Introduction to Jewish History

Year 1 of Kol Hadash's three-year adult education cycle. Rabbi Chalom walks through the whole span of Jewish history — origins, exile, diaspora, modernity, America, Israel — as a human story, not a sacred one. Every session is a real recorded class from our sanctuary in Deerfield, IL.

Watch a free sample lesson

From Kol Hadash's recorded three-year adult education cycle, taught by Rabbi Adam Chalom, PhD.

What you'll learn

A working timeline from ancient Israel to the 21st century
How rabbinic Judaism was invented (and why)
The immigrant story, the American story, and the Israeli story
How to read Jewish history without myth or apology

Syllabus

Ancient World

· Who were the Israelites?
· First and Second Temple
· Rabbis vs. Rome

Diaspora

· Medieval Jewish life
· Sephardim and Ashkenazim
· Golden ages and expulsions

Modernity

· Emancipation and Enlightenment
· The birth of Reform, Orthodoxy, and Secular Judaism
· The shtetl and the city

20th Century

· Immigration to America
· The Holocaust
· Israel: complicated from day one

Your instructor

Rabbi Adam Chalom, PhD

Rabbi, Kol Hadash · Dean for North America, IISHJ

Rabbi Adam Chalom is a dynamic and illuminating speaker, a clear and inspiring teacher, and a warm and welcoming presence at Kol Hadash — a leading voice in the movement of Humanistic Judaism. He has served as the rabbi of Kol Hadash…

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