Episode Details

From Babylon to Broadway: The Siege Then, the Siege Now

Most people think destruction begins with fire. With shattered walls. With exile.

This class argues otherwise.

Asarah B’Tevet marks the moment before everything collapses — the day the siege began, when nothing was burning yet and everything was still reversible. Drawing from Tanakh, Chazal, and the haunting words of the prophets, this episode traces how quiet decisions, ignored warnings, and comfortable illusions brought Jerusalem to ruin — and why this fast is treated with a gravity unlike any other. It is the only fast that can fall on a Friday, and according to early authorities, one that might have demanded fasting even on Shabbat. Why? Because beginnings matter more than endings.

From the armies of Babylon to the streets of modern New York, this episode confronts the uncomfortable parallels between then and now: rising antisemitism, false confidence, dangerous leadership, and the temptation to believe “it can’t happen here.” This is not a history lesson. It is a wake-up call. A class about recognizing the siege while it is still forming — and about what Jews must do now if we want to reverse the story before the walls close in again.