
Jewish History Nerds
by Unpacked
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Recent episodes
The First Jews in the Americas Revisited
Oct 15, 2026
49m 57s
"Bronx Man Leads Russian Revolution": Trotsky Revisited
Oct 9, 2026
47m 44s
Vote Now for Jewish History Nerds
Oct 6, 2026
2m 50s
Before Jews Danced With the Torah: The Lost Simchat Torah Tradition
Oct 1, 2026
13m 11s
The Jewish History Hiding in Japan and Korea
Sep 10, 2026
54m 06s
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- 🇺🇸United States · JudaismHOME#1056K to 350K
- 🇦🇺Australia · Judaism#62.9K to 18K
- 🇮🇳India · Judaism#151.9K to 12K
- 🇳🇱Netherlands · Judaism#51.4K to 9K
- 🇧🇷Brazil · Judaism#341K to 6.3K
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21K to 130K
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| Date | Episode | Description | Length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/15/26 | The First Jews in the Americas Revisited | We're a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. So we decided to revisit the episode submitted for consideration. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season of episodes. In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. That same year, Jews who didn't convert to Catholicism were expelled from Spain. Those two events are more connected than you think, and together they explain why the first Jewish community in the Americas ended up exactly where it did. Spoiler alert, It wasn’t New Amsterdam. It was Recife, Brazil. Check out some of the other incredible episodes in the Americas Series. What came next after Jews docked in Recife, Brazil? Jews thrived in the Caribbean. Jewish Pirates and the Caribbean The surprising story of Emma Lazarus, the poet behind the Statue of Liberty’s famous words. How One Jewish Poet Changed the Meaning of America: Emma Lazarus (Part 1) The Statue of Liberty Was Never Meant to Welcome Immigrants (Part 2) Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Borderlines with That Semite Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 49m 57s | ||||||
| 10/9/26 | "Bronx Man Leads Russian Revolution": Trotsky Revisited | We're a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We will be back soon with a brand new season. Leon Trotsky was one of the most consequential figures of the 20th century, and one of history’s most reluctant Jews. Born Lev Bronstein in Ukraine, he rejected his Jewish identity his entire life, yet it followed him everywhere. With the anniversary of what's known as the October Revolution coming up, Yael and Schwab are revisiting one of our most popular episodes. It’s so packed with surprising twists and details that it’s worth a second listen even if you caught it the first time around. Email us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. If you enjoyed this episode, check out: The Rosenbergs Were executed but the Evidence Was Thin Revisionist Zionism: Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s Journey (As mentioned, Jabotinsky was also originally from Odessa) This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Borderlines with That Semite Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 47m 44s | ||||||
| 10/6/26 | Vote Now for Jewish History Nerds | Voting has closed. Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category and has the. chance to win a listener's choice award. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment and review wherever you get your podcasts. We will be back soon with a brand new season of episodes. Here's a link to the episode submitted to the Signal Awards for consideration. The First Jews in the Americas: Fleeing the Inquisition. | 2m 50s | ||||||
| 10/1/26 | Before Jews Danced With the Torah: The Lost Simchat Torah Tradition | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. More than 400 years ago, Rivka Tiktiner wrote the earliest known full-length published work by a Jewish woman. She also created a Simchat Torah poem that reveals how women helped prepare Torah scrolls for the holiday in Prague. For Simchat Torah, Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner revisit Rivka Tiktiner's extraordinary learning, the evolution of Jewish customs, and whether it makes sense to call this mysterious historical figure a feminist. Here's a link to the full episode on Rivka Tiktiner: The First Jewish Woman to Publish a Book. Here is a link to our episode on Ray Frank, mentioned in the episode. Check out the the story of another remarkable Jewish woman, Emma Lazarus, the poet behind the Statue of Liberty’s famous words. How One Jewish Poet Changed the Meaning of America: Emma Lazarus (Part 1) The Statue of Liberty Was Never Meant to Welcome Immigrants (Part 2) Here is the episode submitted to the Signal Awards for this year's competition. The First Jews in the Americas, Fleeing the Inquisition. Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Borderlines with That Semite Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 13m 11s | ||||||
