My Roots, Our Branches

What if the most famous top-ten list in human history isn’t actually a list of commandments at all? In this episode of My Roots, Our Branches , Daniel digs deep into the desert soil of the Sinai Peninsula to uncover the fascinating history, evolution, and secrets behind the Ten Commandments. We look at why the text appears twice—and differently—in the Torah, how a massive translation error complet...

Disclaimer: This episode deals with depression, religious isolation, and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. In this episode of My Roots, Our Branches , host Daniel explores the life of a man who was rejected by both the world he fled and the community he sought to join. Born Gabriel da Costa into a "New Christian" family in Portugal, he lived under the shadow of the Inquisition bef...

What happens when you strip away centuries of Rabbinic tradition and return solely to the written word? In this episode of My Roots, Our Branches , Daniel explores the fascinating and often misunderstood world of Karaite Judaism . We journey from the intellectual salons of 8th-century Baghdad to the modern-day communities in Israel and California, uncovering a tradition that rejects the Oral Torah...

In the spring of 1903, the city of Kishinev became the epicentre of a tragedy that changed the course of Jewish history forever. What started as a manufactured "blood libel" rumour in a local newspaper spiralled into forty-eight hours of state-sanctioned violence that shocked the world and shattered the silence of the 20th century. In this deep-dive episode of My Roots, Our Branches , ho...

In this episode of My Roots, Our Branches , we’re lifting the lid on the most famous—and arguably most dangerous—relic in human history: the Ark of the Covenant. Forget the fedora and the whip for a moment; we’re diving into the actual blueprints laid out in Exodus, from the golden cherubim to the "Mercy Seat" where the Divine was said to reside. Join your host, Daniel, as we trace the A...

What does a 13th-century castle, a 19th-century peddler’s pack, and the iconic poetry of Dannie Abse have in common? They are all threads in the rich, often-overlooked tapestry of Jewish Wales. In this episode of My Roots, Our Branches , host Daniel journeys from the medieval "Iron Ring" of Edward I to the vibrant mining valleys of the Industrial Revolution. We explore how a community of...

How did a 11th-century French winemaker become one of the most influential teacher in Jewish history? In this episode of My Roots, Our Branches , host Daniel explores the life, legends, and legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki—better known as Rashi . From the miraculous legends of his birth in the narrow alleys of Worms to the dark days of the First Crusade, we trace the journey of a man who "dem...

In the 16th century, the Spanish Inquisition cast a long, terrifying shadow over the New World. But in the heart of Mexico City, a young man was leading a dangerous double life. In this episode of My Roots, Our Branches , Daniel uncovers the extraordinary story of Luis de Carvajal the Younger . Born into a family of secret Jews, Luis was the nephew of a powerful conquistador and governor. While hi...

How did a community fleeing the Russian Empire find a home in the heart of Edinburgh and Glasgow? In part two of our Scottish series, we’re diving into the 20th century—an era of profound growth, the rise of "modern" identity, and the remarkable legacy of Rabbi Salis Daiches. In this episode, we explore: ​The impact of the 1905 Aliens Act on Scottish immigration. ​How one Rabbi unified a divided c...

Scotland holds a singular place in European Jewish history: a land that offered a unique balance of "integration without assimilation," and one of the few "Old World" nations to never have state-sponsored exiles or pogroms. But who were the pioneers who first came to this remote corner of Europe, and what were they seeking? In the premiere episode of My Roots, Our Branches , jo...