Jewish History Soundbites (Yehuda Geberer)

The Jewish People, Israeli society and the world at large confronted the Holocaust in the years following the Eichmann trial. Survivors began submitting testimony and writing their memoirs, historians and scholars embarked on research projects in a more systematic fashion and the Holocaust became a permanent element of the international consciousness. Hannah Arendt’s book, Eichmann in Jerusalem, generated much controversy and response. Her exploration of the ‘banality of evil’, as well as her controversial statements regarding the trial itself and Jewish leadership during the Holocaust, resulted in a slew of books, articles and general polemics to disprove many of her ideas and statements. Eichmann’s defense of ‘just following orders’, generated responses as well. From Stanley Milgram’s famous authority experiments at Yale, to Phillip Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment, social psychologists seemed as keen as understanding the Holocaust as much as historians.

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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His impact on the Yeshiva world was immense. His learning approach continues to have immeasurable influence. His holiness was legendary and his greatness uncontested. Rav Baruch Ber Leibowitz (1870-1940) in many ways seemed larger than life.  Yet the story of his life and the stories about his life, bring out the humanity, the world that he lived and acted in and the context of the times, to bring this great personality alive and paint a fuller picture of his achievements. From his days in Volozhin to a young Rabbi in Halusk. From Slabodka to Kremenchuk to Vilna to Kamenitz. Rav Baruch Ber had many stops and it also included a long fundraising journey to the United States. As a teacher, as a lover of his fellow Jew, as a fighter for tradition and in many other ways, Rav Baruch Ber's spirit reverberates within the Jewish world to this very day.

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Born into a prestigious Frankfurt family in 1762, Rav Moshe Sofer, the Chasam Sofer, would carry the Frankfurt legacy for the rest of his life. His teachers included the local rabbi Rav Pinchas Horowitz, the Haflaah, as well as a stint in Mainz with Rav David Tevli Shayer. But his primary teacher was Rav Nosson Adler. The Chasam Sofer joined his circle of mystics when he was 10-11 years old and remained devoted to him for the rest of his life. When the Frankfurt community opposed Rav Nosson Adler’s Kabbalistic separatist customs and he was excommunicated, the Chasam Sofer accompanied him into exile. Leaving Frankfurt with Rav Nosson Adler in 1782, the Chasam Sofer was never to return to his hometown.

Listen to our previous three episodes about the Chasam Sofer:

Part 1: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/hungarian-royalty-the-chasam-sofer-his-family/

Part 2: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/chasam-sofer-part-ii-old-traditions-new-message/

Part 3: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/chasam-sofer-part-iii-a-pressburg-situation/

 

For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com

 

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The rich Jewish past of Tinseltown is worth at least a full length feature. The architects of Hollywood were Jewish immigrants, who were joined by many talented Jews heading west, who created an entire industry and cultural revolution. Orthodox Judaism took a bit longer to strike roots, but Rabbi Simon Dolgin and other intrepid pioneers planted the first seeds which blossomed with the arrival of many survivors in the post war era. From Beth Jacob to YICC, from Toras Emes to YULA, from Venice Beach to Pico Robertson, LA has a Jewish story to tell. Rav Simcha Wasserman built a Yeshiva named for his illustrious father, Rabbi Marvin Heir built the Wiesenthal Center, and philanthropists from Sam Menlo to Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz funded one initiative after another. One of the first community Kollels in the United States had a great impact on the community's growth as well.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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As part of our ongoing series about the Great Shanghai Escape, I had a conversation with my friend and collaborator Dovi Safier, who is a known expert on this topic, as well as having done some original research highlighting new angles of the narrative. Prior to getting to the topic at hand, our conversation covered recent history discoveries related to the family of the Slabodka Yeshiva, bearing witness to history, the recent rally in Washington, before we got to talking about the escape to Shanghai. We discussed the role of Rav Yitzchak Isaac Herzog in facilitating the escape and of Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz in funding the Mir Yeshiva and other rescue activities he spearheaded throughout his colorful career. The arrival of the refugees in Japan was another story we covered, including their reception by the local populace and the local Jewish community, despite the fact that anti-Semitic tropes were prevalent in the Japanese press. In order to create an even more authentic feel, Dovi inserted historic audio of eyewitnesses to some of the events described.

Check out a previous episode of Jewish History Soundbites relating to the refugees sojourn in Japan regarding the debate surrounding the halachic International Dateline: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/when-shabbos-was-sunday-the-international-dateline-controversy/

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com

Special Tisha Ba'av Episode   The 1903 Kishinev Pogrom was a tragic massacre, with reverberations within the wider Jewish world remaining until this very day. Goaded on by anti-Semitic newspapers with cries of 'Death to the Jews', a blood libel was fabricated and a mob was unleashed on Easter Sunday, April 19, 1903. Leaving 49 killed, hundreds maimed and injured in its wake, Jewish property was destroyed and looted as well. Claims of complicity of the police and government were voiced in many quarters. But it was primarily the after effects of this pogrom which had a long term transformative effect on Jewish society in Russia and worldwide. The great immigration to the United States was already long underway, but it significantly intensified in the years following Kishinev and the subsequent 1905 revolution. American Jewry was galvanized to assist the victims, and this cemented the relationship US Jewry was to have with their brethren back in Eastern Europe. Within Russia, many of the Jewish youth became radicalized as a result of the massacre, joining clandestine revolutionary organizations with the goal of overthrowing the Czar. The most profound impact was felt within the nascent Zionist movement. Chaim Nachman Bialik was dispatched by the historian Shimon Dubnow to gather testimonies from survivors. Following his five week stay in Kishinev, Bialik penned 'Be'ir Hahareiga' - In the City of Death, a poem about the pogrom. Powerfully written, it also included strongly worded accusations in regards to the perceived passivity of the victims. The poem and its message was to have an immense impact, as it was published and translated and became immensely popular. Vladimir Jabotinsky's conclusion was to organize Jewish self defense, and Theodore Herzl's conclusion was the Uganda proposal at the Sixth Zionist Congress.  The shadow of the Kishinev tragedy was to hover over the many subsequent, and ever greater tragedies of the bloody 20th century.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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In keeping with the mystical leanings of the Komarno dynasty, it is interesting to note the frequency in which the leaders of the dynasty passed away during the time of Sefiras Haomer, a fact which has mystical significance as well.

Their involvement in Kabbalistic practice made the Zhiditchov-Komarno courts a prime target of Yosef Perl and other Galicia maskilim in the 19th century. Undeterred, the Komarno Rebbes continued to teach what they saw as the authentic mysticism of the Baal Shem Tov, refusing to adapt to the downplay of mysticism becoming so common throughout the chassidic movement of the 19th century.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Sponsored by 20 Minute Daf. Check out 20minutedaf.com for a clear and concise daily daf yomi shiur.   As the Yeshiva in Kletzk grew, a building was built and dedicated and Rav Aharon had to travel to the United States to fundraise. Aside from being the youngest and yet one of the most prominent Roshei Yeshiva at the time, he also rose to be among the leadership of the Polish Agudas Yisroel, participating in the third Knessia Gedolah in Marienbad in 1937.  With the outbreak of the War, Kletzk fled to Vilna along with most other Yeshivas at the time. Ultimately settling in Yanova, with the Soviet takeover of the Baltic States in the summer of 1940 the Yeshiva dispersed to several Lithuanian shtetls with Rav Aharon and the largest group in Salock. By the end of 1940 the Sovietization of Lithuania made it difficult to maintain the continuation of the Yeshiva. Rav Aharon felt that he'd be able to accomplish more from the outside headed out of the Soviet Union in February 1941, arriving in Penn Station in New York City in April of that year. Though he threw himself full time into the rescue work of the Vaad Hatzalah, Rav Aharon emerged as an overall rabbinical leader on the American Orthodox scene. In 1942 Rav Nosson Wachtfogel along with a group of like minded friends, founded a kollel in White Plains, NY, eventually inviting Rav Aharon Kotler to serve as its head. With the move a year later to the resort town of Lakewood, New Jersey the American Torah world would be transformed forever.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Though he came from an illustrious rabbinic family, Rav Aharon Kotler (1891-1962) was faced with the challenge of being orphaned from both parents as a child. After a brief stint in Krinik, he arrived in Minsk where he formed a lifelong friendship with Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky and Rav Reuven Grozovsky. With his arrival in Slabodka, he enjoyed a closeness with the Alter of Slabodka, while also attending the shiurim of Rav Baruch Ber Leibowitz in the other Slabodka Yeshiva. His marriage to Rebbetzin Chana Perl, the daughter of Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, firmly ensconced him in a career as a teacher of Torah. After an initial commencement as a Rebbi in Slutzk, the Soviet takeover and repression forced him to cross the border and reestablish the Yeshiva in Kletzk in 1921.   Sponsored by 20 Minute Daf. Check out 20minutedaf.com for a clear and concise daily daf yomi shiur.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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One of the greatest leaders of the Moroccan Jewish community in the 19th century was Rav Yitzchak Ibn Walid (1777-1870). The Jewish community of Tetuan was founded by Spanish exiles and saw commercial success over the coming centuries.  Despite his reluctance to assume a rabbinical position, Rav Ibn Walid was appointed rabbi of Tetuan in 1830 and led the community until his passing four decades later. As a noted halachic posek he corresponded with rabbis across the Sephardic world, much of it published in his magnum opus Vayomer Yitzchak. As a leader of his community, he cared especially for the poor, the downtrodden and orphans.   For more on the customs and traditions of Moroccan Jewry check out the newly published book Magen Avot Daily Halachah published by Mosaica Press. You can check it out on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639723064?ref=myi_title_dp or on the publisher's website: https://mosaicapress.com/product/magen-avot-daily-halachah/ You can also check out more seforim on Moroccan Halacha and minhagim on moroccanhalacha.com   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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On January 1, 1837, a devastating earthquake hit the upper Galilee and southern Lebanon, destroying towns, villages, property and roads, disrupting commerce and claiming the lives of thousands of victims. The ancient and mystical city of Tzfas was essentially destroyed at the epicenter of the earthquake’s damage, with most of its citizens killed, and the remainder being rendered homeless and penniless in the wake of this natural disaster. The traumatic event left a decisive impact on the trajectory of the Old Yishuv, with the wider social, economic and religious ramifications of this displacement being felt for decades. The rise of Yerushalayim with the downfall of Tzfas, messianic tension and subsequent disappointment, the funding apparatus of the Old Yishuv, and many other elements of Jewish life, would be heavily influenced by this one natural disaster which changed the Jewish history of the Holy Land.

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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In the center of the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem stands the Beit-El Yeshiva. Established nearly three centuries ago, with the lofty goal of exclusively engaging in the study of Jewish mysticism, the institution was and continues to be largely shaped by the legacy of Rav Shalom Sharabi (c.1720-1777). Known as the Rashash, as a young immigrant from Yemen in the mid-18th century, he studied in and later led the holy community of Beit-El. An innovator of Kabbalistic concepts, the Rashash not only influenced the entire study of Jewish mysticism for generations to come, he also elevated the institution which he headed to the premier institution dedicated to the study of Kabbalah. In the ensuing centuries, Beit-El would be successively led by personality’s influential in this field of study, and this storied academy would develop as an important component of the history of Yerushalayim.

