History for the Curious - The Jewish History Podcast

Post-1391 there was a period of uncertainty but many Conversos still found it possible to maintain a level of observance - sometimes even openly. It appeared that a Modus Vivendi could be achieved. But in 1477 the Church persuaded Ferdinand & Isabella to institute the Inquisition; aimed not at Jews but at the 'heretical' New Christians. 
 
The 1480s became a decade of hiding, yet scholarship was increased and Spain became a centre of Jewish printing until the axe fell for the remaining Jews in 1492, and 4 months of despair turned into a mass exodus.
 
Their decision to abandon everything and leave for the unknown - at great cost - was the largest display of faith in the past 1,000 years of Jewish history.
 

Timestamps:

- [0:00] Topic setup: Spain Part 2 — continuation on conversos/Jewish life pre- and post-1480.  

- [0:44] Intro & announcements: new website historyforthecurious.com and listener emails (Menorah/Vatican).  

- [6:07] Recap: 1391 massacres and Tortosa debates intensified pressure on Jews/conversos.  

- [12:15] Inquisition origins (1480): state-backed institution, torture, informers, auto-da-fé spectacles.  

- [20:07] Converso impact: shift from preserving family cohesion to living secret “cover stories.”  

- [24:28] La Guardia case (1491): blood libel, forced confessions, executions used to build case for expulsion.  

- [30:57] 1492: Fall of Granada and the Alhambra Decree — four months to leave, severe loss of property.  

- [52:18] Exodus hardships: banditry, ship abuses, disease, starvation; some returned/converted.  

- [56:07] Demographics: estimated ~150,000 left; major resettlement in Ottoman lands and North Africa.  

- [40:21 / 45:53] Culture & print: strong late-medieval Spanish rabbinic scholarship and early Hebrew printing; many books later burned but printing continued in exile.  

- [1:00:17] Legacy: Sephardic communities revitalized elsewhere; theme — persecution paired with spiritual resilience.

The date of the Expulsion in 1492 is infamous. Less known or understood is the historical context that led there. How did a 1,000-year-old community lose its status and power?

The answer lies in the ferocious and sudden impact of 1391. With 100,000 conversions to Christianity, Jewish kehillos were left reeling and families were torn apart. Rebuilding became virtually impossible, and a new way of life was created for the Jews in Spain.

Jews were still part of society, but rising Church pressure forced many into hiding. And the urgent question arose of how to deal with conversos amid instability, the Tortosa disputation and hostility from ‘Old Christians’.

But the writing was still not on the wall.

 

Timestamps:

- 0:00 — Converts’ next-generation issue introduced  

- 0:42 — Podcast intro and host  

- 1:24 — Email about Radzivin/Vatican anecdote  

- 2:24 — Recap: Jewish history in Spain; Golden Age → decline  

- 4:20 — 14th-century status: wealth, roles, rising anti-Jewish politics  

- 7:17 — Civil war in Castile; Henry II’s measures; Ferran Martínez’s preaching  

- 12:45 — Martinez’s actions, weak government, lead-up to 1391  

- 16:20 — June 1391 pogroms begin (Seville)  

- 19:33 — Scale of conversions; conversos’ motives and consequences  

- 23:00 — Rav Crescas’s account and leadership role  

- 27:32 — Rebuilding efforts and royal interactions  

- 32:21 — Conversos’ social ascent; community tensions  

- 37:22 — Tortosa disputation lead-up; Vincent Ferrer’s influence  

- 43:07 — Tortosa debate outcomes and further conversions  

- 50:10 — Fragile recovery; papal/royal reversals  

- 57:32 — 1449 Toledo unrest; purity-of-blood measures begin  

- 1:02:16 — Long-term social exclusion of conversos; legacy and summary

We know from both Jewish and secular sources, that 2,500 years ago the Babylonians led by Nevuchadnezar, besieged Jerusalem on this day. Two years later the Temple was destroyed. But what events led to this moment? And why was the path of the prophet Yirmiyahu's life so dangerous?  

As importantly how do we, in our days, feel a connection to the message and the narrative?

10th Teves is also designated as a day of mourning, for all those who do not know the date or the fate of their family's passing during the Holocaust, and this episode will feature the unusual story of a young child in the partisans. 

