Jewish Literacy - Jewish History

Torah reading: Behar

11 Iyar 5768 / 16 May 2008

Aish.com Weekly Email - 260,000 subscribers

Jewish World Current Issues Spirituality Family Dating Jewish Literacy

• key concepts • judaism 1-2-3 • jewish history • mitzvahs • jewish lifecycles • exploring the bible • bible for the clueless • reference guide

Holocaust Studies Torah Portion Shabbat Holidays

Western Wall Cam Pathways Jewlarious Videos Ask The Rabbi MP3 Audio Site Aish Shopping Programs in Israel About Us/Donate Aish Int'l Email Lists RSS Mobile Version

Aish.com delivered
e-mail
Aish Mobile

by Rabbi Ken Spiro

Four thousand years of Jewish history at a glance.

Crash Course in Jewish History #67 - The Miracle of Jewish History
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
In the final analysis, Jewish history makes no rational sense.

Crash Course in Jewish History #66 - War
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Since its founding in 1948, Israel has been in a constant state of war and yet it has achieved great economic success.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 65 - The State of Israel
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
After the British brutally turned away Holocaust survivors from Israel, the UN voted to partition the land.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 64 - The British Mandate
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The British promised to create a Jewish state. Instead they served their own Arab-linked interests as millions died in the Holocaust.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 63 - Modern Zionism
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The First Zionist Conference, held in 1897, was a major event in the establishment of the modern State of Israel.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 62 - Return to the Land of Israel
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The re-birth of Israel is an unprecedented phenomenon in human history.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 61 - The Final Solution
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Hitler was mindlessly focused on his goal: the elimination of all Jews from the planet.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 60 - The Holocaust
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
While Nazi Germany proceeded to systematically round up and execute Jews, the rest of the world closed its eyes and its doors.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 59 - The Face of Anti-Semitism
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Even in such civilized nation as France and the United States, anti-Semitism never died out.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 58 - Jewish Life in America
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Jews gained untold riches in America, but lost their heritage and spirituality.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 57 - The Czars and the Jews
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
In Czarist Russia, government-organized pogroms against the Jews kept the eyes of masses off the corrupt regime.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 56 - Pale of Settlement
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
An area of Russia where Jews were most oppressed, the Pale of Settlement gave rise to amazingly good things.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 55 - Jews and the Founding of America
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The amazing story of Jewish influence on the founding of American democracy is a well-kept secret.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 54 - Reform Movement
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The German Jews who founded the Reform Movement emphasized their loyalty to the "fatherland" in order to be accepted in mainstream German society.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 53 - The Enlightenment
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Age of Reason gave Jews civil rights, but its emphasis on a Godless society was bound to backfire.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 52 - The Hassidic Movement
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Initially a movement largely of the poor and uneducated, Hassidism introduced Kabbalah and spirituality into everyday life.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 51 - The Kabbalists
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
In the 16th century, the mountaintop town of Tzfat became the center of Jewish mysticism � the Kabbalah.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 50 - The Reformation and the Jews
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Reformation exposed the corruption of the Church and brought about the advent of Protestantism. For the Jews it just meant more bad news.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 49 - The Jews of Poland
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
King Boleslav of Poland invited the Jews, granting them unprecedented rights and privileges.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 48 - The Inquisition
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The basic accusation of the Inquisition was that Jews who converted to Christianity were still secretly Jewish.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 47 - The Black Death
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Although the Europeans didn't know what brought on the bubonic plague, they had no trouble naming the cause -- it had to be the Jews!

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 46 - Blood Libel
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Nothing can rationally explain the extreme Christian accusations leveled against the Jews at this time: Jews killed babies and drank their blood!

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 45 - The Crusades
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Crusaders came to liberate the Holy Land from the "infidels" and woe to any Jews who stood in their way.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 44 - The Jews of Spain
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The land of opportunity for Jews -- from the 8th to the 12th century -- was Spain.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 43 - The Jews of Babylon
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The oldest and most stable of Jewish communities was saved from the Christians by Muslims sweeping through the Middle East.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 42 - The Rise of Islam
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Mohammed reacted with anger when Jews refused to recognize him as the last of the prophets.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 41 - From Paul to Constantine
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
At first, Christianity was the most successful where people had been attracted to Judaism but were unwilling to take on all its precepts.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 40 - Seeds of Christianity
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
During a time of cruel oppression of the Jews, a number of splinter sects sprang up whose members believed that the Apocalypse was at hand.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 39 - Talmud
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
In a time of chaos, the rabbis decide that they must do the unprecedented -- write down the Oral Law.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 38 - Exile
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Romans sought to extinguish Jewish presence in Jerusalem by renaming it Aelia Capitolina, and by changing Israel to Palestine.

Napoleon And The Jews
by Dr. Ben Weider
When the Ghetto walls came tumbling down.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 37 - The Bar Kochba Revolt
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Despite the disastrous results of the Great Revolt, the Jews revolt again and again.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 36 - Timeline: From Abraham to the Destruction of the Temple
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Two thousand years of Jewish history at a glance.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 35 - Destruction of the Temple
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
On the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, the 9th of Av, the Temple burns to the ground.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 34 - War For Jerusalem
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Jewish nation fights to the death to save its spiritual center.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 33 - The Great Revolt
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
In a seemingly suicidal move, Jews decided to take on the might of Rome.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 32 - Hillel and Shammai
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
In a time when many things were going wrong for the Jews, Hillel and Shammai defined what was going right.

