Popular Shows by Yehuda Geberer יהודה גברר
484 episodes
#
Name
Release Date
Duration
401
Lion of the Mir: Memories of Rav Refael Shmuelevitz
Lion of the Mir: Memories of Rav Refael Shmuelevitz
Feb 3, 2020
34:56
As one of the last members of the "old school" style Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Refoel Shmuelevitz (1937-2016) was indeed a unique breed. Warm, personal and caring, he was also sharp and demanding in learning. Down to earth and cognizant of the world around him, he nevertheless occasionally expressed unconventional views. Unafraid to speak his mind and not subscribing to a specific pervasive ideology, he represented the old time aristocracy of Lithuanian Yeshiva world which had nurtured him. In honor of his yahrtzeit, we present some personal reminisces of this great man. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
402
Tales from the House of Rimanov
Tales from the House of Rimanov
Feb 6, 2020
28:42
One of the father's of Chassidus, Rav Mendele of Rimanov had a central influence on the development of the movement in Poland, Galicia & Hungary. He displayed strong leadership, an emphasis on prayer and an endless love for his people. Succeeded by his assistant known to posterity as Rav Hirsh Meshares, who was one of the more unique personalities in the history of the movement. In the spirit Chassidus, we'll delve into some tales that bring the legend of Rimanov to life. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
403
The History Of The Volozhin Yeshiva Part II: The Rise To Fame
The History Of The Volozhin Yeshiva Part II: The Rise To Fame
Feb 12, 2020
52:11
Under the watch of it's founder, the Volozhin rose to to prominence. Rav Chaim Volozhiner created a sophisticated system of fundraisers, who also spread the word about the Yeshiva and added to its prestige. He introduced innovations in both learning and organizational structure. Following his passing in 1821, his son R' Itzele (1780-1849) took over and it flourished under his watch. R' Itzele was also quite active in communal affairs, and in the 1840's was involved in a fascinating saga concerning Russian Jewry. When Dr. Max Lilienthal attempted a reform of Jewish education, he actually came down to Volozhin to meet with R' Itzele. Volozhin and it's heads now stood at the forefront of Jewish leadership in the Russian Empire. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
404
A Prince Among Men: The Storied Life of Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz Part I
A Prince Among Men: The Storied Life of Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz Part I
Feb 22, 2020
21:02
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 never limited in scope. He became the fundraiser and president of the Mir Yeshiva in Poland and managed to find time to assist refugees from the Soviet Union, participate in the activities of Agudas Yisroel, and also assist Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski on the Vaad Hayeshivas. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
405
To Save A World: The Storied Life of Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz Part II
To Save A World: The Storied Life of Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz Part II
Feb 24, 2020
22:18
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 occupied Eastern Poland. This evolved into an attempt to assist other Yeshivas and their Rabbis, and later on in the war extended to overall rescue activities within the framework of Vaad Hatzalah. A dynamic rescue activist, he spearheaded many of the rescue activities during those trying times. Following the rebuilding of the Mir in the US after the war, he then turned to a new phase of activism - both physical and spiritual - within the Sfardic communities in Morocco, Syria & Egypt. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
406
The Holy Scholars of Sochatchov
The Holy Scholars of Sochatchov
Feb 29, 2020
30:24
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 dynasty, they strove to create a scholarly atmosphere through the building of elite Yeshivas as part of the chassidus. The Avnei Nezer, the Shem Mishmuel and Rav Dovid of Sochatchov were leaders of Polish Jewry and great teachers of Torah at the same time. Their influence reached far beyond the confines of their own followers. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
407
The History of The Volozhin Yeshiva Part III: The War Of Succession
The History of The Volozhin Yeshiva Part III: The War Of Succession
Mar 4, 2020
42:35
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 then commenced was a long, protracted process in deciding the succession at the helm of the Yeshiva. Many contenders rose for both the primary Rosh Yeshiva position as well as the assistant Rosh Yeshiva position. Candidates included the Bais Halevi, Rav Yehoshua Heshel Levin and members of the Freid family. Ultimately, the Netziv (1816 -1893) prevailed, and he became the great leader of Volozhin whose name became synonymous with the institution. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
408
Torah Pioneers: The Origins of Bnei Akiva & Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh
Torah Pioneers: The Origins of Bnei Akiva & Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh
Mar 6, 2020
23:08
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 the Shomer Hadati in Poland and Bnei Akiva in the Land of Israel, led to the building of educational facilities. Kfar Haroeh was followed by the opening of Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh. Rav Chaim Yaakov Goldwicht- graduate of Etz Chaim, Slabodka, and close with the Brisker Rov and Chazon Ish among others - becomes the pioneering Rosh Yeshiva of the fledgling institution. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
409
A Word From Our Listeners Part I
A Word From Our Listeners Part I
Mar 8, 2020
20:48
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 greatest Maagidei Shiurim of our generation? -How does general history cross with Jewish history? -What type of biographies are recommended? -Did immigrants toss their Tefillin at Ellis Island? -Is there a real story behind Chassidic Rebbes who have become segulas? This and more, as the exciting comments come to the fore and are carefully analyzed for relevance and Purim entertainment. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
410
The History of Volozhin Yeshiva Part IV: Talmudists, Zionists and The Golden Age
The History of Volozhin Yeshiva Part IV: Talmudists, Zionists and The Golden Age
Mar 12, 2020
54:35
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 of the Jewish world. With Rav Chaim Brisker's appointment in 1881 as the assistant Rosh Yeshiva, he raised the scholarship in the Yeshiva to a whole new level. Around the year, Volozhin continued with a regular routine of intensive study, with the Yamim Tovim offering a short respite with their accompanying excitement. Alongside these accomplishments, under currents were brewing as well. Secret societies were formed promulgating early forms of Zionism. Haskala literature became popular and got passed around by the students of the Yeshiva. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
411
Lively Graves: Pilgrimages to Lizhensk & Kivrei Tzadikim
Lively Graves: Pilgrimages to Lizhensk & Kivrei Tzadikim
Mar 14, 2020
30:04
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 over the history of the movement, it is seen as a way to connect as well as an opportunity for prayer. One of the more famous destinations has been to grave site of the Rebbe Reb Meilach, the Noam Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717-1787). Glorified as second to the Baal Shem Tov himself, his influence on the movement is almost unparalleled. Following his death, his students began the custom of paying respects at his grave on the yahrtzeit of his death on 21 Adar. This has remained a popular visit till this very day. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
412
A Rebbe With a Geshmak: Remembering Rav Elya Baruch Finkel
A Rebbe With a Geshmak: Remembering Rav Elya Baruch Finkel
Mar 19, 2020
31:07
Rav Elya Baruch Finkel (1947-2008) was one of the most memorable personalities of the Mir in Yerushalayim. From the clarity of his shiurim, the warmth he exuded to all who knew him, to his phenomenal sense of humor that marked every interaction with him. He was both an aristocrat in his familial background, yet accessible and down to earth. Able to impart sage advice to those who sought it, while also able to enjoy a leisurely conversation regaling his listeners with stories from the past. A short compendium of personal recollections of this great man. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
413
When Shabbos Was Sunday: The International Dateline Controversy
When Shabbos Was Sunday: The International Dateline Controversy
Mar 21, 2020
32:32
There are times when a Halachic, legalistic discussion is played out on the stage of history. Such was the dispute in regards to the positioning of the Halachic International Dateline. What conceivably was a theoretical discussion, or at most relevant to the few Jewish travelers to the Far East, became a reality for thousands of refugees who were stranded in Kobe, Japan in 1941. The question of when to observe Shabbos divided the refugee community, with kiddush and havdala being recited simultaneously by different individuals. With Yom Kippur around the corner, a larger question loomed. Two days of shabbos was manageable, but fasting for two days straight was not an exciting prospect. It was a question that was heard around the world. And the answers came in from all sides. The dateline controversy would leave an indelible mark on the memory that refugees had from their sojourn in Kobe, Japan. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
414
Mossad Operations Part I: Yossele Schumacher & Operation Wrath of G-d
Mossad Operations Part I: Yossele Schumacher & Operation Wrath of G-d
Mar 26, 2020
24:40
With its daring operations and continuous mystique, the Israeli Mossad intelligence agency has quite a history. With the founding of the Mossad, it was tasked with securing Israeli intelligence beyond Israel's borders. Nazi hunting and spying in nearby Arab countries were just some of the Mossad operations in the early years. When Yossele Shuchmacher was kidnapped by his grandfather and smuggled out of the country, the affair became a divisive factor within the secular and religious in Israeli society. The Mossad was put on the case, finally locating him in Brooklyn after an exhaustive search. Following the terrible tragedy at the 1972 Olympics, with the murder of 11 Israeli athletes in the infamous Munich Massacre, the Mossad was tasked with revenge. Operation Wrath of G-d was to destroy the Black September terrorist organization which was the perpetrator of the attacks. This was largely successful and most of the principle operatives and terrorists were eliminated. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
415
A Tzadik For All Of Time: The Story of Rav Aryeh Levin
A Tzadik For All Of Time: The Story of Rav Aryeh Levin
Apr 4, 2020
27:06
Few people were as beloved by all who knew him as was Rav Aryeh Levin (1885-1969). Titled "The Tzadik of Jerusalem", "the Rabbi of the Prisoners", "Mashgiach of Eitz Chaim" or simply Reb Aryeh, his warmth and influence traversed the whole spectrum of society. With a simplicity and sincerity, he cared for each individual irrespective of class or background. The stories in this regard are simply limitless, and here are presented a few anecdotal gems about this remarkable individual. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