 

Timestamps
0:00:00 Opening and podcast intro; dedication to Nehemiah and host’s father

0:01:06 Overview of episode topics, Hanukkah feedback, and menorah discussion

0:03:18 Context of Asara B’Tevet, Holocaust link, and anecdote about Kaddish in old-age home

0:04:20–0:10:04 Historical exposition: Jeremiah’s prophecies, political pressures, scroll burned, imprisonments

0:10:04–0:19:37 Continued account: attempted murder, rescues, false prophets (Hananiah, Uriah) and descent to siege

0:19:37–0:21:25 Summary of decline leading to exile and significance of the 10th of Tevet fast

0:21:25–0:28:46 Modern parallels: genteel/diplomatic antisemitism, political short-termism, and examples

0:28:46–0:34:31 Reflection on providence, Hashem’s hand, emunah vs. bitachon, and cultivating trust

0:34:31–0:40:15 Practical guidance: quiet contemplation, Hanukkah lessons, and spiritual responses

0:40:15–0:46:37 Holocaust case study begins: Matei Jakel’s early life, attack, deportation, and escape from train

0:46:37–0:52:16 Partisan life, postwar displacement, meeting youth emissaries, aliyah to Israel, rebuilding life

0:52:16 Closing reflections, key takeaways on resilience and faith, listener email ([email protected]) and two-week break

The Menorah was the most adopted symbol in the Jewish world. But where is the original?
 
We know of a Menorah in Rome in 70CE. The Talmud tells us it was examined. But what follows is centuries of silence 
 
What does History tell us? What do eyewitnesses report? What has the Church said? And what role does the 2nd Temple Menorah have, in the redemption of the Jewish People?
 
This episode is the outcome of the most up-to-date research and analysis and includes a recently recorded conversation with a Rabbi who entered the Vatican cellars 55 years ago accompanied by Pope John Paul II.
 

Timestamps:

- 0:00 — Opening:   

- 0:38 — Podcast intro (host & Rabbi Hersh).  

- 1:14 — Memorial/announcements.  

- 2:17 — Episode topic introduced: “Where is the menorah?”  

- 4:00 — Menorah as Jewish symbol; historical significance.  

- 8:00 — Arch of Titus / Josephus / early Roman display.  

- 10:00 — Fire in 191 CE and disappearance possibilities.  

- 15:00 — Jews in ancient Rome / social context.  

- 20:00 — Constantine/Byzantine period and relocation theories (312 CE).  

- 25:00 — Christian adoption/use of menorah imagery.  

- 30:00 — Vatican holdings, openness, and inventories.  

- 34:30 — Eyewitness claims overview; Rabbi Stencil letter exchange.  

- 40:00 — Oscar Goldman 1962 account (electrician shown items).  

- 41:30 — 1970s rabbi’s underground Vatican visit description.  

- 52:40 — Testimony analysis: credibility issues and scholarly skepticism.  

- 1:03:47 — Theological point: first‑ vs. second‑Temple vessels and redemption.  

- 1:10:00 — Halachic notes on making/holding menorah replicas; closing.

Chanukah is central to our Jewish Calendar and way of life, but there are many unanswered questions: Why celebrate defeat? What was the real role of Kohanim during the Second Temple? Why was this Yomtov chosen to reflect the ultimate ideal ?

Tracing the story from Alexander the Great and Shimon HaTzaddik through the corruption of the Second Temple and the rise of Hellenism, the podcast redefines the central idea of Chanukah - the only festival established by the Sages post-prophecy

Connecting the ancient clash of civilizations to the battles which echo down through Russia, America and Eretz Yisrael; It defines Who is a Jew.

 

Timestamps

[0:00:00] Introduction to Greek Exile and Historical Context

[0:01:07] Podcast Dedication and Welcome

[0:02:05] Setting Up the Hanukkah Discussion

[0:04:13] Questioning the Purpose of Hanukkah Celebration

[0:14:44] Historical Prequel: Alexander the Great and Shimon HaTzadik

[0:22:49] Corruption of the Priesthood

[0:26:38] Empire Dynamics After Alexander

[0:31:05] Jewish Attraction to Greek Culture

[0:40:41] The Spiritual Victory of Hanukkah

[0:49:26] Comparing Purim and Hanukkah

[0:50:44] Conclusion and Podcast Wrap-up