Podcast Episodes

Ahoy Yid! Stories of Jewish Pirates and Explorers

Episode 141

With the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the 15th Century, the Sephardic diaspora spread to the far corners of the globe searching for a place to settle. Many reached t…

Published on 5 years, 9 months ago

Lively Graves: Pilgrimages to Lizhensk & Kivrei Tzadikim

Episode 140

Visiting and praying at the burial places of Tzadikim is one of the more visible and recognizable distinctive contributions of Chasidic practice on Jewish life. A cultural practice that has developed…

Published on 5 years, 9 months ago

The History of Volozhin Yeshiva Part IV: Talmudists, Zionists and The Golden Age

Episode 139

With the Netziv solidifying his control, the Yeshiva entered it's Golden Age. Attracting the best and the brightest from across the Pale of Settlement, the Yeshiva was producing the Rabbinical greats…

Published on 5 years, 9 months ago

A Word From Our Listeners Part I

Episode 138

In this unique episode in honor of Purim, we'll explore the best of the feedback to Jewish History Soundbites.

-The Unknown Talmidim of Rav Shayale

-Who to vote for in the WZO elections?

-The greates…

Published on 5 years, 9 months ago

Torah Pioneers: The Origins of Bnei Akiva & Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh

Episode 137

As religious Zionism was forging an identity which strove for a synthesis of a traditional life with Zionist ideals, institutions began to be built which expressed this identity. Youth groups such as…

Published on 5 years, 9 months ago

The History of The Volozhin Yeshiva Part III: The War Of Succession

Episode 136

With the passing of Rav Itzele of Volozhin in 1849, his son in law Rav Yitzchak Eliezer Freid became the titular head of the Volozhin Yeshiva. His reign was short-lived with his death in 1953. What t…

Published on 5 years, 9 months ago

The Holy Scholars of Sochatchov

Episode 135

The Sochatchov Chassidic dynasty holds a special place in Jewish history. As flag bearers of the legacy of Kotzk, they were the elite of Polish Chassidus. In addition, led by the Rebbes of the dynast…

Published on 5 years, 9 months ago

Gangsters, Racketeers & Jewish Activists: Tales of the Jewish Mafia Part II

Episode 134

Another collection of stories about the Jewish Mob in the early 20th century. From the streets of Newark emerged another Jewish gang under the able leadership of "Longy" Zwillman and Doc Stacher. Mey…

Published on 5 years, 10 months ago

To Save A World: The Storied Life of Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz Part II

Episode 133

With the arrival of the war, Rav Kalmanowitz was dispatched to the United States in an attempt to raise funds for the Mir Yeshiva who were now refugees in Lithuania, having escaped from Soviet occupi…

Published on 5 years, 10 months ago

A Prince Among Men: The Storied Life of Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz Part I

Episode 132

With seemingly endless energy, few have matched the communal activism of Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz (1891-1964). From his days in Slabodka, to a young Rabbi in Rakov and then Tiktin, his activities were…

Published on 5 years, 10 months ago