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 SCHNEERSON

Menachem 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 of

American 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 Dreyfus

READ Alfred Dreyfus: The Man at the Center of the Affair

LISTEN 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.