416
The Heritage of a Leader: The Story of Novominsk in America
The Heritage of a Leader: The Story of Novominsk in America
Apr 7, 2020
25:22
This special tribute to the Novominsker Rebbe has been generously sponsored liluy nishmas the Rebbe Rabbeinu יעקב בן נחום מרדכי by Duvi Silberstein For all Back office for Nursing Home Billing, contact Care Network Health at via phone/text 908-305-0595 With the tragic passing of Rav Yaakov Perlow (1931-2020), the Novominsker Rebbe and head of Agudas Yisrael, this episode is a tribute to his memory. He was someone who seemed to be comfortable anywhere, as a Rosh Yeshiva in both Breuer's in Washington Heights and in Hebrew Theological College in Chicago and in his own Yeshiva in Boro Park since the 1980's. As a Chassidishe Rebbe, a scion of both Novominsk and the legacy of Kotzk, and as an active leader of the larger Jewish community through his leadership of Agudas Yisrael. Where did this all come from? Here we explore a bit of the wellsprings which raised him. The dynasty of Novominsk, the milieu of Chassidic Warsaw, his Kotzk roots, and his father's move to the US. Through this context, we gain an insight into the greatness of who he was and what he accomplished. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
417
Kaput or Kapust: Chabad Splits Up
Kaput or Kapust: Chabad Splits Up
Apr 11, 2020
27:21
The Chassidic dynasty is called Chabad, but it's home for close to a century was the Russian town of Lubavitch. It reached a peak of influence under the able leadership of the Tzemach Tzedek, Rav Menachem Mendel (1789-1866). Following his passing, while his youngest son the Maharash continued in Lubavitch, various other Chabad courts were founded by his siblings. Settling in towns rich in Chabad history, a court was founded in both Lyady and in Nizhyn. There was even one with a Chernobyl flavor in Avrutch. The largest and most influential of the offshoots was in Kapust. Lasting more than a half a century, the Kapust Rebbes took a leading role both within Chassidus and the external struggles facing Russian Jewry. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
418
A Citadel of Torah: The Presidents, Personalities & Roshei Yeshiva of RIETS/YU Part II
A Citadel of Torah: The Presidents, Personalities & Roshei Yeshiva of RIETS/YU Part II
Apr 13, 2020
31:23
In this second installment, we'll examine another few personalities who were associated with the growth of Torah in the United States through their involvement with RIETS/YU. An unparalleled genius, Rav Chaim Heller (1879-1960) served in several capacities, among which he gave classes at RIETS in his later years. He devoted the better part of his scholarly investment towards a refutation of Bible criticism, and wrote extensively on the topic. Perhaps no other name is more synonymous with RIETS than Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, or simply "the Rav" (1903-1993). Succeeding his father's position in 1941, commenced a decades long endeavor of teaching thousands of students and generations of Rabbis. His influence resonates within the institution and beyond till this very day. An earlier builder of of RIETS was the almost forgotten Rabbi Dr. Hillel Hakohen Klein (1849-1926). An architect of Jewish life in New York, he spearheaded many initiatives, projects and institutions, leaving his stamp on almost every area of American traditional life. Among his positions was the presidency of RIETS around the turn of the century. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
419
A Pioneering Scholar: The Travels & Works of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher
A Pioneering Scholar: The Travels & Works of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher
Apr 25, 2020
20:06
One of the most prolific writers in the Jewish world of recent times, Rav Menachem Mendel Kasher (1895-1983), was quite an enigmatic character as well. As a prominent Gerrer Chussid in Warsaw, he was active in the Agudas Yisroel, and had a position in the famous Mesivta of Warsaw. With his move to Eretz Yisroel in the 1920's, he founded and headed the first Gerrer Yeshiva there in Yerushalayim. His primary focus soon turned towards his voluminous writings, which he devoted his life to writing and publishing. A man of strong opinions, he seemed to get mired in controversy wherever he turned. From the eruv in Manhattan to the International Dateline, to his embracing of Messianic Zionism, creativity and a sense of pioneering marked much of his writing and endeavors. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
420
Great American Jewish Cities #1: Far Rockaway
Great American Jewish Cities #1: Far Rockaway
Apr 27, 2020
37:06
With this new series, Jewish History Soundbites seeks to explore the growth of various Jewish communities both within the great urban centers and across the golden plain. Our pilot episode touches on the community of Far Rockaway, lying somewhere in between Queens and Long Island. This resort area which had a Jewish presence even prior to the War, began a growth spurt along with the so called "white flight" to the suburbs in the two decades following the war. Personalities like Rabbis Zelig Fortman, Ralph Pelcovitz, Emanuel Rackman, Nachman Bulman, Shlomo Freifeld, and ybl"ch Rabbi Yechiel Perr, and many more, planted the seeds of a vibrant Orthodox community. Institutions like the White Shul, HILI, Shor Yoshuv, Young Israel, Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, even the Mir made a showing, and later on Yeshivas Darchei Torah. Events from a bygone era like the reception for Rav Kook or the Kovna Rov, the Agudas Harabonim conventions at the kosher hotels all come together to paint a picture of this special Jewish town. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
421
Great American Jewish Cities #2: Baltimore
Great American Jewish Cities #2: Baltimore
May 5, 2020
42:33
One of the most storied Jewish communities in the United States, Baltimore has a fair amount of "firsts". First ordained Orthodox Rabbi to serve in the US - Rabbi Joseph Rice, first Day School outside of NY and first kosher Hot Dog stand at a Major League Baseball stadium. Home to famous institutions like Ner Israel and Talmudical Academy - Chafetz Chaim, and famous individuals like Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, Rabbi Herman Neuberger and Rabbi Moshe Heineman, Baltimore has made its on American Jewish life. At the same time, less famous aspects of the city's past come to life as well, such as the pioneering girls education with the Bais Yaakov of Rabbi Binyamin Steinberg, the Glen Ave Synagogue, and personalities like Rav Michoel Forshlager and Rav Yitzchak Sternhell. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
422
Wisdom & Dignity: The Life and Lessons of Rav Moshe Shapiro
Wisdom & Dignity: The Life and Lessons of Rav Moshe Shapiro
May 16, 2020
34:21
Few can match the depth, breadth and wisdom that Rav Moshe Shapiro (1935-2017) had and shared through many venues to decades of students. As someone who absorbed from many of the greatest Torah scholars and thinkers in his youth, he proceeded to create a synthesis of it all that resulted in his own innovative approach. A great teacher of Torah, Kabbalist, kiruv pioneer and more, he influenced individuals across the spectrum of Jewish society. With a deep appreciation of the wellsprings of the past, he would often travel to Europe to the Jewish communities of old, enabling others to connect to the roots of Jewish identity. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
423
Great American Jewish Cities #4: Cincinnati
Great American Jewish Cities #4: Cincinnati
May 19, 2020
40:07
The oldest Jewish community west of the Allegheny's, Cincinnati wasn't just the home of the Big Red Machine. In the 19th century, Isaac Mayer Wise and Max Lilienthal made Cincinnati the center for the emerging movement of Reform Judaism in the United States. This was culminated in the infamous "Trefa Banquet" incident in 1883. Later on it became a center of Orthodoxy with Rabbis like Rav Avraham Lesser and Rav Leizer Silver pioneering efforts in kashrus, education and leadership positions in the American Rabbinic world. A place of many Jewish firsts on the American Jewish scene, Cincinnati was also home to some of the first kosher food products like Manischewitz machine matza. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
424
From Shanghai to East New York: Stories of Bais Hatalmud
From Shanghai to East New York: Stories of Bais Hatalmud
May 23, 2020
38:03
When a senior group of the lions of the Mir got together in the late 1940's, they formed one of the most unique creations in the annals of the Yeshiva movement. Bais Hatalmud evokes memories of individuals like Rav Leib Malin, Rav Chaim Visoker, Rav Shmuel Charkover and so many other greats from the "Alteh Mir". A place where pre war mussar themes were taken literally and seriously, where the Yeshiva as a place of purity and of an intense atmosphere of growth was held as the ultimate ideal - the "Tzuras Hayeshiva". We'll take a peak into a humble Bais Medrash in East New York (and later Bensonhurst) where Bais Hatalmud's stories can continue to inspire till this very day. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
425
Great American Jewish Cities #5: Chicago
Great American Jewish Cities #5: Chicago
May 26, 2020
51:36
When Jews blew into the Windy City, a great community in the Midwest began to rise. There may have been a World Series drought, but there was no drought of Jewish life and Torah growth in Chicago over the decades. What commenced with the massive immigration to the West Side - Maxwell Street, later Lawndale - in the 19th and early 20th centuries, solidified with the building of great shuls and educational institutions in the ensuing decades. Hebrew Theological College, Telz, Arie Crown, Vietzener Cheder, Lakewood Kollel and so many more. We'll meet personalities like Rav Chaim Tzvi Rubinstein, Rabbi Oscar Fasman, Rav Chaim Kreiswirth, the Novominsker Rebbe, Rav Tzvi Hirsh Meisels, Rav Aharon Soloveitchik, Rav Chaim Zimmerman, Rabbi Ephraim Epstein and many other Chicago personalities. From gourmet food to the Jewish mafia to changing neighborhoods, the story of Jewish Chicago is a major factor in the development of the American Jewish community. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
426
Of Bombs & Money: The Desperate Attempts to Save Hungarian Jewry
Of Bombs & Money: The Desperate Attempts to Save Hungarian Jewry
May 28, 2020
35:02
With most of European Jewry decimated and the Red Army advancing in the east, the Hungarian Jewish community remained the last great center of Jewish life on the continent. Following the German invasion of Hungary in March 1944, senior SS officers were dispatched to Budapest to organize the deportations, which were to commence immediately and with terrifying speed. Legendary rescue activist Rabbi Michael Ber Weissmandel had years of experience at various rescue attempts by dealing directly with the Nazis from occupied Slovakia. He, together with his fellow members of the Working Group such as Gisi Fleischman, now turned to make a last ditch attempt at saving Hungarian Jewry. He did this in three ways: 1. The time tested efforts at bribery and ransom. This included closely following the negotiations that took place in Budapest between the Nazis and the Relief & Rescue Committee. 2. Beseeching the Allied Powers to bomb the crematorium at Auschwitz and the railways leading there. 3. Warning Hungarian Jewry what was in store for them. Though largely unsuccessful, his valiant efforts at rescue are a testimony to the greatness of this heroic individual and to the story of that tragic period of time. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
