The Jewish History Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe (TORCH)

Show details Episodes (91)Links (2)RSS Check (38%)Related content (1)

Explore every episode of The Jewish History Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Dive into the complete episode list for The Jewish History Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

	Pub. Date	Title	Duration
	02 Sep 2016	Ep. 1: Foundations, Fathers and Faith: Jewish History From Adam to Moses	00:54:31
In this maiden episode of The Jewish History Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe, we begin a five part overview of Jewish History. This format is not an exhaustive accounting of all the copious details of Jewish history; rather we seek to highlight the general themes, trends and personalities of Jewish history. We begin with Adam. What role […]
	09 Sep 2016	Ep. 2: Homeland, Hegemony and Hostility: Jewish History from Joshua to the (Second) Downfall of Jerusalem	01:14:14
The Torah end with the death of Moshe. The greatest human and leader of all time is no longer there to lead them. How will the Jews fare in his absence? In this expansive episode of The Jewish History Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe we tell the story and lessons of Jewish history from the […]
	15 Sep 2016	Ep. 3: Rabbis, Renaissance and Reclamation: Jewish History of the Mishnaic and Talmudic Eras	01:02:11
Our story begins with a battered and depressed nation in the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem and the holy Temple. They experienced tragedy and devastation on a scale never seen before. Immediately after the destruction the process of rebuilding began. There were several key shifts that dramatically altered Jewish life for the better and laid […]
	22 Sep 2016	Ep. 4: Violence, Vicissitudes and Valiancy: Jewish History in Medieval Times	00:57:05
The Medieval period would bring enormous changes to the Jewish communities worldwide. It was an era marked by tremendous scholarship and advancement of Torah. Some of the greatest leaders and luminaries that the Jews have ever seen – such as Maimonides and Rashi – make their appearance during this time. But it is also a period […]
	02 Oct 2016	Ep. 5: Chaos, Cataclysm and Consolidation: Jewish History in The Modern Era	01:23:08
The Modern Era was a whirlwind of activity for the Jewish people, not all of it positive. The story takes us to Tzfat in northern Israel where a unique community of Torah giants shape the future of our nation. It moves to Poland and the Ukraine where bands of cossacks slaughter and pillage the Jewish […]
	02 Nov 2016	Ep. 6: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Akiva	00:51:02
Rabbi Akiva was one of the most legendary and heroic figures in Jewish history. His story and accomplishments continue to inspire. In this podcast we explore the remarkable and riveting life story of this great man. ———- This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torchweb.org for program details and to […]
	09 Nov 2016	Ep. 7: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai	00:45:04
The life, writings and legacy of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai has seen a sensational resurgence in recent years. The annual pilgramage to his gravesite during the week of his hilula attracts more than 500,000 visitors. In this podcast we explore the remarkable and riveting life story of this great man. ———- This podcast was recorded live […]
	16 Nov 2016	Ep. 8: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Meir	00:45:19
Rabbi Meir was a foundational scholar of the Mishnaic era. In fact, an unattributed mishna are his teachings and he is the third most oft-cited rabbi in the Talmud. In this podcast we explore the remarkable and tragic life story of this great man. ———- This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, […]
	23 Nov 2016	Ep. 9: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Judah the Prince	00:44:52
The impact that Rabbi Judah the Prince had on Jewish life was so vast that he is referred to in the Talmud as simply “Rabbi”. In this podcast we explore the remarkable life and accomplishments of this great man. ———- This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torchweb.org for […]
	30 Nov 2016	Ep. 10: Great Jewish Personalities: Hillel	00:44:14
Hillel the Elder was a transcendental Jewish figure whose name and influence towers above Jewish life until this day. In this podcast we explore the remarkable life, visionary leadership and legendary personal piety of this great man. ———- This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torchweb.org for program details […]
	07 Dec 2016	Ep. 11: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai	00:43:01
Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai was the leader of the Jewish people during a most critical and vulnerable time period. His visionary decisions and foresight assured that Torah and the nation will persevere and flourish in the aftermath of tragedy and despair. In this podcast we explore the remarkable scholarship, persona and visionary leadership of this great man. […]
