Incubator in the Diaspora, an expert on the biblical sabbatical year – shemitta. … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 3: Electoral Dysfunction Part II
The unity government wasn’t born yesterday, it has a long history in Israel. Tune in to this ongoing exploration of the evolution of Israel’s electoral system to learn about … Read the rest
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Love learning Jewish history? Join Rav Mike Feuer for the Jewish Story Live!
The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 2: Electoral Dysfunction Part I
Part I of an in-depth look at the historical sources of the present electoral issues facing … Read the rest
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Love learning Jewish history? Join Rav Mike Feuer for the Jewish Story Live!
The Jewish Story Season 6
Episode 1: Prologue: A New Perspective
Season 6 of The Jewish Story has finally begun! Here is a prologue to help frame … Read the rest
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Join Rav Mike Feuer for the Jewish Story Live!
The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 24: From Russia to Jerusalem – Interview with Dr. Zhenia Fleisher
Dr. Zhenia Fleisher lived in all three of the 20th century’s major centers of … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Interlude: 80s Conversation with Rabbi Yehuda HaKohen
Rav Mike Feuer talks with Yehuda HaKohen of the Vision Movement about growing up as an American Jew in … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 24: Rabbi Meir Kahane and the Memory of the Holocaust
American Jewry in the 1980s were as safe and comfortable as a Jewish community had … Read the rest
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Don’t miss out on the Jewish Story Live with Rav Mike Feuer, starting August 28!
The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 23: Soviet Jewry – The Jonathan Pollard Affair
The 1980s saw many seismic shifts in the fabric of American … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 22: Soviet Jewry – The End Game
The third and final episode in our series on Soviet Jewry in which Russian Jews are finally able to leave the Soviet Union. The 1980s saw a … Read the rest
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All things good things must come to an end, so here is the concluding episode of season 5. In it you will find an exploration of how to relate to the brokenness of the world, some thoughts on our present posture and even hints about what the future might hold. See you in the fall!
The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 21: American Jewry Circa 1984
As we circle in toward the end of season five, it is time to check back in with American Jewry. The Eighties were a time of economic and social … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Interlude: An Interview with Daniel Gordis
Menachem Begin has been part of our exploration of the Jewish Story since the uprising against the British back in 1944, and the Lebanon War was the last chapter … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 20: The Lebanon War Part V: End of an Endless War
Even if you only count until 1985, Lebanon was Israel’s longest war and so it’s no surprise that it left some of the … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 19: The Lebanon War Part IV: Sabra and Shatila
The assassination of Phalangist leader Bashir Gemayel was an explosion that rocked the region, and the massacres at Sabra and Shatila which followed in its … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode Interlude: Interview with Ambassador David Friedman
We are all actors in the Jewish Story, and part of the art of becoming the main character is knowing how to seize the moment. Here is an … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 18: The Lebanon War Part III – The Invasion
Crossing into Lebanon to destroy PLO started as a successful mission, and when the IDF destroyed the Syrian SAM belt in the Bekaa Valley through … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode Interlude: On Leadership
Sometimes a listener question can cause a whole interlude. Here is an exploration of Jewish leadership and its roots in the Jewish story. Along the way, we touch on Ukrainian president … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 17: The Lebanon War Part II
Operation Peace for the Galilee begins with Israeli jets pounding Yasser Arafat’s PLO bases in southern Lebanon, but there is always a backstory. In this episode learn about … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 16: The Lebanon War Part I
Before we can discuss the outbreak of war between Israel and the PLO in Lebanon, we must lay out the political context. As Yasser Arafat and his Palestinian … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 15: Bombing the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor
Israel’s leadership came to be part by never forgetting the principle of “when one comes to kill you, rise early and kill first.” Menachem Begin’s 1981 bombing of … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 14: The Evacuation of the Sinai
People like to talk about the price of peace, but they rarely define what peace actually means. This makes evaluating the price impossible. In April of 1982 Israel … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode Interlude: Conversation on Violence with R’ Yehuda HaKohen
There are some conversations that Am Yisrael is just not having. As a follow-up to some of the issues raised in the last few episodes, Rav … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 13: The Jewish Underground Part II
Today the media loves to discuss “settler violence,” but it is rarely interesting in its historical origins. This episode picks up the story of Yehuda Etzion and Menachem … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 12: The Jewish Underground Part I
In politics as in physics – for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Menachem Begin’s signing of the Camp David Accords did not produce a … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode Interlude: An Interview with Daniella Weiss
It is rare that someone who begins a movement is still leading strong fifty years later. Daniella Weiss was part of the original settlement of the Shomron in … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode Interlude: Don’t Lose the Thread
Is anyone else feeling a little frayed around the edges? Here is an interlude where I give some insight on how to avoid snapping under the pressure of our … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 11: The Camp David Accords
The domestic political upheaval of 1977 was followed quickly by an international earthquake in 1978 when Israel and Egypt agree to make peace. Here is the story of how … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 10: The 1977 Election Aftershocks
Begin’s victory in 1977 was the beginning of revolutionary change for Israel, not the end. Some who rejoiced will be bemused, and others who were skeptical will be surprised. … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 9: The Upheaval Election of 1977
There are few events in the history of Israel’s democracy that have had a greater impact than the elections of 1977. When all the votes were counted three … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode Interlude: Empires Come and Empires Go
Many people look at the world today and feel the foundations of American power shaking – and most are afraid. Here is an episode about empires, made in … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 8: The Raid on Entebbe
Heroism is a precious quality, and one strong enough to change the world. Here is the story of the Israeli mission to free hostages on Entebbe, perhaps the most … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode Interlude: Interview with Gil Troy