| 9/10/26 | The Jewish History Hiding in Japan and Korea | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. How did Jews escaping the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions end up in Japan? Dr. Henry Abramson joins Yael and Schwab for a special bonus episode to uncover the surprising story of Jewish life in the Far East. While Europe persecuted Jews, Japan’s religious landscape offered a strikingly different environment, shaped by Shinto, Buddhism, trade, migration, and a remarkably tolerant reception for some Jewish refugees seeking safety abroad. Plus, they explore South Korean's fascination with the Talmud. Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. To learn more about Dr. Henry Abramson's trip to Japan and South Korea, check out his lectures on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TYJtzL_4y4&t=3s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpCjuQMk4H0 Birth of Beate Sirota Gordon, who wrote equality into the postwar Japanese constitution. Talmud as a New Intellectual Project by Sarit Kattan Gribetz The Talmud in Korea: A Study in the Reception of Rabbinic Literature by Sarit Kattan Gribetz, Claire Kim This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Borderlines with That Semite Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 54m 06s | ||||||
| 9/3/26 | How America Changed the Jewish People | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. Historian Dr. Henry Abramson usually works behind the scenes, but this week he joins Yael and Schwab to explore what makes the American Jewish experience unique. Together, they reflect on 250 years of Jewish life in America, from Emma Lazarus and immigration to Superman, antisemitism, and Jewish creativity. They also explore stories still waiting to be told, including the remarkable Jewish adventurers who journeyed to Antarctica throughout history. Dr. Henry Abramson sat down with Yael and Schwab for this episode The Jewish History Hiding in Japan and Korea. Here's the first episode in the America's Series The First Jews in the Americas: Fleeing the Inquisition, the episode submitted to the Signal Awards for consideration. Check out Dr. Henry Abramson's lectures on Jewish history here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HenryAbramsonPhD Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Borderlines with That Semite Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 28m 26s | ||||||
| 8/27/26 | Why Did Sammy Davis Jr. Become Jewish? | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season of episodes. Sammy Davis Jr. was already one of America's biggest entertainers when he made a choice few expected. He converted to Judaism. His journey began with a car crash that nearly killed him and grew through years of study, faith, and a powerful connection between Black and Jewish history. From the Rat Pack and the civil rights movement to JFK, Nixon, and Israel, Schwab and Yael explore Sammy Davis Jr.'s story in part 2 of a series of Jews in Hollywood, and what it reveals about the search for belonging in America. Check out Part 1 in this series, Al Jolson and the Jazz Singer: The Jewish Story Behind Hollywood's First Talkie Go back and watch or listen to the first episode in the America's Series The First Jews in the Americas: Fleeing the Inquisition, It's the episode submitted to the Signal Awards for consideration. Sammy Davis Jr. recorded his hit song I've Gotta Be Me in 1968 for Reprise Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXYndNL4Mu8 Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Borderlines with That Semite Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 52m 56s | ||||||
| 8/20/26 | How Jews Built Hollywood: Al Jolson and The Jazz Singer | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. Al Jolson was the biggest star in America, a Jewish immigrant who left the synagogue behind to conquer Broadway and Hollywood. Jonathan Schwab guides Yael Steiner through his journey from cantor's son to star of The Jazz Singer, the 1927 film that made synchronized sound a sensation and told a deeply Jewish story to all of America. Trading film history along the way, Yael and Schwab unpack assimilation, blackface, race, and how Jewish immigrants didn't just work in Hollywood, they built it. Don't miss Part 2 in this series: Why Did Sammy Davis Become Jewish? Check out: How a Plate of Shrimp Changed American Judaism Here's the first episode in the America's Series The First Jews in the Americas: Fleeing the Inquisition, the episode submitted to the Signal Awards for consideration. Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. Credit: The Jazz Singer Singer Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Release date October 6, 1927. Clip from The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson: https://youtu.be/mTufuWn3jv8?si=PE35erbhfZsqnqAH Why Did Negroes Love Al Jolson and The Jazz Singer?: Melodrama, Blackface and Cosmopolitan Theatrical Culture by Charles Musser Blackface, White NoiseJewish Immigrants in the Hollywood Melting Pot by Michael Rogin This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Borderlines with That Semite Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 57m 17s | ||||||
