History for the Curious - The Jewish History Podcast

The history of the Jews in Spain has always been part of our collective memory. But the real story starts 1,000 years earlier.   Long before the Rishonim, flourishing communities existed. What were their lives like? Why do we not know more about them? And what happened in 711CE?   For the trip, please email: giana.elav@gmail.com   Chapters 00:00 The Visigothic Period: Anti-Jewish Legislation and F...

Do synagogues have rights over membership? Why did a Chazan risk excommunication in Perpignan? Why were responsa printed in defiance of the author’s wishes? And the 1708 Chametz glue on a Pesach document…     Chapters 00:00 Excommunication and Imposing Bans 06:18 Excommunication and Scholarly Disputes 13:28 The Role of the Chazan in the Synagogue 26:04 Insights from Historical Responsa    

For centuries Jews faced restrictions building their shuls.   Halachic questions arose across Europe concerning rights, ownership and use. And closer to our day, when communities split, the assets would often be fought over.   For the trip, please email: giana.elav@gmail.com     Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Overview 07:41 Shul as a Place of Assembly and Governance 14:13 Challenges in Shul Expan...

In times of war and peace and throughout the centuries, Jews have asked questions. Some became the foundations of halacha, others were forgotten. In this episode we trace back through the ages to find that the new is often very old.   To purchase Dayan Hools book, click here - Beth Din Commercial Arbitration:  https://amzn.eu/d/hSkOB53   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Urgency of the Question 03:0...

Unlike the secular worldview, Jewish history looks at individuals and at details. And although we have closely followed the general conflict in Israel, we are at arm’s length from the war. Hearing first-hand some of the challenges that Yona Pinchos Gedalia ben Soroh Chana faced, will thereby give a deeper perspective to what Israel is experiencing.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Purpose of the...

To Watch This Podcast, click here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRbtzDOtBAY&t=2021s   A wide-ranging discussion with author & international broadcaster Douglas Murray, on the questions: Why the Media Lie - The Liberal Left -  Antisemitism, modern and ancient - The Future in Israel.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Personal Connection 00:38 Interview with Douglas Murray 06:50 Journalis...

The Karaites arrive in Ponovezh, Lithuania; Seraya Shapshal abruptly changes direction; Ibn Ezra writes Zemirot [link below]; the Nazis preside over a Karaite debate; Voltaire quotes a Karaite scholar; The 21st century reconfigures Karaism.   Ki Eshmera Shabbat - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Um8Z5Wdok-WeA7zNmKFkEjG06eH21Sax/view?usp=drivesdk   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:16 K...

Refugees arrived in Egypt from Toldeo in 1459, with ideas of their own. But as the centuries progressed, the Karaites spread out from the Middle East. Crimea became the headquarters of the movement. However Abraham Firkowitz had his own ideas about history, in which facts did not necessarily feature. Although St. Petersburg owes him a continuing debt of gratitude.   Chapters 00:00 Quarrel between...

1,200 years ago, a new form of Judaism was created, and it has lasted through the centuries. How far did Karaism spread? Did the Rambam allow them to be circumcised? Did Islam bring about the new ideology? And why would they observe Rosh Hashana without a Shofar?   Please email giana.elav@gmail.com for details on the upcoming Vienna Trip.   Chapters   00:00 Introduction to the Karaites 03:07 Belie...

When Europe became the battleground between opposing armies, a very unlikely candidate met up with the Pope and proposed a solution. It would involve the Jews, and start in the heart of Inquisition Portugal. But it brought about unexpected results. Ultimately we have a cloak and a flag to reflect upon.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Trip Announcement 01:24 ICJ Case Against Israel 03:16 Ongoing...

A moving, personal first-hand account of trial, tribulation and faith. Recorded live at the JLE.   Chapters 00:00 The Kidnapping of Ori Danino 03:29 The Search for Ori 05:24 Ori's Heroic Actions 08:08 The Power of Emunah 09:32 Seeing Hashem in Difficult Times 12:12 The Unexplainable Nature of the War 13:47 Praying and Believing in Hashem 15:53 A Message to Ori 17:20 Coping with Disappointment 18:4...

In 2004 Israel was prosecuted at the ICJ for building a barrier through the West Bank. But Israel didn’t bother to turn up. What changed in 2024?  Why did South Africa in particular, take the lead against Israel? Why does the proportionality argument (regarding civilian casualties) not help Israel’s defense?

Why was Sir Moses Montefiore in Malta for Tisha B’Av? Who wrote the poem Bli Mazal (Out of Luck)? Which British politician suggested in 1841, that the Jews create an independent State? What made London famous in 1159? Whom did Rabbeinu Tam bow to?

How did a small hole in a parchment create Crusader history? What do Chopin, Karl Marx, Alexander Dumas & Goethe have in common? Why would the Barons of Franconia insist that Jews go to Synagogue on Monday & Thursday? What was life like for Jews in Sicily? Listen to fascinating insights from four very different eras in Jewish History.  

Did a Christian censor help the Jews of Bohemia? Who was Rav Sherira Gaon and why is the letter he wrote over 1,000 years ago, so important today? What brought Jews to America in the 1600s? And why did a Rabbi in Indiana write to the US Secretary of State - in Hebrew!?

Recorded in Jerusalem, this ground-breaking episode includes testimony based on eyewitnesses, linking together Israel’s Past, Present & Future. Are the Settlements illegal? Does Islam’s monotheism bring any spiritual benefit to the Jews? Is Israel imposing Apartheid on the Palestinians in the West Bank? What does tomorrow hold for Israel?   Link to contact Zevi Kaufman at Cedar Media Studios -...

A must listen! What rights to land did Jews have in Palestine? How does Israel explain the Deir Yassin massacre? Did they engage in ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948? Should we regulate free speech of the BBC & Universities?

Featuring Rav Yitzchok Breitowitz & Rav Osher Weiss. How do we view War, Collateral Damage and Siege in Halacha? Did the Chafetz Chaim think that we can change the minds of non-Jewish governments? What rights do Jews have in Golus and what message should we take from the matzav?

The fate of 240 Jews still remains unknown… What are our spiritual obligations at this time? What does Jewish Law rule for these situations? And where does Advocacy fit into the equation?

Experience London in a very unique way by clicking the link below-   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wHjkkNGKUk   And please consider making a donation to allow us to continue the podcasts' reach and content - https://www.charityextra.com/jle/133970

Why was the letter to the Jews of Yemen so essential? Who was Guide to the Perplexed written for? How did the Rambam steer his community through turbulent political times? And where does the bullfight in Cordoba fit in?

Yishamel’s 3rd power is their veneration of martyrdom. Our spiritual antidote, is Mesiras Nefesh. Although this includes self-sacrifice and is often translated as giving up one’s life, it is actually life-giving and forms the pillar of the survival of the Jewish Nation through the ages, as Rabbi YY Jacobson explains.

Social Media is alive with facts about Israel, many of which are inaccurate or taken out of context. With the help of International Foreign policy analyst Dr Mitchell Bard, this podcast comprehensively takes the listener through 120 years of Middle Eastern history, pointing out the major events and documented truths about them and dispelling myths.    Recommended websites and books have been uploa...

The events of 7th October have left us reeling. How should Jews react? What are our obligations  - especially those who are geographically distant? And where are the spiritual origins of this war?    The special tefilah to be said in a place of danger has been uploaded to: www.jle.org.uk/podcast

The Rambam spent 38 years of his life in Cairo. Here, he authored his two most famous works,  became involved in Medicine, dealt with hostages, suffered tremendous personal loss, and wrote hundreds of Responsa - some of which challenged the Status Quo.