The Jewish Lives Podcast

Franz Boas (1858–1942) is widely acknowledged for his pioneering work in the field of cultural anthropology.Join us with Noga Arikha, author of the new biography Franz Boas: In Praise of Open Minds, as we explore how urgently relevant his voice and legacy have become again today.Buy the book hereJoin our mailing list to learn more:https://www.jewishlives.org/subscribe 

Join us with Anthony Julius, author of the new biography Abraham: The First Jew, as we explore the origins of a fundamental struggle within Judaism between skepticism and faith, critique and affirmation, thinking for oneself and thinking under the direction of another.

Louis B. Mayer (1884–1957) and Irving Thalberg (1899–1936) were unlikely partners in one of the most significant collaborations in movie history.Join us with film critic Kenneth Turan, author of the new biography Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg: The Whole Equation, as we explore their extraordinary partnership and role in creating the film industry as we know it.

In this episode, acclaimed author Ruth Franklin explores the transformation of Anne Frank (1929–1945) from ordinary teenager to icon, shedding new light on the young woman whose diary of her years in hiding is the most widely read work of literature to arise from the Holocaust.With antisemitism once again on the rise, Franklin's The Many Lives of Anne Frank  takes a fresh and timely look at the debates around Anne Frank's life and work, including the controversial adaptations of the diary, Anne's evolution as a fictional character, and the ways her story and image have been politically exploited. Franklin reveals how Anne has been understood and misunderstood, both as a person and as an idea, and opens up new avenues for interpreting her life and writing in today's hyperpolarized world.

Menasseh ben Israel (1604–1657) was among the most accomplished and cosmopolitan rabbis of his time, and a pivotal intellectual figure in early modern Jewish history.Join us with Professor Steven Nadler, author of Menasseh ben Israel: Rabbi of Amsterdam, as we explore Menasseh ben Israel's role leading one of the most vital Jewish communities of early modern Europe.

A powerful hero of the Bible, Jacob is also one of its most complex figures.Join us with Israel Prize winner Professor Yair Zakovitch, author of Jacob: Unexpected Patriarch, as we explore the many layers of the life of the patriarch—Jacob's wanderings, revelations, disgraces, disappointments, and ultimate success.

Episode 59: MENACHEM MENDEL SCHNEERSONMenachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994) was the seventh and last rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, one of the world's best-known Hasidic groups.Join us with Ezra Glinter, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Menachem Mendel Schneerson: Becoming the Messiah, as we explore the life and thought of one of the most influential—and controversial—rabbis in modern Judaism.

Ayn Rand (1905–1982) was one of America's most provocative writers of the 20th century. Her best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged have influenced three generations of Americans.Join us with Alexandra Popoff, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Ayn Rand: Writing a Gospel of Success, as we explore Rand's defense ofAmerican capitalism, individualism, and creativity.Music in this episode: George Gershwin - "Rhapsody in Blue"

The “German Socrates,” Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786) was the most influential Jewish thinker of the 18th and 19th centuries. A Berlin celebrity and a major figure in the Enlightenment, Mendelssohn suffered the indignities common to Jews of his time while formulating the philosophical foundations of a modern Judaism suited for a new age.Join us with Bar Ilan scholar Shmuel Feiner, author of Moses Mendelssohn: Sage of Modernity, as we explore Mendelssohn's tireless advocacy for his people and the importance of intellectual independence.

Léon Blum (1872–1950), France's prime minister three times, socialist activist, and courageous opponent of the pro-Nazi Vichy regime, profoundly altered French society.Join us with one of France's most eminent political sociologists Pierre Birnbaum, author of Léon Blum: Prime Minister, Socialist, Zionist, as we explore the extraordinary life and legacy of the first Jewish prime minister of France.Other historical figures mentioned in the show you can explore in  Jewish Lives biographies and on the podcast: Alfred DreyfusREAD Alfred Dreyfus: The Man at the Center of the AffairLISTEN TO ALFRED DREYFUS Louis D. Brandeis READ Louis D. Brandeis: American Prophet LISTEN TO LOUIS D. BRANDEIS

Herod the Great (73–4 BCE) was a phenomenally energetic ruler who took advantage of the chaos of the Roman revolution to establish himself as a major figure in a changing Roman world and transform the landscape of Judaea.Join us with Oxford University scholar Martin Goodman, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Herod The Great: Jewish King in a Roman World, as we explore the political triumphs and domestic tragedies of the Jewish king. 

Get ready for Passover with Jewish Lives. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue and Professor Daniel Matt, author of Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation, explore the life and legacy of the prophet Elijah, one of the most popular figures in Jewish folklore. This episode comes from the Park Avenue Synagogue Podcast.  

Henrietta Szold (1860–1945) is renowned as the founder of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, which quickly became one of the most successful of all Zionist groups.Join us with award-winning author Francine Klagsbrun, author of the new biography Henrietta Szold: Hadassah and the Zionist Dream, as we explore the life of an extraordinary woman whose impact resonates to this day. 

On January 5, 1895, Captain Alfred Dreyfus's cries of innocence were drowned out by a mob shouting “Death to Judas!”As global antisemitism rises, join us with Yale scholar Maurice Samuels, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Alfred Dreyfus: The Man at the Center of the Affair, as we explore a story that is more important than ever.

Baruch (Benedictus) Spinoza (1632–1677) was a radical free thinker who led a life guided by strong moral principles despite his disbelief in an all-seeing God.Join us with award-winning writer Ian Buruma, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Spinoza: Freedom's Messiah, as we explore the life and legacy of the enlightenment thinker whose belief in freedom of thought and speech resonates in our own time.

Born in the Land of Israel around the year 50 C.E., Rabbi Akiva was the greatest rabbi of his time and one of the most important influences on Judaism as we know it today.Join us with Professor Barry W. Holtz, author of Rabbi Akiva: Sage of the Talmud, as we explore the life and teachings of one of the most beloved heroes of Jewish history.

Amos Oz (1939–2018) was one of Israel's most prolific and prominent writers, as well as a regular contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was the author of dozens of novels, essay collections, and novellas written between 1965 and shortly before his death.Join us with celebrated scholar Robert Alter, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Amos Oz: Writer, Activist, Icon, as we explore the life and work of the legendary writer.

Born Julius Marx in 1890, the brilliant comic actor who would later be known as Groucho, was celebrated for his slapstick portrayals, ingenious wordplay, and double entendre.Join us with Lee Siegel, author of Groucho Marx: The Comedy of Existence, as we explore the life of the beloved American iconoclast through the lens of his work on stage, screen, and television.

The feminist writer and activist Betty Friedan (1921–2006), pathbreaking author of The Feminine Mystique, was powerful and polarizing.Join us with Rachel Shteir, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Betty Friedan: Magnificent Disrupter, as we explore the life of the author and activist acclaimed as the mother of second-wave feminism.

Gershom Scholem (1897–1982) was one of the most influential figures in the field of Jewish Studies.Join us with historian David Biale, author of the Jewish Lives biography Gershom Scholem: Master of the Kabbalah, as we examine the life of the thinker who pioneered the study of Jewish mysticism and profoundly influenced the Zionist movement.

Both thoroughly German and unabashedly Jewish, Walther Rathenau (1867–1922) served in the exalted position of foreign minister in the early days of the Weimar Republic.His achievement was unprecedented—no Jew in Germany had ever attained such high political rank. But Rathenau's success was marked by tragedy: within months he was assassinated by right-wing extremists seeking to destroy the newly formed Republic.Join us with esteemed historian Shulamit Volkov as we illuminate the complex social and psychological milieu of German Jewry in the period before Hitler's rise to power.

Tradition has it that King Solomon knew everything there was to know—the mysteries of nature, of love, of God himself—but what do we know about him?Join us with esteemed biblical scholar Steven Weitzman as we reexamine Solomon's story and its surprising influence in shaping Western culture in Solomon: The Lure of Wisdom. We also explore what Solomon's life, wisdom, and writings have come to mean for Jews, Christians, and Muslims over the past two thousand years. 

Elie Wiesel is the author of the seminal Holocaust memoir Night and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.Join us with Joseph Berger, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Elie Wiesel: Confronting the Silence, as we explore how a teenage survivor from a Hasidic family became the eloquent embodiment of Holocaust remembrance and of forceful opposition to indifference. 

Mel Brooks, born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn in 1926, is one of the great comic voices of the twentieth centuryJoin us with Jeremy Dauber, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Mel Brooks: Disobedient Jew, as we explore how Brooks's American Jewish humor went from being solely for niche audiences to an essential part of the American mainstream, paving the way for generations of Jewish (and other) comedians to come. 