| 8/13/26 | She Spoke from the Pulpit Before Women Could. Revisiting Ray Fank | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. As we look back at Jews in the Americas for the 250th, we’re revisiting the story of Ray Frank. Long before women were ordained as rabbis, Ray Frank was already doing something almost unthinkable: speaking from the Jewish pulpit, drawing huge crowds, and changing the future of American Jewish life. In this episode of Jewish History Nerds, Schwab and Yael explore the remarkable story of the woman known as the “Girl Rabbi of the Golden West” and the complicated legacy she left behind. If you enjoy the story of Ray Frank, check out: How a Plate of Shrimp Changed American Judaism, the story of the Reform Movement and the Trayfe Banquet. Hannah Szenes: Defiance Amidst Darkness, another story of one of the most remarkable Jewish women in history. Write to us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. Here is a photo of Ray Frank from 1890: https://jwa.org/media/ray-frank Sources and summary: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v2WzLQvSagiMdKQMP_mqNoz4HqCDHWktsVD80sDPRQE/edit?usp=sharing Watch Yael and Schwab on YouTube. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on youtube. ------------------ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Borderlines with That Semite Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 48m 02s | ||||||
| 8/6/26 | How a Plate of Shrimp Changed American Judaism | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. The infamous 1883 Trefa Banquet was meant to celebrate America's first ordained rabbis. But a menu of shrimp, clams, oysters, and frog's legs in cream ignited a firestorm that changed American Judaism. Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab tell the story behind one of the most controversial meals in Jewish history. Check She Spoke from the Pulpit Before Women Could, the remarkable story of Ray Frank. Only in America! Here's our 2-part series on Jews and the American experiment. Part 1: The Forgotten Jews of the American Revolution Part 2: The Jewish Fight Hidden Inside the Constitution Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 54m 39s | ||||||
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| 7/30/26 | Anarchism, Feminism...and Judaism? Revisiting Emma Goldman | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season of episodes. As we continue our series exploring Jews in American history, we're revisiting our episode on Emma Goldman, the revolutionary Jewish anarchist who helped shape feminism, free speech, and the American left. Schwab and Yael dive into the life and legacy of Emma Goldman, and ask what role did Red Emma's Judaism play in shaping her worldview? Check She Spoke from the Pulpit Before Women Could, the remarkable story of Ray Frank. Only in America! Here's our 2-part series on Jews and the American experiment. Part 1: The Forgotten Jews of the American Revolution Part 2: The Jewish Fight Hidden Inside the Constitution Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 40m 29s | ||||||
| 7/23/26 | The Statue of Liberty Was Never Meant to Welcome Immigrants | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. In part 2, Schwab and Yael explore how Emma Lazarus transformed the Statue of Liberty into a symbol of immigration. As Russian Jewish refugees arrived in New York, the privileged Sephardic poet left literary salons for Ward’s Island, fought antisemitism, advocated for Jewish self determination, and wrote “The New Colossus.” They explore her famous words added to the statue only years after her death, reshaping Lady Liberty’s meaning and America’s national identity. Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. Listen to Part 1 in our series on Emma Lazarus. How one Jewish poet changed the meaning of America: Emma Lazarus Emma Lazarus descended from some of America’s oldest Sephardic Jewish families, including the Nathans and the Seixas family. Check out these episodes. Why the first Jews in Colonial American Nearly Vanished The Forgotten Jews of the American Revolution (Part 1) The Jewish Fight Hidden Inside the Constitution (Part 2) The New Colossus By Emma Lazarus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,With conquering limbs astride from land to land;Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall standA mighty woman with a torch, whose flameIs the imprisoned lightning, and her nameMother of Exiles. From her beacon-handGlows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes commandThe air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries sheWith silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Poems by Emma Lazarus Emma Lazarus by Esther Schor This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 35m 15s | ||||||
| 7/16/26 | How One Jewish Poet Changed the Meaning of America | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. Emma Lazarus gave the Statue of Liberty its most famous words, but her own life defied the immigrant story she helped define. Born into a wealthy, deeply rooted Jewish American family, she became a literary prodigy, challenged Ralph Waldo Emerson, confronted antisemitism, and gradually embraced Jewish advocacy. Discover the complicated woman behind “Give me your tired, your poor” and the ideals America still debates today. Schwab and Yael explore the story of Emma Lazarus in the first of two episodes. Poems by Emma Lazarus Emma Lazarus by Esther Schor If you like this show, please rate and write a review wherever you get your podcasts. And be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. And if you missed the first episode in the series, please check out The First Jews in the Americas: Fleeing the Inquisition. Emma Lazarus' family was part of the first wave of Jews to the Americas. Be in touch. Email us at [email protected]. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram. ----------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 41m 50s | ||||||
| 7/9/26 | The First Amendment and the Birth of Jewish Equality | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. In Part 2, Yael guides Schwab through what happened after the Revolution, as America's 2,500 Jews became citizens of a brand new nation. America promised religious freedom, but for Jews in the early republic, that promise had to be tested in real life. From George Washington’s letter to Newport’s Jewish community to test oaths, courtrooms, and Jewish diplomats abroad, this story follows how Jews became citizens in a new nation still figuring out what equality actually meant. Note: All states ratified the Constitution in 1790, the amendments were ratified in 1791. Don't miss part 1: The Forgotten Jews of the American Revolution For more on the Jews of Colonial America, check out: Why the first Jews in Colonial American Nearly Vanished Here is the episode submitted to the Signal Awards for this year's competition. The First Jews in the Americas, Fleeing the Inquisition. Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. Sources: A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom by Adam Jortner Summary and Additional Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XMLFbbR0J0wOFTMqIZnPPF-XHQ_DM6XCB66vvO-2JUI/edit?usp=sharing This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 44m 00s | ||||||
| 7/7/26 | The Forgotten Jews of the American Revolution | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season of episodes. In Part 1, Yael and Schwab explore the surprising role Jews played in America’s Revolutionary War. From Chaim Solomon’s critical financial support to Gershom Mendes Seixas bringing his congregation into exile in Philadelphia, their stories reveal how Jewish Americans helped shape the founding era and tested the new nation’s promise of religious freedom from the very beginning. Don't miss part 2: The Forgotten Jews of the American Revolution For more on the Jews of Colonial America, check out: Why the first Jews in Colonial American Nearly Vanished Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. Summary and Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15pU3SbYQ8gHrUNBropQ54zj2GUwvLBkH9OGr1TGugbY/edit?usp=sharing This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. --------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 39m 46s | ||||||
| 7/2/26 | Why The First Jews in Colonial America Nearly Vanished | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. Before New York became the center of American Jewish life, a small group of Jewish refugees arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654. Fleeing Recife after the Portuguese retook Brazil, they faced debt, discrimination, and Peter Stuyvesant’s hostility, yet helped build the foundations of Jewish life in colonial America. In this episode of Jewish History Nerds, Yael and Schwab explore the Jewish story of mutual aid and cemeteries to synagogues, commerce, and the fight for religious freedom in Colonial America. For more on the Jews of Colonial America, check out Part 1: The Forgotten Jews of the American Revolution Part 2: The Jewish Fight Hidden Inside the Constitution Check out the episode submitted to the Signal Awards. It features the first Jews of New Amsterdam: The First Jews in the Americas, Fleeing the Inquisition. If you like this show, please rate and write a review wherever you get your podcasts. And be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. Summary and Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mX-mTHjm4iKuF1LWaqJeTHJ0CMh4O-OVo4Jq0-zsvXM/edit?usp=sharing This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 49m 35s | ||||||
| 6/25/26 | Jewish Pirates and the Caribbean | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. Were there really Jewish pirates in the Caribbean? The answer is far more complicated (and fascinating) than the legend. From Samuel Pallache, the so-called Pirate Rabbi, to the thriving Jewish communities of Curaçao and beyond. Schwab walks Yael through the story of Jews navigating empire, trade, exile, and opportunity in the Americas. This is the second episode in a mini series on Jews in the Americas. Here's a link to the first episode in case you missed it: The First Jews in the Americas: Fleeing the Inquisition Check out: Why the First Jews in Colonial American Nearly Vanished Here's our 2-part series on Jews and the American experiment. Part 1: The Forgotten Jews of the American Revolution Part 2: The Jewish Fight Hidden Inside the Constitution Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. Summary and Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LnWiM6uDCHMSpQpW8TKtntiqyNmeFO00whCz6kJDRH4/edit?usp=sharing This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 44m 41s | ||||||
| 6/18/26 | The First Jews in the Americas: Fleeing the Inquisition to Brazil | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. Fleeing the Inquisition, Crypto-Jews who had been forced to hide their faith for generations found refuge in Recife, Brazil — and for the first time, rebuilt Jewish life in the open. When Recife fell, twenty-three Jewish refugees set sail for New Amsterdam, launching the birth of Jewish America. Schwab and Yael tell the remarkable story in the first episode of a new series on Jews in the Americas. This the episode submitted to the Signal Awards for Consideration. Don't miss part 2: Jewish Pirates And the Caribbean If you're interested in this series, check out Why the First Jews in Colonial American Nearly Vanished. Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. Summary and Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ETNBOm2XE9LHs4HqGflJVmEHVKopKe8tY3wxmdGl4OY/edit?usp=sharing Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on youtube and Spotify. --------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 49m 40s | ||||||
| 6/16/26 | What If Rabin Wasn't a Peacenik? | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. Yitzhak Rabin remains one of the most consequential and contested figures in Israeli history. In this special crossover between Jewish History Nerds and Unpacking Israeli History, Noam Weissman, Yael Steiner, and Jonathan Schwab explore Rabin's journey from Palmach commander and IDF chief of staff to prime minister, peacemaker, and assassination victim. Discover the complexities behind the legend, the myths surrounding Oslo, and why Rabin's legacy continues to shape Israel and the Jewish world decades later. Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. This episode is sponsored by Jewish Lives, a prize-winning series of biographies from Yale University Press. To learn more about Yitzhak Rabin's life, identity, and legacy, check out Yitzhak Rabin, Soldier Leader Statesman by Itamar Rabinovich at www.jewishlives.org. Use promo code RabinPod for 30 % off. That's R-A-B-I-N-P-O-D. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. You can listen to Unpacking Israeli History here: https://unpacked.media/podcast-series/unpacking-israeli-history/ ------------------ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 1h 03m 00s | ||||||
| 6/11/26 | Anne Frank and the Story We Tell Ourselves | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. Anne Frank is one of the most famous Jewish voices in history, but the story behind her diary is far more complex than many realize. June 12 marks Anne Frank’s birthday, and it was on her 13th birthday that she received the diary that would later become one of the most widely read books in the world. Explore Anne Frank’s life, her family’s journey from Germany to Amsterdam, the hidden history of the Secret Annex, how her diary was edited and published, and why her legacy remains both powerful and controversial. In this episode of Jewish History Nerds, Schwab and Yael provide a deeper look at memory, the Holocaust, survival, and the enduring impact of one extraordinary young writer. Write to us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. This episode is sponsored by Jewish Lives, a prize-winning series of biographies from Yale University Press. To learn more about Anne Frank’s life, identity, and legacy, you should check out The Many Lives of Anne Frank by Ruth Franklin at www.jewishlives.org and you can use the special promo code FRANKPOD to get 30% off. Watch Jonathan Schwab interview his grandfather, Holocaust survivor, Ernest Rubinstein, born in Nitra in Slovakia, recorded on Yom Hashoah at Yeshiva University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq2V0C90xMc&feature=youtu.be Here are some of sources discussed in the episode. The Diary of Anne Frank: The Revised Critical Edition by Anne Frank The Book of Tales from the Secret Annex by Anne Frank (her short stories written in hiding) People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander A Small Light This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on youtube. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. ------------------ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 1h 05m 14s | ||||||
| 6/9/26 | Was King David a Hero or a Villain? | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. Most people know King David as the shepherd who defeated Goliath. But that story is only the beginning. In this special bonus episode of Jewish History Nerds, Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab explore David's rise from shepherd to king, his relationships with Jonathan and Bathsheba, his triumphs and failures, and the complicated legacy that made him one of the most enduring figures in Jewish history. Was David a hero, a sinner, or something far more human? This episode is sponsored by Jewish Lives, a prize-winning series of biographies from Yale University Press. To learn more about King David's life, identity, and legacy, you should check out David: The Divided Heart by David Wolpe at www.jewishlives.org and you can use the special promo code DAVIDPOD to get 30% off. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen was released in 1984 on the album Various Positions, copyrighted and published through Sony Music / ATV Music Publishing and Stranger Music. Note: Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah places Bathsheba on the roof. But in the Book of Samuel, King David is on the roof when he spots her bathing below. And write to us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. Check out Jewish History Nerds now on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgPaAFlsq_5O5LUa1VdshRsUonWjKk1ZK This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and Unpacked on youtube. ------------------ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 53m 17s | ||||||
| 6/4/26 | New Episodes, Coming Next Week | Jewish History Nerds is a Signal Awards finalist. Vote for us in Listener's Choice by Thu 15 Oct: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/individual-episodes/genre/history Yael and Schwab are back — and this season, they're diving into the history of Jews in the Americas, just in time for the US's 250th birthday. But first: special episodes sponsored by The Jewish Lives Series. Catch up on past episodes, subscribe wherever you listen. If you like this show, please rate and write a review. Write to us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. | 2m 54s | ||||||
| 4/14/26 | Voices of the Warsaw Ghetto: A Yom HaShoah Re-Release | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. Yael and Schwab revisit the remarkable story of the Oneg Shabbos archive from the Warsaw Ghetto in honor of Yom HaShoah. The tins held the second of three caches of the Oneg Shabbos archives: a collection by ordinary people turned archivists who risked their lives to preserve the darkest moment of Jewish history. Among the photographs and diary entries, concert tickets and poems, lay the collected sermons of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, also known as the Piaseczno Rebbe. In this episode, Yael and Schwab ask, what can we learn from Rabbi Shapira's works? And what debt do we owe to the brave Oneg Shabbos archivists? Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. For more on the Aish Kodesh and this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UPT1ADfGLblgPOaViGeyquYRE6l8V0Rvutxlk3CTgE8/edit?usp=sharing Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on youtube. ------------------- Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. ------------------ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 37m 51s | ||||||
| 3/31/26 | The Haggadah: The Book of the People of the Book | Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season. The Passover Haggadah is one of the most widely used Jewish texts, yet it isn’t a straightforward story. Built from fragments of debates, rituals, and traditions, it evolved over centuries after the destruction of the Temple. From ancient storytelling to medieval manuscripts to modern editions, the Seder became a living, changing experience. Yael and Schwab explore how a commandment to tell a story turned into one of Judaism’s most enduring rituals. And how did 60 million free copies end up tucked inside a can of Maxwell House coffee? Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. Pictures of the Sarajevo Haggadah: https://anumuseum.org.il/blog/sarajevo-haggadah/ The Maxwell House Haggadah: https://www.josephjacobsadvertising.com/maxwell-house-haggadah Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. Watch Yael and Schwab on YouTube and check out the video of this episode. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on youtube. ------------------ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 40m 40s | ||||||
| 3/26/26 | Was Albert Einstein a Zionist? | Jewish History Nerds is a Signal Awards finalist. Vote for us in Listener's Choice by Thu 15 Oct: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/individual-episodes/genre/history In part 2, Schwab and Yael explore Einstein's fight with Nazism, his views on Zionism, and his complicated connection to Israel reveal a side of Einstein most people never hear about. Einstein wasn’t just a scientific genius. As Nazi power rose, he became a target, a refugee, and a more outspoken Jewish figure. Listen to Part 1: https://unpacked.media/albert-einstein-rebel-reject-genius-part-1/ Watch Part 1 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Qr4zrGhf0cE?si=QiJysAvyXC09NCBJ Be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. Sources on Einstein and Zionism: Einstein, His Space and Times, by Steven Gimbel Einstein on Israel and Zionism by Fred Jerome Einstein Before Israel: Zionist Icon or Iconoclast? By Ze’ev Rosenkranz Link to learn more about the history of Einstein and Yeshiva University Here is a summary: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fjLz8yoDfeIwoJ3Ce09Bxq2jJlwBx-5aXjItaCJtPdc/edit?usp=sharing Watch Yael and Schwab on YouTube and check out the video of this episode. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on youtube. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. ------------------ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews | 50m 02s | ||||||
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Chart history for Jewish History Nerds
Peaked at #4 in PE, top 10 in 5 of 31 tracked markets, currently #4 in PE.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE | — | #4 | #4 | — |
| Netherlands | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| Australia | — | #6 | #6 | — |
| United States | — | #10 | #10 | — |
| RO | — | #10 | #10 | — |
| PL | — | #11 | #11 | — |
| KE | — | #11 | #11 | — |
| AT | — | #13 | #13 | — |
| Denmark | — | #13 | #13 | — |
| Finland | — | #15 | #15 | — |
| India | — | #15 | #15 | — |
| TW | — | #17 | #17 | — |
| New Zealand | — | #20 | #20 | — |
| Sweden | — | #23 | #23 | — |
| Spain | — | #26 | #26 | — |
| Ireland | — | #27 | #27 | — |
| Brazil | — | #34 | #34 | — |
| IL | — | #36 | #36 | — |
| AE | — | #37 | #37 | — |
| Germany | — | #42 | #42 | — |
Chart Positions
31 placements across 30 markets.
Chart Positions
31 placements across 30 markets.