Prof. Michael Hoberman, 7/1/24 Fewer than two thousand Jews lived in North America during the American Revolution. Some were Tories, some sided with the rebellion, and a significant number couldn’t make up their minds whose side they were on. Whether they took part in the fighting, held down the homefront, or tried to steer clear of all the trouble, they couldn’t help but be implicated by the war’s turmoil and outcome.

Dr. Harry Radousky, 6/27/24 The history of baseball is filled with interesting stories of Jewish players. In this program we'll take a closer look at many of the famous—and perhaps slightly less famous—players over the past 160 years, as well putting them in a historical context. The story continues today, as we take a look at the 16 Jewish players on an active Major League roster. From Moe Berg to Hank Greenberg to Sandy Koufax, baseball gives us unique insights into a changing America.

John Erlich, 4/18/24 In 1947, Baghdad’s Jewish community comprised about 25% of the city’s population, and Iraq’s 130,000 Jews comprised almost 3% of the total population (higher than the Jewish population in the USA today). From 1948 to 1951, nearly the entire Jewish population of Iraq emigrated under extreme duress. This presentation, with performed musical examples, describes the place of Iraqi Jews within the larger Iraqi culture, the function of music in Iraqi Jewish life, and the role played by Jews in Iraqi music.

Rabbi Harry Manhoff, 6/20/24 Superman, Batman and the Fantastic Four were all created by Jewish men. In fact, almost all of the original DC and Marvel superheroes, except Wonder Woman, were created by Jewish writers and artists. Rabbi Harry Manhoff considers why this may be true. He also discusses why, until five or ten years ago, the comic book industry was dominated by Jews as writers, artists, pencilers and publishers. We will also look at the Jewish roots for some of these superheroes and supervillains, and the characters who are identified as Jewish today.

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, 6/6/24 Stereotypes about Jewish physical weakness have meant that the crucial role of Jews in making American fitness culture has often been overlooked despite the 19th century tradition of muscular Judaism established precisely to challenge these assumptions. Join historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, author of "Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession" for an exciting talk and conversation about how and why Jews were so influential -- but understudied -- in shaping American fitness.

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, 6/6/24 Stereotypes about Jewish physical weakness have meant that the crucial role of Jews in making American fitness culture has often been overlooked despite the 19th century tradition of muscular Judaism established precisely to challenge these assumptions. Join historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, author of "Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession" for an exciting talk and conversation about how and why Jews were so influential -- but understudied -- in shaping American fitness.

Rachel Biale, 5/23/24 Sex and furniture, really? Really! Beds (of course), tables, lamps, and ornaments: rabbinic texts illuminate attitudes towards sexuality in key texts where furniture appears—either as literal objects or as metaphors.

Bradley Burston, 5/19/24 October 7th and the subsequent war in Gaza have deeply shaken the Haredi community in Israel and upended the long-simmering hostility between the Haredim and secular Israelis. Prof. Benjamin Brown, an expert on the Haredi community, will describe the response to October 7th and the war by a community that is often seen—erroneously—as insular and disconnected from Israel’s security and political arenas.

Prof. Erich S. Gruen, 5/15/24 Biblical narratives retain a powerful hold on the Jewish imagination, yet many Jewish (and some non-Jewish) writers in the Greco-Roman era rewrote many of these stories despite their ostensible sacredness. What did the authors of these versions have in mind when retelling sacred tales and is the retelling sacrilegious? Narratives considered include the Tower of Babel, The Abraham-Sarah-Hagar triangle, the (near) sacrifice of Isaac, the rape of Dinah, Joseph and his brothers, Tamar and Judah, and the Exodus.