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com

 

Though Vilna was known as the Jerusalem of Lithuania, it hadn't had an official chief rabbi since a dispute about the position ended in 1791. As a result of the Polish government requiring the hiring of chief rabbi in the 1920's, the Vilna Jewish community council hired Rav Yitzchak Rubinstein (1880-1945) as the official chief rabbi of the city. He had served as the official 'Rav Mitaam' government rabbi since 1910, and was beloved by the community to his leadership and activism during the First World War.

This appointment was made despite the fact that Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski was the undisputed Torah leader in Vilna and across the Jewish world, as well as serving as the unofficial chief rabbi for decades. This led to a bitter dispute which was to have a lasting effect on the community, as well as the wider scope of inter Jewish politics. The Chofetz Chaim protested on behalf of the honor of Rav Chaim Ozer, and other protests followed. Though the dispute eventually calmed down, resentment remained. Rabbi Rubinstein himself ultimately escaped to New York at the beginning of the Second World War and passed away there in 1945.   Sponsored by: With the New York City election day around the corner, it’s time to drop the excuses and VOTE.  When it comes to funding for our schools and communities, elected officials pay attention to the people who vote.  It’s simple: If you're not voting, you don't have a voice.   Make sure you vote early, by mail, or on June 22!  Have questions or need help with your voter plan? Call or email the Orthodox Union’s Teach NYS at (646) 459-5162 or email frandm@teachcoalition.org. When you vote, elected officials take note.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Rav Chaim Soloveitchik, known as Rav Chaim Brisker (1853-1918), has enjoyed an outsized influence on the methodology of Talmudic study and the development of the modern Torah world. As a historical figure he was not only influential but beloved as well, with countless stories of his kindness, care and leadership initiative as rabbi in Brisk as well as in wider rabbinic circles across the Pale of Settlement.

From his adopting abandoned children on his doorstep to his attempts at implementing pension plans for deceased rabbis widows and orphans, his care and attention to detail bespoke the responsibility he felt towards the less fortunate of society. His Torah teaching career commenced at age 27 in the Volozhin yeshiva, and he later had informal interactions with students while in Brisk. From these oral teachings, together with a limited textual legacy in the form of his published works, his imprint on the development of the Torah world is felt until this very day. 

See previous episode about Rav Chaim Brisker: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/voice-of-clarity-a-tribute-to-rav-chaim-brisker/

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The last rabbi of pre war Kovno, Rav Avraham Dovber Kahana-Shapira (1870-1943), was known by the name of the sefer he authored, the Dvar Avraham. Born into the Lithuanian rabbinic elite, and having studied at the Volozhin Yeshiva, he was appointed rabbi of Kovno (Kaunas) in 1913. He remained at his post until his passing in the Kovno Ghetto three decades later.

During this time he was recognized as one of the greatest leaders of Lithuanian Jewry, managing to navigate the various factions of the Kovno Jewish community, execute his rabbinical duties and serve as a worldwide posek fielding halachic questions. He even found the time to make a historic visit to the United States in 1924. When the war broke out he was in Switzerland, and his son in New York offered to bring him over to safety. He declined, insisting that his place was with his beloved community in Kovno. Returning to the war zone, he courageously led the Jews of the Kovno Ghetto even as his health worsened and the situation became precarious. His passing in 1943 was marked by a public funeral, which thousands attended despite the risks it entailed.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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One of the unique pre war Torah giants - and ultimately Holocaust victim - was the Dayan of Brisk, Rav Simcha Zelig Reguer (1864-1942). Brisk was home to a large and prestigious Jewish community, and Rav Simcha Zelig served as the beloved Dayan and posek through the tenures of both Rav Chaim Brisker and his son Rav Velvalleh the Brisker Rov.

Wise and modest, he had studied in the Volozhin Yeshiva before becoming Rav Chaim's right hand man, while also overseeing the local yeshiva for many years. With the outbreak of the war, he remained in the city and was murdered along with its inhabitants by the Nazis.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Rav Avigdor Miller (1908-2001) was a unique and influential rabbinical leader on the American scene of the 20th century. With his life spanning most of the tumultuous 20th century, his life story is somewhat a microcosm of Jewish life during historic times.

Born in Baltimore into a home of immigrants, he went to study in RIETS in New York and eventually made the courageous decision to cross the ocean to study in the Slabodka Yeshiva in Lithuania. It was there under the tutelage of his rebbi Rav Isaac Sher and other great mussar personalities that would come to define him and his teachings for the rest of his life. It was also there that he married his wife Chana Etel Lesin, the daughter of Rav Yaakov Moshe Lesin the rabbi of Neishtat-Sugind. After spending six years in Slabodka, he returned home in late 1938, at the cusp of a long career where he would transmit the legacy of the past to generations of students and congregants.

 

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Jewish immigrants in the late 19th century populated 'The Ward', an immigrant neighborhood in Toronto, Canada, formulating the nucleus of the fast growing Toronto Jewish community. Eventually the Jewish population shifted to Kensington Market. Rabbinic leadership in the early years was provided by Rav Yosef Weinreb, Rav Yaakov Gordon, and later Rav Yehuda Leib Graubart. The latter headed the Polish faction of the community and clashed with the former two in their efforts to organize the chaotic kashrus situation and in the organization of the Toronto Kehilla. Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky served as a rabbi in Toronto for several years during the 1940's. One of the most influential rabbis in post war Toronto, was Rabbi Avraham Aharon Price, who led the Toronto Jewish community for over a half century, and was also the Rosh Yeshiva of the Toras Chaim Yeshiva.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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One of the leading halachic authorities of the 19th century, Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829-1908) achieved immortality through his indispensable magnum opus Aruch Hashulchan. He grew up in Bobruisk in the Russian Pale of Settlement, and served for a decade as rabbi of Novozybkov, before assuming the helm of the prestigious Novardok community, where he’d serve as rabbi for the remaining 34 years of his life.

Known far and wide as a decisive posek in all realms of halacha, many aspiring Torah scholars would come to him to request rabbinical ordination. Among his many projects was overseeing the development of the local Novardok yeshiva of Rav Yosef Yoizel Horowitz, the Alter of Novardok. The seminal work, the Aruch Hashulchan, was a bold endeavor to encompass all of halacha in a clear summary fashion. Undaunted by the daunting financial liabilities he’d ultimately encounter in order to facilitate the printing of the multi volume set, and despite the heavy hand of the Czarist Russian censors, he successfully published multiple volumes in his lifetime, and reaped the fruits of his labor as it became popular across the Jewish world. His legacy of leadership, as well as his enduring influence on the world of halacha remains until this very day.

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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Matchmaking and marriage has always been a part of the Jewish story. What was the age of marriage at different times in Jewish history? How did one’s socioeconomic background impact the age of marriage? Did rich and scholarly family marry their children off at different ages than working class Jewish families? Why did the age of marriage suddenly rise among the financial and scholarly elite in the late 19th century in Eastern Europe? Could marriage plans be made in the depths of Auschwitz? These topics will all be explored in this Jewish History Soundbites Episode on marriage in Jewish history.

Sponsored by the Shidduch Institute, encouraging everyone to fill out an easy and quick survey about shidduchim and matchmaking in order to gain a better understanding of machinations of shidduchim among the North American Orthodox Jewish community and the challenges within that system. Take a few minutes to fill out the survey and share with your family, friends and contacts to fill out as well. Shidduchinstitute.com/survey The only way a solution can be found is by obtaining real data which will facilitate a better understanding of the issues at hand. https://shidduchinstitute.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eA8VDIbB3bWyHVY  

 

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Modern times brought a host of challenges to the Chassidic movement in the closing decades of the 19th century and intensified in the 20th. World War One and the havoc that it wreaked led to a full blown crisis. Demographically the chassidic movement began to decline in numbers for the first time in its history. Urbanization transformed the chassidic experience and the interaction between the Rebbe and his followers. The Russian Revolution left the chassidic heartland and birthplace of the movement behind the Iron Curtain. Immigration to the west and United States loosened the affiliation of the immigrants to the courts. This crisis was met courageously by chassidic leaders in a variety of creative ways. A renewed focus on education led to the establishment of yeshivos, and even girls' education was encouraged for the first time. Spiritual renewal was seen in courts such as the Piacezna Rebbe Rav Klonymous Kalman Shapira. Involvement in politics and using the media became more common. And a stronger shift towards traditionalism became the most recognizable and long lasting effect on the movement across the entire chassidic society. Emphasis on a uniform form of dress to promote a collective identity, became perhaps the most recognizable manifestation of this new way of closing the ranks in a changing, increasingly urban society.   This episode is sponsored by Alephbeta.org . Filled with stunningly animated videos and audios on the parsha, holidays, prayers, and more. Their goal is to help people discover the beauty of Torah and add to its meaning and relevance. Their programs on the yomim tovim will leave you moved, inspired and with a new understanding of the significance of these holy days. 

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As someone who experienced the upheavals of both the Thirty Years War, as well as the Khmelnytsky uprisings of 1648-49 (Tach Vitat), Rav Yomtov Lipman Heller (1579-1654) lived and led his people during an auspicious time. Much of his early rabbinical career was spent in Prague. Much of his travails were recorded by him, in a unique and rare rabbinical autobiography entitled Megillas Eivah. As the author of many popular Torah publications, he was accused of blasphemy against the Church in one of his writings and was arrested on trumped up charges. This was due to dissent within his own community regarding a progressive income tax which was imposed by the imperial authorities in order to fund the Thirty Years War. He was arrested and initially sentenced to death, but ultimately his sentence was reduced to a hefty fine, as well as foregoing his rabbinical position in Prague. He was later restored to his glory as rabbi of Krakow, where he spent his last years rehabilitating the community in the wake of the Khmelnytsky massacres. As a protection against future tragedies, he famously composed a special Mi Shebeirach to be recited in honor of those who abstain from talking in shul.

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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American Jews served in the ranks of both the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War. Several major events stand out as milestones in American Jewish History during that time period. The first was the appointment of the first Jewish chaplain in the United States armed forces, through the lobbying efforts of Rev. Arnold Fischel, with Jacob Frankel receiving the first commission.

Next came the infamous General Order No. 11, when General Ulysses S. Grant ordered and expulsion of "Jews as a class" from his military jurisdiction, due to their alleged involvement with illegal trade. Finally we have the story of Judah P. Benjamin. With Sephardic origins, he rose to prominence as a lawyer in New Orleans, then senator, and finally holding several cabinet positions for the Confederacy. Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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The recent passing of Uri Zohar is an opportunity to pay tribute to this unique individual who made the journey from the apex of the Israeli entertainment world to embracing religious observance.

