The Jewish Story

The Jewish Heroism Project Ep. 1 – Tov: The Gate – Quest for the Good

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:53:36 -0000

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 of the Jewish Heroism Project introduces the Torah’s definition of heroism as mesirut nefesh l’man tov, going beyond limited self for the sake of good. It is a call to set out on the twenty-six paths of Jewish heroism, to uncover the heroic face of Torah and make it your own.

After the intro, tov is framed as the essential good of creation and as the gateway to the Torah’s heroic paths. Then we meet Moses, first hero and guide to the good, who brings down a portal for its light that can teach the world to make the goodness of creation shine. Last comes a call to action, to engage the practice of recognizing good and pursue it along our own heroic life journeys.

The Jewish Story Special: A 9 Days Conversation featuring Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 20:13:32 -0000

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. What can we learn from Tisha B'Av and the Nine Days about modern Jewish and Israeli unity? Sometimes the echoes of history are so loud that they seem to drown out the present. This conversation with Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz, former Jerusalem City Council member, was recorded in Jerusalem at a Jewish unity tent with the sounds protesters in the background.

Credits: Rav Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: The Final Episode of the Jewish Story

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 16:11:40 -0000

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 Feuer that looks back on the lessons of Jewish history and reflects on the challenges of today. It also announces tomorrow’s new project – so stay tuned for more amazing stories with the Jewish Heroism Project.

Credits: Rav Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: Temple Mount Part IV

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 15:40:12 -0000

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 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.

Credits: Rav Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: Temple Mount Part III – The Narrative War

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 22:54:29 -0000

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 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.

Credits: Rav Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6 – Future of American Zionism

Tue, 30 May 2023 13:19:39 -0000

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 the Ethnic State.”

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6 – Interview with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz

Mon, 15 May 2023 07:08:23 -0000

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 his vision of the Jewish story, Israel and Zionism past present and future.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: Temple Mount Part II – The Status Quo

Mon, 01 May 2023 13:08:20 -0000

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 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.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: The Temple Mount Part I – The Hinge Point

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 21:00:33 -0000

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 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.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story: The Crisis of Israeli Sovereignty

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 18:06:17 -0000

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 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 or not one can believe in both the Nakba and in the miracle of Israel’s founding.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: Constitution Now!

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 17:22:52 -0000

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 Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, Supreme Court Justice Aharon Barak, Meir Kahane’s Kach party and what the Israeli Declaration of Independence actually says. On the way toward a new model of national covenant, the Jewish State needs to learn to speak to one another again, and that also requires understanding how the Disengagement from Gaza and destruction of Gush Katif in 2005 affect the current political situation.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: The Endgame (American Anti-Semitism Part VII)

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 18:14:39 -0000

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 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 on Racism, the Turner Diaries, the Oklahoma City Bombing, James Baldwin, Black Lives Matter, and Jewish students on college campus today.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: Progressing Towards Anti-Semitism (American Anti-Semitism Part VI)

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 13:21:45 -0000

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 sought greater acceptance for themselves and other minorities, anti-Zionism turned into Judeophobia, with help from the community Soviet Union. Anti-Zionism became Judeo-phobia and a manifestation of hate in the progressive culture of the United States. Hear the stories of Rabbi Michael Lerner of Tikkun Magazine who authored The Socialism of Fools, Leonard Fein, CAJE (Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education), the New Jewish Agenda, and more in this important episode of the ongoing series that explores both right-wing and left-wing Jew-hatred.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: American Anti-Semitism – Interview with Ken Jacobson of the ADL

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 05:00:05 -0000

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 on the history of Jew-hate in America.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: American Antisemitism Part V

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 22:31:57 -0000

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 era propaganda, and to learn what is “the socialism of fools.”

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: American Antisemitism Part IV

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 17:37:10 -0000

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 the evolution of black antisemitism.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: The Inner Pressure of the Present Moment

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 17:29:40 -0000

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 Eitan Ben Avraham of Aleph Male interviews me on the fundamental tensions underlying the Israeli/American Jewish relationship and how they find expression in our present political challenges.

Topics include the Jewish-American identity versus the Jewish-Israeli identity and what it means for an American oleh who made aliyah. Also, the Israeli Supreme Court and justice reform controversy, the Law of Return, reform, conservative and orthodox Jewish synagogues, and more.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: American Antisemitism Part III

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 17:25:58 -0000

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 mind of the hater. This episode opens a new facet of American Antisemitism as we turn from white hate to black, and try to understand the roots of them both.

Learn about James Baldwin, Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, Elijah Muhammad, Ambassador Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson, the PLO, the 1968 New York City teachers’ strike, pawnbrokers, landlords, race riots and the changing face of urban neighborhoods in American’s north.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: American Antisemitism Part II

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 11:25:04 -0000

The Jewish Story Season 6

Episode 11 - 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 the Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913 by Sigmund Livingston. Over the years they battled Henry Ford’s Dearborn Independent and Father Couglin’s radio show. Later they faced off against modern incarnations of Judeophobia such as Christian Identity and replacement theory. As a bonus there is an interview with Bettysue Feuer, retried regional director of the ADL and my mother.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: American Antisemitism Part I

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 00:27:33 -0000

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 of humanity’s oldest hatred in the United States today. Learn about British Israelism, white supremacy and more.

Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty

The Jewish Story Season 6: Greek Wisdom and Cultural Sovereignty

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 08:51:46 -0000

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 Hanukkah war, the Sages decreed “cursed by the man who teaches his son Greek wisdom.” This talk explores what that wisdom might be, how to hold it off and why doing so is central to our national struggle for cultural sovereignty.

The Jewish Story Season 6: Boundary Issues Part V

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 15:52:37 -0000

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 Operation Defensive Shield. Through it all, he labored to build his vision of a separation wall on a solid political foundation.

The Jewish Story Season 6: Boundary Issues Part IV

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 15:46:52 -0000

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 these two conflicts, tracing the arc from suppression to separation and asks the question -why not sovereignty?

The Jewish Story Season 6: Boundary Issues Part III

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 15:46:04 -0000

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 outline the birth of the Hamas terror organization and end on a childhood note from yours truly.

