Jewniversity
by Adam Zagoria-Moffet, St. Albans Masorti Synagogue
Everything you learned in Hebrew School is wrong! Jewniversity is a fresh look at all things Judaism and Jewishness from Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet of St. Albans Masorti Synagogue in the UK. Join us as we explore a range of topics in Jewish history, culture, and belief in a new and often irreverent manner.
Episodes
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The Great Assembly - Government and Politics of Israel
In the week following the elections to the 26th Knesset, we look at the structure of the Israeli electorate, the systems of governance, and analyse the parties and politics that make up the modern landscape of the Jewish State.
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Creativity and Catastrophe - History of Jewish Spain
We explore the Jewish history of Spain from 711 to 1492 and contemplate its lessons for us and for Jewish life in diaspora
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Holy Huts and Magic Lemons - Sukkot
Just before Sukkot begins we cover the history, symbolism and practice of this enigmatic and richly layered holiday. Ḥag Same'aḥ!
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Blessed Be - Berakhot
Blessings – what are they, what are they good for, and how do we do them? Also – are they actually blessings?! (Some of) the mysteries of Berakhot revealed.
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How to Keep Kosher in a non-Kosher World
We review the basic laws of kashrut, considering the concepts of hekhsher and hashgacha, and attempt to understand the contemporary excesses of the kashrut establishment, including the how and why of the fact that far more people keep kosher than claim to.
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Body (of) Law - Milah, Niddah, and Taharah
We cover the subjects of Milah (circumcision), Niddah (menstruation), and Taharah (cleansing of the corpse). CW: genitalia, blood, death.
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Mah Nishtanah - Pesach Q&A
In the run-up to Seder, we look at audience submitted questions around Pesach. Do I need new toothbrushes and lipstick? How can I do the halakhic minimum at Seder? What's the deal with Kitniyot anyway – and much more! Our SAMS Pesach Guide is online: tiny.cc/pesach5786
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The Temple and Its Sacrifices
We look at the Korbanot, their details, history and significance and the context of the ancient Temple (Beit haMikdash)
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Purim
A quick and colourful look at Purim – the story of Megillat Ester, the rituals and mitzvot of the holiday, and its minhagim and myths
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Egalitarianism
In our 50th episode (!) we investigate the question of full and equal participation in Jewish life for women (egalitarianism) – its basis, its development, and its challenges today
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Jews: A Taxonomy (Sort Of)
So many labels exist for Jews - from ancient to modern, theological to geographical! We try (and fail) to categorise and organise all the many ways to be Jewish in this (rather poor, admittedly) attempt at a Jewish taxonomy
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The Talmud
Two documents are referenced in this podcast: the diagram of a page of the Vilna Shas, which is here, and the text of Massekhet Berakhot 12b-13a (the last sugya of the first chapter of Berakhot) is here
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Hanukkah - Maccabees and Miracles
All about Hanukkah – its history, myth, and modern practice
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Is Judaism A World Religion? - Jews and Other Faiths
In honour of Mitzvah Day and Interfaith Week, a look at how Judaism sees other religions and how they see us.
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Angels, Demons and Dybbuks - Oh My!
An introductory look at supernatural beings in Jewish tradition - the good, the bad, and the toilet demons.
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The Jewish Home
What makes a Jewish house a Jewish home? We explore the concept of Mikdash Ma'at and the practices, objects, and experiences inherent in building a Bayit Neeman beYisrael.
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LGBT+ Halakhah
In honour of Pride and in our final session before the Summer break, we look at LGBT+ life and law in Judaism
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Love, Sex & Marriage - Part II
In a follow up to last week's episode, we review laws of marriage (Kiddushin), explore some aspects of sexuality in Jewish practice (Onah, Niddah), and consider the laws of divorce (Gittin)
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Love, Sex & Marriage - Part I
We look at Jewish laws, custom and practices around dating, engagement, sex and marriage
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Hope & Havoc – Messianism
In our 40th episode (!) we deal with the thorny questions of the Messiah (who it is and why) and Messianism
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Death & Dying
A rapid-fire tour of the Jewish conceptions of death, dying, burial and mourning.
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History of Modern Israel
A brief and incomplete survey of modern Israel, from the first Zionist Congress (1897) until the 39th, coming up later this year.
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Sacred Sevens
A slightly out-of-the-box look at the magic of the number 7 – from the Menorah to the Omer to Shemittah, Shabbat and more, join us to explore this most sacred of numerals.
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Pesaḥ
All things Pesach: what it is, how we observe it, its history, procedures, practices and frustrations. From Kitniyot to the Haggadah, from Ḥaroset to Ḥazeret
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Icons of Jewish Theology - Modern
Following up on our last session, we look at the project of Jewish theology and the personalities of Jewish theologians from the Renaissance period until today
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Icons of Jewish Theology - Mediaeval
We consider the discipline of Jewish theology and philosophy and look at several of the main thinkers in this tradition, from Philo to Maimonides
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Days of Awe III - Yom Kippur
In our last episode for this High Holy Day series (and our last of both 5784 and 2024), we explore Yom Kippur.