	14 Dec 2016	Ep. 12: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Eliezer	00:45:41
Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hurkenus was among the greatest of the students of Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai. In the words of his teacher, Rabbi Eliezer on one side of the scale would outweigh all the other scholars and sages of Israel on the other side of the scale. He contributed more than any of his peers […]
	21 Dec 2016	Ep. 13: A History of Hanukkah: Hellenism, Heroism and Hasmoneans	00:41:32
The holiday of Hanukkah commemorates the triumph of the Maccabean Revolt over the oppressive regime of Antiochus IV and the Seleucid Empire. In this podcast we tell the story of this miraculous victory of the weak over the mighty; the few over the many; the pure over the impure; and the righteous over the wicked. – – – […]
	04 Jan 2017	Ep. 14: Dialogue, Discourse and Disputation: When Rabbis and Romans Debate	00:52:00
The multi-century Roman occupation of Judah spurred much intercourse between the Jews and their overlords. One particular arena of interactions was in the realm of theological and philosophical discourse. The Romans were enamored with the Jewish religion and core beliefs and frequently peppered the great rabbis with questions. They also instituted public academies of interreligious polemics. […]
	11 Jan 2017	Ep. 15: Heresy, Hedonism and Hatred: The Rise of The Sadducees	00:46:30
The Sadducees were a sect of Jews that splintered away from the mainstream during the 2nd Century BC. They are erroneously portrayed as conscientious opposers to a rabbinical overreach by the Sages. In truth, their heresy was not ideological. In this podcast we dive deep into the roots of this movement, its core principles and […]
	18 Jan 2017	Ep. 16: The Dead Sea Scrolls: Their Story and Significance	00:46:23
The most significant archaeological find of the 20th century, and arguably of all-time, was made in Israel, in 1947. Discovered accidentally by a Bedouin shepherd in caves overlooking the Dead Sea, the Dead Sea Scrolls, as they became known, consists of tens of thousands of 2,000 year old scrolls and scroll fragments. This treasure trove of […]
	25 Jan 2017	Ep. 17: The Early Amoraic Era	00:56:50
The Amoraim were the Rabbis and Torah leaders of the 3rd to 5th Century. This era began after the compilation and sealing of the Mishnah, the canon of Jewish laws. Their collective task was to explicate, clarify and ultimately codify the Talmud, the book of everything relating to the laws of the Mishnah; including sources, […]
	01 Feb 2017	Ep. 18: The Middle Amoraic Era: Setting the Stage for the Babylonian Talmud	00:42:54
The writing of the Babylonian Talmud was the most significant human project of all time. But it was not the first time that the writing of the Talmud was attempted. In northern Israel, during the third and fourth centuries, the Jerusalem Talmud was written. But catastrophic events transpired to the Torah communities in Israel that halted […]
	08 Feb 2017	Ep. 19: The Late Amoraic Era: The Giants of Babylon and the Writing, Codification and Sealing of the Talmud	00:45:08
The Babylonian Talmud was the culmination of several hundred years of Amoraic scholarship. In shorthand it is known as “the discussions of Abaye and Rava” because these two titans contributed more to its arranging than any others. In this podcast we learn about these great Sages and the process of codification of the Talmud. – – – – […]
	15 Feb 2017	Ep. 20: The Rise of the Muslims	00:44:31
After the Talmud was codified and sealed, the Jewish communities worldwide came under protracted assault. There were several interconnected contributing factors to the conflict and turmoil that consumed the world: The Roman Empire was in long-term decline and splintering; the Sasanian Empire had shifting attitudes towards the Jews; there were frequent wars; and there was a rise […]
	22 Feb 2017	Ep. 21: The Early Geonic Era	00:46:31
The story of the Geonim takes shape at about the same time as the Islamic Empire overruns much of the world, bringing the majority of Jews under their rule. Under the relatively tolerant rule of the Caliphate, the Jewish world flourished and an entire epoch of Torah greatness blossomed. During this period, the Talmud calcified its status […]
	01 Mar 2017	Ep. 22: The Middle and Late Geonic Era	00:44:31
The Geonic Era spanned for more than 400 years. During this time, the great Yeshivas in Babylon, Sura and Pumpedisa, were universally recognized as the epicenter of Jewish life. Its heads, known as Geonim, together with the political leader of the nation, the Reish Galusa, led the people with great skill. In this episode we look […]
	08 Mar 2017	Ep. 23: Great Jewish Personalities: Rashi	00:46:07
