Jew Oughta Know
Jason Harris
From ancient history to current events, take yourself on a journey through the story of the Jewish People, from someone who has led hundreds of Jewish young professionals on trips throughout Israel. From the beginning of creation to modern Israel, each short episode is geared to appeal both to someone looking for the Jewish 101, as well as to those looking to go a bit beyond the basic story they already know. Check out the website at https://jewoughtaknow.com/. Enjoy!
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 12, 2017 • 19min
12. Current Events: Settlements and Amona
Taking a break from the Bible to catch up on current events in Israel this past week: the evacuation of Amona, a West Bank settlement, and the Knesset's approval of a law that allows Israel to seize private Palestinian land.
Aug 11, 2017 • 15min
11. Sodom and Gomorrah
Justice, divine punishment, hospitality, sexual deviancy, kindness to strangers, people getting turned into salt -- all this and more as Abraham argues with God, and opens up a new relationship between the human and the divine.
Aug 11, 2017 • 20min
10. The Couple From Ur
We begin the story of a great adventurer: Abram, and his wife Sarai. Starting at the age of 70, Abram will travel across the known world, sell his wife as a mistress to Pharaoh, kill some kings, circumcise himself, exhibit great generosity, try to murder his own son, and buy a crucial piece of real estate. He's also the first Jew.
Aug 11, 2017 • 18min
9. Friends In (Actually High) Places
So there was a major flood, Noah built an ark, and successfully landed it back on dry land. What happened next connects today's Jews with the Armenian people across a familiar historical narrative. Plus we get the first set of seven laws to govern humanity. Nice!
Aug 11, 2017 • 16min
8. Nudity! Snakes! Murder!
The human adventure begins. And almost comes to a crashing halt. From eating from the forbidden tree, to getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden, to lying to God, to murdering brothers, what are these first humans trying to tell us about the nature of humanity, freedom, and moral choice?
Aug 11, 2017 • 16min
7. The Beginning of All Things
We begin at the beginning! With nothing, and go from there. The Book of Genesis gives us two stories of creation, but they're different. So which is the "real" story?
Aug 11, 2017 • 13min
6. Whole Lotta Books
There are a lot of books that make up the Hebrew Bible. And everyone from Leonard Cohen to U2 quote them frequently. Get the quick info on what's in the Hebrew Bible, what the whole thing is about, and whether parts of it are true.
Aug 11, 2017 • 15min
5. The Guy Who Found the Torah
In the year 622 BCE, while cleaning out the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, Hilkiah found a scroll that would change the course of Western civilization. It also made the King of Judah look good. Which raises some questions.
Aug 11, 2017 • 18min
4. Current Events: UNESCO
UNESCO, an agency of the United Nations, recently voted in favor of a resolution condemned by Israel as negating the Jewish historical presence in the Old City of Jerusalem. What's the story? What is UNESCO and what is this resolution about? Why is it happening now? Go beyond the headlines to learn about the background to this issue, and some analysis of the merits of each side.
Aug 10, 2017 • 13min
3. Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews
The names we call ourselves -- Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews -- says a lot about where we come from and who we believe ourselves to be as a people. Come learn about the origins of these terms and how they have changed throughout history.
