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 • 16min
16. The Jason Cake
Esau sells his birthright -- the family inheritance -- to his younger brother, Jacob, who connives with his mother, Rebecca, to deceive his father, Isaac. But the story is also a metaphor for the historical Kingdom of Judah.
Aug 12, 2017 • 11min
15. Isaac, the John Adams of Jewish History
Abraham sends his servant to find Isaac (the under-appreciated patriarch) a wife. We meet Rebecca, a decisive and kind woman who seizes her destiny to become a Jewish leader.
Aug 12, 2017 • 16min
14. The Death of Sarah and Abraham
Judaism's second holiest site is the cave where Sarah and Abraham are buried. But for someone so connected to the Promised Land, Abraham still felt like a stranger.
Aug 12, 2017 • 15min
13. Fortunate Son
Abraham attempts to sacrifice Isaac but is stopped at the last second. Why did he do it?
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?