With Shavuos approaching, it’s an opportunity to reflect on some of the historical events which are associated with this season throughout history. From the deportations of Hungarian Jewry in 1944, to liberation a year later, to the events of the First Crusade and the Khmelnytsky massacres of 1648-49, many tragic events somehow occurred around this time. The yahrzeits of both the the Baal Shem Tov and the Ger Rebbe the Imrei Emes are on Shavuos as well. These and several other curious events, are analyzed in these musings on Shavuos and Jewish History. 

 

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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 pre war Europe was brought over to the emerging post war world by Yankel Talmud, Yom Tov Ehrlich, the Chabad niggunim, David Werdyger and Bentzion Shenker of Modzhitz. They served as the bridge to bring classic chassidic music to the new generation. This was followed by Shlomo Carlebach and the revolution of Jewish music in the 1960's. Baruch Chait with the Rabbi's Sons, Yigal Calek and the London School of Jewish Song, the Pirchei-JEP albums all contributed to the early flourishing of the new style Jewish music which would continue to develop in the ensuing decade.   Check out the other Jewish History Soundbites episodes on Jewish music: Shlomo Carlebach mini-series: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/from-lakewood-to-lubavitch-the-early-years-of-shlomo-carlebach/ https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/from-all-night-learning-to-all-night-kumzitz-the-early-years-of-shlomo-carlebach-part-ii/ Chazzanus: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/yossele-rosenblatt-and-the-golden-age-of-chazzanus/ Modzhitz: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/chassidic-symphony-the-modzitz-dynasty/   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Chust, Tzeilem, Pupa, Satmar. All towns associated with Hungarian Jewry. All were towns where one of the most prominent rabbinical families had representatives who served in its rabbinate. Rav Moshe Greenwald (1853-1910), known by his work the 'Arugas Habosem' was the patriarch of the Greenwald family dynasty. As the family made the transition from the world of Oberland/Chasam Sofer to Hungarian Chasidism, they made their mark as rabbis in Chust, Tzeilem, Pupa and as Roshei Yeshiva as well. This continued through the Holocaust, where several of them narrowly escaped after losing their families and communities. They ultimately were successful in rebuilding in Brooklyn, New York after the war.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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With Sadigura in the news, here's an overview of the Ruzhin dynasty and which branches are still active today. Some like Shtefanesht, Husyatin and Chrotkov are pretty much gone. Boyan is here but without the Friedman name. Buhush and of course Sadigura are still around with the direct Friedman link. Interestingly enough, there have been young successors to positions of power throughout history. Rav Chaim Brisker, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Ovadiah Yosef, the Ben Ish Chai, Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, the Yenuka of Stolin, the Belzer Rebbe, Rav Nachman of Breslov, the Ruzhiner himself, King Hussein of Jordan, Michael Dell and many, many others, have risen to leadership at a young age, with each once being another unique piece of history.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Rav Sholom Dovber Schneerson (1860-1920), better known as the Rashab, as the fifth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, was one of the leaders of Russian Jewry at a time when it confronted many challenges of modernity. One of those challenges was the new Jewish nationalism as expressed in the nascent Zionist movement in the late 1890’s. The Rashab decided to confront what he understood to be a danger to traditional Judaism, by initiating a project which would present a united Orthodox front in opposition to Zionism.

To that end he partnered with Yaakov Lifshitz and the ‘Lishka Hashechora’ in Kovno. In January 1900, a pamphlet entitled Ohr Layesharim was published, which included a letter of the Rashab clarifying his opposition to Zionism. He expressed theological opposition - evoking for the first time the violation of the ‘three oaths’ by attempting to force the redemption prior to Moshiach’s arrival. He also expressed concern regarding the secular nature of the Zionist leadership, and even raised practical challenges the movement would confront which he believed would prevent its goals from being realized.

 

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After losing his family, community and yeshiva in Ponovezh, Lithuania during the Holocaust, Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman (1886-1969), the Ponovezh Rav, endeavored to rebuild what was lost in the Land of Israel. He was a dreamer who carried out his vision with a zeal and energy which seemed superhuman. His crowning achievement was rebuilding the beloved yeshiva he lost in his hometown, by establishing the Ponovezh Yeshiva on a dusty hill on the outskirts of the small settlement of Bnei Brak.

Today considered one of the key components of the flourishing postwar Torah world in Israel, the sprawling campus is a vibrant testimony to the Ponovezh Rav’s determination and perseverance. When it opened its doors at the end of 1943 with seven students, he dreamed of a building which would one day be home to hundreds of students. Rav Shmuel Rozovsky was hired as rosh yeshiva and Rav Avraham Abba Grossbard as mashgiach. The yeshiva soon expanded and Rav David Povarsky and later Rav Elazar Menachem Shach were added to the yeshiva faculty. The Ponovezh Rav felt that his energetic building campaigns were the expression of a living Holocaust memorial, as the Torah world of Lithuania would experience a rebirth in the Ponovezh Yeshiva, and its affiliate institutions.

Listen to a previous episode exploring the life and accomplishments of the Ponovezh Rav: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/builder-dreamer-the-unstoppable-vision-of-the-ponevezher-rav/

 

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Few stories among the many tragedies of Jewish history are as heartbreaking as the destruction of Jewish life in Russia by the Yevsektsia. While the majority of these occurrences were perpetrated from enemies on the outside, the Yevsektsia was an entirely Jewish organization. It's a story of Jews waging war on traditional Jewish life.  Following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the Yevsektsia was established as a Jewish section of the Communist party, with the mandate to galvanize the Jewish workers in support of the Revolution and communism. At their own initiative, these primarily young Jewish revolutionaries extended their mandate to suppress all that was perceived to be counter revolutionary activity. The Kehillas, Cheders, Yeshivas, Shuls, Rabbinical leadership, Zionism, culture, Hebrew language, Jewish political parties and any other vestige of Jewish life was brutally suppressed and wiped out. By 1929 they were disbanded, but the damage was done. Once the world center of world Jewry, Russian Jewish traditional life was obliterated. It's 3 million Jews stuck behind the Iron Curtain.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites

 

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From the time of the first partition of Poland in 1772, until the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Czarist Russian Empire was host to the largest Jewish population in the world. The generally antisemitic Romanov dynasty early on formulated solutions to what they referred to as the ‘Jewish question’. Based on the twin themes of subjugating the Jewish populace with a series of discriminatory and restrictive measures, while also attempting to integrate the Jews into the general population, the Czarist government fluctuated between the proverbial carrot and stick throughout the 19th century.

Russian Jews were restricted to an area known as the Pale of Settlement, and under the reign of Czar Nicholas I the Jews were included in the 25 year military draft with many young Jewish children being drafted as cantonists. During the great reforms of Czar Alexander II following Imperial Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War, a practice of selective integration was implemented in an attempt to incentivize the acculturation of Jews into Russian society. The czarist policy was generally consistent in this regard until 1881.

 

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Considered by many as the founding father of the State of Israel, David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) had a unique vision of the Jewish character of the Jewish state. With an antagonism towards religious practice and his negative view of the 'diaspora Jew', he also had a sense of realpolitik and understood the practical gains of reaching a status quo agreement. On October 20, 1952 he paid a visit to Israel's most venerable sage, Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, the Chazon Ish.

Though thoroughly secular himself, he had a strong love for Tanach. And though he wouldn't set foot into a synagogue in Israel, in the Diaspora he viewed it as a place where Jews got together and expressed their common identity and community. Zionism in his view had achieved the twin goals of creating a Jewish state in the historic Land of Israel and - for those residing there - the ingathering of exiles. It had thus served its purpose, and he declared that, 'I'm an Israeli, not a Zionist'. With a myriad of accomplishments and a controversial legacy, the story of Ben Gurion and the Jewish character of the state he had done so much to found, is a chapter of Jewish history with reverberations down to this very day.   Sponsored by: With the New York City election day around the corner, it’s time to drop the excuses and VOTE.  When it comes to funding for our schools and communities, elected officials pay attention to the people who vote.  It’s simple: If you're not voting, you don't have a voice.   Make sure you vote early, by mail, or on June 22!  Have questions or need help with your voter plan? Call or email the Orthodox Union’s Teach NYS at (646) 459-5162 or email frandm@teachcoalition.org. When you vote, elected officials take note.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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In honor of the first yahrtzeit of the late Novominsk Rebbe Rav Yaakov Perlow (1930-2020), we'll explore a bit more about his illustrious and diverse career and leadership. His first stint was in the Skokie Yeshiva was in the 1960's, forging close relationships with his talmidim whom he taught and inspired there. This was followed by more than a decade as Rosh Yeshiva in Yeshivas Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch (Breuer's) in Washington Heights, where he developed a close relationship with Rav Joseph Breuer. Later in life he was known as a leader in Agudas Yisroel and for Jews worldwide. His illustrious roots included the great tzadikim of the Novominsk dynasty, including some of the lesser known ones. In addition, his maternal grandfather was the Sokolov Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Zelig Morgenstern, scion of the Kotzk dynasty. The Novominsker Rebbe was also connected to the Zidichov dynasty through his wife, who was hailed from the prestigious Eichenstein family.    Enjoy last year's tribute episode to the Novominsk Rebbe and the Novominsk dynasty here: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/the-heritage-of-a-leader-the-story-of-novominsk-in-america/  

Sponsored in honor of the first yahrtzeit of the Novominsker Rebbe Rav Yaakov Perlow by Duvi Silberstein. For all back office needs and nursing home Billing, contact - Care Network Health: phone/text 908-305-0595

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Rav Avraham Matisyahu Friedman of Shtefanesht (1849-1933) was a grandson of Rav Yisrael Friedman of Ruzhin, leader of the Shtefanesht Chassidic dynasty for 65 years, and one of the most important rabbinical figures in Romanian Jewry during his lifetime. Though mysterious in his silent ways, he held sway over thousands who sought his advice and blessing, influencing the wider community well beyond the confines of his Chassidic followers. Upon his passing away childless in 1933, the Shtefanesht dynasty came to an end. But following his reburial in Israel in 1969, a resurgence of interest into his life story and the miraculous power of his prayer and blessing attributed to him, leaves a lasting legacy which only continues to grow with time.

 

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The Novardok Yeshiva was both a mussar philosophy as well as a movement. Founded by Rav Yosef Yoizel Horowitz (1850-1919), the Alter of Novardok, in 1896, it soon grew into tens of branches across Russia. Known for its rather radical approach to mussar, educational philosophy and growth, it was seemingly influenced by the general revolutionary zeitgeist in the Russian Empire at the turn of the century.

Exiled during World War One, the entire movement would eventually make a daring border crossing into Poland in order to escape from Soviet Russia. The flagship yeshiva was established in Bialystok under the leadership of the Alter's son in law Rav Avraham Joffen. Several other primary branches were established in other cities, with tens of smaller branches across the country. Often it was chassidic students who were recruited to join its ranks. Decimated during the war, attempts were made at rebuilding in Israel through several pre war branches that had been established there, as well as the United States, with limited success. In France however, Rav Gershon Leibman succeeded in reestablishing the Novardok network with his Ohr Yosef schools, which primarily served Moroccan students.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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The Jewish mob wasn't strictly an American phenomenon born in the immigrant communities of the Lower East Side and Brownsville. It had antecedents across the ocean in the Jewish world of Eastern Europe. Jewish gangsters flourished in Warsaw, Odessa and other locales, to the embarrassment of the mainstream religious and political Jewish establishment. The Alfonse pogrom of 1905 brought the issue out into the open, but the Jewish underworld continued in the immigrant community of Buenos Aires, which maintained close ties to Warsaw. The most tragic chapter of Jewish criminal activity took place during the Holocaust when Avraham Gancwajch and his group of "the 13" collaborated with the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto.   Part 1- https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/tales-of-the-jewish-mafia-part-i-ain-t-gonna-kill-on-saturday/   Part 2- https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/gangsters-racketeers-jewish-activists-tales-of-the-jewish-mafia-part-ii/     Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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The cradle of civilization. The melting pot. The place where it all began. The ghetto, tenement buildings, overcrowded sweatshops. Romantic memories of a picturesque neighborhood, with beautiful shuls and a rich culture. Great rabbis, active socialists and the Jewish mob. The first Yeshivas, labor unions and delicatessens. Huddled masses pushcart sellers and the Yiddish Theatre.  The descriptions of this unforgettable neighborhood can go on forever, and we wouldn't even scratch the surface. When at its peak, the density was the highest in the entire world, with the largest Jewish population in the world. The constant stream of immigrants created a diversity of Jewish life that is unmatched anywhere else.    Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Rav Pinchas Horowitz (1731-1805), known by his most enduring literary work ‘the Hafla’ah’, was unique in the respect that the varied aspects of his legacy enjoyed a broad consensus across the Jewish world. He served for 33 years at the helm of the Frankfurt rabbinate. His works Hafla’ah, Makneh and others on Shas have become classics in the yeshiva world, while his Torah commentary Panim Yafos enjoys enduring popularity as well. His relationship with the Maggid of Mezritch and the level of Rav Pinchas’s identity as a chassid has been a matter of dispute, and has also come to define his legacy. 

 

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Escaping from war torn Europe, Rav Yitzchok Zev (Velvalleh) Soloveitchik known to posterity as the Brisker Rov, arrived in the Holy Land in the spring of 1941. Though tragically his wife and three of his children weren't able to make it out, the Rov and his seven remaining children continued the Soloveitchik dynasty in Israel. His oldest son Rav Berel became Rosh Yeshiva, while his daughter Lifsheh ran the house and eventually married Rav Michel Feinstein. Rav Rephoel was his father's dedicated right hand man and became legendary for his communal activism. Rav Meir and ybl"ch Rav Dovid launched successful Yeshivas of their own. Each branch of the family added their own to the enduring Soloveitchik aristocratic legacy.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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With the passing of Rav Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor in 1896, his true opinion of the 'Heter Mechira' which he had authored became a matter of everlasting dispute. In the ensuing shmittah years, other rabbis weighed in on the issue, with some supporting the heter mechira, while others remained opposed. With the rise of settlements during the Second Aliyah in the early 1900's, as well as the more secular nature of the colonists, the shmittah issue came to the fore again with the upcoming shmittah year of 1910. Rav Yaakov Dovid Wilovsky - the Ridbaz - was the most vocal opponent of the heter mechira, and he disputed the then rabbi of Yaffo, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook. This sharp dispute defined the heter mechira issue during that year, though the two maintained a close personal friendship.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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One of the most influential leaders in the history of the State of Israel, Menachem Begin (1913-1992) led a very colorful life and career. Though known for his public persona, he was a very complex character who faced many setbacks at every stage. Growing up in a somewhat traditional home in Brisk, he later joined the Beitar movement of Revisionist Zionism led by Vladimir (Zev) Jabotinsky.

Arrested by the Soviets in the early part of the war, he was sentenced to slave labor in Siberia. In the interim, the Holocaust arrived in Brisk, and most of his family became its victims. The long shadow of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust would accompany him throughout his decades of public service, and would impact his decisions as a leader of both the underground and later as a politician.  He emerged as the leader of the underground organization Etzel (Irgun), with the stated goal of forcing the British out of Palestine. With the founding of the State of Israel, he spent three decades in the opposition, leading campaigns against the reparations agreement with West Germany and the like, until finally winning the elections in 1977.  Though he accomplished much as prime minister, including a historic peace treaty with Egypt, the unfolding disaster of the Lebanon War led to his retirement and ultimate seclusion during his later years.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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The Rhodes Jewish community was an ancient one, and it flourished with the arrival of Spanish exiles following the expulsion of 1492 and the Ottoman takeover in 1522. Prominent in Mediterranian commerce, the Jewish community grew, and had many rabbis from the Land of Israel serve at the community's helm. A tragic story in Rhodes's past was the Rhodes blood libel of 1840 which threatened the local Jew's safety.

Following the Italian takeover in 1912, a steady stream of emigration increased with many settling in Seattle and Rhodesia (today's Zimbabwe). Rhodes Jews were to become pillars of the Rhodesia Jewish community for the bulk of the 20th century. Meanwhile the remaining Jews in Rhodes sustained the Nazi occupation of the island in 1943, and in the summer of 1944 were deported in its entirety to Auschwitz. The glorious Jewish community of Rhodes came to a tragic end.   Listen to a related episode on Greek Jewry: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/jerusalem-of-the-balkans-the-glory-of-jewish-salonika/   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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One of the most legendary leaders the Chassidic movement has ever produced Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740-1809) is a universally beloved figure as well. Following his conversion to the nascent movement in the court of the Maggid of Mezritch, he spread the ideas of chassidus while simultaneously leading a lucrative rabbinic career in Zelichov, Pinsk and Berditchev.

Known to posterity as the Great Defender of the Jewish People, he devoted his life to seeking out the good in every individual as well as the Jewish People as a collective.    For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Rav Klonymous Kalman Halevi Epstein (1751-1823) is known by his posthumously published work the Maor Veshemesh. Born into a poor family, he spent the bulk of his childhood selling bagels in the streets of Krakow to support his family. He eventually emerged as a budding Torah scholar, and later joined the nascent Chassidic movement, becoming a close follower of the Noam Elimelech of Lizhensk. 

He later attempted to establish a chassidic presence in Krakow, but faced much opposition from the establishment. Eventually returning to his home town of Neustadt, he gained a following, while he himself continued to travel to the great tzadikim of his day. His burial site in Krakow is much visited until this very day, while his primary legacy in the form of his sefer Maor Veshemesh is sometimes referred to as ‘the Shulchan Aruch of Chassidus’. 

 

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The Soviets charged the refugees exorbitant fees for the exit visas and travel expenses. The Joint and the Vaad Hatzalah provided funds for these costs, with Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz investing herculean efforts to ensure the Mir contingent were able to fund their escape. Many refugees sold their personal belongings. They then embarked on a 10-12 day train journey on the Trans-Siberian Railroad across the vast expanses of the Soviet Union, arriving in the port city of Vladivostok. From there the Sea of Japan was crossed and the refugees settled temporarily in Kobe and Yokohama.

The refugees received a generally warm reception from the local Japanese as well as the small local Jewish community. When it became evident that Curacao wasn’t going to be practical as a final destination, Japanese and Jewish activists interceded with the Japanese Imperial government to extend the refugee’s visas. As a result, the refugee community was able to remain in Japan for several months.

 

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In 1827 Czar Nicholas I implemented the military draft on the Jewish community of Russia as a means of integrating Jews into Russian society. The Jewish kahal was required to supply the young recruits, who then generally served for 25 years in the Czar’s army. The most infamous element of the draft was the cantonists. These were a select group of future draftees who were taken at a younger age to special cantonist brigades, where they underwent paramilitary training, and significant percentages of its ranks converted to the Russian Orthodox Church. The story of the cantonists in Czar Nicholas’s army has gone down in Jewish lore as one of the great tragedies of modern Jewish history. Through both fact and legend, the cantonists fate has come to define the troubled relationship between the Czarist government and the Jewish subjects of the Pale, as well as the points of tension and conflict within the Jewish community itself. Though the military reforms of Nicholas’s successor Czar Alexander II ended the cantonist draft and shortened the general military draft following the end of the Crimean War in 1856, the saga of the cantonists would haunt Jewish history for decades to come.

 

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Within the framework of Operation Reinhard, the Nazi extermination of Polish Jewry, the SS built three death camps in Eastern Poland - Belzec, Treblinka & Sobibor. The latter was the smallest of the three, and a quarter of a million primarily Polish and Dutch Jews were killed in its gas chambers during its year and a half of existence. It was at Sobibor that on October 14, 1943 a great prisoner escape took place. Led by the son of a Polish rabbi named Leon Feldhendler & a Soviet Jewish Red Army officer named Sasha Pechersky, these two unlikely leaders joined together to formulate a plan to save not just themselves but to give all of the 600 inmates at Sobibor an equal chance to escape.

The revolt killed several SS officers, 300 Jewish prisoners made it to the forest and nearly 50 survived the war. As they broke for the fences, Pechersky demanded that anyone who survive should tell the world what went on in Sobibor. 

 

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Jewish History Soundbites is coming to NY! Register here for the upcoming tour of the Mt. Judah cemetery with Yehuda Geberer on July 29, 9:30 am

 

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Jews and sports is an exploration of Jewish identity and integration in the modern world. This was expressed as Jews became fans of sports teams, with the most famous baseball fan in history being an eccentric Jewish woman named Hilda Chester. Jews were always prominent in the labor movement, and it was a Jewish labor organizer named Marvin Miller who, as president of the Player’s Union, successfully rid Baseball of the reserve clause and emancipated the players from the owner’s grip.

During the 1920’s and 30’s Jews were especially prominent in boxing. Benny Leonard and Barney Ross were famous boxing champions, but there were many others as well. Jewish participation in boxing is perhaps the most typical expression of both the struggles of the immigrant generation, along with the process of Americanization. 

Several victims of the Holocaust were famous Jewish athletes. Eddy Hamel of the Dutch National Football (soccer) team, Victor Perez the boxer, gymnasts, fencers and others as well. Though they may have been celebrities known for their physical prowess, Nazi racial theory considered them Jews and they suffered the same fate as European Jewry.

 

Sponsored by the OU’s Teach Coalition, whose network of thousands of activists just like you, are urging you to go out and vote in the upcoming elections on November 8, 2022. For help contact the voter hotline at 646-459-5162 or https://teachcoalition.org/vote/ 

 

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Though taken for granted today, one of the most fundamental changes experienced by the Jewish People in modern times was receiving emancipation - equal rights, citizenship, equality before the law, etc. Commencing with the French Revolution in 1789, the struggle for Emancipation and the challenges along the way became the story of the Jews in the 19th century.

Napoleon convened the Grand Sanhedrin in 1807 which asked French Jewry pointed questions about the relation of the Jew to the modern state. France produced notables like Adolphe Cremieux who would be involved in the founding of the first international Jewish organization in the form of the Alliance, as well as promulgating legislation which bestowed French citizenship on Algerian Jewry. The Rothschild banking family became 19th century Jewish folk heroes as the ultimate expression of the success of emancipation. Though they achieved great wealth, prestige and power, they also were to be used as stereotypical tropes by anti-Semites, as well as raising questions about how emancipation may lead to assimilation.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Germany Jewry of the 19th century was going through a period of transition. Emancipation was a struggle which was incrementally achieved, and rampant secularization and integration into German society followed. The rise of Orthodoxy was an attempt to preserve tradition within the modern context. Rav Yaakov Ettlinger (1798-1871) was a pioneering leader in this regard. Known by his magnum opus, Aruch Lener, he served as the rabbi of Altona for 35 years and was one of the most influential leaders of German Orthodoxy during the 19th century. His life, times and accomplishments are a fascinating and important chapter of Jewish history in modern times.

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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A special place in Jewish history is reserved for the Machal fighters of 1948. These were primarily World War II veterans, who volunteered to fight for Israel during its War of Independence, and their participation served a key role in Israel’s victory. Comprised mostly of Jews, but included non-Jews as well, they formed the nucleus of Israel’s nascent air force, navy, and filled many specialized roles in the army.

One of the most important members of this volunteer corps was Al Schwimmer, an American Jewish veteran who organized a group of pilots and experienced aviation personnel on Israel’s behalf. He also organized the purchase of planes for Israel’s Air Force, transported the planes to Czechoslovakia, and then used the planes to bring badly needed weapons and ammunition to fight for Israel’s survival. 

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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The cradle of civilization. The melting pot. The place where it all began. The ghetto, tenement buildings, overcrowded sweatshops. Romantic memories of a picturesque neighborhood, with beautiful shuls and a rich culture. Great rabbis, active socialists and the Jewish mob. The first Yeshivas, labor unions and delicatessens. Huddled masses pushcart sellers and the Yiddish Theatre.  The descriptions of this unforgettable neighborhood can go on forever, and we wouldn't even scratch the surface. When at its peak, the density was the highest in the entire world, with the largest Jewish population in the world. The constant stream of immigrants created a diversity of Jewish life that is unmatched anywhere else.    Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Rav Nochum Partzovitz (1923-1986), was most known for his approach to Talmudic study, which gained renown within the Yeshiva world. Having grown up in the Vilna suburb of Trakai, he proceeded to study at the great Yeshivas of Baranovitch, Kamenitz and finally Mir, from which he never left.

Through the war years in Shanghai, where he studied together with Rav Leib Malin, through the post war years in New York, he established himself as the elite of the Mir Yeshiva student body. This reputation was cemented with his marriage to Rebbetzin Ettel, daughter of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, and Rav Nochum's subsequent appointment to the position as Rosh Yeshiva. With his simplicity, modesty and his popular shiurim, Rav Nochum was a beloved Rebbi in the Mir Yeshiva and a beloved individual to all who knew him.   This yahrtzeit episode was originally recorded exclusively for Mir Yeshiva Yerushalayim. It is now being included for the benefit of Jewish History Soundbites listeners. If you enjoy this podcast and would like to donate to Mir Yeshiva Jerusalem, you can do so here: https://secure.themir.org/donate/   Thank you!   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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What is distinctive Jewish dress? Is it distinctive? How is Jewish traditional fashion influenced by the surrounding society? When did chassidic dress develop? Why does Chassidic and traditional Jewish fashion still follow modes of Eastern European Jewish fashion? 

What makes the rabbinic frock Jewish and why is it for rabbis? Why are there different types of shtreimels? What is a 'tarbush'?  Fashion and accepted clothing styles in traditional Jewish communities was and is a mode of expression of Jewish and distinctive communal identity throughout Jewish history. Through the challenges of modernity, this was brought into much sharper focus  in the last century. In this episode we'll explore some of the trends of Jewish fashion in modern Jewish history.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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The development of the railroad and the laying of rail track across the Russian Empire in the late 19th century, had a tremendous impact on traditional Jewish life in the Pale of Settlement. The railroad brought economic changes, implosion of communal structures and challenges to traditional norms. It enabled information to travel and for the spread of ideas, and for isolated shtetl’s to have access to wider society. 

Among other things, the development of the railroad in Russia enabled the spread of anti-Semitism and pogroms. It also played a crucial role in facilitating the Great Immigration. Without the railroad, emigrating would be relegated to an unachievable dream for most. With the railroad, the cost and time for travel was significantly reduced. 

 

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As a sequel to the story of Rav Baruch Ber Leibowitz, it would be appropriate to profile the activities of his illustrious son in law and successor Rav Reuven Grozovsky (1886-1958). Growing up in Minsk, he convinced several of the youth to join him in the famed Slabodka Yeshiva. He'd eventually marry the daughter of Rav Baruch Ber Leibowitz, assisting him in the running of the Kamenitz Yeshiva.

Escaping the war to the United States, Rav Reuven assumed a position as Rosh Yeshiva in both Torah Vodaath as well as the nascent Bais Medrash Elyon in Monsey. At the national level, he was first an activist in the wartime Vaad Hatzalah, then the chairman of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisroel, as well as heading the new Torah Umesorah efforts in Jewish education.  As a true leader in tune with the times, he voiced his clear opinion on all issues and challenges facing the Jewish people. In 1952 he sustained a tragic car accident under mysterious circumstances. This greatly inhibited his activities and he passed away six years later.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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The Nazi regime under Adolf Hitler carried out the extermination of nearly six million Jews, primarily between the years 1939-1945. How is the horrible tragedy referred to? Over the years various names and terms have been proposed, promoted, used in historiography and public discourse. By the mid 1950’s The Holocaust came to dominate in the English speaking world, while Shoah or The Shoah was already widespread even earlier in Hebrew. In academic circles the Nazi term Final Solution was often used, or alternatively Genocide, or Judeocide was sometimes used in the early years, before Holocaust or Shoah gained more widespread acceptance. Another term to refer to the Nazi murder of European Jewry was Destruction, or the Hebrew term Churban, sometimes elongated to Churban Europa. This more traditional term – which evoked imagery of the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash – was preferred in many religious circles.

What were the origins of these various term, and how did they develop in the trajectory which they did? Does it matter which term is utilized in describing this tragic chapter in Jewish history? Does the choice of name express an ideology or choose a direction of the narrative?

 

Link for Yehuda Geberer lectures on the Holocaust at Yeshiva Shappell’s Darche Noam:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6PGiaiQFk10ybR9dS5wWTp https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shapells-virtual-beit-midrash/id1516601751 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc0NeHrGWsCtlV_uVplhJa9mT2ecM0sLt

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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Based in the Lodz suburb of Aleksandrow, the Aleksander chassidic dynasty was one of the largest and most prominent in prewar Poland. Established as a branch of Vorka-Peshischa in the mid 19th century, it grew under the dynamic leadership of successive generations of the Danziger family at its helm. The Bais Yisrael Yeshiva network contributed to its growth in the early 20th century. Aleksander gained further renown during its 30 year dispute with its arch rival - the Ger chassidic community based near Warsaw. Although Aleksander attempted to remain apolitical, they did nominally join Agudas Yisrael towards the end of the 1930’s.

Although given an opportunity to escape, the last great prewar leader of Aleksander Rav Yitzchak Menachem Mendel Danziger - the Akeidas Yitzchak, chose to remain with his followers. Having escaped from Lodz to the Warsaw Ghetto, he was deported along with his family and followers and martyred in Treblinka in the summer of 1942. A group of Aleksander survivors prevailed upon the only remaining member of the Rebbe’s family, Rav Yehuda Moshe Tyberg to lead and rebuild Aleksander. He did so and established an Aleksander court in Bnei Brak, even changing his family name to Danziger.

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Rav Shabsai Hakohen (1621-1663) was the author of one of the most important halachic works ever written, the Shach (Sifsei Kohen). His last rabbinical position and burial place in Holesov, Czechia, is a popular stop on Jewish history tours of Europe, along with the well preserved 16th century shul which served that community for centuries. On this episode of Jewish History Tourbites-Soundbites, we’ll explore the story of the Shach’s tumultuous life and great accomplishments, as well as the broader narrative of 17th century Polish Jewry which his life story reflects. Having been born into the rabbinic aristocracy during the golden age of Polish Jewry, he later fled his home and position in Vilna as a result of the upheavals during the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648-49 and the subsequent Second Northern War. His magnum opus was his commentary on Shulchan Aruch, the Shach, and he authored additional works on a variety of subjects including chronicles of Jewish history during his era.

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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As thousands of Jewish refugees scrambled for Curacao ‘visas’ and Japanese transit visas, many others were skeptic regarding the visa scheme, while others thought it a downright dangerous maneuver. Not only were the Curacao visas dubious at best, but the very idea of applying for a Soviet exit visa was understood by many to be viewed as tantamount to criminal activity by the Soviet authorities. In the world prior to the Nazi invasion and the Final Solution, the greatest fear was deportation by the Soviet to Siberian gulag. Many advocated against applying for these visas due to the inherent dangers involved.

Despite the opposition within the yeshiva community, Rav Leib Malin of the Mir Yeshiva encouraged the Mir contingent to apply for the visas as a group. Along with a few activists among the yeshiva students, the majority of the Mir Yeshiva students received Curacao and Japanese transit visas and prepared to join the throngs of Polish Jewish refugees headed for the east.

                                     

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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An unscripted conversation with Dovi Safier and Seforim Chatter podcast host Nachi Weinstein summarizing an amazing trip to Central Europe with the Daf Yomi Chaburah of Reb Sruly Borenstein and Eli Slomowitz of E&S Tours. This casual discussion covers the people and places we saw - Vienna, Bratislava (Chasam Sofer), Mikulov (Nikolsburg), Holesov (the Shach) & Prague. As we review this exciting trip, we attempt to provide some historical background and analysis, while it is constantly accompanied by light banter as well.

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The three partitions of Poland in 1772, 1793 & 1795 ended the Polish Kingdom (or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), and divided it between Austria, Russia and Prussia. This had far reaching consequences for the largest Jewish community in the world which had resided within the borders of the kingdom. 

Their new rulers desired a more central authority, and much of the Jewish autonomy was curtailed as a result. The Jewish communities of each empire found themselves under new political entities, new laws, new language and culture, and they now were on a different trajectory than their brethren who were on the other side of an international border.

In the last years of the Polish Kingdom the Four Year Sejm took place between 1788-1792. The reforms which were raised in regards to Jews economic opportunity and political status, would echo through the Jewish communities of partitioned Poland throughout the upcoming 19th century. 