The era succeeding the Geonic Era is the Era of the Rishonim. During this time, the Ashkenazic (Germanic) and Sephardic (Spanish) communities were separated due to the geopolitical instability resulting from the constant wars between the Muslims and Christians. For several generations, each community flourished and developed independent, and largely unaware, of the other. Both communities gave us […]
	15 Mar 2017	Ep. 24: Great Jewish Personalities: Rambam (Maimonides)	00:56:01
“From Moshe till Moshe no one arose like Moshe” This epithet is engraved on the tombstone of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, better known as Rambam or Maimonides, and sheds light on the enormity of his impact and influence upon the Jewish people. The mere claim that the Rambam’s contributions and leadership was surpassed only by Moshe […]
	22 Mar 2017	Ep. 25: A History of Christian Anti-Semitism Part 1	00:49:59
ANNUAL APPEAL: We are right now running our annual campaign at giveTORCH.com. If you enjoy the podcasts and want to support our work – please go to giveTORCH.com and donate to the cause. SHOW NOTES: The past 1,000 years of Jewish life in Christian Europe has seen a near continuous litany of fierce anti-Semitism. In this podcast […]
	05 Apr 2017	Ep. 26: A History of Christian Anti-Semitism Part 2	00:46:42
In this podcast we detail a shortened version of the shameful history of Christian anti-semitism over the last 500 years. We learn about the ruthless Portuguese Inquisition; the decrepit ghettos of Italy; the horrific massacres of Chmielnitsky in Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine; the Pale of Settlement and the various gruesome pogroms in Russia, and survey […]
	26 Apr 2017	Ep. 27: Great Jewish Personalities: Ramban (Nachmanides)	00:44:05
Rabbi Moshe Ben Nachman was one of the towering figures of Medieval Jewish world, whose impact was unmatched in his lifetime, and whose volumenous and diverse writings continue to educate and inspire – and indeed shape Jewish life – 750 years after his passing. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
	03 May 2017	Ep. 28: A History of Zionism	00:49:23
69 years ago, the State of Israel was declared. For the first time since the arrival of Pompey and the Romans in 63 BC, Jews had sovereignty over their homeland; the Land promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Land from which they were twice expelled. For Zionists worldwide, it marked the actualization of their hopes […]
	10 May 2017	Ep. 29: A History of Halacha	00:45:15
Halacha is the aspect of Oral Torah that teaches the practical instructions of fulfilling the mitzvos. It addresses questions like: What is allowed what is forbidden? What is kosher what is unkosher? Who is liable and who is innocent? For the Jewish people to exist and flourish, knowledge of Halacha must be ubiquitous. In this podcast we trace its […]
	17 May 2017	Ep. 30: The Six Day War Part 1	00:48:49
In June of 1967, the third Arab-Israeli war, a conflict that shaped the modern Middle East, erupted. The Arabs had advantages in terms of numbers of troops, tanks, planes; they had a broad coalition and international support; and their geographical depth gave them a sizeable leg up. The fledgling Jewish State had to fight a multi-front war […]
	24 May 2017	Ep. 31: The Six Day War Part 2	01:24:10
In the morning of June 5, 1967, the Israeli Air Force launched Operation Focus, an all out assault on Egyptian air bases. 50 minutes later, Israel began a massive coordinated ground attack on the entrenched Egyptian fortified positions in Sinai. Thus began the war that spanned a mere six days but changed the face of […]
	07 Jun 2017	Ep. 32: A History of False Messiahs	00:51:53
Belief in the coming of Messiah is a critical component of Jewish faith that is enshrined in Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith. Sadly, ignorance of what exactly Messiah is, what he supposed to do, and how to vet him, coupled with people’s naiveté, gullibility, and vulnerability, has allowed for several imposters to make false Messianic claims, […]
	21 Jun 2017	Ep. 33: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal)	00:55:58
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (1707-1746) was a transformative paragon of Kabbalah, Mussar and Jewish theology. Despite living a short and tumultuous life, Ramchal’s writings and teachings were astonishingly prolific, and many of his books became indispensable classics that redefined their genre. In this podcast, we meet a precocious and prodigious youth teaching and practicing Kabbalah; we go […]
	05 Jul 2017	Ep. 34: Great Jewish Personalities: The Gaon of Vilna	00:50:55
Rabbi Eliyahu the son of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Kramer (1720-1797), known to all as the Gaon (genius) of Vilna, or simply the “Gaon”, was a legendary and towering figures of Jewish history. While he never headed a yeshiva, held rabbinic office, or publish in his lifetime, he was universally recognized as the undisputed leader of the nation, […]
	19 Jul 2017	Ep. 35: Emancipation, Haskalah, and Reform: The Zeitgeist of 1800s European Jewry	00:49:07
