De-mystifing the mystical: in this podcast episode David Solomon explores the complex and profound field of Kabbalah to provide an overview of its texts and ideas, together with their historical background. David also explains exactly where popular Kabbalah comes from and provides the one thing that it is missing: context.           …

Continue reading "#28 Kabbalah ‘in one hour’"

David discusses the lives and contributions of several remarkable women who lived during the time of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Their stories are not only fascinating in themselves, but they shed a light on the era in which they lived. This podcast episode, released in advance of Purim, a festival based in a tale …

Continue reading "#27 Women of the Second Temple Period"

This final lecture in the Highlights of Australian Jewish History series examines the years between the 1930s to 1960s. In this podcast episode, David Solomon discusses the contributions made by a number of the key rabbis of this period. He also explores the debate within the Australian Jewish community around Zionism; its response to Jewish …

Continue reading "#26 Dinkum Diaspora: Highlights of Australian Jewish History (part 4)"

The ‘Golden Age’ of Jewish life in Australia began, appropriately, in the 1850s with the start of the gold rushes, a phenomenon that was to triple the size of the Jewish population in the colonies. This podcast episode, the third in this series on Australian Jewish History, explores the stories of Australian Jews over the …

Continue reading "#25 Dinkum Diaspora: Highlights of Australian Jewish History (part 3)"

The beginnings of community and the rise of independent colonies are the underpinning themes of this podcast episode, the second of David Solomon’s four-part series on Australian Jewish History. In this episode, David examines a period of 22 years, between 1828 and 1850. He looks at the impact of Jewish free settlers with means and …

Continue reading "#24 Dinkum Diaspora: Highlights of Australian Jewish History (part 2)"

After a short break, David’s podcasts are back! We are very excited to share the upcoming lectures with you. The story of Australian Jewry begins with the First Fleet and the earliest moments of European settlement of the Australian colonies. In this podcast episode, the first of a four-part series on Australian Jewish History, David …

Continue reading "#23 Dinkum Diaspora: Highlights of Australian Jewish History (part 1)"

While the period of the Hasmonean Dynasty high-priest rulers saw the return of Jewish control over the Land of Israel, it was also a time of bloody conflict and brutal factionalism. In this podcast episode, David Solomon explores the fascinating reigns of the Hasmonean kings and queens, from John Hyrcanus to Shlomtziyon. He examines the …

Continue reading "#22 Priests and Princes, Power and Politics: the Rise and Fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty (Part 2)"

Released in advance of Chanukah is David Solomon’s exciting exploration of the extraordinary (and miraculous) religious revolt led by the Maccabees between 167 and 160 BCE against the Seleucid Empire – the first installment of a two-part series on the rise and fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty. In this episode, David discusses the key figures …

Continue reading "#21 Priests and Princes, Power and Politics: the Rise and Fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty (Part 1)"

From deep within the Babylonian exile, the prophet Ezekiel became the extraordinary conduit for the voice of Gd outside of the Land of Israel. In this podcast episode, David Solomon explores the life and setting of the prophet Ezekiel; his profound messages of teshuva and the importance of individual responsibility; and his remarkable visions – …

Continue reading "#20 Revelation in Exile: the Book of Ezekiel"

Building the dream Following the return to the Land of Israel from the Babylonian exile, the Jewish nation found itself grappling with issues associated with the reconstruction of a society and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Two extraordinary figures to emerge at this crucial juncture in Jewish history were the prophets Ḥaggai and …

Continue reading "#19 Visionaries, Reformers and Agitators – the Rise of the Prophets of Israel (part 4)"