The Jewish Story Season 6: On Violence

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 15:42:58 -0000

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 the Vision Movement joins me for a conversation about Max Nordau, Zev Jabotinsky and Frantz Fanon. Along the way we consider issues of decolonization, settlement and the hope for a new Jewish consciousness that might soon emerge.

The Jewish Story Season 6: Boundary Issues Part II – The Intifada

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 15:37:42 -0000

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 Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s “iron-fist” policy response as part of arc of government decisions that move from suppression to separation – all in avoidance of sovereignty.

The Jewish Story Season 6: Boundary Issues Part I

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 15:34:13 -0000

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 two millennia later there is a wall built by the Israeli government running through the heart of our biblical homeland. Here is the introductory episode to a new series that aims to break down the evolution of Israel’s security wall.

The Jewish Story Season 6: The Sukkot Interlude

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:28:32 -0000

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 holy days, but relevant all year round.

The Jewish Story Season 6: Electoral Dysfunction Part III

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 14:37:04 -0000

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 the Oslo Accord, electoral reform and Israel’s Supreme Court along the way. If you want to have a better understanding of our current electoral dysfunction, then tune in now.

The Jewish Story Season 6: Interview with Rabbi Aharon Ariel Lavi

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 14:32:00 -0000

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. This is our first taste of a “future vision” for the Jewish people, as well as some stirring thoughts for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

The Jewish Story Season 6: Electoral Dysfunction II

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 14:23:45 -0000

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 the government shared by ex-underground fighter Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon Peres through the 80s, how it held together Mizrachi pride, religious tension and territorial confusion. A government that withdrew from Lebanon, tamed galloping inflation and faced the First Intifada before being brought down by the infamous “dirty trick.”

The Jewish Story Season 6: Electoral Dysfunction Part I

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 13:28:21 -0000

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 Israel.

The Jewish Story Season 6 – Prologue: A New Perspective

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 13:22:19 -0000

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 the chapter to come. In it I touch on the power of prophetic sight, the Biblical Book of Daniel and why in the Hebrew month of Elul we say that the King is in the field.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Conclusion – An End and a Beginning

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 13:02:29 -0000

Join Rav Mike Feuer for the Jewish Story Live!

The Jewish Story Season 5

Conclusion: An End and a Beginning

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: From Russia to Jerusalem – Interview with Dr. Zhenia Fleisher

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 12:58:13 -0000

Join Rav Mike Feuer for the Jewish Story Live!

The Jewish Story Season 5

Interlude: From Russia to Jerusalem – Interview with Dr. Zhenia Fleisher

Dr. Zhenia Fleisher lived in all three of the 20th century’s major centers of Jewish life – USSR, Israel and the United States. Learn about her background as a Soviet Jewish refusenik, what life in Russia was life for a young Jewish woman, how she got to Israel in the post Six Day War era, her religious awakening in America and finally her return to Jerusalem. Tune in for her thoughts on past present and future.

The Jewish Story Season 5: 80s Conversation with Rabbi Yehuda HaKohen

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 12:47:39 -0000

Join Rav Mike Feuer for the Jewish Story Live!

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 the 1980s. Yehuda describes the difference between the rough neighborhoods of New York City and the suburban Jewish experience. plus his eye-opening childhood visit to Soviet Russia. What role did polarizing figures such as Rabbi Meir Kahane and Jonathan Pollard have for US Jewry back then and is it the same today? From the personal to the political this conversation describes what it was like growing up at a time when American Jewry flourished so well.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Rabbi Meir Kahane and the Memory of the Holocaust

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 12:33:40 -0000

Join Rav Mike Feuer for the Jewish Story Live!

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 ever been – and yet the shadow of the Holocaust still loomed large over their identity. Here is an exploration of how the political power and personal charisma of Rabbi Meir Kahane intersected with this fear – and had explosive results.

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Jonathan Pollard Affair

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 17:53:20 -0000

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 Jewish society, and among them was the earthquake of the Pollard affair. The 1985 arrest of the Navy analyst rocked the US/Israel relationship and accelerated the fragmenting of attitudes toward Israeli among Jews in the US. Whether you see Jonathan Pollard as a traitor or a prisoner of Zion, his story must be heard.

Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on Patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Soviet Jewry – The End Game

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 14:35:50 -0000

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 welding together of American Cold War policies and the struggle for Soviet Jewry in a dramatic fashion. Super power summits, Glasnost, the release of Russian refusenik Natan Sharansky and the Freedom Sunday demonstration all came together to achieve one purpose – let my people go

Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on Patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

The Jewish Story Season 5: American Jewry Circa 1984

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 05:00:30 -0000

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 security for the Jews of the US, and the overall growth of their religious communities was boosted by a surprising source - the Kollel. It was a decade in which the assumption that Jews vote Democrat was first really challenged and in which the early rumblings of antisemitism in the public sphere could be felt once more.

Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on Patreon. For more information, visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

The Jewish Story Season 5: An Interview with Daniel Gordis

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 05:00:56 -0000

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 in which he took an active role. In order to give a fitting wrap-up to such an important character, here is an interview with Dr. Daniel Gordis, author of the biography Menachem Begin: the battle for Israel's soul.

Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on Patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Lebanon War Part IV

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 05:00:59 -0000

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 wake horrified the world. This episode touches on a rabbinic debate over the morality of war, and the political struggle over its consequences and sets the stage for a sea-change in Israeli society.

Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on Patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

The Jewish Story Season 5: An Interlude – Interview with Ambassador David Friedman

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 05:00:01 -0000

We are all actors in the Jewish Story, and part of the art of becoming a main character is knowing how to seize the moment. Here is an interview with former Ambassador David Friedman which explores how he came to be in his position, the contributions he made and his vision for where Israel might be headed.

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Lebanon War Part III

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 05:00:25 -0000

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 Operation Mole Cricket 19 it looked like victory was assured. Nonetheless as Defense Minister Ariel Sharon pursued Yasser Arafat (and his dreams of a peace treaty) into the Siege of Beirut, he discovered that his Maronite allies were not to be trusted and that it is easier to enter Lebanon than to leave.

TJS S5 Interlude: On Leadership

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 06:00:52 -0000

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 Zelenskyy, R' Chaim Kanievsky and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. There is also an opening attempt at defining leadership and a chance to ask the question - what exactly makes someone a Jewish leader?

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Lebanon War Part II

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 05:00:38 -0000

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 the complicated history Lebanon's civil wars fought between Christians, Moslems and Druze. Meet Ariel Sharon in his new role of Defense Minister, ever the bulldozer and now hoping to stabilize Israel's northern border together with Maronite leader Bachir Gemayel. Hear also how Prime Minister Menachem Begin's personal experience with the Holocaust drove him to support a war of choice for the first time.

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Lebanon War Part I

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 05:00:51 -0000

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 liberation army were massing troops along the border, and the city of Kiryat Shemona was facing bombardment, Prime Minister Menachem Begin visited US President Ronald Reagan in Washington to solidify a US-Israel relationship - a goal made more complicated by Reagan's cabinet. American envoy to the Middle East Philip Habib will fight to keep the border from boiling over, but his efforts will come to an end with the assassination attempt against Israeli ambassador Shlomo Argov in 1982.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Bombing the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 05:00:03 -0000

Israel's leadership came to be part by never forgetting the principal of "when one comes to kill you, rise early and kill first." Menachem Begin's 1981 bombing of the Iraqi reactor Osirak on the distant banks of the Tigris gave birth to the "Begin doctrine" of absolute opposition to enemy possession of nuclear weapons - which is still being questioned today. Without doubt Begin's rising to strike first in Iraq was a testimony to the power of adhering to first principles.

image from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Osirak_Plan.jpg
by: BotKannadiga
li: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Evacuation of the Sinai

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 05:00:05 -0000

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 withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula and for the first time destroyed established Jewish homes in the name of peace. This episode explores the price.

The Jewish Story Season 5, An Interlude – Conversation on Violence with R’ Yehuda HaKohen

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 05:00:27 -0000

There are some conversations which Am Yisrael is just not having. As a follow up to some of the issues raised in the last few episodes Rav Mike is joined by R' Yehuda Hakohen of the Vision Movement for a conversation on power and violence in the State of Israel.

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Jewish Underground, Part II

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 05:00:41 -0000

Today the media loves to discuss "settler violence," but it is rarely interested in its historical origins. This episode picks up the story of Yehuda Etzion and Menachem Livni who had set out to trigger redemption by any means necessary. As it turns out, events went in another direction and their actions continue to have consequences down to our day.

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Jewish Underground Part I

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 06:00:45 -0000

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 singular response, but it did send shock waves through every aspect of Israeli society. Among the idealists of the settlement movement, it birthed an underground element which felt called to continue the revolution which Begin himself had helped to forward. Fueled by redemptive visions, powerful personalities and practical pressures the action they take in response to Camp David will be explosive.

The Jewish Story Season 5: An Interview with Daniella Weiss

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 05:00:33 -0000

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 the early 70s, and remains a militant force within the settlement movement today. Here is an interview which touches on her experience of past and present, as well as her views of the future.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Interlude Don’t Lose the Thread

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 05:00:16 -0000

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 world, and even how to fray with grace. Send me an email at ravmikefeuer@gmail.com if you want to set up a counselling session about how to take these ideas deeper into your life.

image by author Alan Levine, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Camp David Accords

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 05:00:14 -0000

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 shifts within two societies, and two leaders, led to the signing of the Camp David Accords.

The Jewish Story Season 5: The 1977 Election Aftershocks

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 05:00:44 -0000

Begin's victory in 1977 was the beginning of revolutionary change for Israel, not the end. Some who rejoiced will be bemused, others who were skeptical will be surprised. This episode explores the aftermath of Begin's election as it intersected fault lines within his society and within himself.

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Upheaval Election of 1977

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 05:00:08 -0000

There are few events in the history of Israel's democracy which have had a greater impact than the elections of 1977. When all the votes were counted three decades of Labor Zionist rule had come to an end and Menachem Begin's Likud party was victorious. It is known in Israeli history as 'the earthquake,' and this episode explores what forces underlay such a tectonic shift in Israel's political system.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Empires Come, Empires Go

Sun, 03 Jul 2022 05:00:55 -0000

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 the spirit of Hanukkah. Rav Mike takes a look backward to seek wisdom for survival in imperial transitions Am Yisrael has weathered in the past, touches on the problems of the present, and even takes a glance forward to offer a taste of what might lie ahead.

photo attribution: by: outtacontest, from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/outtacontext/8682324203 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

The Jewish Story Season 5: The Raid on Entebbe

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 05:00:28 -0000

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 heroic mission of its time. At its heart lies a person who in many ways embodies the qualities of his generation - Yoni Netanyahu.

The Jewish Story Season 5, an Interlude and Interview with Gil Troy

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 05:00:12 -0000

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 a fascinating discussion that lays out 'Identity Zionism,' a vision which offers hope for Am Yisrael and the entire world.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Yitzhak Rabin’s First Term

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 05:00:26 -0000

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 his second term. Here is an episode on his opening round as Prime Minister, when Rabin's choice as the first native born Israeli to head the government opened a new era. We will see him face down US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on the international scene, but in the end a handful of religious idealists will force him to compromise on the domestic front.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Yitzchak Rabin’s First Term, Part II

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 05:00:18 -0000

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 episode focuses on the third, as the Arab/Israeli war shifts into the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This new phase of struggle will see the rise of the PLO as a legitimate political force, the strengthening of Palestinian identity among Israeli Arabs through the birth of Land Day and a horrific surge in terror.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Gush Emunim

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 05:00:10 -0000

Many things within Israeli society were threatened with collapse in the wake of the Yom Kippur War, and perhaps the most profound danger was a loss of spirit. This episodes explores the rise of the 'bloc of the faithful,' vanguard of today's "settlement movement" who moved to inherit the pioneering spirit of Israel in this difficult time.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Zionism is Racism

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 05:00:10 -0000

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 ambassador to the UN Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Israeli delegate to the UN Hadassa Ben-Itto. All of them want to know whether the national liberation movement of the Jewish people is racist and akin to apartheid, and what it means for oppressed peoples of the world.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Feminism and American Judaism

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 05:00:10 -0000

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 religious activism of women like Sally Priesand and the Ezrat Nashim organization. We will also explore how feminism and antisemitism intersect, from Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Womens Bible to the 1975 United Nations World Conference on Women in Mexico City which Betty Friedan, and fellow attendee Letty Cottin Pogrebin, founding editor of Ms. Magazine, called a turning point for many things to come.

picture from: Victuallers
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

The Jewish Story Season 5: Interlude Crowning the King

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 05:00:42 -0000

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 guidance on how we can all approach telling a different story of our lives in the coming new year.

image from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/xeni/436828769
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode

The Jewish Story Season 5: Let My People Go

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 05:00:22 -0000

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 Kissinger and opposed by Henry "Scoop" Jackson, co-author of the Jackson-Vanik amendment of 1974 and his assistant Richard Perle.