Born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz, Jerome Robbins (1918–1998) was a master choreographer, dancer, and stage director, most famous for his stage productions of West Side Story, Peter Pan, and Fiddler on the Roof.Join us with Wendy Lesser, author of the Jewish Lives biography Jerome Robbins: A Life in Dance, as we explore Robbins's life through his major dances in ballet, Broadway, and film.Music in this episode: Claude Debussy - Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

The Warner Brothers—Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack—arrived in America as unschooled Jewish immigrants, yet they founded a movie studio that became the smartest, toughest, and most radical in all of Hollywood.Join us with celebrated film critic David Thomson, author of Warner Bros.: The Making of an American Movie Studio, as we explore how four immigrant brothers transformed themselves into the moguls and masters of American fantasy.

Born Lev Davidovich Bronstein in southern Ukraine, Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) was a revolutionary figure who led an upheaval that helped define the contours of twentieth-century politics.Join us with Joshua Rubenstein, author of the Jewish Lives biography Leon Trotsky: A Revolutionary's Life, as we uncover the brilliant and brilliantly flawed man who was both a world-class intellectual and a man capable of the most narrow-minded ideological dogmatism.

Most famous for All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, and The Crucible, Arthur Miller (1915–2005) was a playwright who almost single-handedly propelled twentieth-century American theater into a new level of cultural sophistication.Join us with distinguished theater critic John Lahr, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Arthur Miller: American Witness, as we explore the fault lines of Miller's life—his family, the Great Depression, the rise of fascism, Elia Kazan and the House Committee on Un-American Activities, Marilyn Monroe, and the rise and fall of Miller's role as a public intellectual.

Said to be the inspiration for Ian Fleming's iconic James Bond character, Sidney Reilly (c. 1873–1925) is one of the most colorful and best–known spies of the 20th century.Join us with historian Benny Morris, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Sidney Reilly: Master Spy, as we sift through the reality and the myth of Reilly's life and uncover a fascinating portrait of one of the most intriguing figures from the golden age of spies. 

The Book of Ruth offers a vibrant portrait of a foreigner who became the founding mother of the Davidic dynasty.Join us with Ilana Pardes, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Ruth: A Migrant's Tale, as we explore the ever-changing perspectives on Ruth's foreignness beginning in the Hebrew bible and rabbinic literature through Zionism and the modern world. 

Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946) was an enormously influential photographer and champion of other artists.Join us with Phyllis Rose, acclaimed critic, biographer, and author of Alfred Stieglitz: Taking Pictures, Making Painters, as we explore Stieglitz's role as a revolutionary force in the history of American art.

Martin Buber (1878–1965) was a seminal modern Jewish thinker.Join us with Paul Mendes-Flohr, an authority on the 20th-century philosopher and author of Martin Buber: A Life of Faith and Dissent, as we explore Buber's contributions to Jewish thought, philosophy, biblical studies, political theory, and Zionism. 

Join us with composer Allen Shawn, author of Leonard Bernstein: An American Musician, for an appreciation of the great musical genius who stood at the epicenter of 20th-century American musical life. Music in this episode: Leonard Bernstein and Steven Sondheim - "Cool" from West Side Story Leonard Bernstein - Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety Leonard Bernstein - Symphony No 3., Kaddish  Leonard Bernstein - Chichester Psalms 

Join us with Adam Phillips, one of the world's foremost authorities on Sigmund Freud and author of Becoming Freud: The Making of a Psychoanalyst, as we explore the early life of the father of psychoanalysis.

Few figures in twentieth-century Jewish life were quite so admired and loathed as Vladimir Jabotinsky (1880-1940). The founder of the branch of Zionism now headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, he is perhaps the most controversial of all Zionist political leaders. Join us as author Hillel Halkin explores the life and legacy of Jabotinsky. Halkin will also explain the importance of Odessa, Ukraine, Jabotinsky's native city, in shaping his character and outlook.

Join us and explore the story of the prophet Elijah's evolution from fierce zealot to compassionate hero and cherished figure in Jewish tradition.   Hear from National Jewish Book Award winner Daniel C. Matt, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation. Music in this episode: Hazzan Brian Baruch Shamash - arrangement of Eliahu Hanavi

Join us for a riveting exploration of the brilliant, combative, and controversial “Father of the Nuclear Navy.” Hear from Marc Wortman, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Admiral Hyman Rickover: Engineer of Power.

