Jewish History

Rabbi Soloveichik explores the history and hidden depths of Jewish ritual through the extraordinary art of Moritz Daniel Oppenheim. Oppenheim brought Jewish ritual to life as no other modern artist has. In this course, Rabbi Soloveichik will study his paintings to uncover the spiritual meaning, historical context, and enduring relevance of the Jewish practices and people he depicts.

Sandwiched between the rabbinic period and the Enlightenment, the medieval period of Jewish history is often an afterthought. It shouldn’t be.

In this online course, the distinguished historian Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter will bring you on a journey through the events, debates, trends, and formative figures of medieval Jewish history. Over ten fascinating lectures, he’ll show you how the medieval period was a dramatic, vibrant, and significant time in the story of the Jews.

For the first time in many decades, the debate between Zionism and anti-Zionism seems to be at the center of public discourse throughout America and the West. But what are the fundamental beliefs, assumptions, and narratives behind these two opposing ideas?

In this series, join Dr. Einat Wilf, a former member of Israel’s parliament and a scholar of Zionist thought for a comprehensive look at the history of Zionism—political, social, and religious—and the schools of anti-Zionism that have opposed it.

If you are interested in hosting a screening of this course in your community or in hosting Dr. Wilf and Ms. Zeigherman, please click here for more information.

The Yom Kippur War was one of the most harrowing moments in Israeli history. In this seminal course, released in time for the 50th anniversary of the conflict, Dr. Michael Doran offers a comprehensive look at war, analyzing what happened, how it happened, and the ways it changed the future of the Middle East.

What is the difference between Jewish memory and Jewish history? Jewish history is the story of what happened and how; Jewish memory is the story of how Jews talk and feel about their national past. In this online course, Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter will survey some of the worst tragedies of Jewish history, paying close attention not just to what happened, but how Jews have remembered those tragedies as a collective—through liturgy, fasts, and days of mourning—and how they’ve used them to strengthen Jewish faith.

Menachem Begin is one of the most consequential and misunderstood figures in modern Jewish history. In this online course, Begin biographer Daniel Gordis will guide you through his dramatic life, and all that he sought to achieve for the Jewish state.

Journey back in history with Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik in his fascinating exploration of the role of Jews and Jewish ideas in America’s Civil War. As we ponder what it meant to be a Jew during this harrowing conflict, we will walk with the Jews expelled from Tennessee by General Grant, delve into the speeches and writings of Abraham Lincoln, and come to see how Lincoln learned from Hebraic sources to become the theologian of the American idea.

Join Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik as he shows you how, from national symbolism to functional governance, Jewish ideas were at the very heart of the American founding. In a series of eight enlightening and entertaining lectures, you’ll meet the fascinating Jews who influenced America’s early leaders, you’ll see how Jewish ideas informed so much of the American intellectual debate, and you’ll learn why America has been such an exceptional home for Jews.

Noted historian Martin Kramer transports you to the fateful days in 1948 when Israel's founders discussed, debated, and, ultimately, declared independence.

In seven thought-provoking lectures, Dr. Daniel Polisar—one of the world's leading experts on Theodor Herzl—uncovers the true story of Herzl's conversion to Zionism and inspires us with Herzl's vision, strategy, leadership, and deep Jewish pride.