Historian and author Gil Troy joins me for a follow-up to the ‘Zionism is Racism’ episode. We talk about ‘Moynihan’s Moment,’ the rise of the PLO, the mental health … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 6: Yitzchak Rabin’s First Term
When most people think about Yitzchak Rabin as Israel’s Prime Minister they focus on the Oslo Accords and his tragic murder, but many are unaware that Rabin’s assassination ended … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 7: Yitzchak Rabin’s First Term Part II
Rabin faced conflicts on all three fronts of Jewish history – within Am Yisrael, between Israel and the nations, and as a people in their land. This … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 5: Gush Emunim
Many things within Israeli society were threatened with the collapse in the wake of the Yom Kippur War, and perhaps the most profound danger was a loss of spirit. This episode … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 4: Zionism is Racism
If Israel is meant to be a light to the nations, then how they see us offers illuminating insights. In this episode, we meet the Non-Aligned Movement, Israel’s relationship with … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 3: Feminism and Judaism
The feminist movement and Jewish American life came together in the 1960s and 70s – each influencing the other. In this episode we touch on Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique, the … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode Interlude: Crowning the King
Sometimes a simple question sparks the deepest thoughts. This episode is in answer to a simple question – what is the story of Rosh Hashanah. It explores the nature of … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 2: Let My People Go – the Ongoing Fight for Soviet Jewry
talks about Russian Jewish refuseniks, why they were denied exit visas to immigrate to Israel, and how the Communist regime eventually let … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Episode 1: A Portrait of American Jewry (c. 1974)
The changing culture of American Jewry after the Yom Kippur War in Israel and the Vietnam War meant leaving old neighborhoods, a surge in Zionism, and … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 30: An Interview with Mark Gerson
Telling the story of the Exodus is something so simple that we do it every year, and so complicated that we never get it quite right. With all … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 29: Interlude – Vengeance, a Conversation with Thane Rosenbaum
The desire to get even is as old as Cain and Abel, so what new could possibly be said about it? Here is an interview … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 28: Interlude – Despite It All
Here is a rant on the current struggle in Israel and Gaza. There is something in it for everyone, both to provoke and inspire. Make sure you don’t … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 27: An Interview with Rena Rossner
The power of fairy stories goes well beyond entertainment. In this interlude author Rena Rossner joins me to explore myth, story, and the power of fairy tales. Along … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 26: An Interview with Rabbi Berel Wein
It is not every day that you get to speak with a legend, much less interview one. Here are some precious words I had with the Alter … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 25: An Interview with Dr. Michael Oren
In this interlude, I am joined by a special guest Dr. Michael Oren. The topic at hand is how the Six-Day War helped shaped the special relationship … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 24: Interlude R’ Yitz Greenberg and the God of History
How we chew and swallow what history shoves down our throat can define us as individuals and nations. Here is an interview with R’ … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 22: Epilogue
Every chapter comes to an end sometime, and with this epilogue season, four draws to a close. Listen in for some reflections and where we have been and where we are headed … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 21: The Domestic Aftermath
The shock waves of the Yom Kippur War ripple through Israeli society down to our day, but the days immediately after telling a story all their own. This episode explores … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 20: The International Aftermath
Every war has a winner, but sometimes identifying who that may be is not a simple task – nor a neutral one. This episode explores the international aftermath of the … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 19: The Yom Kippur War Part VI – The Endgame
Some people play a perfect role in the Jewish Story, and in this episode that will be US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 18: The Yom Kippur War Part V – Down But Not Out
This is the story of how close the end really came during the Yom Kippur War. Even as Israel’s tanks held out … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 17: The Yom Kippur War Part IV – A Stunning Blow
A surprise blow is always the hardest to absorb, even if it’s not so powerful. The first strike of the Yom Kippur War … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 15: The Yom Kippur War Part III – Breaking the Concept
Sometimes the ideas we hold most dear are those which prevent us from seeing that which is most important. Here is an episode … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 14: The Yom Kippur War Part II – The Cherbourg Boats
Long before there was a start-up nation the Jews were the can-do people, but a constant crisis-solving posture poses problems of its own. … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 13: The Yom Kippur War Part I – the Context for Surprise
If we call what happened in 1967 a war of the spirit, then what occurred seven years later was a struggle of … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 12: The 1972 Munich Massacre
The whole world watched in horror as the murder of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games raised the bar on international terror to previously inconceivable heights. … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 11: Black September
There is a narrative battle that has been raging for decades between Arab and Jew in the land of Israel, and sometimes it breaks out into open warfare. This is the … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 5
Interlude: An Interview with Aaron Leibowitz
Jerusalem Day is a time when past and present come sharply together and have the potential to define our future. Social activist and former city councilor Rav Aaron Leibowitz … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 10: The War of Attrition Part III: an Honorable Peace
The battlefield and the boardroom come together for the last episode in the series on the War of Attrition. Meet new Prime Minister Golda … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 9: The War of Attrition Part II: The Diplomatic Front
Every major conflict is fought on many fronts. This second installment on the War of Attrition explores the diplomatic front. We will encounter Yitzchak … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 8: The War of Attrition Part 1
Changing our conceptions is one of the hardest things in life to do, for countries as well as individuals. Israel’s stunning victory in 1967 brought many blessings, … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 7: Israel Post 1967 Part III: Settling Hebron
The return to Israel can have two meanings – a return to the Land and a return to the essential self. The birth of a settlement … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 6: Israel Post 1967 Part II: A Greater Israel
One can look at life as one long string of decisions, whether for individuals or nations. Israel had a number of decisions to make in … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 5: Israel Post 1967 Part I: In New Territory
