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Hungarian Royalty: The Chasam Sofer & His Family
Episode 342
One of the most influential Torah leaders in the modern era was Rav Moshe Sofer, the Chasam Sofer (1762-1839). Rabbi, rosh yeshiva, posek, prolific author, and most of all, a charismatic leader who c…
Published on 3 years, 7 months ago
Get it? The Strange Story of the ’Get of Cleves’
Episode 341
The strange story of the Get of Kleve (or Cleves) rocked the rabbinical world of the 1760’s. What commenced as an innocuous question regarding a young man’s mental faculties, and his resulting capabi…
Published on 3 years, 7 months ago
More than a Miracle Worker: Rav Eliyahu Guttmacher
Episode 340
Rav Eliyahu Guttmacher (1796-1874) was a German rabbi who gained renown as a miracle worker during his tenure in the rabbinate of Gratz (Greiditz). Thousands from Poland and all over Europe would pet…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
From Rugby to the World Stage: Rav Avigdor Miller Part III
Episode 339
With his appointment as congregational rabbi of the Young Israel of Rugby in East Flatbush in 1947, Rav Avigdor Miller embarked on the most famous aspect of his storied career. He saw his role as rab…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
Rabbi & Educator: Rav Avigdor Miller Part II
Episode 338
Rav Avigdor Miller assumed the rabbinate of Walnut Street Shul in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1939, and would remain there for six years. Seeking better educational opportunity for his children, he mov…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
The Maharal of Prague
Episode 337
The Maharal of Prague (c.1512-1609) was more legend than reality. His teachings and diverse scholarship seem to grow more popular with time, but who was he and what was the world that he lived and op…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
Baltimore meets Slabodka: Rav Avigdor Miller Part I
Episode 336
Rav Avigdor Miller (1908-2001) was a unique and influential rabbinical leader on the American scene of the 20th century. With his life spanning most of the tumultuous 20th century, his life story is …
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
The History of Soviet Jewry Part III: Refuseniks & Immigrants
Episode 335
Soviet Jewry in the 1970’s and 80’s was a large community which was struggling to define its Jewish identity. Following the Six Day War in Israel, the Refusenik movement gained traction, with many yo…
Published on 3 years, 9 months ago
The History of Soviet Jewry Part II: Destruction & Memory
Episode 334
The Molotov-Von Ribbentrop non-aggression pact ultimately led to the annexation of large swaths of territory into the Soviet Union. The Jews of eastern Poland and the Baltic States now had to acclima…
Published on 3 years, 9 months ago
The History of Soviet Jewry Part I: From the Pale to the Revolution
Episode 333
The Russian Revolutions of 1917 drastically transformed the lives of the largest Jewish community in the world. Emancipation was finally achieved, the hated Czar was finally deposed and they could fi…
Published on 3 years, 9 months ago