About the Author


Rabbi Ken Spiro

Rabbi Ken Spiro, originally from New Rochelle, NY, graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Russian Language and Literature and did graduate studies at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. He has rabbinic ordination from Aish Jerusalem and a Master’s Degree in History from The Vermont College of Norwich University. Rabbi Spiro is also a licensed tour guide by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. He has appeared on numerous radio and TV programs such as BBC, National Geographic Channel and The History Channel. A father of five children, he currently lives in Jerusalem, where he works as a senior lecturer for Aish Jerusalem, a tour guide and an author.

Ken is also the author of Crash Course in Jewish History.


The Jewish Impact on the Founding of America

The Hebrew Bible played a major role in the creation of the United States and its democracy.

Jews and Booze: The Fascinating History of Jews and Alcohol

Why Jews played an enormous role in the alcohol business.

These Seven 19th Century Jewish Inventors Changed Your Life

And there’s a reason why you probably haven’t heard of them.

Jews and Atomic Energy

The little-known story of the Jewish impact on nuclear energy.

What Hanukkah Is Really About

The meaning of history’s first ideological war, the shocking denouement of the Maccabees, and why Jews focus on the miracle of the oil, not the battle.

Rosh Hashanah’s Transformative Call

The Jewish New Year celebrates the birthday of mankind and our relationship to one God.

Jamaica, Jews and Christopher Columbus: The Fascinating History of Jews in Jamaica

What did Bob Marley have in common with Jews?

Jewish Ideas That Transformed the World

Without the Jews the world would have been a radically different place.

The Boy who Cried Messiah: False Messiahs in Jewish History

What is the Messiah and how will we know who he really is?

Five Famous Non-Jews on the Uniqueness of the Jewish People

The survival of the Jewish people is unique in the annals of history.

Made In the Image of God

Judaism gave the world the belief that that there is one infinite Creator of the universe Who is the Father of all humanity, regardless of the color of one’s skin.

 

Israel: A Modern Miracle

The re-establishment of Israel as a sovereign Jewish state is an unprecedented event in world history.

 

The Miracle of Jewish History

As David Ben-Gurion said, "For a Jew to be a realist, you have to believe in miracles."

 

What is the Holiest Spot in the World for the Jewish People?

And it’s not the Western Wall.

 

The Root Cause of Anti-Semitism

Judaism’s traditional explanation to the world’s longest hatred.

 

What is a Jew?

A religion? Nation? Race? Culture?

 

What Does It Mean to be a Chosen People?

Unpacking the controversial description of the Jewish people.

Destiny: The Incredible Story of the Jewish People

Ken Spiro’s new book explores why the Jewish people, a tiny nation, plays such a huge role in history.

A Rare Pope Indeed

Only three popes out of 266 have been brave enough to make significant changes in the Church’s relationship with the Jews.

Liberal Politics and Jewish Idealism

How Jewish voting trends reflect the innate Jewish drive.

 

Video: The Ten Lost Tribes

Large numbers of Jews were exiled and disappeared. Where are they now?

Gilad Shalit and the Sea Turtle

The controversial exchange highlights one extreme difference: Israel values life.

 

FAQs: Why is There So Much Anti-Semitism?

Most given causes are just excuses. What's the real cause?

WorldPerfect: The Aish HaTorah Seminar

The in-depth presentation of the origins of modern world values.

Alexander and the Jews

The pivotal scene that you won't see in any movie sets the stage for the story of Chanukah.

The Passion: A Historical Perspective

Mel Gibson's film fits comfortably within the history of Christian anti-Semitism.

WORLD PERFECT: The Jewish Impact on Civilization

Where did the values and principles of the modern world come from?

History Crash Course #68: Timeline: From Abraham to the State of Israel

Four thousand years of Jewish history at a glance.

History Crash Course #67: The Miracle of Jewish History

In the final analysis, Jewish history makes no rational sense.

History Crash Course #66: War

Since its founding in 1948, Israel has been in a constant state of war, and yet has achieved great economic success.

History Crash Course #65: The State of Israel

After the British turned away Holocaust survivors from Israel, the UN voted to partition the land.

History Crash Course #64: The British Mandate

The British promised to create a Jewish state, but served their own Arab-linked interests as millions died in the Holocaust.

History Crash Course #63: Modern Zionism

Herzl launched the political framework for the modern State of Israel.

History Crash Course #62: Return to the Land of Israel

The re-birth of Israel is an unprecedented phenomenon in human history.

History Crash Course #61: The Final Solution

Hitler implemented his goal to eliminate all Jews from the planet.

History Crash Course #60: The Holocaust

While Nazi Germany systematically rounded up and executed Jews, the world closed its eyes and its doors.

History Crash Course #59: The Face of Anti-Semitism

Even in such civilized nations as France and the United States, anti-Semitism never died out.

History Crash Course #58: Jewish Life in America

Jews gained untold riches in America, at the cost of their heritage and spirituality.

History Crash Course #57: The Czars and the Jews

Government-organized pogroms against the Jews deflected attention from the corrupt regime.

History Crash Course #56: Pale of Settlement

This area of Russia where Jews were most oppressed gave rise to amazing achievements.

History Crash Course #55: Jews and the Founding of America

The amazing story of Jewish influence on the founding fathers of American democracy.

History Crash Course #54: The Reform Movement

Germans emphasized their loyalty to the "fatherland" in order to be accepted in mainstream society.

History Crash Course #53: The Enlightenment

The Age of Reason gave Jews civil rights, but its emphasis on a Godless society was bound to backfire.

History Crash Course #52: The Hassidic Movement

Initially a movement largely of the poor and uneducated, Hassidism emphasized spirituality in everyday life.

History Crash Course #51: The Kabbalists

In the 16th century, the Israeli mountaintop town of Tzfat became the center of Jewish mysticism.

History Crash Course #50: Reformation and the Jews

The Reformation exposed the corruption of the Church. For the Jews it meant more bad news.

History Crash Course #49: The Jews of Poland

King Boleslav of Poland invited the Jews, granting them unprecedented rights and privileges.

History Crash Course #48: The Inquisition

The Inquisition sought to expose Jews who converted to Christianity but were still secretly Jewish.

History Crash Course #47: The Black Death

The Europeans didn't know what caused the bubonic plague, but had no trouble blaming the Jews.

History Crash Course #46: Blood Libel

Christian accusations leveled against the Jews were extreme and irrational.

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