Jewish Heroism Project

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 of 1967, the Israeli government struggled to absorb the meaning and practical implications of everything which they had just acquired. This episode begins our exploration of the new political, economic and spiritual realities which began on the day after the war.

In this interlude I am joined by special guest Dr. Michael Oren. The topic at hand is how the Six Day War helped shaped the special relationship between Israel and the United States. Along the way Dr. Oren offers insights on a range of events, sharing his perspective as an historian, author, diplomat and a Jew. photo credit: Anne Mandelbaum, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

If you feel a bit like the world might be falling apart, then look to the sukkah for how to hold it together. Here are a few holiday thoughts on faith, joy and how to build a better world. Chag sameach!

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 liberate Soviet Jewry will be a formative element of our story for decades to come, so here is the first chapter.

Here is a thought to help focus your practice during these powerful days. May we all be blessed with a sweet, healthy and productive year! Shana tova, Rav Mike.

There are stories which are turning points in a larger tale, and there are those which prove to be tempests in a tea cup. The story of the 1968 NYC school strike could be read as both. Either way, this episode offers a look at a microcosm of Black/Jewish relations in 1968 which will have a profound impact down to our day.

How we chew and swallow what history shoves down our throat can define us as individuals and nations. Here is an interview with R' Yitz Greenberg, foundational thinker on post-Holocaust theology. In it we explore how American Jewry began to process the memory of the Holocaust, the impact of the SIx Day War on their identity, and if one can see the God of History in the post-modern era. If you want...

As each decade passes, the Holocaust retreats in time and grows in memory and this is not a linear process - some years count more than others. This episode looks at American Jewry's relationship to the Shoah before and after the Six Day War and adds an important piece for understanding how Israel and Auschwitz became twin pillars of American Jewish identity.

History is all about telling the story after the fact, but there is a particular wisdom to be gained in the heat of the moment which is easily lost in hindsight. The first episode of season four begins to explore the impact of the Six Day War on American Jewry through the wisdom of the moment itself.

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 way we speak about Tisha B'Av, what it means to be an immigrant and how one can tell a true story from multiple perspectives.

Class three in the 'Heralds of Zion' series. This time we explore the formation of Eastern European Enlightenment within the Pale of Settlement, along with the rise of nationalist thought across Europe. Add to this the resurgence of antisemitism within Russia and you have the context for Leon Pinsker's work Auto-emancipation.

Class four in the Heralds of Zion series. In this class we explore the life of Theodore Herzl. Along the way we discuss assimilation, antisemitism and the major events which led up to the birth of Zionism as a political movement. The central question of the class is - what made Herzl the father of Zionism?

The first in the 'Heralds of Zion' series. After introducing the two essential elements of Zionism, we explore its roots in classical religious thinking and how modernity forced an evolution even in this ancient perspective.

Class two of the 'Heralds of Zion' series. This class explores the tension between particularism and universalism as it found expression in the utopian socialist movements of the 19th century. In that context we meet Moses Hess, whose roots as a socialist did not prevent him from writing one of the earliest works of Jewish nationalism.

The last installment in the Heralds of Zion series. This class explores the differences between Political and Cultural Zionism, along with introducing the personalities of Asher Ginsberg and Max Nordau. The primary question on the table is - how do you shape a new Jew?

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 and the discussion began, the framing of Israel's victory became the new battlefield. The final episode of the season traces the path to UN Resolution 242, and uncovers some of its roots as well. picture: Earth - Africa, Middle East and Europe, 5 March 2015, 21:14, Earth - Africa...

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 Golan and the close of the war, events which will determine much of the chapters to come. Image By Government Press Office (Israel), CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59598576

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 with the first three days of the war, including the return of Am Yisrael to Jerusalem - I leave it up to you to decide where the miracle lies.

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 war, known in Israeli history as "the waiting, and the tension which builds in these three weeks will soon explode into war.

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 Floyd.

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 the heart of the Zionist project are exposed. The question which arises in this episode is - will Israel go it alone? Picture from: By Government Press Office (Israel), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22807330

The causes of war may be many and the road to its outbreak long, but every conflict has a tipping point. In this episode the noose seems to close around Israel. As Egypt's re-militarizes the Sinai and the UN forces evaporate, we seem to have reached the point of no return.

Here is an interview of me by Rabbi Yonatan from the RRG Beit Midrash at Hebrew University in which we reflect on Israel Independence day from the historical and spiritual perspectives. If you want some insight into the potential depth of this day, and how the strange circumstances of this pandemic year actually offer us a unique opportunity, then tune in. Chag atzmaut sameach!

Who can say when historical events like the Six Day War actualy began, and what were their causes? It is a daunting task, but not one which we can shirk, nonetheless. Here is the first episode in our lead up to war - a look at a new personality, a battle and some broader context.

The exodus from Egypt was only the first step on the road to Sinai. The bridge between Egypt and Sinai, between liberation and revelation, is embodied in the practice of counting the Omer. Here is a reflection on the biblical narrative, the calendar and our current situation - all with an eye to making every day count.