The 19th Century was a tumultuous time of fundamental change, opportunity, and upheaval for the Jewish people. For centuries, the Jews of Europe were subject to systemic marginalization: They were second-class citizens, were not granted equal rights or protection, were restricted to ghettos. The Age of Reason, alternatively called the Enlightenment, brought about rapid Emancipation for the Jews, that was not […]
	02 Aug 2017	Ep. 36: Rabbi Moshe Sofer (Chasam Sofer) and his Hardline Response to Haskalah	00:40:33
The Haskalah movement that swept through European Jewry in the 19th Century, brought about several different responses from what became known as the Orthodox communities. In Hungary, Rabbi Moshe Sofer, known by the name of one his books as the “Chasam Sofer”, championed a zero-tolerance approach of rejecting modernity of all kinds. His motto was – Chadash […]
	16 Aug 2017	Ep. 37: Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch and Torah Im Derech Eretz	00:48:04
19th Century German Jewry was faced unprecedented, hitherto unseen threats to its continuity. Due to the rise of Reform and the Haskalah movements bent on drawing Jews away from Torah, coupled with the circumstances – the Emancipation and the relaxing of the hostility towards the Jews all over Europe – that enabled assimilation into the greater […]
	01 Sep 2017	Ep. 38: Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin and the Mother of all Yeshivos	00:52:35
To see pictures of the devastation of the TORCH Centre please visit http://rabbiwolbe.com/harvey/ To make a donation to the rebuilding of the TORCH Centre please visit rebuildtorch.com Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin was a man of extraordinary character and scholarship, and the most prominent disciple of the Gaon of Vilna, who succeeded him as leader of Lithuanian Jewry in […]
	13 Sep 2017	Ep. 39: Rabbi Yisrael Salanter and the Mussar Movement	01:16:23
By the 1840s, ferocious winds of changes were sweeping through the Jewish nation, and leaving wreckage and carnage in the wake of their consuming vortexes. The spiritual standing of the nation was under assault from without and vulnerable from within. Several great, innovative leaders rose up and created movements aimed at rebuffing the threats. In this […]
	19 Oct 2017	Ep. 40: Rabbi Chaim Soloveichik and the Brisker Method of Talmudic Analysis	00:58:02
Rabbi Chaim Soloveichik, the scion of a prestigious rabbinical family, was the father of a new penetrating, incisive, and brilliant approach to Talmudic study and analysis that took the Yeshiva world by storm and is now ubiquitously accepted in the Yeshiva world. In addition to those accomplishments, he was also the paragon of kindness. In this […]
	09 Nov 2017	Ep. 41: Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel (Part One: The Slabodka Revolution)	00:51:30
Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, known the world over as the Alter of Slabodka, was and is the greatest builder of Torah of the last several centuries. The burgeoning yeshiva movement today, and indeed the fact that yeshivos did not go extinct a century ago, is due to him more than any one person. He was the first […]
	15 Nov 2017	Ep. 42: Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel (Part Two: The Mussar Ideology)	00:48:30
The burgeoning yeshiva movement today, and indeed the fact that yeshivos did not go extinct a century ago, is due to Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, known the world over as the Alter of Slabodka, more than any one person. He was the first to combine two of the greatest movements of the 19th century into one, […]
	12 Dec 2017	Ep. 43: The History of Chanukah: Hellenism, Heroism and Hasmoneans	00:48:44
The holiday of Chanukah commemorates the triumph of the Maccabean Revolt over the oppressive regime of Antiochus IV and the Seleucid Empire. In this podcast we tell the story of this miraculous victory of the weak over the mighty; the few over the many; the pure over the impure; and the righteous over the wicked. NEW PODCAST – […]
	02 Jan 2018	Ep. 44: Jerusalem: A History of the Holy City from the Bible to Bibi	01:14:35
The ancient and historic city of Jerusalem is the most contested piece of real estate on the planet. For Jews, it is the center of the world; it is the hallowed grounds upon which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob treaded and prayed; it was the site of the two Temples, and of the long-awaited third Temple. […]
	15 Feb 2018	Ep. 45: A History of Tefillah (Jewish Prayer), Liturgy, and the Siddur	01:13:02
Prayer is a central aspect of Jewish life. The second mishnah in Pirkei Avos identifies the three pillars that uphold the world, one of them being prayer. Prayer also occupies a large part of Jewish observance: we pray thrice daily, four times on Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh, holidays and festivals, and five times on Yom Kippur, amounting […]
	22 Feb 2018	Ep. 46: The Purim Backstory	00:37:48
