New Books in Jewish Studies

Today we will be talking to Yehudah Halper about his new book, Averroes on Pathways to Divine Knowledge (Academic Studies Press, 2025). The twelfth-century Andalusian philosopher Averroes sought to understand the divine in a way independent of religious theology, by turning to the philosophical works of Aristotle and, to a lesser extent, Plato. In doing so, he established standards of scientific inquiry into God that were and remain highly influential on Jewish and Christian thought. Averroes, however, does not provide much in the way of demonstrative knowledge of God, and most of his arguments remain dialectical, rhetorical, or political. This volume explores the various pathways towards attaining divine knowledge that we find in Averroes’ commentaries on Aristotle’s De Anima, Metaphysics, and Nicomachean Ethics, and on Plato’s Republic, along with Averroes’ Epistle on Divine Knowledge, Decisive Treatise, and more. Yehuda Halper is Professor in the Department of Jewish Philosophy at Bar Ilan University. He is currently a aisiting professor at University of Chicago Divinity School. His first monograph, Jewish Socratic Questions in an Age without Plato (Brill, 2021) won the Goldstein-Goren Book Award for the best book in Jewish Thought in 2019-2021. He is currently directing the ISF grant (#622/22) "Samuel Ibn Tibbon's Explanation of Foreign Terms and the Foundations of Philosophy in Hebrew." Rabbi Marc Katz is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Ner Tamid. His latest book is Yochanan's Gamble: Judaism's Pragmatic Approach to Life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

Wendy I. Zierler, a scholar and author specializing in modern Hebrew literature, takes listeners on an intimate journey through mourning and poetry. She shares how her personal losses and experiences with Kaddish inspired her hybrid memoir, illuminating the healing power of Hebrew poetry. Zierler discusses her connection to poets like Lea Goldberg and Yehuda Amichai, and how reclaiming women's voices in Hebrew literature adds depth to traditional practices. Her insights reveal a transformative approach to grief and community engagement through poetry.

The Tourist's Guide to Lost Yiddish New York City (SUNY Press, 2025) by Henry H. Sapoznik explores a century of Yiddish popular culture in New York City. Sapoznik--the author of Klezmer! Jewish Music fro0m Old World to Our World and a Peabody Award-winning coproducer of NPR's Yiddish Radio Project--tells his story through chapters on eating, architecture, music and theater. Within each chapter are shorter entries on topics as varied as knishes, cafeterias, prominent buildings, Jews and jazz, Black cantors, women cantors, and Yiddish theater. Culled from over five thousand Yiddish and English newspaper articles, the book offers fresh insights into the profound influence of Yiddish culture on New York City. The guide also contains fifty images, many of which have never before been published. The Tourist's Guide to Lost Yiddish New York City is vivid, deeply researched, and engaging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

But There Was Love―Shaping the Memory of the Shoah (de Gruyter, 2025) proposes a new paradigm for Shoah remembrance in today’s cultural and political reality. It derives from the four-year workings of a group of researchers and artists at The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute led by Michal Govrin. The group positions the extraordinary Jewish and non-Jewish human struggle in facing dehumanization and extermination as the essence of the Shoah, challenging us with a profound ethical call. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

But There Was Love―Shaping the Memory of the Shoah (de Gruyter, 2025) proposes a new paradigm for Shoah remembrance in today’s cultural and political reality. It derives from the four-year workings of a group of researchers and artists at The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute led by Michal Govrin. The group positions the extraordinary Jewish and non-Jewish human struggle in facing dehumanization and extermination as the essence of the Shoah, challenging us with a profound ethical call. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

Elizabeth R. Hyman, a Holocaust historian and author, discusses her groundbreaking work on female resistance during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. She introduces five remarkable young women who emerged as key figures, often overshadowed by their male counterparts. Hyman shares insights on Polish-Jewish relations, the human experiences within the Ghetto, and how she aims to reshape collective memory by highlighting women's roles. She also emphasizes the relevance of their stories to contemporary struggles for oppressed women globally.

Shaul Kelner, an Associate Professor of Sociology and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University, dives deep into his book about the activism that liberated Soviet Jews. He discusses early pioneers like Jacob Birnbaum, the shift to personalizing the movement with adopt-a-refusenik campaigns, and how this cause became woven into Jewish life. Kelner also highlights the varied responses from U.S. presidents and the vital interfaith alliances supporting the movement. His insights draw parallels to today's challenges, showcasing the enduring power of grassroots activism.

Paula Oppermann, a Holocaust historian and researcher at the Historische Kommission, Berlin, discusses her book on the Pērkonkrusts, Latvia’s prominent right-wing party from the 1930s. She explores the party's radical antisemitism, influences from 19th-century nationalism, and public perception, revealing how the movement adapted and persisted despite political changes. Oppermann delves into the tragic events of the 1932 pogrom and the group’s collaboration during the Holocaust, shedding light on the enduring legacy of Latvian fascism and its complex relationship with antisemitism.

Elissa Bemporad, the Ungar Chair in East European Jewish History and the Holocaust at Queens College, explores the rich yet complex tapestry of Soviet Jewish life from 1917 to 1930. She discusses how diverse regional identities were transformed under Soviet homogenization and how state policies uniquely shaped Jewish communities. Bemporad delves into the tensions between the Soviet regime and Jewish religious leaders and examines the impact of revolutionary family law on women. She also hints at her upcoming biography on Esther Frumkin.

Mark Mazower, Ira D. Wallach Professor of History at Columbia University, dives deep into the evolving concept of antisemitism. He discusses its origins in the 1870s and how it has morphed across regions, particularly highlighting Germany, France, and Russia. The podcast examines the impact of Nazi ideology and post-war discrediting of overt antisemitism. Mazower also explores demographic shifts with Jews in Israel and the US, the complexities of black-Jewish alliances during civil rights struggles, and critiques contemporary definitions of antisemitism that affect free speech.