Audio - #15-The Great Revolt
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Jerusalem, torn by civil strife, succumbs to the brutal Roman occupation that burns the Second Temple and murders hundreds of thousands of our people.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 31 - Herod, the Great
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
A madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis, Herod was also the greatest builder in Jewish history.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 30 - The Romans
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Jewish tradition maintains the Romans were descendants of Esau, the red-haired and blood-thirsty brother of Jacob.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 29 - The Revolt of the Maccabees
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Jewish revolt against the Greeks sets a precedent in human history - it becomes the world's first religious war.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 28 - Greek Persecution
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Terror reigned -- women who allowed their sons to be circumcised were killed with their babies tied around their necks.

Crash Course in Jewish History #27 - The Greek Empire
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
To the Greeks, what was beautiful was holy; to the Jews, what was holy was beautiful. These views were bound to clash.

Audio - Seven Wonders of Jewish History
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Join Rabbi Spiro for a roller-coaster ride through Jewish history.

Crash Course in Jewish History #26 - The Great Assembly
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
These extraordinary sages defined the essence of Judaism for the Jews of Israel and the Diaspora.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 25: The Second Temple
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Temple the Babylonians destroyed is rebuilt, but it is never the same � the Ark of the Covenant is missing.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 24 - Purim in Persia
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Another feast celebrating God's abandonment of Israel puts in motion a plot to annihilate the Jews.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 23 - Babylonian Exile
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Babylonians think God has abandoned the Jews and celebrate. But they have a surprise coming.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 22 - The End of Israel
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Judah lasts another of 134 years before it, too, falls bringing to an end the kingdom of Israel.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 21 - Assyrian Conquest
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Assyrians, who conquer northern Israel, introduce a new way of dealing with vanquished nations. It's called exile.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 20 - A Divided Nation
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
In response to the king's arrogance, the ten northern tribes secede, splitting Israel in two.

Audio - The Death of Rabbi Akiva
by Rabbi Ari Kahn
Discover why Rabbi Akiva's late start in life and unpleasant death continues to captivate everyone who hears his amazing story.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 19 - King Solomon
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
King Solomon, the wisest of all men, built the Temple in Jerusalem and reigned over Israel's golden age.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 18 - David: The King
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
He established Jerusalem as Israel's capital, choosing a place that Jacob called "the gate of heaven."

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 17 - David: The Shepherd, The Warrior
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Still too young to fight in the army, David becomes Israel's champion when he slays Goliath.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 16 - King Saul
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
King Saul was a great man who committed one terrible mistake, dooming his reign from the start.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 15 - The Time of the Judges
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Jews had no king, but when they needed guidance they turned to "judges," who were both warriors and prophets.

Audio - #9-Babylonian Exile and the Purim Story
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The Purim story reveals that God never abandoned His people in exile.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 14 - Joshua and the Conquest of the Promised Land
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
This is no typical war of conquest.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 13 - The Tragedy of the Spies
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Every major disaster in Jewish history is connected to the 9th of Av. It all began with the incident of the spies.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 12 - The Golden Calf
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Only a tiny portion of Jews participated in worshipping the golden calf. So why does God seem to blame the whole nation?

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 11: Mount Sinai
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The encounter between God and the Jews at Mount Sinai was a totally unique event in all of human history.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 10: Ten Plagues
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Most miracles are natural phenomena with awesomely good timing. The Ten Plagues are a notable exception. Here the laws of nature are turned upside down to help free the Jews.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 9: Moses
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
In an all-time irony of ironies, the savior of the Jewish people is raised in the house of the ultimate enemy of the Jews.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 8: Reunion
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Joseph realizes that through the generations, the family has created a rut of hatred among the brothers. To remedy the situation, he sets the stage for a great test.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 7: Joseph
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The story of Joseph demonstrates a classic historic pattern of the Jew in Diaspora. The Jew arrives impoverished, works hard despite deprivation, and rises to the top.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 6: Isaac and His Sons
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
History repeats itself. Whatever groove Abraham or Isaac or Jacob are going to carve, their descendants are going to get stuck in it.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 5: The Promised Land
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
God gave Abraham and his family the Land of Israel as a laboratory where his descendants are supposed to create the nation that's the model for the world.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 4: Abraham's Journey
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Abraham gave rise to a nation of Hebrews -- people who live "on the other side."

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 3: The World of Abraham
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
By understanding the character of Abraham, the "proto-Jew", one can understand what Jews are all about.

Crash Course in Jewish History Part 2: The Bible as History
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
An enormous amount of information in the Bible has been borne out by archeology. There is not much direct evidence, but there is a huge amount of indirect or circumstantial evidence.

Jewish History Crash Course #1 - Why Study History
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
We learn Jewish history not only to avoid the mistakes of the past, but to understand where our destiny is taking us.

Video: The Jewish Connection to Jerusalem
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
Jerusalem is a holy city for all religions; it's the holiest city in the world only to the Jews.

The Cantonist Saga
by Larry Domnitch
A horrific era when Jewish boys were forced into 25 years of Russian military service.

Alexander and the Jews_
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The one pivotal scene that you won't see in any movie sets the stage for the story of Chanukah.

Reverence for Rashi
by David Damen, Belgium
Celebrating the 900th anniversary of the passing of Rashi.

Our Sponsors:

Our Privacy Guarantee: Your information is private. Your transactions are secure.
Aish.com, One Western Wall Plaza, POB 14149, Old City, Jerusalem 91141, ISRAEL
phone: (972-2) 628-5666 fax: (972-2) 627-3172 email: webmaster@aish.com