Abundance is always a blessing, so long as one has the capacity to receive it. In the weeks and months after their victory in June … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 4: The Early Struggle for Soviet Jewry
It is a truism that struggle brings out unexpected powers from within us, and what’s true in life is true in history as well. The struggle to … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 3: American Jewry after 1967 part III, the Ocean Hill-Brownsville strike
There are stories that are turning points in a larger tale, and there are those which prove to be tempests in a teacup. … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 2: American Jewry after 1967 part II From Auschwitz to Jerusalem
As each decade passes, the Holocaust retreats in time and grows in memory and this is not a linear process – some years … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4
Episode 1: American Jewry after 1967 Part I, The Wisdom of the Moment
History is all about telling the story after the fact, but there is particular wisdom to be gained in the heat of … Read the rest
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Many things within Israeli society were threatened with the collapse in the wake of the Yom Kippur War, and perhaps the most profound danger was a loss of spirit. This episode explores the rise of the ‘bloc of the faithful,’ … Read the rest
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Historian and author Gil Troy joins me for a follow up to the ‘Zionism is Racism’ episode. We talk ‘Moynihan’s Moment,’ the rise of the PLO, the mental health crisis on American campuses and much more. Tune in also for … Read the rest
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If Israel is meant to be a light to the nations, then how they see us offers illuminating insights. In this episode, we meet the Non-Aligned Movement, Israel’s relationship with Africa, President Mobutu of Zaire, Ugandan leader Idi Amin, US … Read the rest
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Sometimes a simple question sparks the deepest thoughts. This episode is in answer to a simple question – what is the story of Rosh Hashanah. It explores the nature of kingship and the crown in Jewish tradition, and offers some … Read the rest
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Talks about Russian Jewish refuseniks, why they were denied exit visas to immigrate to Israel, and how the Communist regime eventually let them go. Learn about US President Richard Nixon’s détente with the Soviets, championed by Secretary of State Henry … Read the rest
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The changing culture of American Jewry after the Yom Kippur War in Israel and the Vietnam War meant leaving old neighborhoods, a surge in Zionism and new developments in the Jewish community like the Havurah movement. We explore the publication … Read the rest
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This episode was taken from the Jewish Story Season 4, Interlude The 10th of Tevet: It is Not Too Late to Change
Every fast day is an chance for cheshbon nefesh, for making an accounting of life and the world. … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 4, Interlude Yom Yerushalayim – Here is a LIVE Yom Yerushalayim class given in honor of the 10th yartzeit of Fruma Raizel bat Genendel and Nehemia haKohen. It explores the relationship between Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Interlude Yom Haatzmaut Interview* – Here is an interview of Rav Mike Feuer by Rabbi Yonatan from the RRG Beit Midrash at Hebrew University (May 2020) in which we reflect on Israel Independence day from… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep33 Six Day War part VII On the Seventh Day
Just as surely as Shabbat follows the six days of the week, there was a day after the Six Day War. When the guns ceased… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep32 Six Day War part VI The power of determination
There are certain qualities which, when they manifest, define one’s story -determination is one of them. Here is the story of the conquest of the… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep31 Six Day War part V – something miraculous
What do you see as the greatest miracles in Jewish History? In many ways, how you answer indicates your understanding of history altogether. This episode deals… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep30 Six Day War IV The waiting
Going into battle may take bravery, but waiting demands a certain type of courage as well. This episode lays out the final steps of the build up to… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep29 Six Day War III – Israel dwells alone
The countdown to war is progressing, and the pieces are almost all in place. As the pressure mounts, some of the fundamental flaws which lie at… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep28 Six Day War II – The point of no return
The causes of war may be many and the road to its outbreak long, but every conflict has a tipping point. In this episode,… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep27 Six Day War I – beginnings near and far
Who can say when historical events like the Six Day War actually began, and what were their causes? It is a daunting task, but not… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep26 Eli Cohen, Hero of Israel
Historians may argue about whether one person can shift the course of history, but everyone agrees that a hero can change the world. Here is the story of Eli… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep25 Shifting identities in early Israel
The present is always built on the ruins of the past, the only real question is – how do we integrate this reality into our identity? This episode looks… Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep24 Levi Eshkol – a new face of leadership
Old politicians never die, they just fade away. The era of Ben Gurion ended in 1963 and it appeared that his replacement, Levi Eshkol, could not… Read the rest
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Rav Mike’s annual shiur in honor of the yartzheit of his father, Charles M. Feuer, ob”m. Gratitude is one of the keys to happiness, especially in dark times. Join Rav Mike as he explores the connection between the Hanukah candles… Read the rest
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Rav Mike Feuer hosts author and thought leader Yossi Klein Halevi. The conversation touches on his personal experience of Meir Kahane and the early struggle for Soviet Jewry, the challenges of writing, the power of Jerusalem to evoke dreams and… Read the rest
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For a few brief weeks, it looked like 1968 would be a revolution in America on par with 1967 in Israel. This episode explores the role of radical Jews in trying to push America toward the birth of a new… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep23 Spirit of the Sixties part IV: The radical break first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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At the Sixties progressed they became more intense. In particular, the tone of the civil rights movement shifted from integration to separation and from evolution to revolution. This episode will explore the impact of these shifts on the ‘grand alliance’… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep22 Spirit of the 60s part III: the revolution starts tonight first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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1964 was the Freedom Summer in America, and it saw a wave of white, Jewish volunteers leaving the comfort of their suburban existence to fight the battle against racism in the rural south. This episode explores the suburban cultural vacuum… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep21: The Spirit of the 60’s Part II first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Kickstart your Torah routine with Pardes Daily!