427
Making of a Godol Stories Part I
Making of a Godol Stories Part I
May 31, 2020
31:25
Meticulously researched and 1,400 pages long, the monumental work "Making of a Godol", contains a wealth of stories about great Jewish leaders of yesteryear. In honor the first yahrtzeit of the author Rav Nosson Kamenetsky, whose decades long research produced this masterpiece, a selection of choice anecdotes from within its pages are presented here. From the great city of Minsk to the hallowed halls of Volozhin Yeshiva to the small shtetls of Lithuania, from Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz to Rav Yisrael Salanter and Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky and many more. The tapestry of Jewish life that goes on display through these timeless stories, can serve to continually educate and inspire. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
428
Great American Jewish Cities #6 Washington Heights Part I
Great American Jewish Cities #6 Washington Heights Part I
Jun 4, 2020
38:24
At the northern tip of Manhattan, Washington Heights is a city neighborhood, while distant enough from the hustle and bustle of Midtown. Already with a Jewish presence at the turn of the century, it rose to prominence with the arrival of Yeshiva College/RIETS uptown from the Lower East Side in 1929. This was immediately followed in the 1930's with the huge influx of German Jewish refugees fleeing Nazism. A small group, together with the newly arrived Rav Dr. Joseph Breuer, founded K'hal Adath Jeshurun thus firmly establishing the neighborhoods reputation as "Frankfurt on the Hudson". Here we'll explore the varied institutions of this Kehilla, the rise and growth of the YU campus, as well some of the additional shuls and shtibels of the area. We will encounter personalities like Rav Breur, Rav Shimon Schwab, Dr. Raphael Moller, Rav Revel, Rav Soloveitchik, Rav Hershel and Rebbetzin Shoshana Schachter, Henry Kissinger, Lou Gherig and many more. Traveling through time and hearing about about the schools, kashrus, the eruv, shiurim, vacation, migration trends and other exciting anecdotes of Washington Heights. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
429
Washington Heights Part II: Rav Schachter Remembers
Washington Heights Part II: Rav Schachter Remembers
Jun 4, 2020
39:12
At the northern tip of Manhattan, Washington Heights is a city neighborhood while distant enough from the hustle and bustle of Midtown. Already with a Jewish presence at the turn of the century, it rose to prominence with the arrival of Yeshiva College/RIETS uptown from the Lower East Side in 1929. This was immediately followed in the 1930's with the huge influx of German Jewish refugees fleeing Nazism. A small group, together with the newly arrived Rav Dr. Joseph Breuer, founded K'hal Adath Jeshurun thus firmly establishing the neighborhoods reputation as "Frankfurt on the Hudson". Here we'll explore the varied institutions of this Kehilla, the rise and growth of the YU campus, as well some of the additional shuls and shtibels of the area. We will encounter personalities like Rav Breur, Rav Shimon Schwab, Dr. Raphael Moller, Rav Revel, Rav Soloveitchik, Rav Hershel and Rebbetzin Shoshana Schachter, Henry Kissinger, Lou Gherig and many more. Traveling through time and hearing about about the schools, kashrus, the eruv, shiurim, vacation, migration trends and other exciting anecdotes of Washington Heights. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
430
The History of The Volozhin Yeshiva Part 5: Closing Time
The History of The Volozhin Yeshiva Part 5: Closing Time
Jun 7, 2020
45:24
Several factors came together which forced the great Yeshiva of Volozhin to close its doors on a cold winter day in 1892. The Yeshiva had been under close scrutiny from the Czarist government for decades, with various attempts at meddling with the Yeshiva's internal affairs, including attempts at implementing a general studies curriculum for Volozhin. The aging Netziv, seeking a successor who would help alleviate the crushing financial burden of the Yeshiva, brought in his son Rav Chaim Berlin as his replacement. The ensuing turmoil as a result of the succession dispute, led the Czarist officials to the conclusion that anarchy reigned within the Yeshiva and Volozhin must be closed. Although later attempts were made to reopen the legendary doors of Volozhin, the glory days were over for the "mother of the modern Yeshiva". This final installment is part 5 and not part 6 as was mistakenly said on the recording. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
431
From Refugee to Royalty: Rav Shneur & Rebbitzin Rishel Kotler
From Refugee to Royalty: Rav Shneur & Rebbitzin Rishel Kotler
Jun 20, 2020
39:43
Among the great builders of Torah of the twentieth century were Rav Shneur (1918-1982) & Rebbetzin Rishel Kotler (1923-2015). At times overshadowed by his illustrious father Rav Aharon, Rav Shneur's accomplishments were wide ranging and impressive in their own right. As a young refugee, he lived by his grandfather Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer in Yerushalayim, arriving in the United States after the war. With his characteristic simplicity and modesty, he'd go on to preside over the exponential growth of the Lakewood Yeshiva following his father's passing. This was in addition to his myriad communal responsibilities, along with his own initiatives such as the opening of a string of Kollels across the fruited plain. The Friedman family was among the most prominent Torah and mussar families first in Memel and later in Kovna. Young Rishel would be exposed to the leading Rabbinical scholars of the day through her parents hospitality. Fleeing to Shanghai while her fiancee was on the other side of the world, they finally married after the war. Surviving her husband by more than three decades, she oversaw the growth and expansion of the Yeshiva, while monitoring its activities behind the scenes. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
432
Great American Jewish Cities #9: Seattle
Great American Jewish Cities #9: Seattle
Jun 30, 2020
46:56
Out in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle boasts a rich Jewish past. As the last stop coming from the east, the first stop when arriving from Vladivostok and a destination during the Klondike gold rush, Seattle's Jewish community grew immensely at the turn of the century. Rabbinical leaders like Rabbi Baruch & Rebbetzin Hinda Shapiro, Rabbi Solomon Maimon, Rav Chaim Yaakov Levin, even a short stint of Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky plus many more. Personalities like Samuel, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, along with native sons Rabbis Nisson Wolpin, Yissachar Frand, Marc Angel and others. We share the story of Seattle’s Business Leaders, Jewish Music Legends and some regular folks. Seattle emerges as a diverse and fascinating story. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
433
Great American Jewish Cities #10: Philadelphia
Great American Jewish Cities #10: Philadelphia
Jul 7, 2020
48:01
Perhaps no other city in the United States can boast of such a long, rich and consistent Jewish history narrative as the City of Brotherly Love. Historic synagogues like Mikveh Israel - which at one point received funding from Benjamin Franklin, and Rodeph Shalom which was the first Ashkenazi shul in the Western Hemisphere are symbols of the colonial era Jewish community. The 19th century saw Isaac Leeser, Sabato Morias, Marcus Jastrow and others make their mark on the development of Philadelphia Jewish life and their influence on the wider American Jewish community. The interwar period brought Chassidic Rebbes, great philanthropists and even the Lubavitcher Rebbe - who visited the Liberty Bell - to Philadelphia. Led by a succession of great rabbinical leaders like Rabbis Bernard Levinthal, Ephraim Eliezer Yolles, Baruch Leizerowski, Sholom Shneiderman, Moshe Lifshitz and many others including the contemporary Rabbi Avraham Shemtov. The Philadelphia Yeshiva was founded by Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky and together with Rav Elya Svei, Rav Mendel Kaplan and other greats have made it one of the premier Torah institutions in the United States. Philadelphia personalities as diverse as Benjamin Guggenheim, Uriah Phillips Levy and Binyamin Netanyahu make their appearance as well in this city rich with Jewish history. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
434
Stories of Ner Israel Part II
Stories of Ner Israel Part II
Jul 9, 2020
22:58
In the annals of the Yeshiva movement, the story of Ner Israel Rabbinical College occupies a position of its own. Named for founder of the Mussar movement Rav Yisrael Salanter on the foundations of the world of Slabodka, it then pioneered a vision adaptable to the world of the American Yeshiva student. Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman as founder, Rosh Yeshiva, educator and personification of greatness in Torah scholarship, led generations of students, molding and guiding on the path of Torah greatness. Aided by his brother in law the legendary activist Rabbi Herman Neuberger, together built up the Yeshiva into a veritable empire. Luminaries such as the Mashgiach Rav Dovid Kronglas, the Rosh Yeshiva Rav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg, Rav Yaakov Moshe Kulefsky, and many more graced the Yeshiva with the presence and their incalculable influence is very much felt till today. As a premier Torah institution, Ner Israel has influenced and continues to influence Jewish life in the greater Yeshiva world, the Baltimore Jewish community, across the United States and beyond, down to this very day. In honor of Rav Ruderman's recent yahrtzeit, presented here is but a small sampling of anecdotes of the Yeshiva's gloried past. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
435
A Historic Campaign: The Chofetz Chaim Sefer Torah
A Historic Campaign: The Chofetz Chaim Sefer Torah
Jul 11, 2020
33:19
The Lithuanian Yeshiva world in interwar Poland was facing financial crisis. The Vaad Hayeshivas was the umbrella organization which sought to alleviate the financial burden from the Yeshivas. With the passing of the Chofetz Chaim, the beloved leader, as well as founder and head of the Vaad Hayeshivas in September 1933, the Jewish People was plunged into mourning. The Vaad Hayeshivas embarked on a campaign to write a Sefer Torah in memory of the Chofetz Chaim. Each letter would be sold, and the proceeds would go toward funding the Yeshivas which were in ever desperate straits. This would be a world wide campaign, in which it was hoped that all would desire to partake in this special endeavor. The Sefer Torah was duly written, with individuals from Jewish communities around the world having bought letters and receiving a special certificate as acknowledgement of their participation. Amid great festivities, the Torah was dedicated in honor of the 2nd yahrtzeit of the Chofetz Chaim in Elul 1935, where it was brought from Vilna to Radin. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
