Wandering Jews: A Travel Podcast That Entertains & Informs

Jews often call a cemetery Beit HaChayim—“The House of Life”—and nowhere does that name resonate more than in Warsaw’s Gensha Street Cemetery. Along its long avenues, where trees and wild growth weave through endless rows of stones, Gensha stands as a powerful testament to the vitality and diversity of Warsaw’s Jewish world before the Shoah. Sprawling and overflowing with stories, the site holds hundreds of thousands of lives—scholars, activists, poets, merchants, and ordinary citizens who shaped a once‑thriving community. Faced with its vastness, we chose in this episode to focus on just a few individuals interred here, each offering a glimpse into that lost, vibrant world. And we leave you with a question: In this immense “Land of the Living,” whom would you choose to remember? Links for Additional ReadingPoland: Archaeologists (Working Under Rabbinical Supervision) Make Extraordinary Discoveries At Warsaw’s Vast Okopowa St. Jewish CemeteryJewish Heritage Europe (14 October 2020)https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2020/10/14/poland-archaeologist-okopowa/ Okopowa Street Jewish cemetery in Warsaw, PolandThe Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art and Material Culture, Hebrew Universtiy – Jerusalemhttps://cja.huji.ac.il/browser.php?mode=set&id=13787 Warsaw’s Jewish Cemeteries on Folkways (9 May 2024)https://folkways.today/warsaw-jewish-cemeteries/Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At Israel’s southern tip, where desert horizons stretch without end, Eilat and the Arava tell a story shaped by distance, daring, and the frontier spirit. Here, improvised flags, pioneering kibbutzim, and an ancient date seed reborn all reveal how life at the edge becomes a laboratory for reinvention. Join us as we explore a landscape where imagination meets isolation—and where the desert becomes not an end, but hopefully also a beginning. Links for Additional Reading “Lost in Eilat” at Segula, the Jewish History Magazinehttps://segulamag.com/en/lost-in-eilat/ “My City – Eilat” at the Digital Archive of UCLAhttps://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/z1k716vn The Arava Insitute for Environmental Studieshttps://arava.org/Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journey with us to Ketef Hinnom, where a restless teenager, a collapsed tomb, and two tiny silver scrolls opened a window onto the oldest biblical text ever found—and a Jerusalem far more complex than skeptics imagined. This archaeological thriller reveals how memory, mystery, and the human need for blessing converge in a burial cave that bridges ancient faith and modern identity. Join as we uncover a story that proves some words - and some blessings - can survive. Links for Additional Readings: “In Memoriam: Prof. Gabriel Barkay, Dean of Biblical Archaeology (1944–2026)” – Armstrong Institutehttps://armstronginstitute.org/1410-in-memoriam-prof-gabriel-barkay-dean-of-biblical-archaeology-1944-ndash-2026 “The Ketef Hinnom Scrolls: Earliest Biblical Text Ever Discovered!” – Armstrong Institutehttps://armstronginstitute.org/1123-the-ketef-hinnom-scrolls-earliest-biblical-text-ever-discovered “Priestly Benediction on Amulets,” Israel Museumhttps://www.imj.org.il/en/collections/198069-0Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our journey begins in Madrid’s Plaza de España, standing before the weathered bronze figures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza as Miguel de Cervantes watches from above. We explore why this "Impossible Dreamer" became a profound symbol for the Jewish experience, from the 19th-century Yiddish schlemiel to the "Prince of Dreams" in modern Israeli pop. From the shadow of the Expulsion to the stages of Broadway, we trace the knight’s journey and the "messianic yearning" that makes this 400-year-old character feel like a member of the Tribe. Links for Additional ReadingThe Secret Jewish History of Don Quixote by Benjamin Ivry (The Forward, 17 February 2014)Why You Should Read ‘Don Quixote’? by Ilan Stevens (Ted Ed, 18 October 2018)Don Quixote: An Honorary Wandering Jews – A Spotify PlaylistFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greek music fills Israeli weddings, cafés, and stadiums — but why? Israel doesn’t just listen to Greek music; it needs it. Listen to ‘Wandering Jews’ as we uncover how a “foreign” sound became a cultural safe harbor, revealing the Israeli search for identity and belonging. Through stories of exile, trauma, and survival, Greek music became a borrowed and reimagined sound of a Mediterranean home. What we listen to, it turns out, tells us who we want to be. Links for Additional Readings:Rosa Eskenazi, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish WomenYehuda Poliker – My EyesThe Mediterranean Israeli Identity, A.B. Yehoshua, the European Institute of the MediterraneanFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*Ramle* is an ancient crossroads, shaped by numerous empires along the historic ‘Way of the Sea.’ Its history and human mosaic highlights a modern reality: it is one of Israel’s most heterogenous cities, where a diverse *Jewish majority* lives alongside a significant *Arab minority*. The city's vibrant tension yesterday and today is a microcosm of the larger challenges and potential of Jewish-Arab coexistence within Israel.Wandering Jews will visit Ramle and probe lessons in how the past's multicultural mosaic continues to inform the present's complex politics and aspirations for a shared tomorrow. Links for Additional Reading:Migration Patterns in Mixed Cities in Israel: Socioeconomic Perspectives, The Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in IsraelThe Municipality of Ramla – Financial Status and Human Capital Management, The Israel State ComptrollerArchaeology in Israel: Ramla, Jewish Virtual LibraryFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the misty glens of Scotland to the hidden speakeasies of Prohibition America, Jews have shaped the story of whiskey in surprising ways. In this episode, we trace the historic roots of Jewish involvement in the global whiskey trade, uncover the families and fortunes behind the barrels, and ask a question that blends law and spirit: what blessing do you say over a glass of whiskey? And what famous fictional whiskey Jew was created by James Joyce?Lior Hochberg - a J2 tour educator and travel expert - will share her work as a volunteer and champion of a vocational school for women exiting prostitution and abuse. Her Academy is about empowerment and building expertise through vocational and life training. Listen to Lior and learn more about Her Academy at - https://www.heracademy.org.il/ Links for Additional Reading: The Forgotten History of Jews in the Alcohol Industry, Joel Haber, My Jewish LearningThe History Of Jewish Bootleggers, Leah Siesfeld And Heidi Siesfeld, St Louis LightFrom Bourbon to Bagels in Kentucky, Table StudiosFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Wandering Jews, we journey to Budapest’s Dohany Synagogue, a stunning landmark that became the architectural blueprint for grand synagogues across Europe and the United States. Built in the Neo-Moorish style, the Dohany reflects a dual vision: a nostalgic nod to the Jewish Golden Age in medieval Spain and a bold architectural statement of Jewish modernity, pride, and belonging in 19th-century Europe. When is a building more than just a pile of bricks?Links for Additional readingTracing the History of Budapest’s Dohany Street Synagogue, Jewish Heritage Europe Moorish Style: Orientalism, the Jews, and Synagogue Architecture, Ivan Davidson KalmaThe Dohany Synagogue: History, Culture, and Sacred RitualsFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Peres Center is more than just an interactive exhibition. It is a showcase and lab at the center of Israel’s hi-tech industry and innovation. Visiting the Peres Center inspires us to consider the ongoing relevancy of the vision of Shimon Peres and to grapple with the challenge posed by significant Israeli communities who remain under-represented in Israel’s start-up nation success. It also challenges us to ask – what does it mean to be a ‘pragmatic dreamer’ and work to build hope? Links for Additional ReadingThe Peres Center for Innovation and PeaceShimon Peres – A Biographical SketchEmployers On The Front Line: The Labor Market Put To The Test, Tasneem Na’ara, JPostFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of Qumran – on the Dead Sea Shore – reveals a still unraveled historic riddle about the meanings of one of most important archaeological treasures discovered in the 20th century. In a unforgiving landscape, Qumran reveals the story of the Dead Sea Sect and their expansive hidden library. Join us to venture into the caves and between the dry riverbeds to explore the world of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the community who collected and wrote them. The first Reform Jews? The first kibbutznikim? Join us to find out. Links for Additional ReadingWhy Are the Dead Sea Scrolls Important With Dr. Jodi Magnes Led Astray By a Dead Sea Latrine, The Forward, 16 February 2007The Shrine of the Book, The Digital Dead Sea ScrollsFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seafaring and piracy are not the first associations that come to mind when we think of the Jews. In this episode, we will travel the Great Sea – the Mediterranean – in search of Jews who had salt water in their blood. We will sail from ancient Israel to the Middle Ages – and even revisit the question often asked – Columbus? Funny, he does not look Jewish! Links for Additional Reading The Great Sea, David Abulafia – a Book Review (The Guardian, May 1, 2012)Jewish Pirates of the Mediterranean, Yaakov Landman (Kankan, April 3, 2020)Columbus and the Jews, Jonathan Sarna (Commentary, November 1992)Fado with Lior Hochberg – A Spotify Playlist mentioned in Something for the RoadFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

High in the Portuguese mountains lies the small, inconspicuous village of Belmonte. At first glance, Belmonte possesses the local charm of many of the villages of the Senhora da Esperança range. However, the village possesses a secret dating back nearly half a millennia – a Jewish community that went underground during the Spanish and Portuguese expulsions and inquisitions – and held onto their Jewish core for centuries. Discover Belmonte and this little-known story of steadfast Jewish resistance. Links for Additional ReadingPortugal, Echoes of a Jewish PastBelmonte: A Reporter Revisits An Anusim CommunityThe Converso HistoryFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wine in Judaism isn’t just a drink—it’s a ritual, a symbol, and a story poured into every glass. From the vineyards of ancient Israel to today’s award-winning boutique wineries, wine has played a sacred and celebratory role in Jewish life for millennia. But how did Israel go from kiddush wine to world-class vintages? And what makes Israeli wine so special? Grab a glass as we explore the past, present, and future of Jewish wine culture. L'Chaim.Additional reading:https://www.jpost.com/jewish-world/judaism/the-value-of-winehttps://www.sefaria.org.il/sheets/601017?lang=bihttps://www.timeout.com/israel/things-to-do/the-israeli-wine-listhttps://www.ice.edu/blog/wines-of-israelFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.