Purim is a holiday celebrated by Jews worldwide on the 14th day of the month of Adar, and in Jerusalem and walled cities on the fifteenth day of Adar. It commemorates the story of the salvation of the Jewish nation from the genocidal plans of Haman and Achashveirosh in Persia. How did the Jews end up living […]
	28 Feb 2018	Ep. 47: The Purim Story	00:59:14
The Purim Story begins with King Achashverosh, the Persian king who ruled from Hodu until Cush (India until Ethiopia), making a massive feast for all the ministers and noblemen of Persia and Media that lasted for 180 days. Soon afterwards Achashverosh partners with the wicked Haman to annihilate the entire Jewish nation. In this podcast […]
	21 Mar 2018	Ep. 48: The History of the Jewish Calendar (Plus Annual Fundraising Appeal at GiveTORCH.org)	00:58:37
Annual Appeal To my dear listeners, At TORCH we have a simple philosophy: We give stimulating and engaging and relevant Torah teachings every day. But there is one day a year that we ask our friends, students, supporters and partners to give to TORCH. Today is that day. Today we will, please God, raise the […]
	18 Apr 2018	Ep. 49: The Story of King David (Part One: Rise to Monarchy)	00:48:03
King David was anointed as the second king of Israel by the prophet Samuel and is considered the archetype of the Jewish king who earned the mantle of monarchy for his descendants forever. He authored the Psalms, which until this day are the ultimate manifestation of the Jewish soul yearning for its Creator and praying and beseeching […]
	25 Apr 2018	Ep. 50: The Story of King David (Part Two: David, King of Israel)	01:06:17
David is now the undisputed king of Israel, but before him lay several key tasks: Of course the various Philistine and Canaanite tribes continue to be a pest, and David must subdue them to create lasting stability. Most importantly, however, David needs to corral the tribes of Israel who were formerly loyal to Saul and Ish […]
	08 May 2018	Ep. 51: The History of the Sanhedrin (Part One: From Moshe until the Destruction of the Second Temple)	00:53:16
The Sanhedrin, the highest halachic authority in the Land comprised of the 71 greatest scholars in the Jewish world, was the Supreme Court of the Jewish Nation. It was founded by Moshe about a year after the Revelation at Sinai and continued almost uninterrupted for 1700 years. This body played an instrumental role in guiding and […]
	15 May 2018	Ep. 52: The History of the Sanhedrin (Part Two: From Yavneh Onward)	00:59:25
After the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed, the Sanhedrin at Yavneh became the epicenter of Jewish life. Though the pride of the nation – The Holy Temple in Jerusalem which was standing for 420 years – was destroyed, and tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of Jews were massacred, Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai’s negotiations with Vespasian […]
	05 Jun 2018	Ep. 53: The Ten Lost Tribes: History, Legends, and Folklore	00:49:59
The story of the Ten Lost Tribes is shrouded in mystery, replete with legends and folklore. At its core it is one of the greatest tragedies of Jewish history. It began with the worst schism and civil war in our history. The rift persisted for decades and was never resolved despite many concerted efforts of the great prophets […]
	04 Jul 2018	Ep. 54: The Entebbe Raid	00:43:34
On the 6th of Tammuz, July 4th 1976, a team of Israeli commandos flew 2500 miles undetected across hostile countries, raided the Entebbe airport in Uganda and rescued 100 Jews who were being held hostage after their commercial plane was hijacked. This stunning, daring, audacious, miraculous Hollywoodesque rescue wowed the world, and galvanized the Jewish […]
	24 Jul 2018	Ep. 55: Techeiles: The History of the Mysterious Blue Dye and its Fringe Benefits	00:52:06
The word “Techeiles” is mentioned dozens of times in the Torah, and is a subject that appears in many places in the Talmud and associated literature. Techeiles is both a color and a material, namely wool dyed with this color, but to fulfill the Torah’s requirement for this particular color it can only be derived from the […]
	06 Sep 2018	Ep. 56: A History of Kabbalah (Part One: Fom Sinai to Safed)	00:47:52
Kabbalah is part of the corpus of Oral Torah – like the Mishnah, the Talmud and Halacha – that was given to Moshe at Sinai and transmitted from generation to generation, but unlike the revealed Torah which was disseminated as widely as possible to the whole nation, the Kabbalah was arcane and esoteric – known to the very […]
	10 Oct 2018	Ep. 57: A History of Kabbalah (Part Two: The Arizal and His Era)	00:56:05
In the 16th century, the city of Safed in Northern Israel became host to one of the greatest collections of Torah Sages ever assembled, none more transformative or influential as Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, known as the Arizal. Though he lived a very short life of 38 years (1534-1572), he revolutionized the study, perception, and understanding of Kabbalah […]
	24 Oct 2018	Ep. 58: Abraham: The Birth of Monotheism and the Origins of the Jewish Nation	00:46:42