Others discussed regarding the issue of Russian Jews include Shaul Avigur, founder of Israel's Liaison Bureau (Lishkat Hakesher), also known as Nativ, Jacob Birnbaum of the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, Moshe Decter of Jewish Minorities Research, and Russian dissident Andrei Sakharov and his influence on the most well known refusenik, Natan Sharansky.

The Jewish Story Season 5: A Portrait of American Jewry

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 05:00:16 -0000

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 of the First Jewish Catalog: A Do-It-Yourself Kit edited by Richard Siegel, and Michael and Sharon Strassfeld and the shift from left-wing liberal to neo-conservative in the writings of Commentary Magazine editor Norman Podhoretz. Plus, Rav Mike gets personal and talks about his own Jewish upbringing.

The Jewish Story Season 4: An Interview with Mark Gerson

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 05:00:05 -0000

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 the effort we put into preparation for a kosher Pesach, it is worth dusting off the Haggadah a couple of weeks early in or to prepare for an awesome Seder. Author Mark Gerson joins me to discuss his new book about the Haggadah and how we can best access its energy and wisdom.

The Jewish Story Season 4: Vengeance, a Conversation with Thane Rosenbaum

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 05:00:20 -0000

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 with author Thane Rosenbaum where we explore the nature of vengeance, its relationship to justice and how it informs our actions.

The Jewish Story Season 4: Interlude, Despite it all

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 05:00:07 -0000

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 miss the message at the end!

The Jewish Story Season 4: Interlude, an Interview with Rena Rossner

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 05:00:26 -0000

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 tale. Along the way we touch on God, history and my favorite author as well!

The Jewish Story Season 4: Interlude, an Interview with Rabbi Berel Wein

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 05:00:45 -0000

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 rebbe of Jewish History, Rabbi Berel Wein. We touch on the nature of history, the Jewish people, the experience of salvation and much more.

The Jewish Story Season 4: Interlude, an Interview with Dr. Michael Oren

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 05:00:48 -0000

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

The Jewish Story Season 4: Interlude R’ Yitz Greenberg and the God of History

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 05:00:35 -0000

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 to explore more of R' Yitz's thoughts, check out - https://rabbiirvinggreenberg.com/

The Jewish Story Season 4: Epilogue

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 05:00:05 -0000

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 in the season to come, as well as some insights on what it might mean.

The Jewish Story Season 4: The Domestic Aftermath

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 05:00:55 -0000

The shock waves of the Yom Kippur War ripple through Israeli society down to our day, but the days immediately after tell a story all their own. This episode explores the rise of Israel's first protest movement around Motti Ashkenazi, the first cracks of the Labor government under Prime Minister Golda Meir and the formation of the Likud at the hands of Ariel Sharon. All of these combine to make up the domestic aftermath of the war.

photo from: ארכיון דן הדני

The Jewish Story Season 4: The International Aftermath

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 05:00:51 -0000

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 Yom Kippur war, explaining how the super power confrontation, the Arab oil embargo and the international peace process all created different winners of the conflict.

The Jewish Story Season 4: The Yom Kippur War VI

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 05:00:21 -0000

Some people play a perfect role in the Jewish Story, and in this episode that will be US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and General Ariel Sharon. As the fighting reaches its conclusion, each will give his utmost to achieve his ends, but as we will see though the battle may be won - the war is far from over.

photograph by Amnon Tzur https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SuezBrdg1973.jpg

The Jewish Story Season 4: The Yom Kippur War V

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 05:00:31 -0000

This is the story of how close the end really came during the Yom Kippur War. Even as Israel's tanks held out in the north, turning a stretch of the Golan into 'The Valley of Tears,' the forces in the south were stretched to the breaking point. Nonetheless, an American airlift will provide the arms, and the impetuous general Ariel Sharon the means, to yet snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

The Jewish Story Season 4: The Yom Kippur War IV

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 05:00:08 -0000

A surprise blow is always the hardest to absorb, even if it's not so powerful. The first strike of the Yom Kippur War will be massive, and it will come close to stunning the entire nation of Israel. Listen in to hear how the shock nearly caused leaders like Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan and Chief of Staff David Elazar to lose their way, while the common soldiers of Israel held on for the very life of the nation.

The Jewish Story Season 4: The Yom Kippur War Part III

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 05:00:03 -0000

Sometimes the ideas we hold most dear are those which prevent us from seeing t hat which is most important. Here is an episode about the 'concept,' the security analysis paradigm which stopped Israel for from recognizing its danger almost until it was too late.

The Jewish Story Season 4: The Yom Kippur War Part II – The Cherbourg Boats

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 05:00:30 -0000

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. Here is part two in our effort to build the context for the surprise of the Yom Kippur War. It is a story of technological revolutions, unstoppable confidence and even what might be called an act of piracy.

picture attribution: Israeli Navy Spokesman Office

The Jewish Story Season 4: The Yom Kippur War Part I

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 05:00:27 -0000

If we call what happened in the 1967 a war of the spirit, then what occurred seven years later was a struggle of psychology. Here is the first episode leading up to the 1973 Yom Kippur War. It explores the booming economy, the Israeli Black Panthers and the emergence of a new leader of Egypt, all in an attempt to understand the context for surprise.

The Jewish Story Season 4: The 1972 Munich Massacre

Tue, 31 May 2022 05:00:56 -0000

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. The events cannot be forgotten, and their consequences are with us down to this day.

The Jewish Story Season 4: Black September

Mon, 30 May 2022 05:00:23 -0000

There is a narrative battle which 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 story of the abortive attempt by Palestinians to overthrown the Kingdom of Jordan and the role it plays in giving an international standing to their nationalist struggle.

