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PODCAST

Jewish History Nerds

Whoever said history was boring clearly never heard these stories…Welcome to Jewish History Nerds! Join hosts Yael and Schwab each week as they take a dive into some deep cuts of Jewish history. From the Jewish Da Vinci Code to mass suicide pacts, explore true stories that feel larger than life. Be in touch: nerds@unpacked.media

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

1:24

New Episodes, Coming Next Week

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/06/04

Yael and Schwab are back — and this season, they're diving into the history of Jews in the Americas, just in time for the US's 250th birthday. But first: special episodes sponsored by The Jewish Lives Series.Catch up on past episodes, subscribe wherever you listen, and get in touch at nerds@unpacked.media.

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37:06

Voices of the Warsaw Ghetto: A Yom HaShoah Re-Release

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/04/14

Yael and Schwab revisit the remarkable story of the Oneg Shabbos archive from the Warsaw Ghetto in honor of Yom HaShoah. The tins held the second of three caches of the Oneg Shabbos archives: a collection by ordinary people turned archivists who risked their lives to preserve the darkest moment of Jewish history. Among the photographs and diary entries, concert tickets and poems, lay the collected sermons of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, also known as the Piaseczno Rebbe. In this episode, Yael

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39:55

The Haggadah: The Book of the People of the Book

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/03/31

The Haggadah is the most widely read Jewish book in the world, and yet it was never supposed to be a book at all. Yael takes Schwab through its surprising history: how an oral commandment became rabbinic debate, evolved into illuminated medieval manuscripts, and ended up as 60 million free copies tucked inside a can of Maxwell House coffee.Pictures of the Sarajevo Haggadah: https://anumuseum.org.il/blog/sarajevo-haggadah/ The Maxwell House

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50:41

Albert Einstein: Was He a Zionist? (Part 2)

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/03/26

Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner tackle one of Jewish history's most debated questions: was Albert Einstein a Zionist? From Nazi Germany naming him public enemy number one to eventually being offered the presidency of Israel, Schwab traces Einstein's complicated, lifelong relationship with Zionism. And they explore a question the Nazis first raised as an attack: was Einstein's science somehow Jewish?Check your feed next Tuesday for a special Jewish History Nerds just in time for

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46:42

Albert Einstein: Rebel. Reject. Genius. (Part 1)

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/03/19

Before Albert Einstein became the wild-haired icon who changed how we understand the universe, he was a struggling patent clerk with a rejected dissertation, no job prospects, and a messy personal life. But he had time to spare and a mind that wouldn't stop. In this first episode of a two-part series, Jonathan Schwab takes Yael Steiner through the Einstein you don't know: a contrarian Jewish outsider whose ideas would reshape our understanding of time, space, and reality itself.Next week: The

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43:06

The Girl Rabbi of the Golden West: Ray Frank

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/03/12

Ray Frank was a gifted Jewish teacher, journalist, and speaker who became a sensation in the American West in the 1890s. Crowds packed opera houses to hear her preach, newspapers called her the “Girl Rabbi of the Golden West,” and communities begged her to lead them. But Ray Frank refused the title of rabbi. So who was she—and why did she open a door she would not walk through herself?Here is a photo of Ray Frank from 1890: https://jwa.org/media/ray-frank Sources and summary:

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44:11

The Gambling Rabbi of Venice: Leone da Modena

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/03/05

What happens when a rabbi becomes a compulsive gambler? Yael and Schwab explore the life of Rabbi Leone de Modena, a remarkable Renaissance thinker from the Venetian ghetto. A prodigy, prolific writer, and the author of the first full-length Hebrew autobiography, Modena was also a famous preacher whose sermons drew both Jews and Christians. He defended bringing choral music into synagogue services and is claimed by a broad range of Jewish traditions. His story offers a glimpse into life in early

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44:31

Crusades, Martyrdom & Radical Piety: The Hasidei...

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/02/26

What happens when trauma reshapes religious life, and suffering itself becomes sacred?This week, Jonathan Schwab introduces Yael Steiner to the Hasidei Ashkenaz, a small but intense medieval movement that emerged in 12th–13th century Germany after the Crusades of 1096. Living in the shadow of violence, they turned to radical piety, marathon prayer, frequent fasting, rigorous penance, and even martyrdom (kiddush Hashem), to make sense of trauma. It’s a bizarre chapter in Jewish history, not

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48:20

The Rosenbergs: "Atomic Spies" or Scapegoats? The...

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/02/19

In 1953, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were sent to the electric chair. They were condemned by a Jewish judge, and executed on a Friday night. The charge: espionage. The backdrop: Cold War hysteria. This week, Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab reframe the story. Yael explores the Jewish response to the Rosenberg trial and the tensions it revealed within the American Jewish community. Sources and summary:

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40:55

Meet the First Jewish Woman to Publish a Book: Rivka...

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/02/12

In 1609, Rivka Tiktiner did something no Jewish woman had ever done before: she published a book. Meneket Rivka, printed in Prague, is the earliest surviving full-length work by a Jewish woman—written in Yiddish yet steeped in serious Torah scholarship. This week on Jewish History Nerds, Jonathan Schwab introduces Yael Steiner to this little-known trailblazer as they explore her legacy—and wrestle with the challenge of applying modern ideas about feminism to a woman from the 16th century.For a

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46:25

Leon Trotsky: The Jewish Revolutionary in Stalin’s...

