Dr. Jehon Grist and Dr. Eli Tadmor, 3/20/2025—Biblical Israel’s legacy from its ancient neighbors is not just a saga of conflict. Law, literature, early religious practices, and even food and drink owe much to the surrounding ancient cultures. The presenters explore these points and also discover how both cultures' influence culminate in the Passover narrative and traditions. (Please be aware that, due to a technical issue, only the last 45 minutes of the program were recorded. We apologize for the missing material.)

Nicholas McGegan, 3/11/2025—The Bible has been a font of inspiration for composers throughout the ages. This course pairs passages highlighting dramatic Biblical stories with their interpretations in opera and oratoria spanning Baroque to 20th-century music. In this segment Nicholas McGegan discuss works inspired by Jephta's daughter (Judges, Chapter 11).

Prof. Daniel Boyarin, 3/6/2025—Prof. Boyarin presents a view of Josephus very different from the one we have inherited from previous generations. He argues that the idea that Josephus was a traitor is entirely misleading, even a calumny, and explicates his virtues as a Jew and as a thinker.

Profs. Robert Alter and Ron Hendel, 3/4/2025—The Bible has been a font of inspiration for composers throughout the ages. This course pairs passages highlighting dramatic Biblical stories with their interpretations in opera and oratoria spanning Baroque to 20th-century music. In this segment Profs. Alter & Hendel discuss Jephta (Judges, Chapter 11).

Prof. Daniel Boyarin, 2/26/2025—Prof. Boyarin presents a view of Josephus very different from the one we have inherited from previous generations. He argues that the idea that Josephus was a traitor is entirely misleading, even a calumny, and explicates his virtues as a Jew and as a thinker.

Prof. Michael Hoberman, 2/27/2025—The John Muir Trail runs 212 miles along the crest of California's High Sierra, from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney. Did you know that its creator was the direct descendant of the only Jewish clergyman in attendance at George Washington's inauguration in 1789? Michael Hoberman tells the story of Theodore Seixas Solomons' explorations of the Sierra in the 1890s, as well as of his tireless (and largely unrecognized) contributions to the creation of the nation's most scenic high-elevation footpath.

Clifford (Kip) Cranna, 2/25/2025—The Bible has been a font of inspiration for composers throughout the ages. This course pairs passages highlighting dramatic Biblical stories with their interpretations in opera and oratoria spanning Baroque to 20th-century music. In this segment Profs. Here Cranna discusses several works based on the Samson and Delilah story.

Bonnie Weiss, 2/20/2025—Irving Berlin is best known as the gifted composer/lyricist of hit musicals like “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Call Me Madam” and songs like “God Bless America” and “Alexander’s Rag Time Band.” Less well-known are songs that reflect his Russian-Jewish heritage: “Yiddish Nightingale,” “Russian Lullaby,” and “Cohen Owes Me $47.” Learn about Berlin’s life and work and watch performances of the songs that clearly or subtly illustrate his Jewish heritage, plus video clips of Mr. Berlin performing some of his songs.

Profs. Robert Alter and Ron Hendel, 2/11/2025—The Bible has been a font of inspiration for composers throughout the ages. This course pairs passages highlighting dramatic Biblical stories with their interpretations in opera and oratoria spanning Baroque to 20th-century music. In this segment Profs. Here Alter and Hendel discuss the Book of Esther.

Rebecca Kaplan, 2/6/2025—Learn to find Torah in unexpected places, from the Liberty Bell to area murals, contemporary community work, and Kaplan's years of work (and some recent battles) at the Oakland City Council.

Prof. Michael Chemers, 2/5/2025—“Create me not!” cries the Golem’s spirit at the beginning of Leivick’s legendary play. Hear why the Golem has become a powerful embodiment of the ethical crisis facing modern Judaism from Dr. Michael Chemers, an expert on monsters in performance. How do Jews survive with ethics intact when the enemies of Judaism will stop at nothing?

Kip Cranna, 2/5/2025—The Bible has been a font of inspiration for composers throughout the ages. This course pairs passages highlighting dramatic Biblical stories with their interpretations in opera and oratoria spanning Baroque to 20th-century music. In this segment Profs. Here Cranna discusses several works based on the Samson and Delilah story