For the month of Elul, traditionally a time when Jews prepare for the upcoming new year, Pardes Daily will be offering three Rosh Hashanah themed daily learning tracks featuring beloved Pardes Faculty. After … Read the rest
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The 1960s were a revolutionary period in American history, and since the Jews were so deeply involved it is a turning point in the Jewish Story as well. This episode begins our slow march toward 1967 with a look at… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep20: The Spirit of the 60’s Part I: Pragmatism and Prophecy first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip was fifteen years ago, but to me it feels like yesterday. In this interlude, author Daniella Levy joins me to discuss the fiction work which she wrote to engage this complex event. Along the… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Interlude: Tisha B’Av 5780 and the Disengagement first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In the first decade of the state, Prime Minister Ben Gurion was haunted by one thought – that a second holocaust could come at the hands of Israel’s enemies. In order to stave off this fear he relentlessly pursued nuclear… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep19: The Samson Option first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The Holocaust was so dark and vast that the Jews struggled to integrate it into their consciousness, despite the hundreds of thousands of survivors in their midst. One of the turning points in even addressing this issue was the capture… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep18: The Eichmann Trial first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The memory of the Holocaust is dark and traumatic enough that it threatens to overwhelm even the light of the present. Here is the first part of an exploration of Holocaust memory in Israel’s open decade, as seen through the… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep17: The Kastner affair first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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From Rav Mike: I can’t watch what is happening in silence, but nor am I willing to simply be a cheerleader for chaos. Here are some thoughts on structural violence and what can all learn from the murder of George… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3 Interlude: George Floyd and the Burden of History first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Life offers so few opportunities to stop and reflect that we need to seize every chance. What better time to look back at the questions with which we began this season than in Israel’s tenth year. Here is an episode… Read the rest
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The Sinai campaign was many things – a preemptive strike against Israel’s enemies, the last gasp of colonialism in the Middle East and a complete failure of international law. This episode explores the 1956 war from all these angles.
Help … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep15: Israel among the nations part III: Operation Kadesh first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The clock is counting down toward the 1956 Sinai Campaign. Before we can tell that story the threads of the Cold War, infiltration and post-colonial politics have to come together.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep14: Israel among the nations part II: War Approaches 1955 first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The 1950’s were a formative time in Israeli history. The Cold War was getting hot, internal politics were volatile, and then it seemed as if the War of Independence had not quite ended. To Israel’s leaders, there was nothing more… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep13: Israel among the nations part I The Lavon Affair 1954 first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The focus of our story has returned to the land of Israel, where it is once again a time of controversy. Despite the population growth, the economic hardships and the security challenges, the most divisive political issue of the early… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep12: The Reparations Controversy first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Sometimes you have to speak from the heart. Here are a few thoughts, feelings, about our current situation. There is a tremendous potential in every crisis, the question is – can we see beyond the horizon?