436
A Lithuanian Mystic: Rav Shlomo Elyashiv
A Lithuanian Mystic: Rav Shlomo Elyashiv
Jul 16, 2020
17:55
Rav Shlomo Elyashiv was one of the greatest Kabbalists in recent Jewish history. Settling in the town of Shavl, he proceeded to author his magnum opus the Leshem Shevo Veachlama, and influencing young Rabbis like Rav Kook in kabbalistic teachings. In 1924, he moved to Eretz Yisroel together with his daughter and son in law Rav Avraham Levinson who changed his name to Elyashiv at this time. They were accompanied by their Bar Mitzvah age son, the future Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, they became an influential family, with Rav Avraham Elyashiv founding the Tiferes Bachurim organization, which provided a framework for Torah study for the young working men of the Old Yishuv. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
437
Maharam Brisk & the Hungarian Yeshiva World
Maharam Brisk & the Hungarian Yeshiva World
Jul 18, 2020
28:12
The title "Yeshiva World" usually conjures images of the great citadels of Torah of Lithuania, but parallel to that development was the Yeshiva world in Hungary. Large in size and unique in style, the Hungarian Yeshiva world provided generations of Hungarian communities with Rabbis, teachers and a rich traditional life. One of the most prominent of these Yeshivas in the generation before the war was that of the Maharam Brisk in Toshnad (Tasnad), Transylvania. As one of the leading Rabbis of his day, he did much to strengthen Jewish life in the entire district. His Yeshiva became one of the largest - over 300 students - and from the most prestigious in the entire country. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
438
Great American Jewish Cities #12: The Lower East Side
Great American Jewish Cities #12: The Lower East Side
Jul 21, 2020
39:57
The cradle of civilization. The melting pot. The place where it all began. The ghetto, tenement buildings, overcrowded sweatshops. Romantic memories of a picturesque neighborhood, with beautiful shuls and a rich culture. Great rabbis, active socialists and the Jewish mob. The first Yeshivas, labor unions and delicatessens. Huddled masses pushcart sellers and the Yiddish Theatre. The descriptions of this unforgettable neighborhood can go on forever, and we wouldn't even scratch the surface. When at its peak, the density was the highest in the entire world, with the largest Jewish population in the world. The constant stream of immigrants created a diversity of Jewish life that is unmatched anywhere else. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
439
Great American Jewish Cities #12: The Lower East Side Part II
Great American Jewish Cities #12: The Lower East Side Part II
Jul 23, 2020
34:56
The cradle of civilization. The melting pot. The place where it all began. The ghetto, tenement buildings, overcrowded sweatshops. Romantic memories of a picturesque neighborhood, with beautiful shuls and a rich culture. Great rabbis, active socialists and the Jewish mob. The first Yeshivas, labor unions and delicatessens. Huddled masses pushcart sellers and the Yiddish Theatre. The descriptions of this unforgettable neighborhood can go on forever, and we wouldn't even scratch the surface. When at its peak, the density was the highest in the entire world, with the largest Jewish population in the world. The constant stream of immigrants created a diversity of Jewish life that is unmatched anywhere else. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
440
Great American Jewish Cities #13: Cleveland Part I
Great American Jewish Cities #13: Cleveland Part I
Jul 26, 2020
33:37
This great city of the Midwest hosted some impressive events, institutions and personalities throughout its Jewish community's long history. Once a center of Reform Judaism with Abba Hillel Silver, it was also home to one of the earliest short lived Yeshivas in the United States when Rav Yehuda Levenberg moved his New Haven Yeshiva to Cleveland. Rabbi Israel Porath was the long time Rabbinic leader, but it was Telz Yeshiva and its great leadership that really transformed the town. Rav Elya Meir Bloch, Rav Mottel Katz, Rav Mordechai Gifter, Rav Baruch Sorotzkin and many more transformed Cleveland and the Yeshiva world at large with the aristocracy of Telz. The Telz impact was felt with the founding of the Hebrew Academy by the Dessler Family and the Yavneh Girls school. The great philanthropists of Cleveland included Irving Stone, the Spero brothers and Mendy Klein. Chassidus struck roots in Cleveland with the Cleveland dynasty, Chabad and even Kaliv. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
441
Great American Jewish Cities #13: Cleveland Part II
Great American Jewish Cities #13: Cleveland Part II
Jul 27, 2020
33:26
This great city of the Midwest hosted some impressive events, institutions and personalities throughout its Jewish community's long history. Once a center of Reform Judaism with Abba Hillel Silver, it was also home to one of the earliest short lived Yeshivas in the United States when Rav Yehuda Levenberg moved his New Haven Yeshiva to Cleveland. Rabbi Israel Porath was the long time Rabbinic leader, but it was Telz Yeshiva and its great leadership that really transformed the town. Rav Elya Meir Bloch, Rav Mottel Katz, Rav Mordechai Gifter, Rav Baruch Sorotzkin and many more transformed Cleveland and the Yeshiva world at large with the aristocracy of Telz. The Telz impact was felt with the founding of the Hebrew Academy by the Dessler Family and the Yavneh Girls school. The great philanthropists of Cleveland included Irving Stone, the Spero brothers and Mendy Klein. Chassidus struck roots in Cleveland with the Cleveland dynasty, Chabad and even Kaliv. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
442
Brisk in the Holy Land Part I
Brisk in the Holy Land Part I
Aug 2, 2020
39:44
Escaping from war torn Europe, Rav Yitzchok Zev (Velvalleh) Soloveitchik known to posterity as the Brisker Rov, arrived in the Holy Land in the spring of 1941. Though tragically his wife and three of his children weren't able to make it out, the Rov and his seven remaining children continued the Soloveitchik dynasty in Israel. His oldest son Rav Berel became Rosh Yeshiva, while his daughter Lifsheh ran the house and eventually married Rav Michel Feinstein. Rav Rephoel was his father's dedicated right hand man and became legendary for his communal activism. Rav Meir and ybl"ch Rav Dovid launched successful Yeshivas of their own. Each branch of the family added their own to the enduring Soloveitchik aristocratic legacy. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
443
Great American Jewish Cities #14: Miami
Great American Jewish Cities #14: Miami
Aug 5, 2020
45:37
Original home to the Miami Boys Choir and to the Jewish owned Miami Heat, Palm Beach County also has the largest concentrated Jewish population in the world outside of Israel. Though attractive as the sunny alternative to the harsh New York winter, the Miami Jewish community developed independently building infrastructure and institutions. It was in the post war era that things began to take off. The visionary Rabbi Alexander Gross was one of the great architects of the community's growth. Other early leaders of the community included Rabbis Aryeh Rottman, Berel Wein, along with the early shluchim Rav Avraham & Rivka Korf and later the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Leibel Schapiro. The Yeshiva with Rabbi Yochanan Zweig at the helm has greatly impacted the community as well. Yet through the decades Miami had been famous for hosting great Jewish leaders who vacationed there during the winter months. This phenomenon would have a long lasting and unique impact on the community's growth along with the exposure to the diversity of the entire Jewish people. With Larry King, Myer Lansky and Ron Dermer all making appearances as well, the story of the Jews of South Florida is another glorious chapter in American Jewish History. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
444
Echoes of Novardok on the Streets of Bnei Brak: The Steipler Story
Echoes of Novardok on the Streets of Bnei Brak: The Steipler Story
Aug 8, 2020
23:54
Born into a chassidic home in Ukraine, Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (1899-1985) subsequently studied in the Novardok Yeshiva later becoming a Rebbi at the Pinsk branch of the network. Upon his move to Israel in 1934, he joined his famed brother in law the Chazon Ish and also assumed a position in the Novardok branch in Bnei Brak. In his later years he assumed a position of leadership in the Torah world alongside Rav Shach. At the same time he authored his magnum opus Kehillas Yaakov, while also becoming renowned for his sage advice in all contemporary matters in the Jewish world. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
445
Great American Jewish Cities #15: The Five Towns
Great American Jewish Cities #15: The Five Towns
Aug 12, 2020
43:28
Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Hewlett, Inwood. Somehow the individual names come together to form the larger Jewish community of the Five Towns. Historically an upscale suburban area that boasted country clubs and golf courses that didn't welcome Jews, the demographics began to change in the post war. Shuls like Beth Shalom, Young Israel of Woodmere, Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst were formed over time. They were led by pioneering Rabbis like Rabbis Gil Klaperman, Shya Lebor, Nochum Tzvi Kornmehl and many others. With the arrival of Rav Binyamin Kamenetsky in 1956 and the founding of the Yeshiva of South Shore, Jewish education was ensured a future in the Five Towns. Of course eating is an important component of Jewish life in the region, and Central Avenue would become the home of a variety of famous eateries. Colorful personalities, philanthropists, politicians and activists all called the Five Towns home, and we'll meet some of them on this Jewish history journey into Long Island. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
446
Great American Jewish Cities #16: Los Angeles
Great American Jewish Cities #16: Los Angeles
Aug 19, 2020
49:25
The rich Jewish past of Tinseltown is worth at least a full length feature. The architects of Hollywood were Jewish immigrants, who were joined by many talented Jews heading west, who created an entire industry and cultural revolution. Orthodox Judaism took a bit longer to strike roots, but Rabbi Simon Dolgin and other intrepid pioneers planted the first seeds which blossomed with the arrival of many survivors in the post war era. From Beth Jacob to YICC, from Toras Emes to YULA, from Venice Beach to Pico Robertson, LA has a Jewish story to tell. Rav Simcha Wasserman built a Yeshiva named for his illustrious father, Rabbi Marvin Heir built the Wiesenthal Center, and philanthropists from Sam Menlo to Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz funded one initiative after another. One of the first community Kollels in the United States had a great impact on the community's growth as well. Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
447
The Maharal of Prague
The Maharal of Prague
Apr 3, 2022
28:29
