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A Chassid in Krakow: The Maor Veshemesh
Episode 344
Rav Klonymous Kalman Halevi Epstein (1751-1823) is known by his posthumously published work the Maor Veshemesh. Born into a poor family, he spent the…
3 years, 10 months ago
Shylock & Friends: The Jews of Venice
Episode 343
Jews have lived in Venice for more than a millennium. In 1516 the Jewish community of Venice was restricted to one area of the city, and this came to…
3 years, 10 months ago
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 a…
3 years, 10 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 youn…
3 years, 10 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). T…
3 years, 10 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 as…
3 years, 11 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 bette…
3 years, 11 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 …
3 years, 11 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 …
3 years, 11 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, th…
3 years, 11 months ago