 

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The modern era brought many external changes which challenged the centuries old Jewish communal structure. Political change, emancipation, wars, revolution, economic development, technological advancement, the industrial revolution, urbanization, immigration and other external forces, all contributed towards a growing trend of secularization among the general European as well as the Jewish population. This convergence of factors and the movement towards secularization threatened the religious status quo.

            Internal Jewish movements such as Jewish Haskala, Reform, Neolog and others arose in Germany, Galicia, Russia & Hungary, which sought to redefine Jewish identity in the modern era, and make it more compatible to integrate into an emancipated European society. Religious figures from the traditional establishment struggled with these new movements, redefining Orthodoxy in the process. Orthodoxy in the modern era came to define Jewish identity through its very struggle with modernity. Its combative confrontation with rival Jewish movements regarding the new means of defining Jewish identity in the modern era strengthened Orthodoxy, and paved the way for the flourishing of Orthodoxy as a movement in the modern era.

 

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Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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Renowned in the Chassidic world and beyond for their legacy of song, Modzhitz was a large and important dynasty in the heart of pre war Polish Jewry. Founded by Rav Yechezkal of Kuzmir, it would be his grandson Rav Yisrael of Modzhitz who would give the dynasty its name, as well as developing song as its trademark.  Rav Shaul Yedidya Taub further expanded the court, moving to Otwock outside of Warsaw. With the arrival of the Second World War, he escaped to Vilna then Japan, before arriving in the United States. He attempted to rebuild his decimated court, passing away a few years later. This was continued by his descendants in Tel Aviv, and later in Bnei Brak and in Brooklyn.  Read more about the topic in a captivating book by a scion of the Modzhitz dynasty: https://www.amazon.com/Perilous-Escape-Journey-Europe-Freedom/dp/160280351X   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Rav Shulem Eliezer Halberstam of Ratzfert (1862-1944), was one of the younger children of his illustrious father the Divrei Chaim of Sanz. Orphaned as a young child, he'd go on to become one of the great chassidic leaders of Hungarian Jewry. Known for his modesty, simplicity, care and leadership of his many followers, he would visit his chassidim in Hungary and Galicia, making an annual trip for his father's yahrtzeit in Sanz. When the war broke out, the tragedy of Polish Jewry broke him, as he attempted to do all he could to save family members and followers under Nazi occupation. With the German invasion of Hungary in March 1944, he was deported to Auschwitz where he met his end, with his dying words being to remember what had happened here. His legacy continues with the dynasties of Satmar, Bobov and others which number among his descendants.

 

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At the dawn of the 18th century, the overwhelming majority of the Jewish People were religiously observant in the traditional sense. By mid-20th century, the overwhelming majority of the Jewish People practiced a decidedly secular lifestyle. How and why did this secularization take place? This new series launched on Jewish History Soundbites will explore this topic in this and upcoming episodes, and provide definitive answers to this important historical question.

            Over the course of the 18th-19th centuries there emerged internal Jewish movements in Germany, Galicia & Russia who advocated for changes within the Jewish communal, educational & religious structure. Haskala, Reform and others rose to prominence on the Jewish scene and prompted a long and combative response from the Orthodox establishment. Though it may be enticing to suppose that it was these internal Jewish movements which were the cause of secularization, in reality this was not the case. Secularization was almost exclusively caused by primarily external factors, all of which were distinctive features of the modern era. Political changes, emancipation, legislative changes, economic changes, technological advancements, the industrial revolution, wars, revolutions, urbanization, immigration trends, colonialism & other external factors of modernity, all combined to generate a silent trend towards secularization. This was a movement without ideology, platform or leadership. It was a reality of growing secularization which was a direct result of the modern era and its challenges.

 

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A relatively unknown, yet one of the most influential Jews of the 20th century, Jacob Robinson's (1889-1977) list of accomplishments are seemingly endless. After receiving his doctorate in law, he was drafted into the Czarist military with the outbreak of World War One. After spending three years in a German POW camp, he returned to the newly created independent Lithuania, where he emerged as a leading Zionist, politician, jurist, educator, writer and much more.

First representing Jewish interests in the Lithuanian parliament, he soon reached the international stage, arguing for minorities rights in international platforms such as the League of Nations, and entering into an ill fated partnership with Weimar Germany to promote minorities rights. In his efforts to protect Jewish minority rights around the world, he was one of the founders of what would eventually become the World Jewish Congress in 1927. Escaping to the United States in 1940, he soon went to work formulating the legal basis for prosecution of Nazi war criminals post war, eventually serving as a special adviser to the prosecution at the Nuremberg trials. Seeing the failure of the tragic minorities rights saga of interwar Europe, he drafted the new principle of Human Rights, which led to the UN commission on Human Rights. He also assisted the nascent State of Israel with legal counsel at the UN and drafted the reparations agreement with West Germany, later overseeing the Claims Conference. In later years he was a pioneering Holocaust researcher, and was one of the founders of Yad Vashem. Finally, he served as the special legal counsel at the Eichmann trial in 1960, writing the legal basis for the prosecution.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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The trial for former SS officer Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects of the Final Solution, which took place in Jerusalem between April – August 1961, wasn’t merely a trial for one individual and his heinous crimes. The trial showcased the story of the Holocaust and broadcast it worldwide for the world, the Jewish People and the State of Israel to confront and make part of its consciousness. Examining various aspects of the Eichmann trial and its proceedings will present a narrative of exposing the story of the Holocaust as we know it today.

 

Check out a previous episode of Jewish History Soundbites which dealt with the Kapo trials during the 1950’s prior to the Eichmann trial: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/collaboration-or-cooperation-eliezer-greunbaum-jewish-kapos/

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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Rav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky (1867-1948) was the rabbi of the Eidah Chareidis community in Yerushalayim & headed the branch of Agudas Yisrael in that country for 15 crucial and tumultuous years. Having grown up in Hungary, he had previously served as rabbi of Galanta and Chust (Slovakia) for four decades. In Yerushalayim he oversaw the sweeping changes which were taking place in the Yishuv with immigration, the Great Arab Revolt, the policies of the British Mandatory government, World War II, the Holocaust, the UN Partition Resolution and the founding of the State of Israel. As a responsible and outspoken leader, Rav Dushinsky courageously led his community through this unique era, and aside from his rabbinical duties - along with his position as rosh yeshiva in the yeshiva which he founded - he took an active political role as well.

Ultimately the changing demographics due to the immigration of more moderate Agudists from Poland in Germany led to a split between the Eidah Chareidis and Agudas Yisrael, which was overseen by Rav Dushinsky and remains to this very day. Following his passing in 1948 he was succeeded by his only son Rav Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky (1921-2003), who built the Dushinsky community around the yeshiva and transformed it from an Ashkenaz Oberland community into a full Chassidic court.

 

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One of the enduring antisemitic tropes has been the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ forgery. Fabricated in Czarist Russia in the early 20th century, it was later exported to Western Europe and the United States. Jews have responded to Antisemitism in a variety of ways, including humor, emigration and Jewish nationalism.

The early 20th century saw the rise of racial Antisemitism which had evolved in the nationalistic environment of Europe of the late 19th century. The culmination of racial theory and racial Antisemitism was through the Nazi racial ideology which formed the ideological basis of the Holocaust and Final Solution. Antisemitism didn’t disappear following the war, and it manifested itself in the Soviet Union, Europe, United States and the Moslem world.

 

This series on the history of Antisemitism has been sponsored by the Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies, a leading academic program in Jewish Studies that equips students with the tools to search out their own unique path into the study of Jewish history and scholarship. For more information on admission to the Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies, including scholarship opportunities, please visit https://gsjs.touro.edu/ or call 212-463-0400, ext. 55580

 

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The first World War was to bring sweeping change to Jewish life in Eastern Europe, and one of the manifestations of that change was girls' education. With the German occupation came a new civil administration, and attempts at educational reform. Rabbis and educators serving in the German Army or civil authorities were key players in this turn of events. Rabbis Drs. Emmanuel Carlebach and Pinchos Kohn in Warsaw and Dr. Leo Deutschlander in Lithuania both founded the first formal Torah education schools for girls, as Chavatzeles and Yavneh respectively.  Further south however, it was to be a native of chassidic Galicia that was influenced and inspired by the world of German Neo-Orthodoxy who would go on to found what would eventually become the most successful network of them all. Her name was Sarah Schenirer.  In newly independent Poland and Lithuania, formal Torah education for girls slowly became a reality. Initially facing opposition, it slowly gained rabbinic adherents. In other parts of Europe and around the world, the idea slowly caught on as well, as schools began to open up in other locales during the interwar period.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Jewish roots in southern Texas precede the Civil War. Jewish communities emerged in Houston, Galveston and other cities and towns across the Texan frontier. As commerce developed in the second half of the 19th century, the Jewish population grew and established synagogues. 

From the Reform Beth Israel - which started out as Orthodox - to the Orthodox Adath Israel, the immigrants from Germany and later Eastern Europe left an imprint on Jewish and general Houston society. Rabbi Yaakov Geller was a rabbi from Galicia, and Max Goodman was a shochet from Lithuania. Pioneers in recent history include the United Orthodox Synagogue of Rabbi Joseph Radinsky, Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff with Chabad and Rabbi Yehoshua Wender of the Young Israel of Houston.

As South Texas’s Jewish history is explored, Houston, Galveston and other towns play their part in the unfolding Jewish story.

 

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In this second installment on the Jewish history of Houston and South Texas, the renaissance of Orthodox through the pioneering efforts of Rabbi Joseph Radinsky of the United Orthodox Synagogue, Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff of Chabad and Rabbi Yehoshua Wender of the Young Israel of Houston. The development of air conditioning led to a population explosion in Houston in 1960’s, and the S&L scandal led to its reduction in the late 80’s. Nevertheless, institutions were built, schools grew and a Kollel was founded in recent times as well.

40 miles to the west lies the town of Hempstead. Its rise and decline as a Jewish community is through the story of the Schwartz family and its patriarch Rabbi Chaim Schwartz. The port of Galveston was home to a prestigious community, as well as the oldest established Jewish community in Texas. With Rabbi Henry Cohen’s arrival in 1888, he’d leave his imprint on Texas and American Jewish history through his activities over the ensuing more than six decades. The most prominent role played by Galveston was with the ‘Galveston Plan’, an attempt to reroute Eastern European Jewish immigrants to Galveston due to the overcrowding of New York. With a direct Bremen-Galveston route in place, over 10,000 Jews arrived in the port between the years 1907-1914.