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 operated in? The Maharal was a communal rabbi in his hometown of Poznan (Poland), Nikolsburg (Moravia) and Prague (Bohemia). He was a posek and kabbalist, a communal leader and a prolific author. He stood at a crossroads of Jewish history and made a decisive impact in his own time and through his legacy. Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire moved the seat of the royal court to the Prague Castle in 1583, and his religious tolerance coupled with his eccentric obsession with the occult sciences added to Prague’s mystical reputation. And it was in Prague where the Maharal would lead the community, teach his students and publish many of his acclaimed works. This episode of Jewish History Soundbites on the Maharal is sponsored by “Short Machshava on the Daf”, a project of Machsheves Yechezkel. The Short Machshava Shiur aims to give an understanding of the Agadita/Machshava of every Daf in shas, following the Daf Yomi schedule, adding a new Depth to the Daf, and is given by Rabbi Yechezkel Hartman, a Talmid of Rabbi Moshe Shapiro zt"l, Maggid Shiur in Lawrence NY and son of Rav Yehoshua Hartman, the publisher and editor of many works of the Maharal. Available on machshevesyechezkel.com Whatsapp- https://bit.ly/shortmwa4 All Major Podcast Platforms - https://bit.ly/shortmpodcast TorahAnytime- https://www.torahanytime.com/#/speaker?l=882 All Daf- https://alldaf.org/series/4102/ For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
448
Rabbi & Educator: Rav Avigdor Miller Part II
Rabbi & Educator: Rav Avigdor Miller Part II
Apr 7, 2022
34:45
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 moved to East Flatbush, Brooklyn in 1945 and would remain there for the next three decades. He assumed a position as mashgiach in Yeshiva Chaim Berlin in Brownsville, and began educating his young charges with the values he had brought from Slabodka. At around the same time he was hired as congregational rabbi at the Young Israel of Rugby, where he would have a decisive impact on generations of congregants. Following his departure from Chaim Berlin in 1965, he expanded the scope of his activities with his involvement in other Brooklyn Yeshivos such as Netzach Yisroel, Mir and Eastern Parkway. In addition, he gave classes to the girls of Bais Yaakov in Williamsburg and Boro Park. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
449
From Rugby to the World Stage: Rav Avigdor Miller Part III
From Rugby to the World Stage: Rav Avigdor Miller Part III
Apr 14, 2022
33:21
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 rabbi primarily as a teacher of Torah, and he envisioned a community committed to Jewish observance and Torah study. To that end he focused on teaching Torah, engaging in the delivery of classes for beginners in Gemara and a myriad of other topics. With the demographics changing in East Flatbush in the early 1970’s, Rav Miller took the unprecedented step of moving his entire congregation to Flatbush. In his later years his impact and influence exponentially increased beyond the confines of his congregation through the publication of his books, the increased attendance of his lectures - especially his Thursday night lecture - and the dissemination of his recorded lectures on cassette tapes. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
450
More than a Miracle Worker: Rav Eliyahu Guttmacher
More than a Miracle Worker: Rav Eliyahu Guttmacher
Apr 25, 2022
30:24
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 petition him asking for his blessings and prayers on every conceivable issue. A student of Rav Akiva Eiger, he was also a Kabbalist, and later a proto Zionist and supporter of the ideas of his colleague Rav Tzvi Hirsh Kalisher. In 1932 a large cache of kvittelech sent to Rav Guttmacher was discovered. An analysis of this rare collection yields much information on the social, economic and religious life of Polish Jewry during the 19th century. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
451
Get it? The Strange Story of the ’Get of Cleves’
Get it? The Strange Story of the ’Get of Cleves’
May 2, 2022
34:28
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 capability of participating in a divorce ceremony, soon exploded into a general dispute about a rabbinical courts sole jurisdiction over a halachic dispute and the imposing of majority opinion among rabbis. While the Frankfurt rabbinical court maintained that the groom in question was insane and therefore the get which he delivered was invalid, an increasing number of rabbis across Europe agreed with Rav Yisrael Lifshitz regarding the validity of the get. Eventually Rav Yechezkel Landau of Prague, the Noda B'yehuda, entered the fray, insisting that the divorce document was valid. The dispute can be viewed within the larger context of events of Jewish society of the 18th century, with loosening control of the kahal and early signs of modernity causing instability within the circles of established authority. This episode is sponsored by Legacy Judaica in honor of their upcoming auction, Sunday, May 8, 2022, 1:00 PM EST. The catalog is available here: https://bidspirit.com/r/3axy For a unique opportunity to purchase historical artifacts, books, letters of historical personalities and more, check out the Legacy Judaica auction. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
452
Hungarian Royalty: The Chasam Sofer & His Family
Hungarian Royalty: The Chasam Sofer & His Family
May 7, 2022
36:05
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 confronted the challenges of modernity, and led the forming of a traditional response in changing times. A component of the legacy of the Chasam Sofer was his illustrious family, who emerged as something of a rabbinic dynasty in the ensuing generations. His son the Ksav Sofer succeeded him in Pressburg, while another son Rav Shimon Sofer was the rabbi of Krakow. Many of his descendants were rabbis all over the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many either escaped or survived the war and continued his legacy in the rebuilding during the post war until this very day. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
453
A Chassid in Krakow: The Maor Veshemesh
A Chassid in Krakow: The Maor Veshemesh
May 22, 2022
39:48
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 bulk of his childhood selling bagels in the streets of Krakow to support his family. He eventually emerged as a budding Torah scholar, and later joined the nascent Chassidic movement, becoming a close follower of the Noam Elimelech of Lizhensk. He later attempted to establish a chassidic presence in Krakow, but faced much opposition from the establishment. Eventually returning to his home town of Neustadt, he gained a following, while he himself continued to travel to the great tzadikim of his day. His burial site in Krakow is much visited until this very day, while his primary legacy in the form of his sefer Maor Veshemesh is sometimes referred to as ‘the Shulchan Aruch of Chassidus’. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
454
Captain from Kovno: Rav Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor
Captain from Kovno: Rav Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor
Jun 19, 2022
36:38
Perhaps the most acclaimed leader of Russian Jewry of the 19th century was Rav Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor (1817-1896). A long-time Rabbi of Kovno, his impact reached the far reaches of the Russian Empire and beyond. He served as the leading posek in all halachic matters, the arbiter of many disputes and lent his name to diverse causes such as the Kovno Persushim Kollel and Chovevei Zion. Exhibiting leadership on the burning issues of the day, he forged a relationship with the financial elite in St. Petersburg and with Czarist government officials lobbying on behalf of the general community. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
455
Jewish Saviors of the Holocaust Part I: Monsieur & the Belgian Orphans
Jewish Saviors of the Holocaust Part I: Monsieur & the Belgian Orphans
Jul 5, 2022
46:59
Jewish History Soundbites is proud to launch a special series entitled ‘Jewish Saviors of the Holocaust’. It will explore the narratives of Jews under Nazi occupation risking their lives to save others during the Holocaust. Each unique profile will explore another story, angle and individual (or group of individuals) who though their own lives were at risk still did everything in their power to save others. The series opens with the story of Yona Tiefenbrunner, known to the orphans he saves as ‘Monsieur’. Born in Germany, he arrived as a refugee in Belgium shortly before the war’s outbreak. He initially opened an orphanage at his own expense in order to assist German Jewish refugee children. With the Nazi occupation of Belgium and the subsequent deportations in 1942, his Brussels orphanage emerged as an island of rescue, as the Nazis miraculously allowed the orphanage to operate and spare the children from deportation to the east. Maintaining a semblance of normalcy under increasingly challenging conditions, Yona managed to care for the orphans' physical and religious welfare until liberation. Following the war, the orphanage relocated to Antwerp and cared for children survivors until its closing in 1960. To dedicate an episode in the Jewish History Soundbites ‘Jewish Saviors of the Holocaust’ series, please contact Yehuda at [email protected] For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
456
Growth & Consolidation: The Lev Simcha
Growth & Consolidation: The Lev Simcha
Jul 7, 2022
42:11
Rav Simcha Bunim Alter (1898-1992), the Lev Simcha of Ger, was a leader during a time period of growth and consolidation. Having grown up in Poland and emerged as a great Torah scholar, he moved to Palestine in 1934, and then returned to Poland shortly before the war and was a crucial player in facilitating his father’s escape from the Nazi inferno. Upon his older brother the Bais Yisrael’s assuming the mantle of leadership in 1948, the Lev Simcha sojourned in Paris and Antwerp for several years before returning to Israel. In 1977, at the age of 79, he became the leader of the Ger Chassidic community, and immediately embarked on a series of innovative measures to enhance the lives of his chassidim whom he cared for in a fatherly way. He pioneered the establishment of Chassidic communities on the periphery for cheaper housing, and encouraged his followers to look after their health and quit smoking. In many ways he expressed his practical understanding and ability to creatively confront the changing demographics his era had been presented with. On the world scene, he continued the legacy of his forebears as the leader of Agudas Yisrael in the political realm, and presented the idea of the Daf Yomi of Yerushalmy at the Knessiah Gedolah in 1980. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
457
From Young Rosh Yeshiva to Senior Sage: Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer Part II
From Young Rosh Yeshiva to Senior Sage: Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer Part II
Jul 28, 2022
39:48
Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer (1870-1953) was a great Torah leader of the 20th century, whose life story spanned eras and continents. As a young teenager he studied in the vaunted Volozhin Yeshiva, then married into the prestigious Frank family of Kovno, where he subsequently was appointed rosh yeshiva of Slabodka. This was followed by his departure for Slutzk where he remained as rosh yeshiva and later as communal rabbi for decades. Following the formation of the Soviet Union and the challenges of maintaining religious life therein, he immigrated to Palestine in 1925. There he assumed the leadership of the Eitz Chaim yeshiva and served in several leadership positions in both the yishuv and later in Israel, where he oversaw the growth of the emerging Torah community. To dedicate an episode in the Jewish History Soundbites ‘Jewish Saviors of the Holocaust’ series, please contact Yehuda at [email protected] Jewish History Soundbites is coming to NY! Register here for the upcoming tour of the Mt. Judah cemetery with Yehuda Geberer on July 29, 9:30 am For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
