Lesser-Known Figures in Jewish History

Observation · August 11, 2020
One of the Greatest Minds of Medieval Spanish Jewry
By David Wolpe
Medieval Spain produced many Jewish geniuses. The poet and philosopher Solomon Ibn Gabirol, born 1000 years ago, wrote poetry that is still sung in synagogues all over the world.
Observation · February 18, 2020
The First Great Jewish Philosopher (to the Jews)
By David Wolpe
It's not Maimonides. It's Saadya Gaon, “the first Jewish scholar whose universal mind embraced all the branches of Jewish learning known in his time.”
Observation · January 15, 2020
The Woman Who Earned a Place Alongside the Rabbis of the Talmud
By David Wolpe
Bruriah is the only female cited repeatedly as a religious authority, and rarely shown in the roles the Talmud generally associates with women. Who was she?
Observation · November 20, 2019
The Most Admirable Monarch in Jewish History? (It’s Not David.)
By David Wolpe
Josiah left a permanent stamp on Judaism, leading, for the first time in generations, an all-out battle against idolatry.