Explore an insider's perspective on the life and influence of Israel's first native-born prime minister, his bold peace initiatives, and his tragic assassination. Join us as we listen to Ambassador Itamar Rabinovich, author of Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman. Music in this episode: Miri Aloni and Lehakat Hanachal - Shir LaShalom

Jaws. Jurassic Park. Schindler's List. Join us as we listen to Molly Haskell, author Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films. Learn how Spielberg's uniquely evocative filmmaking and story-telling have enchanted audiences for more than 40 years.

Civil Rights Leader. Anti-Vietnam War Activist. Rabbi. How did Abraham Joshua Heschel, a Hasidic rabbi from Warsaw, become a progressive Jewish icon? Join us as we explore why Heschel remains a symbol of the fight to make progressive Jewish values relevant in the secular world with Julian Zelizer, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Life of Radical Amazement. Music in this episode: Charles Albert Tindley - We Shall Overcome

How could a man as gifted as Benjamin not see that he was complicit with evil? One of the first Jewish senators, Judah Benjamin (1811–1884) was a confidante to Jefferson Davis and leader of the Confederacy. Join us as we explore the difficult truth that Benjamin, who was considered one of the greatest legal minds in the United States, was a slave owner who deployed his oratorical skills in defense of slavery. Hear from James Traub, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Judah Benjamin: Counselor to the Confederacy. Music in this episode: Franz Shubert - Death and the Maiden, Suite No. 14 in D Minor

One of the most radically original artists of the 20th century, Man Ray (1890–1976), was a founding father of Dada and a key player in French Surrealism. Join us as we learn about Man Ray's Jewish background as one filter to understand his life and art with Arthur Lubow, author of the new biography Man Ray: The Artist and His Shadows.

Son of a tin peddler, art adviser to Gilded Age Millionaires. Join us as we learn more about Bernard Berenson's incredible self-transformation through the first half of the twentieth century - through two world wars and persistent anti-Semitism - with Rachel Cohen, author of Bernard Berenson: A Life in the Picture Trade. Music in this episode: Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, III. Anitra's Dance Frédéric Chopin - Waltz Op. 64 No. 2 in C Sharp Minor

Julius Rosenwald was a humble retail magnate whose visionary ideas about charitable giving transformed the practice of philanthropy in America and beyond. Hasia R. Diner, author of the Jewish Lives biography Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the World, discusses the life and legacy of one of the founders of Sears Roebuck whose philanthropy supported Jewish and Black causes.

How did a little boy from Latvia become one of the greatest and most original painters of the 20th century? Annie Cohen-Solal, author of the Jewish Lives biography Mark Rothko: Toward the Light in the Chapel, offers a fascinating exploration of the life and work of one of America's most enigmatic postwar visual artists. Music in this episode: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Divertimento in E flat, K. 563 - II. Adagio

Hank Greenberg was a baseball legend. Mark Kurlansky, author of the Jewish Lives biography Hank Greenberg: The Hero Who Didn’t Want to Be One, offers a robust exploration of the slugger's Bronx boyhood, his spectacular discipline as an aspiring ballplayer, and the cultural context of virulent anti-Semitism in which his career played out.

David Ben-Gurion is a Zionist icon. Anita Shapira, author of the Jewish Lives biography Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel, explores the inner life of the Zionist leader responsible for the creation of the state of Israel.

Bugsy Siegel was a notorious Jewish gangster who ascended from impoverished beginnings to the glittering Las Vegas strip. Michael Shnayerson, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Bugsy Siegel: The Dark Side of the American Dream, sets out not to absolve Siegel but rather to understand him in all his complexity.

Marcel Proust was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Benjamin Taylor, author of the Jewish Lives biography Proust: The Search, explores how despite momentous historical and personal events, Proust became—against all expectations—one of the greatest writers of any era. Music in this episode: Camille Saint-Saëns - The Swan Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune

Ben Hecht was one of America’s greatest screenwriters. Adina Hoffman, author of the Jewish Lives biography, Ben Hecht: Fighting Words, Moving Pictures, provides a vibrant portrait of one of the most accomplished and quick-witted writers in Hollywood.

Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) was one of Germany’s most important, world-famous, and imaginative writers. George Prochnik, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Heinrich Heine: Writing the Revolution, offers a window into the dynamic life story and strikingly original writing of the virtuoso poet. Music in this episode: Felix Mendelssohn - Lieder ohne Worte, Op.67: No. 2. Allegro leggiero in F sharp minor "Lost Illusions" Felix Mendelssohn - Auf Flugeln des Gesanges