The Jewish Story Season 5: Jerusalem Day Interview with Aaron Leibowitz

Sun, 29 May 2022 07:36:05 -0000

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 joins me to discuss the potential of the holy city and this momentous day.

Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on Patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

The Jewish Story Season 4: The War of Attrition Part III

Sun, 29 May 2022 05:00:58 -0000

The battlefield and the boardroom come together for the last episode in the series on the War of Attrition. Meet new Prime Minister Golda Meir as she balances war and politics in her new policy of 'asymmetrical response.' Unfortunately this may win her the battle just as it looses the war.

The Jewish Story Season 4: The War of Attrition Part II

Fri, 27 May 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Every major conflict is fought on many fronts. This second installment on the War of Attrition explores the diplomatic front. We will encounter Yitzchak Rabin as the new Israeli ambassador and get our first look at American Jewish policy maker Henry Kissinger as our story leaves the battle ground for the boardroom.

The Jewish Story Season 4: The War of Attrition Part I

Thu, 26 May 2022 05:00:48 -0000

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, but it also posed certain challenges in how to understand the post-war reality. Here is the first episode on the War of Attrition, a conflict so poorly understood that many people don't even know it happened.

The Jewish Story Season 4: Israel Post 1967 Part III

Wed, 25 May 2022 05:00:33 -0000

The return to Israel can have two meanings - a return to the Land and a return to essential self. The birth of a settlement movement striving for redemption was one of the most significant results of the Six Day War, and no community tells the story better than Hebron.

The Jewish Story Season 4: Israel Post 1967 Part II

Tue, 24 May 2022 05:00:38 -0000

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 the wake of the Six Day War and none was more pressing than where to place the borders. Here is an episode about some of the factors in that decision - the Allon Plan and the return to Kfar Etzion - which helped shape the future.

The Jewish Story Season 4: Israel Post 1967 Part I

Mon, 23 May 2022 05:00:00 -0000

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.

The Jewish Story Season 4: The Early Struggle for Soviet Jewry

Sun, 22 May 2022 05:00:14 -0000

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.

The Jewish Story Season 4: American Jewry after 1967 part III

Fri, 20 May 2022 05:00:22 -0000

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.

The Jewish Story Season 4: American Jewry after 1967 part II

Thu, 19 May 2022 05:00:13 -0000

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.

The Jewish Story Season 4: American Jewry after 1967 Part I

Wed, 18 May 2022 05:00:49 -0000

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.

The 10th of Tevet: It is Not Too Late to Change

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 09:19:26 -0000

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. The Tenth of Tevet offers an additional, unique opportunity - to think about imminent dangers. Here is an exploration of some of the challenges which our world faces and how this holy day can leave us better prepared to meet them.

Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Rabbi Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Interlude: Yom Yerushalayim 5781

Sun, 09 May 2021 08:02:22 -0000

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 Yerushalayim, between self-actualization and inspiration, in order to provide insight and inspiration for these holy days.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Interlude: Yom Haatzmaut Interview (Yom Yerushalayim Special)

Sun, 09 May 2021 07:58:26 -0000

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 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.
*This episode of the Jewish Story was first published in 2020 on Yom Haatzmaut but is being redistributed for Yom Yerushalayim 2021.

Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story – Six Day War part VII On the Seventh Day

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:21:12 -0000

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 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.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story – Six Day War part VI The power of determination

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:19:09 -0000

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 Golan and the close of the war, events which will determine much of the chapters to come.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story – Six Day War part V – something miraculous

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:14:42 -0000

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 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.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story – Six Day War IV The waiting

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:11:14 -0000

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 war, known in Israeli history as "the waiting, and the tension which builds in these three weeks will soon explode into war.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story – Six Day War III – Israel dwells alone

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 10:35:21 -0000

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 the heart of the Zionist project are exposed. The question which arises in this episode is - will Israel go it alone?
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story – The Six Day War II – The point of no return

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 10:29:47 -0000

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, 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.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story – Six Day War I – beginnings near and far

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 10:26:24 -0000

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 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.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story – Eli Cohen, hero of Israel

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 10:11:00 -0000

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 Cohen, hero of Israel.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story: Shifting identities in early Israel

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 10:06:19 -0000

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 at the beginning of a shift in Israeli identity in the early 60s, together with the emergence of a new national consciousness among the Arabs in Israel and abroad.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story: Levi Eshkol – a new face of leadership

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 09:59:45 -0000

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 live up to his legacy. This episode introduces a new mode of leadership for the State of Israel, and is the first step on the road to telling the tale of the Six Day War.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story: Interlude Hanukah 5781 – Letting the light out

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 21:18:21 -0000

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 and our ability to give thanks, and helps us let the light out.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story: Special Interview with Yossi Klein HaLevi

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 09:19:27 -0000

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 much more. Tune in for an inspiring episode treating the impact of 1967 on past, present and future.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep23 Spirit of the Sixties part IV: The radical break

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 05:00:43 -0000

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 society.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep22 Spirit of the 60s part III: the revolution starts tonight

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 05:00:09 -0000

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' between Jews and African Americans. shedding light on both past and present.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep21: The Spirit of the 60’s Part II

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 08:37:42 -0000

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 which many of them were fleeing and asks whether they went South as Jews, human beings or both.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

Download the New Pardes Daily App

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 09:02:44 -0000

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 10-20 minute podcasts a day, 5 days a week, for the four weeks of Elul you will complete one of the following areas of study:

* Mishnah Rosh Hashanah with Rav Rahel Berkovits
* Talmud with Rabbi Zvi Hirshfield (Chapters 3 & 4 of Tractate Rosh Hashanah)
* Tanakh/Bible with Rabbi Michael Hattin (Book of Jonah)

Whether you’re learning on your own, with a havruta, or with friends and family, be a part of this incredible community of online learners. Learn more by visiting www.pardes.org.il/pardesdaily.

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep20: The Spirit of the 60’s Part I: Pragmatism and Prophecy

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 05:00:44 -0000

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 how the twin spirits of prophecy and pragmatism moved Jewish leadership during the Civil Rights movement.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Interlude: Tisha B’Av 5780 and the Disengagement

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 08:53:28 -0000

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.
To get a copy of Daniella's book please visit Amazon.

Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Daniella Levy - Special Guest
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep19: The Samson Option

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 05:00:30 -0000

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 weapons. The question is whether this pushed destruction off or brought it closer?
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep18: The Eichmann Trial

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 05:00:47 -0000

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 and trial of Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Final Solution. He was taken and tried, but was it for justice, vengeance or education?
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep17: The Kastner affair

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 05:00:31 -0000

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 lens of one of the darker stories of the early state - the Kastner affair.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3 Interlude: George Floyd and the Burden of History

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 17:00:57 -0000

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 Floyd.
We are social creatures who inherit society from our ancestors and bequeath it to our children. A posture of pursuing justice makes sure that enough of the inevitable debts built-in to society get paid that we can hand off a world better than that which we received.

Galtung says that structural violence is when “…human beings are being influenced so that their actual … realizations are below their potential realizations…” It exists when the social structure is built in such a way that it prevents a category of people, in this case people of color, from even having the resources to realize their potential.

Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep16: Israel at age ten

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 05:00:27 -0000

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 which once again takes a look at questions which drive the three dimensions of the Jewish Story.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep15: Israel among the nations part III: Operation Kadesh

Wed, 27 May 2020 05:00:56 -0000

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 continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep14: Israel among the nations part II: War Approaches 1955

Wed, 20 May 2020 05:00:01 -0000

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 Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep13: Israel among the nations part I The Lavon Affair 1954

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 05:00:35 -0000

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 important than maintaining a strong posture, even though this may have meant that they were marching steadily toward another war.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep12: The Reparations Controversy

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 05:00:42 -0000

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 1950's was whether to accept reparations from the reborn German state. Here is an exploration of whether pragmatic survival or idealism should be the guiding lights of the first Jewish government in two thousand years.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3: Covid-19 Special Interlude

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 04:00:02 -0000

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 history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on Patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write to us at elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3 Purim Interlude: Own Your Story

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 10:54:14 -0000

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 what the conversation between Mordecai and Esther can teach us about owning our own story.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep11: 1945-55 part III The reorganization of American Zionism

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 08:36:20 -0000

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 whose characters will seem strikingly familiar today - non-Zionists, Zionists and anti-Zionists.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep10: 1945-55 part II Shadows on the Golden

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 14:11:25 -0000

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 this Golden Decade - the Red Scare and the shadow of the Shoah.
Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep9: 1945-55 part I Did the Jews turn white?

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 10:16:53 -0000

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 - did the move to suburbia make the Jews white? Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep8: 70 years of constitutional crisis part II

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 12:06:29 -0000

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 lines of the Torah's commandment for a king. Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep7: 70 years of constitutional crisis part I

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 13:29:28 -0000

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 making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Interlude Hanukah – Releasing the Light Within

Sun, 22 Dec 2019 10:55:16 -0000

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 and personal experience.
You can view the recording of this lecture on Rav Mike's Youtube Channel or below:

If you are interested in listening to more from Rav Mike, or you want to help him continue making Jewish history a relevant story, visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike. Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. We appreciate you leaving us a review with 5-stars if you enjoy these podcasts.

For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits
Rav Mike Feuer - Host of the Jewish Story
Adam Titcher – Executive Producer and Director of Digital Media

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep6: The Limits of Retaliation

Sun, 15 Dec 2019 11:19:40 -0000

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. Not an episode for the faint of heart. Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

Jewish Story Live 5780: The Bet Yosef

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 11:07:09 -0000

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 Bet Yosef.

This lecture is part of the 5780 Pardes Community Education Fall session, October 28, 2019 - January 2, 2020.

This episode of The Jewish Story Live was tapped live during the recording. If you want to access Rav Mike please click here to watch the entire lecture online.

If you are interested in listening to more from Rav Mike, or you want to help him continue making Jewish history a relevant story, visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes Community Education classes, visit the main Pardes website www.pardes.org.il/ce.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

NEW PODCAST MINI-SERIES Walking With Your Inner Spirit – Introduction Episode

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 09:04:30 -0000

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 to the Pardes Live and Mini-Series channel to get weekly episode downloads.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. We appreciate you leaving us a review with 5-stars if you enjoy these podcasts.

For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits
Yiscah Smith - Host
Adam Titcher – Executive Producer and Director of Digital Media

The Jewish Story Season 3 Interlude: Government, a Crisis of Faith

Thu, 28 Nov 2019 09:04:47 -0000

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 crisis. Here is an interview with Rav Mike which touches on the global situation as well as what is happening in the state of Israel. The question at hand is - whither democracy? Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Guest on the show, and Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep5: 1949 Boundary Issues

Sun, 17 Nov 2019 14:10:53 -0000

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 conflicts which characterize the state even today. Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep4: Sink or Swim – mass immigration and the in-gathering part II

Sun, 03 Nov 2019 13:28:45 -0000

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 for many years to come. Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep3: Mass Immigration and Ingathering the Exiles – part I

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 09:31:56 -0000

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 consider the meaning of kibutz galuyot - the in-gathering of the exiles. Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3 Yom Kippur Interlude: 5780 A New Horizon

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 13:00:50 -0000

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 building a world whose horizon is big enough to hold our dreams. Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep2: The Evolution of American Zionism, part II

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 12:42:35 -0000

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 then the heads of the new State of Israel still define our political landscape today. Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 3, Ep1: The Evolution of American Zionism, part I

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 10:22:31 -0000

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 American and explores the tension between assimilation and ethnic solidarity. Help continue making Jewish history a relevant story with Rav Mike by supporting him on patreon. For more information visit elmad.pardes.org/ravmike.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you enjoyed what you just heard please give us a 5-star review on iTunes or wherever you download our podcasts today. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 40: Made in 1948 – Three historic decisions that shaped the birth of modern-day Israel

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 08:22:28 -0000

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 independence and how they still shape the State of Israel today. The story of the borders, the Arab refugees and the Altalena raise more questions than they answer, but that is just an invitation to stay tuned for season 3!

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you are subscribed on iTunes, and if you enjoyed the podcast, please give us 5-stars! Help fund the Jewish Story by visiting www.patreon.com/mfeuer.

