The Jewish Lives Podcast

EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD

Edmond de Rothschild (1845–1934) was born into one of the wealthiest families in history, but his legacy lies beyond aristocratic privilege. Join us with award-winning h

STEPHEN SONDHEIM

Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021) was a towering figure in American musical theater. Join us with Daniel Okrent, author of the new biography Stephen Sondheim: Art Isn’t Easy,

MORDECAI M. KAPLAN

Rabbi, writer, teacher, and thinker, Mordecai M. Kaplan (1881–1983) was one of the leading Jewish personalities of twentieth-century America. Founder of the Reconstructio

WALTER BENJAMIN

Walter Benjamin (1892–1940) is widely considered one of the most creative cultural critics of the twentieth century. Join us with Harvard University scholar Peter E. Gor

LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN

According to the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951), philosophy is a “battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language.” This audacious id

PHILIP ROTH

Philip Roth (1933–2018) is one of the most celebrated American writers of the 20th century. Join us with Steven J. Zipperstein, author of the groundbreaking biography Ph

CAROLE KING

Carole King’s extraordinary career has defined American popular music for more than half a century. Join us with journalist Jane Eisner, author of the new biography Caro

FRANZ BOAS

Franz Boas (1858–1942) is widely acknowledged for his pioneering work in the field of cultural anthropology. Join us with Noga Arikha, author of the new biography Franz

ABRAHAM

Join us with Anthony Julius, author of the new biography Abraham: The First Jew, as we explore the origins of a fundamental struggle within Judaism between skepticism and

LOUIS B. MAYER AND IRVING THALBERG

Louis B. Mayer (1884–1957) and Irving Thalberg (1899–1936) were unlikely partners in one of the most significant collaborations in movie history. Join us with film criti

ANNE FRANK

In this episode, acclaimed author Ruth Franklin explores the transformation of Anne Frank (1929–1945) from ordinary teenager to icon, shedding new light on the young woma

MENASSEH BEN ISRAEL

Menasseh ben Israel (1604–1657) was among the most accomplished and cosmopolitan rabbis of his time, and a pivotal intellectual figure in early modern Jewish history. Jo

JACOB

A powerful hero of the Bible, Jacob is also one of its most complex figures. Join us with Israel Prize winner Professor Yair Zakovitch, author of Jacob: Unexpected Patri

MENACHEM MENDEL SCHNEERSON

Episode 59: MENACHEM MENDEL SCHNEERSON Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994) was the seventh and last rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, one of the world’s best-kn

AYN RAND

Ayn Rand (1905–1982) was one of America’s most provocative writers of the 20th century. Her best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged have influenced three

MOSES MENDELSSOHN

The “German Socrates,” Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786) was the most influential Jewish thinker of the 18th and 19th centuries. A Berlin celebrity and a major figure in the

LÉON BLUM

Léon Blum (1872–1950), France’s prime minister three times, socialist activist, and courageous opponent of the pro-Nazi Vichy regime, profoundly altered French society.

HEROD THE GREAT

Herod the Great (73–4 BCE) was a phenomenally energetic ruler who took advantage of the chaos of the Roman revolution to establish himself as a major figure in a changing

A PASSSOVER SPECIAL: BECOMING ELIJAH

Get ready for Passover with Jewish Lives. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue and Professor Daniel Matt, author of Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation,

HENRIETTA SZOLD

Henrietta Szold (1860–1945) is renowned as the founder of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, which quickly became one of the most successful of all Zi