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/02/05

Leon Trotsky’s name gets thrown around a lot—but the story behind it is darker and stranger than most realize. This week, Yael Steiner walks Schwab through Trotsky’s rise from an assimilated Jewish childhood in Ukraine to revolution, Lenin’s inner circle, and the founding of the Red Army. From a revealing stint in New York to the brutal realities of Soviet power, Trotsky embraces total revolution—only to be outmaneuvered by Stalin. The story ends in exile, assassination, and a Jewish identity he

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44:13

Secret Jews: Samuel Schwarz’s Discovery of...

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/01/29

This week, Jewish History Nerds explores the extraordinary story of Portugal’s secret Jews—families forced into hiding who preserved Judaism for centuries after the Inquisition. Through Samuel Schwarz’s accidental 1925 discovery, Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner reveal whispered prayers, hidden rituals, and a Jewish life sustained entirely underground—and reflect on what it takes to carry Jewish identity forward when faith must be practiced in secret.Plus: Don’t miss Schwab’s thoughts on his least

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45:17

Janusz Korczak: The Educator who Refused to Abandon...

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/01/22

Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab are back for a new season of Jewish History Nerds, starting with the remarkable story of Janusz Korczak—the Jewish-Polish pediatrician and educator who insisted children are full human beings, not “human becomings.” Korczak pioneered radical ideas about children’s rights, dignity, and autonomy, building orphanages where children governed themselves and were treated as moral equals. The episode explores his complex Polish-Jewish identity and lasting influence on

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2:56

Jewish History Nerds is BACK on January 22nd!

Jewish History Nerds ·

2026/01/15

Jewish History Nerds is back for Season 6! Hosts Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner return with a new slate of smart, engaging stories from Jewish history—blending deep research with curiosity, humor, and lively conversation. Each week, they take turns exploring a fascinating figure or moment, asking big questions, learning together, and inviting listeners into the journey. This season spans famous and forgotten Jews across eras and regions, with surprising stories you’ve likely never heard before

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32:49

Revisiting Hebrew Hammer: The True Story of Hannukah

Jewish History Nerds ·

2025/12/18

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025⁠⁠Season 5 is coming soon. In the meantime, to celebrate Hanukkah, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from our very first season. Ah, Chanukah. That festive time of year where we light candles, indulge in fried foods, and celebrate… a brutal civil war? Join Yael and Schwab as they complicate the story we all thought we knew. What did the Maccabees really fight for? How

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0:48

Listener Survey is Here

Jewish History Nerds ·

2025/06/12

Now that season 4 is behind us, please take a few minutes to fill out this very brief survey by clicking here or by going to unpacked.media/nerdsurvey⁠It will take 2 minutes to complete and please be honest. We really want to hear from you. Thanks for listening.

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53:15

The JNF Blue Box: A Symbol of Hope, Controversy, and...

Jewish History Nerds ·

2025/06/05

We would like to hear from you. Please fill out this survey to tell us your thoughts and feedback about Jewish History Nerds. Here's the link: https://unpacked.media/nerdsurvey In this season finale, Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab explore the powerful and surprising story of the Jewish National Fund's iconic blue tzedakah box—also known as the JNF "Blue Box." What began as a nostalgic household object for many Jewish families turns out to be one of the most influential and controversial

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42:11

The Judensau: How Pig Imagery Fueled Centuries of...

Jewish History Nerds ·

2025/05/29

This week, Schwab and Yael dive into one of the most disturbing and enduring symbols of antisemitism in European history: the Judensau, or “Jew Pig.” From its origins in 13th-century German churches to its persistent presence in modern cathedrals like those in Cologne and Wittenberg, this grotesque motif—depicting Jews in degrading, obscene interactions with pigs—embodied and perpetuated centuries of Christian antisemitic propaganda.Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at

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48:08

When Jews Thrived in India: Castes, Coexeistence and...

Jewish History Nerds ·

2025/05/22

This week, Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner explore the rich history of some of India’s Jewish communities, including the caste-influenced divisions among the so-called "Black Jews, White Jews, and Brown Jews" of Cochin. Using the Cochin Copper Plates as an entry point, Yael and Schwab explore how Indian Jewish life flourished—largely free of antisemitism—until almost the entire population made Aliyah after 1948. Yael explains that the Cochin (Cranganore) Copper Plates, dating possibly as far back

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31:29

Judea Capta: The Romans Coins that Celebrated the...

Jewish History Nerds ·

2025/05/15

What can a coin tell us about history, power, and identity? This week, hosts Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner explore the Roman Judea Capta coins—propaganda minted to celebrate Rome’s brutal suppression of the Jewish revolt and the destruction of the Second Temple. Why would a global empire spotlight a small province like Judea on its currency? Schwab unpacks the fascinating world of numismatics, showing how coins served as ancient mass media and a tool for emperors like Vespasian to craft political

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