Jewish History Soundbites

A Ship, An Army & A State: The Altalena Part I

With the resurfacing of the Altalena weapons ship of the Irgun, the controversies and story of its tragic ending have resurfaced as well. In this first part of a two part

Chassidic Historiography: Tribute to Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Alfasi

One of the most prolific researchers and writers of Chassidic history, Yitzchak Alfasi amassed an enourmous amount of valuable historic material related to the Chassidic

Where Have You Gone Mussar Movement?

What happened to the Mussar Movement following its near decimation in the Holocaust? Were there attempts to reestablish it? Were those attempts successful? If not, why no

Tourbites: Summary of Summer Jewish History Trips

Coming off a rich and diverse series of Jewish history tours throughout Europe, Jewish History Soundbites presents a summary of these journeys throughout our storied past

[RERELEASE] Pre war Torah leaders on Vacation (replay)

The great Rabbis had their favored vacation spots in the Prewar era. Where were they? What went on there? An inside look at the relaxing times and locations known as the

[Rerelease] Great American Jewish Cities #17: The Catskills (replay)

The Mountains, the Catskills, the Borscht Belt, upstate, the country. Monticello, Liberty, Woodridge, Swan Lake, Woodbourne, Fallsburg. A place of many names with one thi

[Rerelease] From Abbey Road to Mt. Zion: The Jewish Music Revolution Part II (replay)

Aside from the Rabbi's Sons discussed in Part 1 of this miniseries, the 1960's saw the first music groups in Ohr Chadash, Pirchei and the London School of Jewish Song. Fr

[Rerelease] Yes, We've Got the Music! The Jewish Music Revolution Part I (replay)

Modern Jewish music developed from the chassidic music of old to the new sound of the Jewish music revolution led by Shlomo Carlebach in the 1960's. The music world of pr

[Rerelease] In the City of Death: The 1903 Kishinev Pogrom (replay)

Special Tisha Ba'av Episode with an all new introduction.  The 1903 Kishinev Pogrom was a tragic massacre, with reverberations within the wider Jewish world remaining un

America 250 & American Jewry

With the United States commemorating its 250th anniversary, it’s worth reflecting on the unique place that the country holds in Jewish history. The American Jewish experi

The Molotov Von Ribbentrop Pact

When Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-agression pact in late August 1939, it sent shockwaves throughout the entire world, but seemed especially ominous for

The Molotov Von Ribbentrop Pact

When Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-agression pact in late August 1939, it sent shockwaves throughout the entire world, but seemed especially ominous for

The Radoshytz Chassidic Dynasty

A large chassidic community across central Poland prior to its decimation during the Holocaust, Radoshytz was founded by Rav Yissachar Dov Ber Baron (1765-1843). Known as

Jacob Schiff & ‘The Schiff Era’

Born in Frankfurt to a prominent religious family, Jacob Schiff (1847-1920) was raised in the milieu of Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch’s Frankfurt, before migrating to the Uni

Urban Rabbinate: The Kornitzers of Krakow

Four generations of the Sofer/Kornitzer family served as venerable rabbis of the historic and prestigious Krakow community during the 19th & 20th centuries. The Chasam So

The Radoshytz Chassidic Dynasty

A large chassidic community across central Poland prior to its decimation during the Holocaust, Radoshytz was founded by Rav Yissachar Dov Ber Baron (1765-1843). Known as

Jacob Schiff & ‘The Schiff Era’

Born in Frankfurt to a prominent religious family, Jacob Schiff (1847-1920) was raised in the milieu of Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch’s Frankfurt, before migrating to the Uni

The Jews of Argentina

Sephardic Jews first arrived during the age of exploration, but the community didn’t really flourish until the arrival of European Jews in the 19th century. Eastern Europ

BONUS EPISODE: The 90th Yahrtzeit of the Mashgiach Rav Yerucham Levovitz

In honor of the 90th yahrtzeit of the great Mir Mashgiach Rav Yerucham Levovitz, Jewish History Soundbites is proud to present a collection of recordings, both old & new,

Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum: The Mandelbaum Gate

Between 1948-1967, the city of Yerushalayim was divided between Israel and Jordan. The only border crossing between the two parts of the city was at Mandelbaum Gate on th