Help continue making Jewish … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3: Covid-19 Special Interlude first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The Jewish Story is narrative therapy for a nation, but how can it also serve each of us in our quest to be actors in our lives instead of objects? Listen in to this great Purim Torah, an exploration of… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3 Purim Interlude: Own Your Story first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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We spoke about the suburbs and the shadows, now it is time to talk about Zionism. The ‘Golden decade’ was a time of reorganization in general, and particularly in relation to the newborn State of Israel. Here is an episode… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep11: 1945-55 part III The reorganization of American Zionism first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The decade after World War Two was a Jewish decade for America. Not only did the Jews achieve the suburban dream, but their culture stepped right into the middle of the American mainstream. Nonetheless, there were two things which dimmed… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep10: 1945-55 part II Shadows on the Golden first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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1945 to 1955 is known as the ‘Golden Decade’ of American Jewry. Here is the first of three episodes which aims to fill in the Jewish Story on the western side of the Atlantic. The question for today is – … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep9: 1945-55 part I Did the Jews turn white? first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In part two of this exploration of Israel’s seventy year constitutional crisis we take a look at the revolution of 1992 and how it contributed to today’s battles. As a special bonus I included a little bird walk along the … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep8: 70 years of constitutional crisis part II first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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If I asked you whether Israel has a constitution are you sure that you would know the answer? This episode is the first half of answering the question by delving into the history of Israel’s 1949 Constituent Assembly. Help continue … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep7: 70 years of constitutional crisis part I first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Here is a live interlude from Rav Mike – his annual class in memory of his father, Charles Feuer ob’m. It is an exploration of the Hanukah light as it has been gradually released through the challenges of history, theology… Read the rest
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Every value has a boundary and every state a border, which means that often we have to fight to maintain them. Here is the story of Israel’s struggle against infiltration in the 1950’s and the moral complexity of retaliatory raids. … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep6: The Limits of Retaliation first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In the middle of the 16th century the town of Tzefat became a new center of Jewish life. This class introduces one side of that renewal though the story of R’ Yosef Karo, author of the Shulchan Aruch and the … Read the rest
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Walking With Your Inner Spirit: six opportunities, practices and encounters experiencing the Divine within.
This is a new podcast series from Yiscah Smith releasing weekly with the first episode during the first week of Hanukah 5780. Be sure to subscribe … Read the rest
The post NEW PODCAST MINI-SERIES Walking With Your Inner Spirit – Introduction Episode first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Special Edition Q&A session with Rav Mike on Democracy in America and Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, and what the future holds for Jews.
No matter where you turn, it seems that democracy is in … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3 Interlude: Government, a Crisis of Faith first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In 1949 Israel was in the dangerous position of winning the battle and losing the war. Though ceasefire agreements were in place, peace remained elusive. This episode opens an examination of the questions of international legitimacy, national cohesion and border … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep5: 1949 Boundary Issues first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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There are times in the history of peoples and nations when the decisions made shape the future. The three years after Israel’s foundation saw its population double through immigration, the way in which the immigrants were received set the mode … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep4: Sink or Swim – mass immigration and the in-gathering part II first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In the first two years after Israel’s independence the Jewish population doubled. Such massive immigration put an almost fatal stress on the resources and social fabric of the young state. Before we can discuss the practical implications we need to … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep3: Mass Immigration and Ingathering the Exiles – part I first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The High Holy Days are also know as the Days of Awe which can be awesome, or awful. Here is a look at how to tie the work of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot together into an approach to … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3 Yom Kippur Interlude: 5780 A New Horizon first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Part I of the evolution of American Zionism presented America as an environment of formation for American Zionism, part two adds the other element of evolution – competition. The struggles between American Zionists and first the European Zionist leadership and … Read the rest
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The Jewish Story Season 3 is here!
Season 3, episode 1, opens with a long awaited introduction to the American chapter of the Jewish Story. This first segment traces the back story of the three waves of Jewish immigration to … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep1: The Evolution of American Zionism, part I first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Declaring a state is a matter of moments, but birthing it can be a much more prolonged process. The last episode in season two is a look at a series of decisions taken by Ben Gurion in the months following … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 40: Made in 1948 – Three historic decisions that shaped the birth of modern-day Israel first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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1948 was a year of Biblical proportions, which means the stories told about what happened often have more power than the events themselves. This is part one of a two-part treatment of this momentous time with which we will close … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 39: Pre-Independence 1948 – The Battle for the Roads and the birth of Narrative War first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Before a person or a people can enjoy true freedom, first they must break t heir chains. This is the story of how the underground war finally broke the back of the British occupation and how the United Nations stepped … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 38: The Fight for Liberation Which Preceded Freedom first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Once World War Two ended all the promises of the allies were put to test – would they find a solution to the Jewish problem now that the war was won? This episode describes the escalation of the struggle against … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 37: Survivalist Zionism – How the Zionist Struggle Looked After the Holocaust first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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As European Jewry was consumed by the Shoah, the Zionists in the land of Israel gradually came to see the British blocking the gates of Israel as their main enemy. The episode explores the split between the Irgun and the … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 36: The Revolt Against British Rule and the Struggle Within the Underground first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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By 1942 there was no escape from Europe for the Jews, and even if they had managed to run – who would take them in. This second episode on the Holocaust explores the message of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 35: The Warsaw Ghetto and the Rise of Jewish Resistance first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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There are things which need to be spoken about no matter how hard, and questions which need to be asked no matter how unanswerable. This is the first of two episodes which engage the how and why of the Holocaust.… Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 34: Heart of Darkness first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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There is no word for independence in Biblical Hebrew, and the roots of the modern word can teach us much. This might right be called the day when we celebrate ‘self-actualization,’ but that leaves poses the question – how do … Read the rest