The story of the Jewish people – and truthfully the story of all monotheists, Christians and Muslims too – begins with Abraham. Abraham is of course the progenitor of the Jewish nation via his son, Isaac and grandson, Jacob, and his other son, Ishmael, is viewed as the forbearer of the Arabs and by extension […]
	15 Nov 2018	Ep. 59: The Blueprint of Jewish History	00:54:23
The oft-repeated refrain “history repeats itself” is especially true with respect to the stories of the forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as conveyed in the Book of Genesis. Our Sages have made the bold claim that everything that happened to our forefathers as individuals will be repeated to their children on the national stage. The […]
	27 Nov 2018	Ep. 60: Moses: The Quintessential Jewish Leader	00:56:52
Moses was the greatest human of all time. His resume is replete with superlatives: He was the greatest prophet of all time, both qualitatively and quantitatively; He was the humblest man to grace the earth; He ascended to Heaven, negotiated successfully with angels and brought down the Torah and taught it to the Jewish people; […]
	12 Dec 2018	Ep. 61: Joshua: Disciple Par Excellence of Moses	00:53:23
Joshua was the undisputed leader of the Jews after the passing of Moses. Even during Moses’ lifetime, Joshua played an important role as Moses’ aide and confidante and protegé. Among his many accomplishments: He led the war effort and vanquished the Amaleks immediately after the Exodus; He was Moses’ right hand man in his lifetime, and […]
	09 Jan 2019	Ep. 62: Joshua and the Conquest of Canaan	00:44:17
After the death of Moses, Joshua was tasked with the leadership of the people and with the invasion, conquest, and division of Canaan. Precisely 3 days after the 30-day mourning period of Moses, the invasion commenced with a rapid flurry of miracles, battles, and monumental events. This podcast covers the story of Joshua and the […]
	13 Feb 2019	Ep. 63: The Era of the Judges (Part One: Osniel to Deborah)	00:57:37
After the passing of Joshua, the Jewish nation – newly settled in the land of Canaan, the land of Israel – confronted new realities that spawned new challenges. The leadership of the nation was greatly diminished – their future leaders were not of the caliber of Joshua and certainly not of Moses. They were surrounded […]
	06 Mar 2019	Ep. 64: The Era of the Judges (Part Two: Gideon and Yiftach)	00:52:10
We pick up the story of the Judges after the miraculous destruction of the enemies of Israel – Yavin and his star general Sisera were vanquished, peace reigned for forty years, but as we have seen previously, the period of the Judges is marked by ebbs and flows: When the Jews are behaving as they […]
	03 Apr 2019	Ep. 65: The Era of the Judges (Part Three: Samson the Mighty) + ANNUAL FUNDRAISER	01:06:02
Support TORCH and The Jewish History Podcast TODAY during our only annual fundraiser. https://www.charidy.com/torch/History EVERY DONATION IS QUADRUPLED Today, TORCH needs your help!! Today YOU can support the thousands of Jewish Houstonians who learn and get inspired at TORCH Torah classes every year! Today YOU can support the 18 Houston area Congregations spanning from The […]
	17 May 2019	Ep. 66: The Yom Kippur War (Part One: Prelude to War)	01:03:46
On October 6th, 1973 – on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar – a coordinated, surprise attack was launched on the State of Israel by its two great adversaries: Egypt in the South and Syria in the North. The Yom Kippur War would go on to be the bloodiest, and most consequential war […]
	05 Jun 2019	Ep. 67: The Yom Kippur War (Part Two: Israel on the Brink)	01:01:16
The first few days of the Yom Kippur War were among the most disastrous and devastating days in Israel’s history. Thanks to unprecedented intelligence failures that we detailed in the previous episode, they were ill-prepared for the simultaneous surprise attacks from the Syrians in the Golan Heights in the North, and the Egyptians in the Sinai […]
	12 Aug 2019	Ep. 68: The Yom Kippur War (Part Three: The Tide Turns)	00:58:48
The Yom Kippur War is – at least from a military perspective – a tale of two conflicts: The early stages of the war were completely one-sided, with the combined Arab armies of Syria and Egypt dominating the battlefields and making huge gains and inflicting punishing blows to the Israelis. But the tide dramatically turned, and ultimately […]
	05 Nov 2019	Ep. 69: The Yom Kippur War (Part Four: Ceasefire and Aftermath)	00:53:55
The turning point in the trajectory of the State of Israel was the Yom Kippur War. In almost every way, the history of the State can be divided into two eras, before and after this pivotal conflict. In the fourth and final installment on the Yom Kippur War, we tell the stories of the war’s […]
	28 Jan 2020	Ep. 70: Chazon Ish: The Founding Father of the Modern Yeshiva World (Part One: Torah Renaissance Man)	00:57:26
The destruction of European Jewry during the Holocaust decimated more than the thousands of Jewish communities of Europe. Europe had been the epicenter of Ashkenazic Jewish life for 1,000 years, and with the destruction of the 6 million Jews, came everything that generations of Jewish communities had built over the millennium. A world of Jewish […]
	11 Feb 2020	Ep. 71: Chazon Ish: The Founding Father of the Modern Yeshiva World (Part Two: Making the Spiritual Desert Bloom)	00:58:23
In 1933, Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz – the Chazon Ish – moved to British Mandate Palestine. Prior to his departure, the recognized leader of the Torah world, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky of Vilna had sent a letter to the leaders of the Yishuv informing them that a Torah giant was coming. Employing classic Talmudic phraseology, he wrote […]
	03 Mar 2020	Ep. 72: Chazon Ish: Part Three – On Politics and the Conflict of Religion and State	00:44:31
Please support TORCH and The Jewish History Podcast TODAY during our only annual fundraiser giveTORCH.org Support The Jewish History Podcast – https://www.charidy.com/torch/History EVERY DONATION IS QUADRUPLED Today, TORCH needs your help!! Today YOU can partner with us in the largest and most downloaded Jewish Podcast Network (The Jewish History Podcast, This Jewish Life, The Parsha […]
	14 Jul 2020	Ep. 73: Rabbi Avraham Grodzinsky: The Exemplar of Slabodka	00:57:34
Rabbi Avraham Grodzinski was the last head of the Slabodka Yeshiva in Lithuania. He was primary disciple of the Alter of Slabodka, and his successor after the Alter moved to Chevron, heading the yeshiva until WW2 broke out, and even leading a cadre of students in the ghetto under ghastly conditions. With the destruction of European […]
	05 Aug 2020	Ep. 74 – Chacham Ovadia Yosef: Part One – The Prince of Torah	00:44:26
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, known the world over as “Chacham Ovadia” or simply “Maran”, was one of the most important rabbinical personalities of the 20th Century. His career accomplishments were staggering: He was a Torah scholar of absolute unmatched greatness. He was a transformational Rabbi – with rabbinic posts both in Israel and abroad – who […]
	09 Sep 2020	Thanks a Million!	00:32:31
Of all the episodes that I have recorded over the years, this will be perhaps the most unique one. For one, it will be released simultaneously on all 6 channels that I am fortunate enough to host: The Parsha Podcast, The Jewish History Podcast, The Mitzvah Podcast , This Jewish Life, The Ethics Podcast, and […]
	21 Oct 2020	Ep. 75 – Chacham Ovadia Yosef: Part Two – Restoring the Crown of Sephardic Jewry to its Former Glory	01:15:32
Chacham Ovadia Yosef was one of the most impactful and transformative Jewish leaders of recent history. In Part One we discussed Chacham Ovadia’s complete Torah mastery, in this episode we will explore his role as a leader: as a Rabbi, as Rishon LeZion (Sephardic Chief Rabbi), as a halachic arbiter, as a Posek (halachic arbiter), as […]
	21 Dec 2020	Ep. 76: JC in Jewish Sources: Exploring the Censored Text	00:56:20
As we approach the end of December, I chose to experiment by doing something a bit different in examining the Jewish take on the Christian hero and on early Christianity. When we look at the Talmudic sources on the matter we find that our version of this story is radically different than the Christian one, […]
	03 Jan 2021	Start 2021 Right with The Parsha Podcast	01:02:17
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to record more episodes of The Jewish History Podcast in 2021. If you may indulge me, I would like to suggest to the audience to sample my Parsha Podcast in 2021. In this episode which covers Parshas Shemos, you can take it for a test drive to see […]
	04 Mar 2021	TORCH Fundraiser: A Conversation with our Board President, Dan Kullman	00:24:30
Please support The TORCH Podcasts and the annual TORCH fundraiser at giveTORCH.org Every donation will be TRIPLED Show your support for TORCH and the TORCH Podcasts and donate to the annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
	23 Mar 2021	Ep. 77: The History and Development of Oral Torah (Part 1: From Moses to Men of the Great Assembly)	01:05:46
In the narrow sense, Oral Torah refers to the interpretation and understanding of the Written Torah. The Written Torah is written cryptically, and the Oral Torah demystifies and explains it. But the truth is that Oral Torah includes much more than that. Oral Torah includes all of Torah that is not included in the Written […]
	30 Mar 2021	Ep. 78: The History and Development of Oral Torah (Part 2: Hasmoneans, Herod, and Hillel)	00:47:30
The Second Temple Era was an eventful time for the Jewish People and the perpetuation of Torah. Over the course of the Second Commonwealth our nation was blessed with great legends, such as Ezra, Shimon Ben Shetach, and Hillel, but the Nation faced unprecedented tests too: We were forced to contend with hostile foreign nations; […]
	13 Apr 2021	Ep. 79: The History and Development of Oral Torah (Part 3: Roman Rule and Rabbinic Reconciliation)	00:53:51