 

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The Lomza Yeshiva in Poland and later in Petach Tikva, Israel, was unique in many respects. Founded in 1883 by a student of Rav Yisrael Salanter named Rav Eliezer Shulevitz, it was the first Lithuanian style yeshiva in the area of chassidic Poland. In its heyday, the majority of its students would come from chassidic backgrounds. With its expansion, his capable sons in law took over - Rav Yechiel Mordechai Gordon, Rav Yehoshua Zelig Roch and Rav Moshe Leib Ozer. The latter's son Rav Eliezer Ozer, ran the Kollel in Lomza Petach Tikva until his recent passing. The famed mashgiach Rav Moshe Rosenstein left a big impact on the yeshiva's growth and education during the interwar period. Rav Yechiel Mordechai Gordon led the yeshiva, and spent much time in the United States fundraising on its behalf, before eventually settling in Petach Tikva in 1950. In 1926, Lomza took the pioneering step in opening a branch of the yeshiva in Palestine, and the building on Rechov Herzl in Petach Tikva was dedicated in 1930. This would be the premier institution of Torah learning in the Land of Israel in the coming decades.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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The refugees stay in Japan lasted much longer than their brief transit visas had initially allowed for, with the imperial government allowing them to remain for several months. Though some refugees made it to the United States or other countries, most had nowhere to go. With the Japanese government commencing the operational planning for Pearl Harbor, they wished to rid the country of all foreign elements, and the refugee community was unceremoniously deported to Shanghai, China, under Japanese occupation, where they’d remain throughout the war.

Many refugees were assisted by Professor Setsuzo Kotsuji, who later converted to Judaism. Others were assisted by the Polish ambassador to Japan Tadeusz Romer. The Jewish rescue activist Zorach Warhaftig continued to be active on behalf of the refugee community as well. The Dutch national Nathan Gutwirth was able to rescue a ship of 74 refugees who were missing documentation, by requesting assistance from the Dutch consul in Kobe, Japan, Nicolaas de Voogd. De Voogd provided the desperate refugees with Curacao visas, enabling them to arrive in Japan.

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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The Sefer Nefesh Hachaim authored by Rav Chaim of Volozhin (1749-1821) was published posthumously by his son Rav Itzele in 1824, with an expanded version including eight additional chapters published in 1837. This was a theological work, as well as a polemical one, with Rav Chaim addressing issues he saw in the chassidic movement which he sought to oppose, correct and establish an alternative value system for his followers. This signified a shift in the opposition to the Chassidic movement. Whereas Rav Chaim's teacher the Vilna Goan sought to excommunicate the chassidim completely, his student saw them as members of the Jewish community. He rather sought to maintain an ideological dispute while presenting a complete world view of his own.   Check out the story of the earlier stage of the dispute regarding the Chassidic movement here: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/warring-brothers-the-opposition-to-the-chassidic-movement/   This episode has been generously sponsored by the Jewish History Uncensored Podcast, by Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein. Join in weekly at, http://bit.ly/jhu-jhs , to gain in depth knowledge of Jewish History. Join his Nach Yomi via: https://chat.whatsapp.com/BwtD6W4Hjhc1BR6nNQUwIk.  Or email at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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With the passing of the fifth rebbe of Chabad the Rashab in 1920, his son Rav Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson (1880-1950), the Rayatz, or the Freidiker (previous) Rebbe, took over the Chabad-Lubavitch movement at a time of crisis. Through the decades of his leadership he expressed a commitment to the ideals of his father in regards to Zionism, while dealing with the practical upheavals of Jewish life including the Holocaust and the founding of the State of Israel.

This was continued by his son in law and successor Rav Menachem Mendel Schneerson. While in theory, the opposition to ideas such as ‘aschalta digeula’ remained, practical considerations of caring for the needs of the Jewish People and furthering Jewish observance took precedence.

Of special note was the relationship enjoyed between both Rebbe’s and the third president of the State of Israel, Zalman Shazar. 

 

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The recent passing of Rav Meir Wunder (1934-2024) is an opportunity to pay tribute to this great man and his vast accomplishments as a historian, scholar and pioneer tour guide to Europe. Having attended Ponovezh Yeshiva in its early years, and gained a closeness with the Chazon Ish and many other Torah leaders of his time, he embarked on a career as a librarian. He eventually served as a librarian at the National Library of Israel for over 30 years. Emerging as a self-taught historian and respected scholar, he published his magnum opus six volume Encyclopedia of Chachmei Galicia, as well as numerous other volumes and essays on a wide array of topics of Jewish History. He was one of the early pioneers of Jewish history tours to Europe, leading hundreds of such tours for decades. May his memory be a blessing.

 

Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/

 

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From the early days of Bais Medrash Elyon and its prominent alumni, Monsey continued to develop both up and down "the hill". Rav Yaakov Lipschutz, Rav Chaim Flohr and others were prominent rabbis, as Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky still had a large impact on the town overall. Diverse schools opened up from ASHAR to Bais Dovid for boys and Bais Yaakov to Bais Rochel for girls.

Soon Satmar arrived on the scene and first joining the Chareidim Shul, they then opened up an entire empire of their own institutions. Even Neturei Karta US headquarters were in Monsey led by Moshe Ber Beck and Yisroel Dovid Weiss. With its diversity and all kinds, Monsey developed into a unique suburban Jewish community.   This has been generously sponsored in honor of Reb Shayala's Kitchen. An organization which helps middle class families going through temporary hardship to get back on their feet through a great  Grocery Assistance program; Financial Coaching Business coaching; Any assistance to help a hardworking family get back on their feet. https://rsk.org/ For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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The Tolna chassidic dynasty is a branch of the Chernobyl dynasty founded in Ukraine in the 19th century. Rav Dovid Twersky of Tolna (1808-1882) was one of the most influential leaders of chassidic Ukraine in the mid 19th century, spreading his influence throughout the Kiev area. He was succeeded by his grandson Rav Menachem Nochum, who in turn was succeeded by his three sons, all of whom immigrated to the United States. 

The prominent Tolna Rebbe of modern times was Rav Yochanan Twersky (1906-1999). Presumably the first active Rebbe in Montreal, he had an impact on Canadian Jewry until his move to Israel in the 1950’s. It was there that he modestly acted as a chassid of the Ger Rebbes, while attempting to stay out of the limelight. Despite his attempts, he gained a significant following, and was a beloved leader to his chassidim. He was succeeded by his grandson Rav Yitzchak Menachem Weinberg, the current Tolna Rebbe and by other descendants. 

 

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A greatly respected Torah leader of recent times, Rav Aharon Leib Steinman (1914-2017) spent the last 60 years of his long life in Bnei Brak. Prior to that were quite a few stops along the way, each stage shaping his development. A childhood in Brisk led to his studying in the local Toras Chesed Yeshiva of Rav Moshe Sokolovsky. Escaping the Polish army draft to Switzerland, he joined a Yeshiva there, eventually marrying and making his way to Israel. Moving to Kfar Saba, he was the head of the Chafetz Chaim Yeshiva there until moving to Bnei Brak in the 1950's.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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He was a clean shaven, American born, public school educated, successful businessman. And he was also the architect of American Orthodoxy and a leading rescue activist during the dark years of the Holocaust. Mike Tress (1909-1967) grew up as an orphan in Williamsburg. Joining the nascent Zeirei Agudas Yisroel organization, he soon emerged as its leader, giving it a sense of mission and purpose. Spearheading shabbos campaigns, activating Pirchei and Bnos chapters, and founding Camp Agudah in the midst of a world war and rescue work, are just some of the projects which he initiated to promote Orthodoxy in the United States. His encounter with Rav Elchonon Wasserman during the latter's trip to the country in 1938 defined his life mission, and reverence for Torah leaders became part of his essence which he then imparted to his young charges. Perhaps the most fateful chapter of his storied career was his endless attempts at rescue work in the years preceding, during and following the war. Obtaining visas for refugees, raising funds for rescue and complete devotion to rebuilding both physically and spiritually following liberation, while personally commiserating with every individual and feeling their pain. Having sold his business and used all of his assets for communal work, he was truly an individual who lived his life to help others.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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To commemorate the 10th yahrtzeit of the Mir Rosh Yeshiva Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel (1943-2011), here is another installment of impressions and recollections of this great man and his impact on the larger Torah world. Viewing his great accomplishments over the course of his 22 year tenure at the helm of Mir Yeshiva, one is tempted to see them in the greater context of the rebirth of the Torah world in the postwar era. His projects can be seen as launching an era of expansion, following decades of modest rebuilding.

From his modest beginnings as a youth in Chicago, the young Rav Nosson Tzvi travelled after high school to his great uncle, Rav Leizer Yudel Finkel in Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. During his years as Rosh Yeshiva, he was beloved for his love which he exuded to his talmidim, and awed by all for his dedication despite the effects of his debilitating illness.

Listen to our previous episodes about the life of the Rosh Yeshiva Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel:

1. https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/the-kid-from-chicago-the-life-of-rav-nosson-tzvi-finkel-part-i/
2. https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/to-live-a-life-of-torah-the-life-of-rav-nosson-tzvi-finkel-part-ii/

 

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Original home to the Miami Boys Choir and to the Jewish owned Miami Heat, Palm Beach County also has the largest concentrated Jewish population in the world outside of Israel. Though attractive as the sunny alternative to the harsh New York winter, the Miami Jewish community developed independently building infrastructure and institutions. It was in the post war era that things began to take off. The visionary Rabbi Alexander Gross was one of the great architects of the community's growth. Other early leaders of the community included Rabbis Aryeh Rottman, Berel Wein, along with the early shluchim Rav Avraham & Rivka Korf and later the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Leibel Schapiro. The Yeshiva with Rabbi Yochanan Zweig at the helm has greatly impacted the community as well.  Yet through the decades Miami had been famous for hosting great Jewish leaders who vacationed there during the winter months. This phenomenon would have a long lasting and unique impact on the community's growth along with the exposure to the diversity of the entire Jewish people. With Larry King, Myer Lansky and Ron Dermer all making appearances as well, the story of the Jews of South Florida is another glorious chapter in American Jewish History.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Rav Yehuda Leib Tzirelson (1859-1941) and his younger compatriot Rabbi Moshe Yosef Rubin (1895-1980), were but two examples of the unique rabbinical leadership enjoyed by the Romanian Jewish community during the tumultuous first half of the 20th century. With the outer districts of Bukovina and Bessarabia being absorbed into the new nationalistic and increasingly anti Semitic Romania, it took courageous leadership to provide an anchor of tradition during that time period.

What made the story even more unique was their leadership in the Romanian Agudas Yisroel organization, while maintaining Zionistic positions on settlement of the Land of Israel and the future founding of a State. Rabbi Rubin was able to escape to Bucharest following the war's outbreak and continued his rescue activities and Agudah leadership from the capital. Following the war, he immigrated to the United States, where he later founded the Geder Avos organization to protect and maintain Jewish cemeteries in Europe.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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With the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in the summer of 1940, the search for visas to destination countries turned into a desperate endeavor for thousands of refugees who wished to escape a life under the communists. In order to execute an exit plan, one was required to be in possession of a full set of documentation attesting to every step of the intended journey. These included a passport, transit visas, end visas and perhaps most importantly, exit visas from the Soviet Union.