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The 1930’s saw the hate triangle of Arabs, British and Jews explode into an unprecedented scale of violence known as the Arab Revolt. The revolt brought on yet another cycle of repression and political concessions, and it split the Jews … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 33: The Arab Revolt first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In the 1930’s the ideological divides between the Revisionist and Labor Zionists grew, and cracks began to appear within the community of the Yishuv. Meanwhile, pressure on European Jewry was increasing with the rise of Nazi Germany. When you put … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 32: Under Pressure first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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It is time to move away from the divisive question of who is a Jew to ask something more essential – what is a Jew? The first half of this episode offers Rav Mike’s thoughts on the subject. The second … Read the rest
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Though the land of Israel is the hinge around which the Jewish Story turns, there are many Jews whose future does not lie in Zion. This episode widens the scope of our story to consider the life of Jews in … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 31: Interwar Jewry first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Patterns are hard things to break, and how they come about can teach us much about ourselves. Here is a look at the cycle of riots which rocked the Yishuv in the 1920’s, and set the mold for Arab/Jewish relations … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 30: Stories of Blood and Fire first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Each successive wave of immigrants that came up to the land brought with them their blessings, and their challenges. As the population grew, so did the nature of power politics. In the 1920’s two leaders emerged whose opposing visions define … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 29: The Conflict Within first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The return of the Jewish people to the tools of political and military power were bound up with their return to the land of Israel. This episode explores the rise of the military model within the Zionist movement, and the … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 28: The Challenge of Jewish Power first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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World War One brought massive destruction and great change to the world. When the smoke cleared from this great conflagration, the British Empire was left in control of the land of Israel. These seemed to be good news for the … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 27: The Anglo-Zionist Alliance first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The world is starting to shake with the rumbles of the coming world war. The destruction which is to come will sweep away much of the old, and open new horizons for the budding Zionist project. But the pioneers must … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 26: Rumors of War first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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There are times in history which define us even now, and in Israel the Second Aliyah is second to none in that respect. This episode tells of the chalutzim, the idealistic pioneers who came up to the land to build … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story, Season 2, Episode 25: One More Dunam One More Goat first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The end of the 19th century was a time of dramatic ideological struggle – cosmopolitanism vs. nationalism, socialism vs. capitalism. And early Zionist thought shows such incredible diversity that every element of society, Jewish and non, can be found there. … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story, Season 2, Episode 24: The Religion of Labor first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Did you ever wonder how the Jews when from being the martyrs of Europe to the military power of the Middle East in less than fifty years? This episode exposes the roots of the extraordinary transformation of the physical culture … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story, Season 2, Episode 23: The New Jew first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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At the First Zionist Congress, Herzl awakened the Jews of Europe to their national political life. But Asher Zvi Ginsberg, better known as Ahad Ha’am, tried to teach them that the soul of the people needs to be revived before … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 22: One of the People first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Return to the land of Israel had been a dream for almost 2000 years, and in the late 19th century it began to become a reality. But it took one man to transform the notion of a national rebirth from … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 21: The Awakening first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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This podcast has been sponsored by Bryna and Joshua Landes and family.
The Jewish problem was pressing in the second half of the 19th century, and it took the form of antisemitism. When faced with such a problem, it is … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 20: Heralders of Zionism first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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It’s time to talk about nationalism. Here is a presentation of the underpinnings of nationalist thought along with a look at what is happening in the Pale of Settlement. And the episode ends with a ground breaking work that emerges … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 19: The Ultimate Ism first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The struggle between the parochial and the cosmopolitan is a defining tension of the 19th century for Europe as a whole and the Jews in particular. In this episode we will update our understanding of hasidut as it battles with … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 18: National Jew and International Jew first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The remarkable persistence of Am Yisrael as an ethnic entity, despite the best efforts of emancipation, is what poses the Jewish Question to European society. And while Europe is asking what to do with the Jews, the Jews will be … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 17: Scientific Judaism first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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As the Emperor of France spreads the ideals of the revolution through Europe, the question arises – is emancipation a right, a privilege or a threat? Every action had an equal and opposite reaction, and this episode will outline the … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 16: The Emperor and the Jews first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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One of the most complex expressions of sovereignty comes through the relationship between religion and state. Listen in to this interview with Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz, social activist fighting to bring a more healthy and redemptive face to that relationship.