The final century of the Second Temple and the one that followed its destruction were pivotal ones of Jewish history. It was an era replete with absolute Torah giants – Hillel the Elder, Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai, Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh and his colleagues, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Akiva and his students, among […]
	13 Nov 2023	Ep. 80: The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Historical Background	01:09:47
The Arab-Israeli conflict is front and center on the world stage today. The barbaric October 7th terrorist attacks – where more than a thousand innocent Jewish civilians were slaughtered, thousands more wounded, and hundreds were taken hostage by the vile Hamas terrorist organization – prompted an Israeli invasion of the Gaza strip with the express […]
	22 Nov 2023	Ep. 81: Hostage Rescues and Ransoms in Jewish History and Law	01:13:57
The Jewish people are at war. Our brethren in Israel are in midst of a fierce war in Gaza against the terrorist organization Hamas. The objectives of the campaign are the complete elimination of Hamas leadership and infrastructure, and the safe return of the more than 200 hostages captured by the terrorists on the brutal […]
	08 Dec 2023	The History of Chanukah: Hellenism, Heroism and Hasmoneans (Rebroadcast)	00:48:17
The holiday of Chanukah commemorates the triumph of the Maccabean Revolt over the oppressive regime of Antiochus IV and the Seleucid Empire. In this podcast we tell the story of this miraculous victory of the weak over the mighty; the few over the many; the pure over the impure; and the righteous over the wicked. NOTE: This Podcast […]
	18 Dec 2023	Ep. 82: Valor and Violence: Jews and Arabs in 1920s British Mandate Palestine	01:07:22
The Balfour Declaration was a pivotal shift in the prospects of the Zionist dream. For the first time, a major world power declared their intent – in a binding governmental commitment – to work towards the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Political Zionism achieved a major strategic victory, but actualizing this plan would […]
	11 Mar 2024	Ep. 83: Two-State Solution Part 1: The Peril and Naivete of Promoting a Palestinian State	00:51:16
Is a two-state solution a viable way to finally resolve the Israel Palestine conflict? Many in the international community believe that it is the only solution. After the horrific massacres of October 7th, 2023, the international community is once again amplifying the call for a two-state solution. Instead of punishing the Arabs for their violent […]
	13 Mar 2024	Ep. 84: Two-State Solution Part 2: A Century of Doomed Proposals	01:14:53
Straddling the Mediterranean Sea is a very special sliver of land: The land of Israel. The land of Canaan; Palestine; The Holy Land – there are a lot of names that this land is called by. This is the land to which Abraham was instructed to go to. This is the land that the Jewish […]
	21 Mar 2024	The Purim Story (Rebroadcast)	01:38:37
TORCH Annual Fundraiser Our organization, TORCH, does only one fundraiser a year, and that is happening right now at giveTORCH.org. This is a matching campaign and every donation will be DOUBLED. Please support the Jewish History Podcast right now at giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the Jewish History Podcast in 2024 We need your […]
	03 Feb 2025	Ep. 85: Ark of the Covenant: History and Current Whereabouts	01:04:17
The Ark of the Covenant was the holiest and most iconic vessels of the Tabernacle, and subsequently the Temple. It was placed in the Holy of Holies and visited only once a year by the holiest person, the High Priest, on the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur. Inside the Ark were the Tablets […]
	09 Mar 2025	Ep. 86: Chofetz Chaim: A Portrait + TORCH 2025 Fundraiser	01:10:50
Please support the Jewish History Podcast by donating to our annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org This is our only annual fundraiser. Every donation is DOUBLED! Support the Jewish History Podcast by visiting giveTORCH.org right now and making a generous donation! This is the LINK for the Fundraiser. – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

Enhance your understanding of The Jewish History Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe with My Podcast Data

At My Podcast Data, we strive to provide in-depth, data-driven insights into the world of podcasts. Whether you're an avid listener, a podcast creator, or a researcher, the detailed statistics and analyses we offer can help you better understand the performance and trends of The Jewish History Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe. From episode frequency and shared links to RSS feed health, our goal is to empower you with the knowledge you need to stay informed and make the most of your podcasting experience. Explore more shows and discover the data that drives the podcast industry.

About us Privacy Policy