The Jewish Lives Podcast

Julius Rosenwald was a humble retail magnate whose visionary ideas about charitable giving transformed the practice of philanthropy in America and beyond. Hasia R. Diner, author of the Jewish Lives biography Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the World, discusses the life and legacy of one of the founders of Sears Roebuck whose philanthropy supported Jewish and Black causes.

How did a little boy from Latvia become one of the greatest and most original painters of the 20th century? Annie Cohen-Solal, author of the Jewish Lives biography Mark Rothko: Toward the Light in the Chapel, offers a fascinating exploration of the life and work of one of America’s most enigmatic postwar visual artists. Music in this episode: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Divertimento in E flat, K. 56...

Hank Greenberg was a baseball legend. Mark Kurlansky, author of the Jewish Lives biography Hank Greenberg: The Hero Who Didn’t Want to Be One, offers a robust exploration of the slugger's Bronx boyhood, his spectacular discipline as an aspiring ballplayer, and the cultural context of virulent anti-Semitism in which his career played out.

David Ben-Gurion is a Zionist icon. Anita Shapira, author of the Jewish Lives biography Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel, explores the inner life of the Zionist leader responsible for the creation of the state of Israel.

Bugsy Siegel was a notorious Jewish gangster who ascended from impoverished beginnings to the glittering Las Vegas strip. Michael Shnayerson, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Bugsy Siegel: The Dark Side of the American Dream, sets out not to absolve Siegel but rather to understand him in all his complexity.

Marcel Proust was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Benjamin Taylor, author of the Jewish Lives biography Proust: The Search, explores how despite momentous historical and personal events, Proust became—against all expectations—one of the greatest writers of any era. Music in this episode: Camille Saint-Saëns - The Swan Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune

Ben Hecht was one of America’s greatest screenwriters. Adina Hoffman, author of the Jewish Lives biography, Ben Hecht: Fighting Words, Moving Pictures, provides a vibrant portrait of one of the most accomplished and quick-witted writers in Hollywood.

Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) was one of Germany’s most important, world-famous, and imaginative writers. George Prochnik, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Heinrich Heine: Writing the Revolution, offers a window into the dynamic life story and strikingly original writing of the virtuoso poet. Music in this episode: Felix Mendelssohn - Lieder ohne Worte, Op.67: No. 2. Allegro leggiero in F sha...

Peggy Guggenheim was one of 20th century America’s most influential patrons of the arts. Francine Prose, author of the Jewish Lives biography Peggy Guggenheim: The Shock of the Modern, offers a spirited portrait of the colorful, irrepressible, and iconoclastic American collector who fearlessly advanced the cause of modern art.

Legendary warrior. Poet. Servant of God. Adulterer. King.   Rabbi David Wolpe, author of the Jewish Lives biography David: The Divided Heart, takes a fresh look at biblical David in an attempt to find coherence in his seemingly contradictory actions and impulses. Music in this episode: Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most influential filmmakers in cinematic history. David Mikics, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Stanley Kubrick: American Filmmaker, uncovers the personal side of Kubrick’s films and how they revolutionized Hollywood. Music in this episode: Johann Strauss II - Blue Danube Waltz Richard Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra

Einstein was the world’s first “scientific superstar.” Steven Gimbel, author of the Jewish Lives biography Einstein: His Space and Times, explores the life of the brilliant innovator whose Theory of Relativity forever reshaped our understanding of time. Music in this episode: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Violin Sonata No. 24 in F, K. 376

Everything about Sarah Bernhardt is fascinating, from her obscure birth to her glorious career to her highly public romantic life and her indomitable spirit. Robert Gottlieb, author of the Jewish Lives biography Sarah: The Life of Sarah Bernhardt tracks the trajectory through which an illegitimate—and scandalous—daughter of a courtesan transformed herself into the most famous actress who ever live...

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. Lillian Faderman, author of the Jewish Lives biography Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death, explores the legacy of a man fiercely committed to protecting all minorities.

Few artists have had as much of an impact on American popular culture as comic book revolutionary Stan Lee. Liel Leibovitz, author of the Jewish Lives biography Stan Lee: A Life in Comics, shares a meditation on the deeply Jewish and surprisingly spiritual roots of Stan Lee and Marvel Comics.

Harry Houdini was the world's greatest escape artist. Adam Begley, author of the Jewish Lives biography Houdini: The Elusive American, offers insight into why such a tremendously gifted performer risked his life again and again.

How did an assimilated European Jew become the leader of the Zionist movement? Hear from eminent historian Derek Penslar, author of the new acclaimed Jewish Lives biography Theodor Herzl: The Charismatic Leader

Louis D. Brandeis was the most farseeing constitutional philosopher of the twentieth century. Jeffrey Rosen, author of the Jewish Lives biography Louis D. Brandeis: American Prophet, shares a riveting examination of the leading progressive justice. Music by Bensound.com Tape sync by Jackie McDermott.

Barbra Streisand is a cultural icon who continues to challenge Hollywood’s standards of beauty and glamour. Neal Gabler, author of the Jewish Lives biography Barbra Streisand: Redefining Beauty, Femininity, and Power, shares an enthralling appreciation of the monumentally gifted popular artist. Music in this Episode: Barbra Streisand - Happy Days Are Here Again Barbra Streisand - The Way We Were B...

Irving Berlin has been called—by George Gershwin, among others—the greatest songwriter of the golden age of American popular song. James Kaplan, author of the Jewish Lives biography Irving Berlin: New York Genius, underscores Berlin’s unique brilliance as a composer, his witty, wily, and tough Jewish immigrant experience, and his continued relevance in American popular culture today. Music in this...

Anarchist par excellence, Emma Goldman is one of the memorable political figures of our time. Vivian Gornick, author of the Jewish Lives biography Emma Goldman: Revolution as a Way of Life, draws a surpassingly intimate and insightful portrait of a woman of epic proportions.

No figure looms larger in Jewish culture than Moses, and few have stories more enigmatic. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, author of the Jewish Lives biography Moses: A Human Life, offers an unprecedented portrait of Moses's inner world and perplexing character.

Karl Marx is one of the most influential and revolutionary thinkers in modern history, but his Jewish background is either overlooked or misrepresented. Shlomo Avineri, author of the Jewish Lives biography Karl Marx: Philosophy and Revolution, puts Marx’s Jewish background in its proper and balanced context.