Many debated the wisdom of obtaining visas, paying exorbitant sums for dubious visa destinations. Others were concerned that the Soviets would deport to Siberia anyone applying for an exit visa. Yet others took the risk. The great rescue activist and Zionist leader Zorach Warhaftig emerged as a central figure in pursuing any feasible visa venue. Soon the Mir Yeshiva joined the visa bandwagon and the visa miracles began to fall into place.

 

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The Slonim Rebbe, Rav Shalom Noach Berezovsky (1911-2000) was known by his popular work the Nesivos Shalom. Having grown up in Baranovich in the center of the Slonim chassidic dynasty, he was appointed by the rebbe the Bais Avraham to record his weekly discourses. Following his marriage and move to Tverya in 1935, he first found employment as a rosh yeshiva in Achei Temimim-Lubavitch in Tel Aviv. 

Having heard of the decimation of the Slonim community in Europe during the Holocaust, he embarked on ambitious mission: to found a Slonim yeshiva in Yerushalayim with the goal of rebuilding the chassidus. With his father in law election as the Slonim Rebbe, he was now the rosh yeshiva of a fledgling chassidic community. He then succeeded his father in law the Birkas Avraham as rebbe in 1981.

 

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Monsey. Rockland County. The Hudson River Valley. The image of suburbia. This small town across the Tappan Zee Bridge somehow developed into one of the largest Jewish Orthodox enclaves worldwide.

Though the area had some minor Jewish beginnings from the end of the 19th century, it was with the vision of Rav Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz that Monsey began to develop as a Jewish community. Rav Shraga Feivel built Bais Medrash Elyon and his family and students laid the foundations of many Torah institutions including Yeshiva of Spring Valley and Bais Shraga. Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik was an early rabbi in Spring Valley, while his wife Rebbetzin Shoshana was a pioneer in girls education, standing at the helm of the Monsey Bais Yaakov for decades. Great personalities who resided in the town and contributed to its development included Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, Rav Mordechai Schwab, Rav Nosson Horowitz, Ronnie Greenwald, the Vizhnitz Rebbe Rav Mottele Hager, Rav Moshe Neuschloss in nearby New Square and many others.    For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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This great city of the Midwest hosted some impressive events, institutions and personalities throughout its Jewish community's long history. Once a center of Reform Judaism with Abba Hillel Silver, it was also home to one of the earliest short lived Yeshivas in the United States when Rav Yehuda Levenberg moved his New Haven Yeshiva to Cleveland.

Rabbi Israel Porath was the long time Rabbinic leader, but it was Telz Yeshiva and its great leadership that really transformed the town. Rav Elya Meir Bloch, Rav Mottel Katz, Rav Mordechai Gifter, Rav Baruch Sorotzkin and many more transformed Cleveland and the Yeshiva world at large with the aristocracy of Telz. The Telz impact was felt with the founding of the Hebrew Academy by the Dessler Family and the Yavneh Girls school. The great philanthropists of Cleveland included Irving Stone, the Spero brothers and Mendy Klein.  Chassidus struck roots in Cleveland with the Cleveland dynasty, Chabad and even Kaliv.    Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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In this special bonus episode of Jewish History Soundbites, Dovi Safier and Seforim Chatter host Nachi Weinstein join me in discussing our article in Mishpacha Magazine about Rav Yonah ‘Minsker’, the famed Alter Mirrer who was killed by the Nazis and author of the newly republished Sefer Yonas Eilem. Our free flowing conversation covers some other topics as well.

 

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Rav Shlomo Elyashiv was one of the greatest Kabbalists in recent Jewish history. Settling in the town of Shavl, he proceeded to author his magnum opus the Leshem Shevo Veachlama, and influencing young Rabbis like Rav Kook in kabbalistic teachings. In 1924, he moved to Eretz Yisroel together with his daughter and son in law Rav Avraham Levinson who changed his name to Elyashiv at this time. They were accompanied by their Bar Mitzvah age son, the future Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, they became an influential family, with Rav Avraham Elyashiv founding the Tiferes Bachurim organization, which provided a framework for Torah study for the young working men of the Old Yishuv.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer (1870-1953) was a great Torah leader of the 20th century, whose life story spanned eras and continents. As a young teenager he studied in the vaunted Volozhin Yeshiva, then married into the prestigious Frank family of Kovno, where he subsequently was appointed rosh yeshiva of Slabodka. This was followed by his departure for Slutzk where he remained as rosh yeshiva and later as communal rabbi for decades.

Following the formation of the Soviet Union and the challenges of maintaining religious life therein, he immigrated to Palestine in 1925. There he assumed the leadership of the Eitz Chaim yeshiva and served in several leadership positions in both the yishuv and later in Israel, where he oversaw the growth of the emerging Torah community.

 

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The Kiruv movement, or the Baal Teshuva movement, or the movement of Jewish Outreach, is a curious postwar historical phenomenon. In the counter culture environment of the 1960's, many youth began searching for their Jewish identity and roots, and pioneers and eventually institutions began to fill the role of providing them.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Bostoner Rebbe, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, Rabbi Pinchos Stolper with NCSY, are just some of the many pioneers in the United States.  In Israel the movement gained more steam following the Yom Kippur War. Rav Reuven Elbaz, Rav Shlomo Wolbe and many others pioneered it there. Eventually American kiruv institutions were established in Israel such as Ohr Samayach and Rav Nota Schiller, Aish Hatorah and Rav Noach Weinberg, Diaspora Yeshiva and Rav Mordechai Goldstein and Dvar Yerushalayim with Rav Boruch Horowitz to name a few.   Sponsored by Ohr Somayach who is proud to announce a new series on the Ohr Somayach Podcast Network: “The History of the Baal Teshuva Movement” by Rabbi Nota Schiller, Founder and Rosh HaYeshiva of Ohr Somayach. Join the journey at podcasts.ohr.edu https://plnk.to/ospodcast For more information email: podcasts@ohr.edu    For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Though only settled in the 18th century and flourishing in the 19th, the town of Sighet made its mark on Jewish history and its legacy accompanies Jewish life until this very day. Nestled in the Maramaros district in Transylvania, it was sometimes in Romania, other times in Hungary and for a long time in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

By the end of the 19th century, its sizable Jewish population was one of the largest in Transylvania and also one of the few which was largely Orthodox. In the century before the war, Sighet was home to some prominent historic personalities, while left an imprint on Sighet Jewish life and the wider Jewish community. One of the earliest prominent rabbinical figures to settle in the Maramaros district was Rav Yehuda Kahana-Heller (1743-1819), known by his work the Kuntres Hasfeikos. The Kahana family would dominate Sighet communal life for the next century. Sighet is almost synonymous with the Teitelbaum dynasty, with a decisive impact on both Sighet’s Jewish history as well as beyond its borders across the Jewish world. 

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Once one was in possession of a destination visa, came the most challenging phase of the escape – applying for a Soviet exit visa. Applying for an exit visa from the ‘communist paradise’ was potentially requesting for a one way ticket to Siberia. Despite the risks involved, thousands of refugees applied, and miraculously received a visa. The entire process had to be funded, and refugees received funding from either the Joint, the Vaad Hatzalah or by selling their personal belongings.

                                     

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Jewish Toronto in the post war saw a development of the community in its leadership and institutions. Rav Dovid Ochs replaced Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky at the helm of the Toras Emes community, and Chabad began to have a presence in town as well. A rising rabbinic leader at this time was Rav Gedalya Felder, while at the same time there started to arrive a large influx of Holocaust survivors, with Rav Meir Grunwald, the Teitcher Rov as a leader in the community as well. 

The Holy Blossom Synagogue started off as Orthodox and gradually shifted towards Reform in the early decades of the 20th century. As shuls and shtiebels increased with the arrival of Eastern European Jews, educational institutions were built. The Eitz Chaim schools became the premier mechanism of educational development for the Jewish youth of Toronto. Some of the greatest philanthropists of 20th century Jewish life resided there as well. The Reichman and Tannenbaum families are just two examples of this, as Joe Tannenbaum emerged as a patron of Jewish institutions both locally and worldwide.   For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history contact Yehuda at:  yehuda@yehudageberer.com   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:    PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Another installment of stories of the Ner Israel Yeshiva in Baltimore throughout its history. Led by its legendary Rosh Yeshiva Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, the Yeshiva grew and was to have a lasting impact on the American Torah landscape. 

Listen to the two previous installments on the history of Yeshivas Ner Israel here:

https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/stories-of-ner-israel-part-i/

https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/stories-of-ner-israel-part-ii/

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With the passing of the Baal Shem Tov in 1760, several of his students continued transmitting his teachings to groups of followers. After several years, Rav Dov Ber  the Maggid of Mezritch (1704-1772) emerged as the dominant chassidic leader in what seemed to be on the cusp of a mass movement.  It was under his leadership that several distinctive features came to be identified with the growing movement, such as the pilgrimage to the "chatzer" the court of the tzadik. He attracted an elite group of outstanding individuals - known as the "Heilegeh Chavraya" or holy society - who went on to become leaders in their own right, spreading the light of Chassidus across Eastern Europe. These included the the brothers Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk & Rav Zusha of Annapol, Rav Mendel of Vitebsk, Rav Avraham of Kalisk, Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, the brothers Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg & Rav Pinchas of Frankfurt, Rav Aharon of Karlin and Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi, to name just a few. Diverse in leadership style, in their promulgating the message of chassidus as well as in geographic dispersion, they each continued the legacy of the Maggid in their own way.    Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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With the end of the war and the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Allied armies were confronted with one of the byproducts of the Nazi regime - millions of 'displaced persons', many of whom had nowhere to go, and some of whom were Jewish survivors of the Nazi Holocaust. Eventually Displaced Persons camps were established under the auspices of the American & British militaries in their spheres of influence in Germany, Austria and Italy. Theser were in turn later overseen by the newly established agency UNRAA which was soon followed by the IRO (International Refugee Organization).

The unique situation of the Jewish survivors was recognized by the Harrison Report, and a flourishing of Jewish cultural, social, educational and religious life ensued. The Sh'eris Ha-pleita was an organization founded by the survivors themselves to provide the needs of rehabilitation in the post trauma atmosphere following liberation. Various outside organizations assisted with funding and infrastructure while some also competed for the political allegiance of the survivors. Looking to the future many survivors endeavored to marry and start families, while at the same time engaged in commemoration and testimony of the recent events they had experienced.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/  

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Jewish population growth has fluctuated over the millennia. Unique circumstances of Jewish history have impacted Jewish demographics in a variety of ways, often adversely affecting Jewish growth through the ages. This episode will attempt to explore some basic elements of Jewish demographics, fluctuations as well as salient features, and examine the numbers and their significance. The great Jewish demographic story of the Modern Era is the population explosion of Eastern European Jewry in the 19th century, with the tragic and sudden demographic contraction as a result of the Holocaust.

 

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