Charlotte Fonrobert, 4/20/2025 · How did the religious landscape of the ancient Near East transform into distinct, competing traditions? This session focuses specifically on Rabbinic Judaism as it began to chart its own path during Late Antiquity. We examine the inter-religious friction and intellectual cross-pollination of the era, uncovering the critical turning points and challenges to authority that shaped the foundations of the modern Jewish world.

Sarah Abrevaya Stein, 4/16/2026 · This course explores the intimate Jewish histories of the Sephardi Balkans during the 19th and 20th centuries. Following the lives of children, women, and families, we trace the transition from the Ottoman era to the late 20th century. We will examine how major geopolitical shifts in Southeastern Europe reshaped individual lives and severed traditional ties. Through the lens of social history and visual culture, we’ll discover the riveting stories of individuals stretching to embrace modernity while maintaining their Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) heritage.

Robert Alter, Ron Hendel and Robby Peckerar, 4/15/2026 · How have artists across centuries interpreted the Hebrew Bible's most iconic narratives? In this three-part series, renowned scholars Robert Alter and Ronald Hendel join leading art historians to explore the intersection of scripture and visual art. Through the lens of comparative literature and art history, we examine how masterworks by Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and others translate sacred text into image. By pairing close readings of biblical passages with visual analysis, we’ll uncover how painters have wrestled with divine revelation and human frailty. Discover how the hermeneutics of art creates new meanings for classic stories across millennia.

Harry Radousky, 4/6/2026 · How did the baseball diamond become a stage for the Jewish-American dream? From the enigmatic spy-catcher Moe Berg to the powerhouse swing of Hank Greenberg and the legendary left arm of Sandy Koufax, baseball has always been a mirror of the Jewish experience in America. We trace the arc of the National Pastime from the 19th-century pioneers facing pressures of assimilation to the record-breaking 16 Jewish players on today's Major League Baseball (MLB) rosters. Join us for a deep dive into the icons who defined eras and the "hidden" players who built a lasting cultural legacy on the sandlots and in the stadiums.

Daniel Boyarin, 3/1/2026 · This session explores a provocative vision from the renowned scholar’s recent book, "The No-State Solution". Boyarin examines what a Jewish future might look like outside the traditional framework of the nation-state. By challenging standard assumptions about sovereignty, nationalism, and political belonging, he draws on decades of historical and textual research to imagine new possibilities for Jewish and Palestinian life. The discussion covers how a politics without a state might function and where these ideas encounter the most resistance today. He also examines how reimagining shared futures can reshape our modern debates about rights, identity, and coexistence.

Jehon Grist, 2/24/2026 · This video introduces a richly illustrated exploration of ancient Israelite civilization, from the Age of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs through the early rabbinic era. Viewers are guided through key places, lifeways, and historical developments across the region, spanning roughly 1500 BCE to 500 CE. The six-part course examines daily life in antiquity, including food, worship, political power, warfare, and the figures who shaped Israelite history. This material provides essential context for understanding Jewish history and the broader historical background of the region.

Rabbi David Kasher, 2/23/2026 · Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel (1524-1609)—the Maharal of Prague—is famous for the Golem legend, but his actual philosophical and theological system is far more complex and daring than the myth suggests. Here, Rabbi Kasher explores selections from the Maharal’s prolific writings, examining his ideas about language, Torah study, the nature of time, and the relationship between the divine and the material world.

Rabbi Yoel Kahn, 2/19/2026 · Is Purim just a simple story of "they tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat"? In this session, Rabbi Yoel Kahn, Ph.D., takes us beyond the masks and noisemakers for a closer reading of the Book of Esther, moving past the classic narrative of good and evil to explore a text that is actually a bawdy, sometimes slapstick, and sometimes serious work of fiction. Rabbi Kahn examines how the Megillah simultaneously conceals and reveals its purpose while giving us insights into the fantasies and realities of the ancient Jewish world, using selections from the biblical text alongside classical and contemporary rabbinic commentaries.

Steven J. Zipperstein, 2/18/2026 · A discussion of Zipperstein's groundbreaking literary biography of Philip Roth, one of America's most celebrated writers. Drawing on extensive archival materials and over one hundred interviews, including conversations with the novelist himself, Zipperstein explores the great range of Roth's work. From Goodbye, Columbus to the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Pastoral, he places Roth’s writing in the essential contexts of American Jewishness, freedom, and sexuality.

Jehon Grist, 2/18/2026 · This video introduces a richly illustrated exploration of ancient Israelite civilization, from the Age of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs through the early rabbinic era. Viewers are guided through key places, lifeways, and historical developments across the region, spanning roughly 1500 BCE to 500 CE. The six-part course examines daily life in antiquity, including food, worship, political power, warfare, and the figures who shaped Israelite history. This material provides essential context for understanding Jewish history and the broader historical background of the region.

Rabbi David Kasher, 2/17/2026 · Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel (1524-1609)—the Maharal of Prague—is famous for the Golem legend, but his actual philosophical and theological system is far more complex and daring than the myth suggests. Here, Rabbi Kasher explores selections from the Maharal’s prolific writings, examining his ideas about language, Torah study, the nature of time, and the relationship between the divine and the material world.

Ariel Mayse, 2/12/2026 · Explore the elusive life and legacy of Rabbi Yisra’el ben Eli‘ezer (the Baal Shem Tov), the legendary founder of Hasidism whose religious personality defies easy categories. Drawing on research for the Jewish Lives biography series, Mayse examines the "afterlife" and teachings of this creative mind, who ignited an explosive revivalist movement that transformed modern Jewish life. This session delves into the mystery of an electrifying leader whose vision planted the seeds for the most influential movement of Jewish mystical renewal in history.