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Days of Awe II - Rosh haShanah
A look at the symbols, customs, laws, and practices of Rosh haShanah - from why its in Tishrei to why the Rabbis hate Tashlich.
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Days of Awe I – Respond, Return, Regret
The first of our three part series on the Yamim Nora'im. We look at the concept of Teshuvah, how to do it, and how it connects to the main prayers, symbols, and ideas of Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur
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Antisemitism 101
A very brief and very rapid look at 2000+ years of antisemitism, anti-Judaism and antizionism
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Ethics I - Sex and Gender
A whirlwind look at some of the ethical and halakhic issues surrounding sex and gender – from egalitarianism, to LGBT+ identities, Gittin, Shutafut, Niddah and Milah.
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Tour de Siddur
Join us on a sloppy and slightly sarcastic 'Tour de Siddur' - all about prayer. Does prayer exist? Do we do it in Judaism? Is it obligatory? Why is the siddur so chonky?!
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Jewish Library - Parshanut
We refer to the JPS Commentator's Bible (an English Mikra'ot Gedolot), a sample excerpt of which can be found here.
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Jewish Library - Zohar
Join us for a tour of the Who, What, Where, When and Why of the Zohar
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Jewish Library - Codes
This week we look at the cycle of creativity and consolidation, the development of Halakhah, and the two major codes - Rambam's Mishneh Torah and R' Yosef Karo's Shulḥan Arukh.
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Jewish Library - Midrash
A look at the concept, methodology and texts of Midrash.
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Jewish Library - the Mishnah
Join us this week as we dive into the six orders and sixty-three tractate of the Mishnah! How did the Mishnah make Judaism and who are the Rabbis (capital R) who made the Mishnah?
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Jewish Library - Tana"kh
We start our series on the Jewish Library by looking in-depth at the 24 books and 969 chapters of the Tana"kh (AKA 'Hebrew Bible')
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Choose Your Own Afterlife
I. Holy Hades - She’ol, or, The Underworld Genesis 37:35 (35) And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said: ‘I will go down to She’ol, to my son mourning.’ And his father wept for him. Numbers 16:32-34 (32) [...] and the earth opened…
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The Path of Prophecy
This week we look at the phenomenon of Nevu'ah. Often called 'prophecy' but more often misunderstood as a result, what does it mean to be a Spokesperson for and to God? Who are the Prophets of the Hebrew Bible and what were their messages? Is 'prophecy' in our own time possible?
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Who Wrote the Torah?
And we're back! Starting 2024 off with a bang, we're looking at the question of the Torah's 'authorship'. Who wrote it? God? Moses? Some blokes named J.E. and P.D.? Join us for a whirlwind tour of the Torah, a consideration of its composition, and a fiercely anti-fundamentalist polemic on the...
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What Is Kabbalah?
This week we look at a broad survey of the histories and themes of Jewish mysticism, AKA Kabbalah
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Jewish Ethics - Mitsvot and Middot
This week we look at Jewish Ethics, how that fits into ideas of Halakhah, what Musar is – and why we should all care very much about our behaviour even outside the bounds of the Torah's laws.
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Kashrut
A look at Kashrut - from the Torah to today - with its complexities and contradictions.
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Special Episode – A Brief Intro to Israel/Palestine
A brief and incomplete history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from 1923-2023. Following the events of 7 October, we tried to give some context to the role of Hamas, the difference between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, and the conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
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The Calendar - Pt. 2
Join us as we review the second half of the year - from Tishrei through Adar!
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The Calendar - Pt. 1
Aaaand, we're back! With the Summer break behind us, we're looking at the calendar, starting with the Hebrew month of Nisan and going through Elul – roughly corresponding to the seasons of Spring (Nisan-Iyyar-Sivan) and Summer (Tammuz-Av-Elul).
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*Summer Special* - The Fallacy of Orthodoxy (R' Louis Jacobs Memorial Lecture)
*Summer Special* During our break from Jewniversity (we return in September), there will be a few one-off guest appearances on this podcast. First up, I was privileged to be invited to deliver the R' Dr. Louis Jacobs memorial lecture in London, where the topic was 'The Fallacy of Orthodoxy'
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History Pt. 3 - 1000 CE - Today
Attempting the impossible task of covering the last millennium of Jewish history, we survey major events, figures and developments in Jewish communities around the world through the mediaeval, early modern, and modern periods.
About this show
Everything you learned in Hebrew School is wrong! Jewniversity is a fresh look at all things Judaism and Jewishness from Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet of St. Albans Masorti Synagogue in the UK. Join us as we explore a range of topics in Jewish history, culture, and belief in a new and often irreverent manner.
Hosted by
Adam Zagoria-Moffet, St. Albans Masorti Synagogue
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