Jewish Lives
The Jewish Lives Podcast explores the lives of remarkable Jewish figures from antiquity to the present. Hosted by Alessandra Wollner, each episode features a conversation with an acclaimed Jewish Lives author, illuminating the life and enduring legacy of the subject of their biography. Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of biography published by Yale University Press and the Leon D. Black Foundation. Join us as we explore the Jewish experience together.
Edmond de Rothschild (1845–1934) was born into one of the wealthiest families in history, but his legacy lies beyond aristocratic privilege. Join us with award-winning historian James McAuley, author of the new biography Edmond de Rothschild: Finding Zion, as we explore the story of a man who defied his elite world to support a radical cause: the creation of a Jewish homeland.
Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021) was a towering figure in American musical theater. Join us with Daniel Okrent, author of the new biography Stephen Sondheim: Art Isn’t Easy, as we explore the ways Sondheim’s music and lyrics express the inner life of one of the twentieth century’s most beloved theatrical composers.
Rabbi, writer, teacher, and thinker, Mordecai M. Kaplan (1881–1983) was one of the leading Jewish personalities of twentieth-century America. Founder of the Reconstructionist movement, he was a maverick who reshaped religious faith and practice, generating controversy at every turn. Join us with Jenna Weissman Joselit, author of the new biography Mordecai M. Kaplan: Restless Soul, as we explore the legacy of this influential and iconoclastic thinker and shed new light on the meaning of American Judaism, identity, the limits of belonging, and the role of faith in modern society.
Walter Benjamin (1892–1940) is widely considered one of the most creative cultural critics of the twentieth century. Join us with Harvard University scholar Peter E. Gordon, author of the new biography Walter Benjamin: The Pearl Diver, as we look beyond the image of Benjamin as a tragic figure of German-Jewish history and explore his complex personality of unique and multifaceted gifts.
According to the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951), philosophy is a “battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language.” This audacious idea changed the way many of its practitioners saw their subject. Join us with Anthony Gottlieb, author of the new biography Ludwig Wittgenstein: Philosophy in the Age of Airplanes, as we explore the life of one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century. Music in this episode: Symphony No.3 Poco Allegretto by Johannes Brahms
Philip Roth (1933–2018) is one of the most celebrated American writers of the 20th century. Join us with Steven J. Zipperstein, author of the groundbreaking biography Philip Roth: Stung by Life, as we explore Roth’s remarkable life and the astonishing range of his self-reflective writings.
Carole King’s extraordinary career has defined American popular music for more than half a century. Join us with journalist Jane Eisner, author of the new biography Carole King: She Made the Earth Move, as we explore King’s lasting contributions to the great American songbook.
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 here Join 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 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.
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.