Deepen … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Interlude: Religion and State first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Mendelssohn’s story continues, but one man does not a movement make. The Berlin Haskalah was a whole generation of transition, one which struggled with the boundaries of Torah, society and identity. And one which saw some of the first battle … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 15: The Berlin Enlightenment first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Moses Mendelssohn was a critical philosopher of the German Enlightenment and the most controversial figure of the Jewish Enlightenment. Whether you think that he was a light to his generation or a a boundary breaker who led many to sin, … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 14 — The German Socrates first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Just when you think the Sabbateans have had their last say in the story, one the greatest conflicts of 18th century rabbinic culture breaks out. This episode explores the controversy between R’ Yaakov Emden and R’ Yonatan Eybeschuetz and how … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 13: Emden, Eybeschuetz and Enlightenment first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Within two decades after the Baal Shem Tov died, a movement had sprung up from his revolutionary thoughts. But this new current of Jewish life did not emerge without controversy. And as the chasidim and their opponents were struggling over … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 12: Movement and Controversy first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The institutions of the middle ages have already run their course, and the way ahead into modernity is far from clear for Polish Jewry. Out of this darkness and confusion a new light will emerge, infusing religious life with vitality … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 11: A Light Out of Darkness first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Baruch Spinoza the was the most famous philosopher the Jews ever produced, but he had to leave the fold in order to speak his truth. He crowned reason king of creation at the same time as the mythic imagination of … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 10: A Blessing and A Curse first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The appearance of Shabbetai Zvi evoked a tidal wave of messianic hope which swept Jews and Christians in its wake. Was his advent just a case of the “perfect storm” conditions in history, or was there something more fundamental to … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 9: The False Messiah first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Hope is a powerful force. The conversos who escaped from Iberia and built a new life were driven by the hope for freedom, prosperity and ultimately redemption. But even once the New World colonies were established, the one place in … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 8: The Hope of Israel first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The Golden Age of Tzefat had more to it than the writing of authoritative legal texts. There was also a flowering of kabbalistic thought which returned the experience of the Divine to its central place in the culture of Am … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 7: The Lion’s Roar first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The history of Zionism can be seen as a long conversation about what it means to be a nation. In honor of the State of Israel’s 70th birthday, Rabbi Mike Feuer gives an overview of the meaning of the word … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2: Special for Yom Ha’Atzmaut – Seventy Faces of the Nation first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Though the early modern era was a time of throwing off tradition for many Europeans, in the city of Tzefat its power was alive and well. This is the story of how R’ Yosef Karo became the greatest legal authority … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 6: Tradition and Authority first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Gracia Mendes was the most powerful Jewish woman since Queen Esther. Defying princes and Popes she amassed a fortune, supporitng the poor, patronizing culture, and building an underground railroad to aid conversos escaping the clutches of the Inquisition. Here is … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 5: The Merchant Queen first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Epistemology is not about what you know, but about how you know anything all. The word may seem unsettling, but that is nothing compared to the breakdown which Europeans suffered as the foundations of medieval thought dissolved in the 16th … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 4: Epistemological Breakdown first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The printing press helped spark a knowledge explosion which changed the world, and of course, less than fifty years after Gutenberg printed his Bible, Jewish presses were already transforming the face of the Hebrew book. As one good revolution deserves … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 3: The Power of Print first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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One of the hallmarks of the early modern era is mobility, which means we will be jumping around a bit. This episode follows the story of the exiles upon their arrival in Italy. They take with them a messianic hope … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 2: Hope Eternal first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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When the Jews of Ashkenaz moved east, they brought their customs and language with them. And what they found waiting in Poland was a refugee that would allow them to prosper for hundreds of years.
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The post The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 1: The New Homeland first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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You can tell a historian by where he begins and ends his story.Here is a prologue to season two, which begins at the Expulsion from Spain and ends at the rise of the State of Israel. The question is – … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Season 2 Prologue: The Third Temple first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The national existence of the Jewish people revolves around the question – what is an Am. In this special Independence Day episode, Rav Mike takes a look at the history and theology behind Jewish national embodiment.
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The post The Jewish Story: Independence Day first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The Sages teach that Jerusalem has seventy names. Rav Mike speaks a bit about how these names hold our relationship with the city over time, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification.
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The post The Jewish Story: Jerusalem Day first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The Expulsion from Spain marks a turning point in Jewish history. In addition to a national trauma which evokes the memory of the Temple’s destruction, it challenges the model of identity which has served the Jews for nearly 2000 years. … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story: Episode 29: Epilogue Season 1 first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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A lot more happened in 1492 than Columbus sailing the ocean blue. Upon their marriage, Ferdinand and Isabella are determined to make newborn Spain a unified country, which means that there is no place for Am Yisrael. The tools of … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 28: The Expulsion first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The forced conversion of tens of thousands of Jews may have seemed like a great victory for Christianity, but in reality these conversos were a ticking bomb in the heart of Christian culture. In this episode Rav Mike Feuer speaks … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 27: The Converso Problem first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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When the storm broke in 1391, thousands were dead and even more converted. A new model of identity was born in the century before the expulsion, and it poses challenges that are present down to our day.
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The post The Jewish Story Episode 26: The Storm Breaks first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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When faced with the choice between the cross and the sword, the Ashkenazi communities of the middle ages chose martyrdom. Why was the decision of their Spanish contemporaries so different?
Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 25: The Coming Storm first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In the thirteenth centuries the stories of Ashkenaz and Spain begin to draw together. This is the great age of Christian expansion, which brings on book burning and religious disputation. It is also the age in which the kabbalah emerges … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 24: Into the Mystic first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The twelfth century was a time of spiritual expansion as the Tosafists transformed the Talmud and the Pietists of Ashkenaz awakened new depths of the soul. Darkness grew as well, as the Crusades rolled through Europe and the terrible new … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 23: Depths Out of Darkness first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The origins of Ashkenazi Jewry are bound up with the rise of Christian Europe. As the kingdoms of the Middle Ages began to take shape, teachers like Rashi gave form to a kingdom of the Torah which the Jews could … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 22: The Birth of Ashkenaz first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The Rambam was the second famous Moses in Jewish History. His accomplishments in Jewish law and philosophy tower over his contemporaries, and are pillars of of the Torah to this very day. Nonetheless, he was the source of great controversy … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 21: From Moshe to Moshe first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Yehudah Halevi was the poet of a generation, and perhaps the most celebrated poet of medieval Spain. He also swam against the tide of philosophical rationalism and invited his readers to experience the Torah from the inside. But how did … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 20 — My Heart is in the East first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The 10th and 11th centuries of Jewish life in Al Andalus were so rich and productive that they were known as the Golden Age. The Jews struck root deeply in the soil of Muslim culture, and produced warriors, philosophers and … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 19 — Call of the Spirit, Call of the Flesh first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Spanish Jewry viewed itself as the nobility of the Jewish people, whose roots were in the legendary past. This episode traces history of the community from the fall of Rome until the rise of the Muslim Kingdom of Al Andalus … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 18 — The Origins of Spain first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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There is a debate whether great individuals shape history or history shapes them, but there is no argument about the role which R’ Saadia Gaon played in shaping the Jewish Middle Ages. A mastery of poetry, polemics, Bible and language … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 17 — Rav Saadia Gaon first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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It has been quite a long while since R’ Yochanan fled the Roman siege of Jerusalem, but now after seven hundred years the Jews have been united under what can be definitively called Judaism. But the birth of unified identity … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 16 — Ism & Schism first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The rise of Islam will offer new opportunities and pose new challenges for the survival of Am Yisrael. On one hand, the struggle to claim the title of true Israel which dominates life in the Christian world will be absent. … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 15 — The Rising Crescent first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Identity is always a battle. In this episode Rabbi Mike Feuer explores the struggle between Christianity and Judaism in late antiquity, as well the inner struggle of Am Yisrael to preserve its unique voice in the text of the gemara. … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 14 — Fixing the Conversation first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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It is the end of an era. In this episode Rabbi Mike Feuer explores rabbinic chronology, textual evolution and socio-political context in order to illustrate the shift between the time of the Tanaim and the time of the Amoraim.
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The post The Jewish Story Episode 13 — Rivers of Babylon first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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R’ Yehudah HaNasi redacted the Mishna but he inherited its form and content from R’ Akiva. In this episode, Rabbi Mike Feuer explores the nature of the mishna and traces its development in the hands of R’ Akiva’s students.
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The post The Jewish Story Episode 12 — The Portable Homeland first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The ruins of the Temple were still smoldering when Judea burst into the flames of rebellion once again. In this episode Rabbi Mike Feuer discusses the final two rounds of the Roman Jewish wars. Filled with brutal bloodshed and failed … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 11 — The Indigestible Element first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In this episode, Rabbi Mike Feuer describes the destruction of Jerusalem from without and from within. In order to do so he compares the perspectives of the great Jewish historian Josephus and the leading Sage R’ Yochanan ben Zakkai. In … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 10 — Through the Flames first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In this week’s installment, Rabbi Mike Feuer focuses on the eve of the destruction. As the national vessel begins to fray at the seams and the Temple’s burning looms, the cultural battle within the text of the Torah erupts. When … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 9: The Eve of the Destruction first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In this episode of The Jewish Story, Rabbi Mike Feuer discusses the persona of Hillel the Elder. Hillel was named Nasi, prince, at the same time as Herod was king. In addition, Jesus of Nazareth was born in his lifetime. … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story: Episode 8 Hillel Prince of the Torah first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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Herod the Wicked or Herod the Great? In this episode Rabbi Mike Feuer talks about Herod’s kingdom, the final phase of Judea preceding the destruction of the Second Temple. Herod’s complex personality matched the fragmented nature of his kingdom, but … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 7: Herod – Two Faces of Kingship first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In this week’s episode of The Jewish Story, Rabbi Mike Feuer discusses the rise and fall of the Hasmonean dynasty, from a kingdom of priests to Hellenestic king. Also hear how Judean society began to tear along lines which will … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 6: The Hasmonean Kingdom first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In this episode of The Jewish Story, Rabbi Mike Feuer describes the rise of Hellenistic Judaism as the background for the Hanukah story. Judah and his brothers rose in revolt because they understood that identity is a matter of life … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 5: The Hanukah Revolt first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The encounter between Greek and Jewish culture was love at first sight, and one of its great products was the Septuagint – the Greek translation of the Bible. But the closer these cultures grew, the more their conflict came to … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 4: The Greek Encounter first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In episode 3 of The Jewish Story, Rabbi Mike Feuer focuses on The Men of the Great Assembly, who lie on the other side of the Persian period from Daniel. They will begin to lay the foundations of Judaism as … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 3: The Men of the Great Assembly – What Made Them Great first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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In Episode 2 of The Jewish Story, Rabbi Mike Feuer explores the walls built by Ezra and Nechemia, and the nature of the identity which emerged.
Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the … Read the rest
The post The Jewish Story Episode 2: Ezra and Nechemia first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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The opening episode of the Jewish Story! Rabbi Mike Feuer touches his perspective on history and then tells the story of Daniel as the link between the age of prophecy and the age of wisdom.
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The post The Jewish Story Episode 1: Daniel first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.
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