For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits:
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 39: Pre-Independence 1948 – The Battle for the Roads and the birth of Narrative War

Sun, 14 Jul 2019 05:30:13 -0000

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 season two. Listen in for the civil war which precedes the War of Independence and the origins of the narrative conflict we are still fighting today.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you are subscribed on iTunes, and if you enjoyed the podcast, please give us 5-stars!

For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 38: The Fight for Liberation Which Preceded Freedom

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 07:35:23 -0000

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 in to pick up the pieces.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you are subscribed on iTunes, and if you enjoyed the podcast, please give us 5-stars!

For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 37: Survivalist Zionism – How the Zionist Struggle Looked After the Holocaust

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 12:53:54 -0000

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 the British in the land of Israel in the wake of the greatest disaster the Jewish people have ever suffered.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you are subscribed on iTunes, and if you enjoyed the podcast, please give us 5-stars!

For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits
Rav Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty and Jewish Story Host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 36: The Revolt Against British Rule and the Struggle Within the Underground

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 11:15:16 -0000

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 Lechi, the rise of Menachem Begin as a leader and the internecine war which almost doomed their struggle.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write us at: elmad@pardes.org.il. If you are subscribed on iTunes, and if you enjoyed the podcast, please give us 5-stars!

For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il.

Credits
Rav Mike Feuer – Faculty and show host
Adam Titcher - Executive Producer

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 35: The Warsaw Ghetto and the Rise of Jewish Resistance

Mon, 27 May 2019 11:21:41 -0000

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 finally brings American Jewry into the picture of the Jewish Story.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 34: Heart of Darkness

Tue, 14 May 2019 07:29:48 -0000

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

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The Jewish Story Interlude: Independence

Sun, 05 May 2019 12:35:08 -0000

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 we actually become a great nation in our land?

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 33: The Arab Revolt

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 12:38:55 -0000

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 of the Yishuv over the question of whether restraint or retaliation was the proper response to Arab violence. Meanwhile, as violence spirals in the land of Israel, and Jews argue with one another, the darkness of Nazi Germany has begun to cast its shadow over Europe.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 32: Under Pressure

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 13:58:19 -0000

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 these two processes together, the potential is nothing short of explosive.

The Jewish Story Interlude: What is a Jew?

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 12:01:54 -0000

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 half is a conversation on the same with R' Aaron Leibowitz, social activist and head of the Chuppot initiative offering marriage to Israelis outside of the aegis of the state rabbinate.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 31: Interwar Jewry

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 12:44:05 -0000

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 the interwar period, and how they contributed to the nature of Jewishness outside of the Zionist dream.

The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 30: Stories of Blood and Fire

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 11:25:18 -0000

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.

Continue reading The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 30: Stories of Blood and Fire at Elmad Online Learning.

The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 29: The Conflict Within

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 14:54:10 -0000

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 many of the political conflicts in our State today. Here is an episode on David Ben Gurion and Zeev Jabotinsky.

The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 28: The Challenge of Jewish Power

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 11:38:23 -0000

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 power of the martyrdom of Joseph Trumpeldor as an inspiration for further struggle.

The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 27: The Anglo-Zionist Alliance

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 13:30:18 -0000

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 Jews, except that Her Majesty's government had promised this piece of Ottoman territory to three different parties.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 26: Rumors of War

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 13:49:04 -0000

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 be willing to fight for the land which they long to redeem.

The Jewish Story, Season 2, Episode 25: One More Dunam One More Goat

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 10:00:32 -0000

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 the world, one goat at a time.

The Jewish Story, Season 2, Episode 24: The Religion of Labor

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 09:00:36 -0000

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. Here is one more stream to explore - the religion of labor.

The Jewish Story, Season 2, Episode 23: The New Jew

Sun, 18 Nov 2018 14:01:16 -0000

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 of Am Yisrael in Max Nordau's vision of a muscular Judaism.

The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 22: One of the People

Sun, 04 Nov 2018 13:06:59 -0000

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 they seek their national home. The battle between them will become a fundamental split in Zionism whose influence remains until today.

The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 21: The Awakening

Sun, 21 Oct 2018 09:19:25 -0000

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 a subconscious desire to an international issue. Here is a presentation of the early life of Theodore Herzl.

The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 20: Heralders of Zionism

Sun, 14 Oct 2018 12:20:08 -0000

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 not surprising that many leaders took a problem-solving approach to the future of Am Yisrael. But what if our goal is not to solve the problem, but rather fulfill the Jewish mission?

The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 19: The Ultimate Ism

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 07:09:59 -0000

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 from the intersection of the two.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story, Season 2 Episode 18: National Jew and International Jew

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 09:03:45 -0000

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 the Galician Haskalah, meet the figure of the radical socialist Jew in the person of Moses Hess, and ask the question whether to be a national or international Jew.Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 17: Scientific Judaism

Sun, 02 Sep 2018 05:01:17 -0000

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 asking what we do with ourselves, In both cases it will be the power of a scientific approach to historical research which seems to offer the answer.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 16: The Emperor and the Jews

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 08:24:12 -0000

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 origins of both the Reform and Orthodox movements.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Interlude: Religion and State

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 06:50:19 -0000

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 your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 15: The Berlin Enlightenment

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 07:36:26 -0000

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 lines of modernity being drawn.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 14 — The German Socrates

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 07:23:39 -0000

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, his life story deserves to be heard.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 13: Emden, Eybeschuetz and Enlightenment

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 07:15:57 -0000

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 it contributed to the crisis of European Jewry's encounter with the Enlightenment.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story: Season 2, Episode 12: Movement and Controversy

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 07:26:52 -0000

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 the soul of Am Yisrael, the body of Polish Jewry was suddenly split in three by the partition of Poland.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 11: A Light Out of Darkness

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 08:40:45 -0000

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 and joy. This is the first of two episodes on the rise of the Ba'al Shem Tov and the chasidic movement.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 10: A Blessing and A Curse

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 08:42:28 -0000

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 the Sabbatean heretics was coming to a boil.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 9: The False Messiah

Thu, 17 May 2018 11:47:12 -0000

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 the Jewish story which drove his ascent?

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 8: The Hope of Israel

Sun, 06 May 2018 05:36:20 -0000

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 the world where the Jews were absent was the British Isles. Was their return to England the secret to finally realizing their ultimate hope?