458
The Working Group & its Desperate Rescue Attempts
The Working Group & its Desperate Rescue Attempts
Aug 5, 2022
1:05:28
The Slovakian Working Group was likely the most heroic attempt at Jewish rescue during the Holocaust. Dealing directly with the SS and their Slovak collaborators, members of the Working Group bribed the perpetrators, smuggled goods and Jews across borders and disseminated information regarding the development of the Final Solution to Switzerland and Hungary. Representing the full gamut of Slovakian Jewry, the Working Group included Gisi Fleischmann of the Zionist movement who was also a representative of the Joint Distribution Committee, Rav Michoel Ber Weissmandel who represented the Orthodox community, the Zionist leader Dr. Oskar Neumann, the Neolog rabbi Armin Freider, and the assimilationists Dr. Tibor Kovac and Andrej Steiner. Together they formulated ever daring plans to save Jews. Though most of their plans didn’t come to fruition, their heroism stands as the most daring attempt to save Jewish lives during the Holocaust. To dedicate an episode in the Jewish History Soundbites ‘Jewish Saviors of the Holocaust’ series, please contact Yehuda at [email protected] With Tisha B'Av approaching, check out Aleph Beta's collection of inspiring Tisha B'Av videos. Rabbi David Fohrman, founder of Aleph Beta, explores some of the most beloved Tisha B'Av texts to discover the deeper meaning and relevance of the day. And for a limited time only, our listeners get $18 off an annual Aleph Beta membership, which will give you access to all the Tisha b’av videos plus hundreds more on parsha and the other holidays. Go to Aleph Beta and enter coupon code Soundbites22 for $18 off an annual premium membership. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
459
A Light in the Darkness: Rav Levi Yitzchak Schneerson
A Light in the Darkness: Rav Levi Yitzchak Schneerson
Aug 17, 2022
37:35
Rav Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (1878-1944), father of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Rav Menachem Mendel Schneerson, served as rabbi in Yekaterinoslav in the Soviet Union. As he valiantly attempted to maintain traditional Jewish life under increasingly challenging conditions under the communist regime, he succeeded in opening a mikva, baking matzos, answered halachic queries, collected charity and distributed it to the needy, kept the shul open for services and celebrated the Jewish holidays with his community. These illegal and anti Soviet activities eventually led to his arrest and interrogation at the hands of the NKVD in 1939. They didn’t succeed in breaking him during lengthy interrogations, and the transcripts of the NKVD on his file serve as an invaluable resource to understanding the narrative of his arrest and eventual exile. Sentenced to five years of exile in far away Chili, Kazakhstan, he was soon joined by his wife Rebbetzin Chana, who cared for him as his health deteriorated and they often faced starvation during their long years of isolation. Her memoirs provide another invaluable window into the tribulations which they sustained during this challenging time. He passed away on 20 Av, 1944 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
460
On the Cusp of Modernity: The Noda B’yehuda
On the Cusp of Modernity: The Noda B’yehuda
Sep 4, 2022
34:21
The Jewish world of the 18th century was at the nexus of internal and external transformative events which would lead into the modern era. Political changes included the effects of the Seven Years War in central Europe and the partitions of Poland to the east. Internal Jewish disputes such as the Get of Kleves and the Rav Emden Rav Eybeschutz controversy, were accompanied by the challenges presented by the remnants of the Sabbatean movement, the spread of the nascent Chassidic movement and the early Haskala. With a leadership career spanning the majority of this tempestuous century, Rav Yechezkal Landau (1713-1793), the Noda B’yehuda, rose to the occasion navigating through the turbulent waters which the Jewish community faced throughout. World renowned as a posek, he also ran a yeshiva and exhibited prodigious leadership skills both internally as well as with the government of Austria. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
461
The Royals & The Jews
The Royals & The Jews
Sep 10, 2022
31:12
The Jewish People have had a long relationship with British royalty. From the expulsion of the Jews from England by King Edward I in 1290 to the resettlement which continued despite King Charles II returning to the throne in 1660. From Queen Victoria’s knighting Sir Moses Montefiore, to King George VI and his overseeing the end of the British Mandate on Palestine. From Princess Alice risking her life to saving Jews in Greece during the Holocaust to Queen Elizabeth II receiving Holocaust survivors on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Though Queen Elizabeth II never visited the State of Israel, the Jewish community of Britain enjoyed a warm relationship with the royal family in recent history. Check out these related episodes: Jews of London Part I: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/british-royals-baalei-tosfos-blood-libels-the-story-of-london-part-i/ Jews of London Part II: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/from-cromwell-to-montefiore-the-jews-of-london-part-ii/ For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
462
Chasam Sofer Part II: Old Traditions, New Message
Chasam Sofer Part II: Old Traditions, New Message
Oct 2, 2022
35:18
“Chadash Asur Min Hatorah” - Anything new is forbidden, has become a slogan in defense of Jewish tradition confronting the challenges of modernity. Formulated by Rav Moshe Sofer (1762-1839) the Chasam Sofer and longtime rabbi of Pressburg (Bratislava), he has become a symbol of the combatant and fearless leadership in defense of tradition against the onslaught of changes to that hallowed tradition. How did he do it? What were his methods? What was the context of the challenges he was facing? What complexities existed at the time which led the Chasam Sofer to exalt custom, restore the honor of the rabbinate and to be posthumously recognized as the father of Orthodoxy? Check out Part I about the Chasam Sofer and his family: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/hungarian-royalty-the-chasam-sofer-his-family/ For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
463
Chasam Sofer Part III: A Pressburg Situation
Chasam Sofer Part III: A Pressburg Situation
Oct 24, 2022
29:47
Rav Moshe Sofer (1762-1839) - the Chasam Sofer - led the Pressburg Jewish community for 33 years. From the time of his initial appointment he faced struggles and challenges from progressive elements within the community. Even as the Chasam Sofer gained renown across the Habsburg Empire, he still was confronted with an unsuccessful attempt by community leaders in Pressburg to forcefully close his large and prestigious yeshiva and remove him from his rabbinical position. His tactful and ultimately successful approach to navigate these local challenges influenced his general outlook and leadership within the context of the broad reaches of Central Europe. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
464
Our Grandfathers Came to this Land
Our Grandfathers Came to this Land
Nov 2, 2022
32:03
The Great Immigration was the population movement of millions of Jews primarily from Eastern Europe to the United States and other countries over the course of a half century between 1875-1924. Although the process, scope, catalysts, challenges of the immigration and immigrants are fascinating aspects of the story, perhaps the most unique angle is the fact that the entire endeavor was a ‘silent revolution’. Throughout the 19th century the Jewish community in Russia and elsewhere debated, discussed and pondered solutions to the many challenges facing the Jewish community and Jewish identity in the modern era. No solutions were incredibly successful. Yet one was. Immigration. It completely transformed the Jewish landscape. And it was this solution which was really a silent revolution, for it had no leadership, no political platform, no organization. It was a grassroots movement from rank and file anonymous individuals making subjective life choices regarding migration. It was this silent revolution which made a decisive and quite astounding impact on the future of the Jewish People. Sponsored by the OU’s Teach Coalition, whose network of thousands of activists just like you, are urging you to go out and vote in the upcoming elections on November 8, 2022. For help contact the voter hotline at 646-459-5162 or https://teachcoalition.org/vote/ For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
465
Organizing Orthodoxy: The Story of the Agudath Harabonim Part I
Organizing Orthodoxy: The Story of the Agudath Harabonim Part I
Nov 6, 2022
33:53
The Agudath Harabonim of the US & Canada was founded in 1902 with the goals of strengthening traditional Jewish observance in the country. Its membership was primarily composed of Eastern European immigrant rabbis, and they focused on the areas of Shabbos observance, kashrus, Jewish education, strengthening the office of the rabbinate and assisting their brethren back in the old country. The Agudath Harabonim supported RIETS, founded the Central Relief Committee and Ezras Torah during World War I and the Vaad Hatzalah during World War II. Its leadership was composed by some of the greatest rabbinical leaders of the era, including Rabbi Moshe Zevulun Margolis (Ramaz), Rabbi Dov Bernard Levinthal, Rabbi Yisrael Rosenberg, Rabbi Moshe Rosen, Rabbi Yaakov Kontrovitz, Rabbi Eliezer Silver and many others. Sponsored by the OU’s Teach Coalition, whose network of thousands of activists just like you, are urging you to go out and vote in the upcoming elections on November 8, 2022. For help contact the voter hotline at 646-459-5162 or https://teachcoalition.org/vote/ For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
466
Jews, Sports & Identity
Jews, Sports & Identity
Nov 8, 2022
32:50
Jews and sports is an exploration of Jewish identity and integration in the modern world. This was expressed as Jews became fans of sports teams, with the most famous baseball fan in history being an eccentric Jewish woman named Hilda Chester. Jews were always prominent in the labor movement, and it was a Jewish labor organizer named Marvin Miller who, as president of the Player’s Union, successfully rid Baseball of the reserve clause and emancipated the players from the owner’s grip. During the 1920’s and 30’s Jews were especially prominent in boxing. Benny Leonard and Barney Ross were famous boxing champions, but there were many others as well. Jewish participation in boxing is perhaps the most typical expression of both the struggles of the immigrant generation, along with the process of Americanization. Several victims of the Holocaust were famous Jewish athletes. Eddy Hamel of the Dutch National Football (soccer) team, Victor Perez the boxer, gymnasts, fencers and others as well. Though they may have been celebrities known for their physical prowess, Nazi racial theory considered them Jews and they suffered the same fate as European Jewry. Sponsored by the OU’s Teach Coalition, whose network of thousands of activists just like you, are urging you to go out and vote in the upcoming elections on November 8, 2022. For help contact the voter hotline at 646-459-5162 or https://teachcoalition.org/vote/ For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
