Jewish History Nerds

What happens when a rabbi becomes a compulsive gambler?

Yael and Schwab explore the life of Rabbi Leone de Modena, a remarkable Renaissance thinker from the Venetian ghetto. A prodigy, prolific writer, and the author of the first full-length Hebrew autobiography, Modena was also a famous preacher whose sermons drew both Jews and Christians. He defended bringing choral music into synagogue services and is claimed by a broad range of Jewish traditions. His story offers a glimpse into life in early modern Venice, where Jews and non Jews mingled and shared ideas despite the ghetto walls, while revealing the genius and very human struggles of one of the era’s most fascinating rabbis.

Watch Yael and Schwab on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Sources and summary: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1InrXhFPXoVLetO1XWExJhu1h_hkiCZ_EVhHulLvtwXc/edit?usp=sharing

Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount.

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For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews⁠

What happens when trauma reshapes religious life, and suffering itself becomes sacred?

This week, Jonathan Schwab introduces Yael Steiner to the Hasidei Ashkenaz, a small but intense medieval movement that emerged in 12th–13th century Germany after the Crusades of 1096. Living in the shadow of violence, they turned to radical piety, marathon prayer, frequent fasting, rigorous penance, and even martyrdom (kiddush Hashem), to make sense of trauma. It’s a bizarre chapter in Jewish history, not typically associated with Judaism, and a striking example of how communities search for meaning when the world feels unstable.

Sources and summary: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eNcEJ28D5CcnwsFWSti-9EIibk2q-lKJ8wsrgTmbPfM/edit?usp=sharing

Watch Yael and Schwab on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

-------------------

Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount.

------------------

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews⁠

In 1953, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were sent to the electric chair. They were condemned by a Jewish judge, and executed on a Friday night. The charge: espionage. The backdrop: Cold War hysteria. This week, Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab reframe the story. Yael explores the Jewish response to the Rosenberg trial and the tensions it revealed within the American Jewish community.

Sources and summary: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ryhznJ81I9DdIzLmqnvE8NzyAGJlsFfPXYfVUVCAoQo/edit?usp=sharing

Watch Yael and Schwab on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews

In 1609, Rivka Tiktiner did something no Jewish woman had ever done before: she published a book. Meneket Rivka, printed in Prague, is the earliest surviving full-length work by a Jewish woman—written in Yiddish yet steeped in serious Torah scholarship. This week on Jewish History Nerds, Jonathan Schwab introduces Yael Steiner to this little-known trailblazer as they explore her legacy—and wrestle with the challenge of applying modern ideas about feminism to a woman from the 16th century.

For a brief summary and sources on Rivka Tiktiner, click here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UTdUQXea7MSiNnDRv5Z4YHuodJ38Au7iiSA2UuMexj8/edit?usp=sharing

Watch Yael and Schwab on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠:

Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

-------------------

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews

Leon Trotsky’s name gets thrown around a lot—but the story behind it is darker and stranger than most realize. This week, Yael Steiner walks Schwab through Trotsky’s rise from an assimilated Jewish childhood in Ukraine to revolution, Lenin’s inner circle, and the founding of the Red Army. From a revealing stint in New York to the brutal realities of Soviet power, Trotsky embraces total revolution—only to be outmaneuvered by Stalin. The story ends in exile, assassination, and a Jewish identity he tried to erase but never escaped.

For a brief summary of Leon Trotsky, click here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z7QQuewJIw9haXdJMWPsE1BLYoq0uSb9_DJsBoO6r98/edit?usp=sharing

Watch Yael and Schwab on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠:

Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

-------------------

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold⁠⁠

⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews