The Jewish Lives Podcast

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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"

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

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.

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.

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.

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.