467
Jerusalem Odyssey: Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap
Jerusalem Odyssey: Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap
Dec 3, 2022
32:34
Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap (1882-1951) was an important rabbinical leader in Yerushalayim during the first half of the 20th century. A product of the Old Yishuv, he was a student of Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin, Rav Hirsh Mechel Shapiro and several others before becoming a lifelong close student of Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook. He served as the founding rabbi of the Shaarei Chesed and Rechavia neighborhoods, as well as rosh yeshiva of Merkaz Harav and his own yeshiva Bais Zevul in Shaarei Chesed. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
468
Early Secularization in Jewish Europe
Early Secularization in Jewish Europe
Dec 12, 2022
36:22
The expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the 15th century was a period of great upheaval, as a Spanish-Portuguese diaspora formed in Western Europe and the Mediterranean basin. At the same time, many conversos remained in their home country, while many others emigrated and attempted to rejoin the Jewish community. As a result, there arose in communities such as Amsterdam, London, northern Italy and other places the beginnings of Jewish Enlightenment and early secularization, as the confrontation with the ideas of the Enlightenment and the modern world brought the challenge of Jewish identity to the fore. Jewish secularization did not commence in Mendelssohn’s Berlin of the 18th century, nor in Eastern Europe of the late 19th century. Secularization has been a slow but steady process through the 15th-18th centuries. Heretics and tragic figures from Converso families in Amsterdam such Uriel De Costa and Baruch Spinoza pioneered Jewish secularism, while an Italian rabbi in London named Rabbi David Nieto attempted to combat it. The addition of Sabbateanism and the rise of the court Jews in Germany in the 17th century, only led to an increasing trend towards secularization, long before Berlin and Mendelssohn. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
469
Holy Crown in Brownsville: The Life & Times of Rav Moshe Rosen
Holy Crown in Brownsville: The Life & Times of Rav Moshe Rosen
Dec 20, 2022
40:10
Rav Moshe Rosen - the Nezer Hakodesh (c.1870-1957) was an early leader of American orthodoxy. Having served as a communal rabbi in Lithuania for three decades, he was the one who discovered the Chazon Ish as a young man in the town of Chveidan. In the late 1920’s he immigrated to the United States and settled in Brownsville. He served as the first rosh yeshiva of Torah Vodaath, and later served as a rabbi in Brownsville, whilst continuing to author his multi volume Nezer Hakodesh and other works. He served at the helm of the Agudath Harabbonim and was involved in many early initiatives of Jewish education during his thirty years in a leadership position of American Orthodoxy. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
470
The Chozeh of Lublin
The Chozeh of Lublin
Jan 19, 2023
36:53
As the oldest Jewish cemetery in Eastern Europe, the old cemetery in Lublin contains some historical treasures and great personalities. One of the prominent ones we visit on trips is Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz, the Chozeh of Lublin (1745-1815). One of the primary students of Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk, the Chozeh became a teacher of the masses, and facilitated the spread of the Chassidic movement in central Poland. Though he faced opposition, the Chozeh’s modesty and leadership preserved and his impact was seen through both the masses who sought his counsel and blessing, as well as through his many students who emerged as the next generations leaders of the chassidic movement across Galicia, Poland and Hungary. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
471
The Last Nazarite: The Life of Rav Dovid Cohen, ’Rav Hanazir’
The Last Nazarite: The Life of Rav Dovid Cohen, ’Rav Hanazir’
Jan 24, 2023
39:00
In honor the Daf Yomi cycle commencing the study of Maseches Nazir, Jewish History Soundbites is proud to present in conjunction with the All Torah platform https://alltorah.org/ the story of the ‘Rav Hanazir’ Rav David Cohen (1887-1972). Having grown up in a rabbinic family in Lithuania, he studied in the yeshivos of Volozhin, Radin & Slabodka, before pursuing a general education in St. Petersburg, Freiburg, Germany & Basel, Switzerland. It was while in Switzerland during World War I that the most formative event of his life took place, upon meeting his lifelong rebbi Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook. He immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1922, and was appointed to the faculty of Merkaz Harav. It was here that he assumed the status of a modern day Nazir, and abstained from haircuts and wine consumption for the remainder of his life. Along with other ascetic practices such as veganism, long silences and wanderings in the Judean desert, he wished to attain prophecy and prepare himself for the final anticipated redemption. This multifaceted individual edited the works of Rav Kook, engaged in mysticism, a synthesis of general science & philosophy with Torah knowledge, while maintaining his position as a teacher of Torah in Merkaz Harav. Dedicated in honor of All Torah platform as we begin Maseches Nazir this Wednesday Jan 25. Visit https://alltorah.org/ for download links or our link tree with download links and links to all our social media and WhatsApp statuses to follow for latest information. https://linktr.ee/alltorah%20%7C Thousands of people from around the globe access these highly curated platforms to learn Daf Yomi, all kinds of weekly Parsha shiurim and daily Mishna from renowned speakers and various formats. Join the All Torah revolution today! For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
472
Tourbites: Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin
Tourbites: Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin
Feb 20, 2023
38:16
Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin was the grand vision of its founder Rav Meir Shapiro. Following a long fundraising campaign, it opened in a grand ceremony in 1930. Rav Meir Shapiro set the goal of the yeshiva with its very name Chachmei Lublin. This was to restore the crown of glory to the city of Lublin, which had been a Torah center for centuries. The Torah legacy would be continued by creating a grandiose edifice which would be an honor for Torah and those who study it, and would contain a Bais Medrash, dormitory facilities, kitchen, dining room, an impressive library, a mikvah and even a model of the Bais Hamikdash. Though Rav Meir Shapiro tragically passed away at the age of 46 in 1933, Chachmei Lublin continued to flourish under the able leadership of Rav Aryeh Tzvi Frommer, the Kozhligover Rav. Though most of the yeshiva students and faculty ultimately were killed during the Holocaust, the legacy of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin remains until this very day. Sponsored by Backyard Kingdom: Swing Sets, sheds, pergolas, gazebos, dog parks & all site amenities. +1 (888) 950‑0033 or [email protected] And also by Kollel Tzilo Shel Heichal of Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem. Over 550 students of all backgrounds, learning with intensity just steps away from where the Beis Hamikdash once stood. kollelkotel.com For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
473
The Vurke Chassidic Dynasty & Jewish Political Leadership
The Vurke Chassidic Dynasty & Jewish Political Leadership
Mar 12, 2023
41:34
The Vurke chassidic dynasty took a leading role in Polish Jewish life of the 19th century, and spawned several prominent offshoots such as Amshinov, Aleksander and Strikov among others. Established by Rav Yitzchak Kalish as a faction of Pshischa, it flourished among his descendants and students in central Poland. Rav Yitzchak of Vurke (1779-1848) was a great chassidic leader, and earned renown as a pioneering ‘shtadlan’ or lobbyist, effectively ushering in a new era of Orthodox Jewish politics. In this capacity he represented the entire Jewish community of Poland, as his activities weren’t limited to Vurke or chassidim in general. Rav Yitzchak was succeeded by both students and sons, with his younger son Rav Menachem Mendel remaining in Vurke, and known as the ‘Silent Tzadik’. He in turn was succeeded by his son Rav Simcha Bunim who eventually moved to the Land of Israel. Most of the Vurke community and leadership was decimated in the Holocaust. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
474
I’ve Got a Lovely Jewish Name: First Names in Jewish History
I’ve Got a Lovely Jewish Name: First Names in Jewish History
Mar 30, 2023
36:47
What are some of the sources and trends in Jewish first names over the centuries? Where do double names come from? How do names differ from community to community? How are Biblical names used? What about naming for ancestors? What was the status of non-Jewish names in Jewish life? What is the source of some common Yiddish names? First names have been a fascinating cultural and sociological phenomenon throughout history. In this episode of Jewish History Soundbites, we’ll explore some of the trends in Jewish first names as well as tracing some of the origins of some names and naming customs. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
475
Soviet Chassid: The Story of Rav Mendel Futerfas
Soviet Chassid: The Story of Rav Mendel Futerfas
Apr 9, 2023
37:25
Rav Mendel Futerfas (1907-1995) was a Lubavitch chassid who emerged as a leader under the most challenging circumstances in the Soviet Union. He was active in one of the greatest exit attempts for Jews from the Soviet Union under the cover of the repatriation agreement signed between the Soviet Union and Poland in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Under the terms of the agreement Polish citizens were permitted to return to Poland, and some Soviet Jews utilized the opportunity to forge Polish documents and finally exit the Soviet Union. Rav Mendel was arrested in the operations aftermath and sentenced to eight years of hard labor in Siberia. Upon his release, he embarked on a heroic attempt at igniting the fire of Yiddishkeit and Chassidic life in the post Stalinist Soviet Union until he finally was able to reunite with his family in England in 1964. The last decades of his life were spent as the central mashpia at Kfar Chabad in Israel until his passing during a visit to London in 1995. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
476
Get Out! Get & Divorce in Jewish History
Get Out! Get & Divorce in Jewish History
May 18, 2023
34:09
