The purpose of learning Jewish history is to make us better humans.

Jason is passionate about sharing Jewish knowledge. An avid storyteller, Jason approaches Jewish learning with the value of elu v’elu — “both these and those”. Why did certain decisions get made? How did things turn out the way they did? Most times there are multiple reasons and many viewpoints, and it’s in the nuances that we find the best stories.

There’s a misconception that Jewish history is one sad tale of oppression after another. But that’s not true! There are great triumphs, wise philosophers, warrior women, missing relics, lost treasures, and fascinating texts and ideas throughout. To learn about Jewish history is to dive into world history.

From the deserts of Israel to the streets of Berlin and the hills of Northern California, Jason likes to provoke people into engaging with texts, considering big ideas, and bringing their own experiences to bear on Jewish learning.

• 60th Anniversary of the Capture of Adolf Eichmann

• 60th Anniversary of the Trial of Adolf Eichmann

• Did the Exodus Ever Really Happen?

• The First Thousand Years (Or So) of Jewish History

• Heroines: Hannah Senesh and Haviva Reik

• A History of Modern Israel

• Israeli Elections 2020: Now What?

• Jewish Ethics

• The Jews and George Washington

• Jews & Race: Creating More Welcoming Communities

• The Law of Return

• The Lost Menorah

• Mysteries of the Holocaust

• Radical Philosophy: The U.S. Declaration of Independence

• The Search for King David’s Tomb

• Storytelling: Jewish Practice & Memory

• Was Christopher Columbus Jewish?

• What Happened to the Golem?

• Who Killed Chaim Arlosoroff? Modern Israel’s Most Important Unsolved Murder Mystery

• The Weekly Parsha, Torah, and Classic Jewish Texts

• Zionism: Then and Now

• Zionism and the American Jewish Community