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 7: The Lion’s Roar

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 04:58:55 -0000

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 Yisrael. And the most powerful master of this esoteric wisdom was certainly R’ Yitzchak Luria – the Holy Ari z”l. Listen now to the latest installment of The Jewish Story by Rav Mike Feuer.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2: Special for Yom Ha’Atzmaut – Seventy Faces of the Nation

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 06:52:41 -0000

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 Am, and makes a call to continue the conversation.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 6: Tradition and Authority

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 05:52:29 -0000

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 of his day, and wrote the work which would "set the table" for the legal discussion of the next 500 years.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 5: The Merchant Queen

Mon, 26 Mar 2018 05:55:24 -0000

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 her story.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2, Episode 4: Epistemological Breakdown

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 12:25:59 -0000

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 century. Copernicus started a revolution which removed the Earth from the center of the Universe and the Church from the middle of science, and we want to know whether this was good news for the Jews.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 3: The Power of Print

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 15:54:20 -0000

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 another - this episode also explores the role that text played in the dawn of the Protestant Reformation. Europe will never be the same, but is it good news for the Jews?

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 2: Hope Eternal

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 12:34:34 -0000

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 that the end is near, and they find their the spirit of Italian humanism. When the two unite, new horizons will open for Christian and Jew alike.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2 Episode 1: The New Homeland

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 09:34:59 -0000

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.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Season 2 Prologue: The Third Temple

Sun, 14 Jan 2018 11:55:44 -0000

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 - why is this episode about the 3rd Temple?

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story: Independence Day

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 14:22:48 -0000

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.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story: Jerusalem Day

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 13:40:35 -0000

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.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story: Episode 29: Epilogue Season 1

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:41:21 -0000

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. In this epilogue, Rav Mike takes a look back at where we have been in order to raise some thoughts about where we are headed. Stay tuned for season two!

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 28: The Expulsion

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 12:46:07 -0000

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 Inquisition and war will earn them the title of the Catholic Monarchs, and will birth the means of oppression employed by totalitarian societies down through the ages.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 27: The Converso Problem

Sun, 05 Nov 2017 08:42:20 -0000

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 about the lead up to the great expulsion - the last great Christian/Jewish debate of the Middle Ages, the first historical appearance of racial Jew hatred and the civil war threatening to tear apart the Iberian Peninsula.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 26: The Storm Breaks

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 10:59:28 -0000

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.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 25: The Coming Storm

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 09:50:32 -0000

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 a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 24: Into the Mystic

Sun, 24 Sep 2017 08:20:19 -0000

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 as an answer to the challenge of evil. Listen now to this latest episode of The Jewish Story by Rabbi Mike Feuer.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 23: Depths Out of Darkness

Sun, 10 Sep 2017 08:47:10 -0000

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 accusation of the blood libel was born. But it was specifically out of this darkness that the depths emerged.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 22: The Birth of Ashkenaz

Sun, 27 Aug 2017 11:06:18 -0000

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 inhabit while living among their neighbors. But the tranquility of the early years was shattered by the horrors of the First Crudsade, and Ashkenazi Jewry would never be the same again.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 21: From Moshe to Moshe

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 09:36:14 -0000

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 in his day, igniting a struggle which ended in excommunications and book burning.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 20 — My Heart is in the East

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 11:09:32 -0000

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 the national poet of Jewish Spain die outside the walls of Jerusalem?

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 19 — Call of the Spirit, Call of the Flesh

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 06:38:38 -0000

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 poets. In this time of passion, it was not clear what would define Am Yisrael - the call of the spirit or the call of the flesh.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 18 — The Origins of Spain

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 05:37:13 -0000

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 and the linguistic origins of the Golden Age of Spain.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 17 — Rav Saadia Gaon

Sun, 18 Jun 2017 07:11:12 -0000

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 R' Saadia revolutionized Jewish literature. Nevertheless. his quest to reconcile reason and revelation sowed the seeds of conflict to come.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 16 — Ism & Schism

Sun, 04 Jun 2017 10:23:15 -0000

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 is itself what invites schism into the world.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 15 — The Rising Crescent

Sun, 21 May 2017 09:38:17 -0000

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. On the other, the ease of cultural fusion with Islam will sometime cause confusion about where one leaves off and the other begins.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 14 — Fixing the Conversation

Sun, 07 May 2017 08:26:31 -0000

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. These two together will fix the topic of our conversation for some time to come.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 13 — Rivers of Babylon

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 12:34:56 -0000

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.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 12 — The Portable Homeland

Sun, 02 Apr 2017 10:45:08 -0000

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.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 11 — The Indigestible Element

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 10:01:03 -0000

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 messiahs, this is the time period which convinced Rome that the Jews were the indigestible element of their Empire.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 10 — Through the Flames

Sun, 05 Mar 2017 07:25:44 -0000

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 the end it is clear that the real question is not how was Jerusalem destroyed, but rather - why?

The Jewish Story Episode 9: The Eve of the Destruction

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 07:08:25 -0000

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 the smoke clears from the destruction it will be the divergent understandings of God's will as embodied in the text which will serve as the foundation of the future. But for now the battle rages.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story: Episode 8 Hillel Prince of the Torah

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 07:09:28 -0000

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. Together, these three represent competing models of the kingdom of God, and they and their followers will live out a struggle over who will be king.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 7: Herod – Two Faces of Kingship

Sun, 22 Jan 2017 08:21:49 -0000

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 the state he built was strong enough to hold off the disaster to come.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 6: The Hasmonean Kingdom

Sun, 08 Jan 2017 07:40:40 -0000

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 define things for some time to come.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 5: The Hanukah Revolt

Thu, 22 Dec 2016 08:07:41 -0000

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 and death.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 4: The Greek Encounter

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 14:44:15 -0000

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 the surface. Today we fast on the anniversary of this translation.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 3: The Men of the Great Assembly – What Made Them Great

Thu, 24 Nov 2016 08:31:32 -0000

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 we know it, but what makes them so great?

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 2: Ezra and Nechemia

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 09:13:24 -0000

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 most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story. Click here for more episodes in the series.

The Jewish Story Episode 1: Daniel

Thu, 20 Oct 2016 03:01:53 -0000

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.

Deepen your relationship with Israel as a People and take a journey through the most remarkable, majestic and dramatic history of any people in human history with The Jewish Story.