As long as there has been marriage, there has been divorce throughout history. The legal procedure of providing a ‘Get’ to terminate a marriage under Torah law, has often provided a window into the wider context of social and communal life throughout Jewish history. The intricate laws of Gittin have been the backdrop of rabbinical leadership, communal crisis and halachic creativity. In honor of the Daf Yomi commencement of Maseches Gittin, this episode will explore some curious angles and anecdotes in which a Get appears as the player in Jewish history. This episode is sponsored by Daf Yomi with Shaul C. Greenwald, a fast-moving energetic daf shiur, delivered with clarity and intensity. The shiur is available daily on all podcast platforms, All Daf and Torah Anytime. https://alldaf.org/series/5677/ For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
477
Chassidic Influencers: Mashpi’im & Recurring Themes of Chassidic History
Chassidic Influencers: Mashpi’im & Recurring Themes of Chassidic History
May 27, 2023
40:53
The Chabad & Breslov chassidic dynasties have always had Mashpi’im - influencers or teachers - who taught chassidic thought and inspired their communities. In recent years there’s been a growing popularity of Mashpi’im around the entire chassidic world and even beyond. Where does the idea of a chassidic mashpia originate from? Does it have historical precedent in the chassidic movement? Is history repeating itself? How did the chassidic movement maintain its vitality so successfully over the centuries? This episode will attempt to provide a macro view with some recurring themes over the course of nearly three centuries of the history of the chassidic movement. In a seemingly cyclical fashion, the chassidic movement’s demographic growth and communal successes have led to institutionalization and a danger of losing the initial spiritual vitality so essential to its essence. At several junctures in its storied history, the chassidic movement has successfully rejuvenated itself in creative ways, never losing its spark or its mission despite external challenges and internal struggles. For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at: [email protected] Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at [email protected]
478
The Great Shanghai Escape Part IX
The Great Shanghai Escape Part IX
Dec 9, 2023
44:33
The refugees stay in Japan lasted much longer than their brief transit visas had initially allowed for, with the imperial government allowing them to remain for several months. Though some refugees made it to the United States or other countries, most had nowhere to go. With the Japanese government commencing the operational planning for Pearl Harbor, they wished to rid the country of all foreign elements, and the refugee community was unceremoniously deported to Shanghai, China, under Japanese occupation, where they’d remain throughout the war. Many refugees were assisted by Professor Setsuzo Kotsuji, who later converted to Judaism. Others were assisted by the Polish ambassador to Japan Tadeusz Romer. The Jewish rescue activist Zorach Warhaftig continued to be active on behalf of the refugee community as well. The Dutch national Nathan Gutwirth was able to rescue a ship of 74 refugees who were missing documentation, by requesting assistance from the Dutch consul in Kobe, Japan, Nicolaas de Voogd. De Voogd provided the desperate refugees with Curacao visas, enabling them to arrive in Japan. Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/ Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: [email protected]
479
The Great Shanghai Escape Part X
The Great Shanghai Escape Part X
Dec 16, 2023
47:30
In this final installment of ‘The Great Shanghai Escape’ series, we explore the story of the refugees stay in Shanghai during the war years. While integrating with the local Jewish community in Shanghai, the refugees remained there for the duration of the Japanese occupation until and even beyond the end of the war. Educational, religious and social institutions flourished, and the Mir Yeshiva settled into the Bais Aharon synagogue on Museum Road. Funding remained an issue throughout the war, and the refugees also had to sustain Japanese regulations, which included the ghettoization of Shanghai Jews towards the end of the war. Once the war was over, the next hurdle of finding a final destination took some time to overcome, as most refugees only left Shanghai a year or two later, primarily to the United States. The refugees who had escaped to Shanghai represent one of the most incredible rescue stories of World War II. Their miraculous escape from the Soviet Union to Shanghai, ultimately saved their lives, as they were spared the ravages of the Nazi Final Solution once the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. Their journey and their story is unique in the annals of that era, and has thusly earned a special place in Jewish history. Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/ Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: [email protected]
480
A Dream to Rebuild: The Early Years of Ponovezh Yeshiva
A Dream to Rebuild: The Early Years of Ponovezh Yeshiva
Jan 2, 2024
45:42
After losing his family, community and yeshiva in Ponovezh, Lithuania during the Holocaust, Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman (1886-1969), the Ponovezh Rav, endeavored to rebuild what was lost in the Land of Israel. He was a dreamer who carried out his vision with a zeal and energy which seemed superhuman. His crowning achievement was rebuilding the beloved yeshiva he lost in his hometown, by establishing the Ponovezh Yeshiva on a dusty hill on the outskirts of the small settlement of Bnei Brak. Today considered one of the key components of the flourishing postwar Torah world in Israel, the sprawling campus is a vibrant testimony to the Ponovezh Rav’s determination and perseverance. When it opened its doors at the end of 1943 with seven students, he dreamed of a building which would one day be home to hundreds of students. Rav Shmuel Rozovsky was hired as rosh yeshiva and Rav Avraham Abba Grossbard as mashgiach. The yeshiva soon expanded and Rav David Povarsky and later Rav Elazar Menachem Shach were added to the yeshiva faculty. The Ponovezh Rav felt that his energetic building campaigns were the expression of a living Holocaust memorial, as the Torah world of Lithuania would experience a rebirth in the Ponovezh Yeshiva, and its affiliate institutions. Listen to a previous episode exploring the life and accomplishments of the Ponovezh Rav: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/builder-dreamer-the-unstoppable-vision-of-the-ponevezher-rav/ Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/ Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: [email protected]
481
The Life & Legacy of the Aruch Hashulchan
The Life & Legacy of the Aruch Hashulchan
Jan 11, 2024
46:12
One of the leading halachic authorities of the 19th century, Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829-1908) achieved immortality through his indispensable magnum opus Aruch Hashulchan. He grew up in Bobruisk in the Russian Pale of Settlement, and served for a decade as rabbi of Novozybkov, before assuming the helm of the prestigious Novardok community, where he’d serve as rabbi for the remaining 34 years of his life. Known far and wide as a decisive posek in all realms of halacha, many aspiring Torah scholars would come to him to request rabbinical ordination. Among his many projects was overseeing the development of the local Novardok yeshiva of Rav Yosef Yoizel Horowitz, the Alter of Novardok. The seminal work, the Aruch Hashulchan, was a bold endeavor to encompass all of halacha in a clear summary fashion. Undaunted by the daunting financial liabilities he’d ultimately encounter in order to facilitate the printing of the multi volume set, and despite the heavy hand of the Czarist Russian censors, he successfully published multiple volumes in his lifetime, and reaped the fruits of his labor as it became popular across the Jewish world. His legacy of leadership, as well as his enduring influence on the world of halacha remains until this very day. Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/ Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: [email protected]
482
The Legacy & Impact of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch
The Legacy & Impact of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch
Jan 18, 2024
45:57
As the architect of Orthodoxy in the modern era, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) has an outsized impact on the Torah world until this very day. In his own lifetime his leadership of German Jewry overall and in particular his own community of Frankfurt stemmed the tide towards secularization, and created a framework for a flourishing Torah community within modern life. His seminal works of The 19 Letters, Horeb, commentary on Chumash and hundreds of articles of his Collected Writings, formed the basis of his Torah outlook in the face of new challenges. Yet his influence wasn’t limited to his own lifetime or his own community in Frankfurt or Germany. His impact permeates the entire spectrum of 21st century Orthodoxy. He pioneered the use the vernacular in Orthodox rabbinic life, initiated the first Torah oriented newspaper, spearheaded the first Torah education for girls, and laid the groundwork for much of what is considered standard Orthodox practice and values in contemporary society. A nuanced examination of his imprint on contemporary Orthodoxy can serve as a reevaluation of the crucial role he played in modern Jewish history. Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/ Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: [email protected]
483
Galician Greatness: Rav Shlomo Kluger
Galician Greatness: Rav Shlomo Kluger
Jan 27, 2024
30:25
World renowned posek of the 19th century, prolific author and courageous leader, Rav Shlomo Kluger (1785-1869) achieved immortality in the Torah world through his nearly half century tenure as Magid and Av Beis Din in the prominent Galicia town of Brody. As political and economic changes swept through the Habsburg Empire over the course of the 19th century, traditional norms changed, technological advances brought new challenges and the hegemony of the traditional Kahal (Jewish communal autonomy) was irrevocably transformed. Rav Shlomo Kluger emerged as a charismatic and strong minded leader during this tumultuous time. Halachic queries arrived at his desk from all over Galicia and eventually from across Europe. He fought to maintain tradition and halachic norms despite attempts to modernize Jewish law. His literary legacy is almost unparalleled in Jewish history, and his many works are studied until this very day. Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/ Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: [email protected]
484
The Radzymin Chassidic Dynasty
The Radzymin Chassidic Dynasty
Jun 14, 2025
54:35
One of the largest and influential branches of the Polish Pshischa Chassidic dynasty, Radzymin was completely decimated in the Holocaust, and is unfortunately not so well known today. In its heyday, it was led by three successive generations of great leaders of Polish chassidus – Rav Yaakov Aryeh Guterman (1792-1874), his son Rav Shlomo Yehoshua David, & his son Rav Aharon Menachem Mendel (1860-1934). Radzymin had a large following, and the successive leaders of the dynasty played critical roles in both Polish chassidus and – especially regards to Rav Aharon Menachem Mendel – were central leaders of Polish Jewry at large. The story of Radzymin is a crucial chapter in Polish Jewish and Chassidic history. Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: [email protected]