Did you ever wonder how the Jews when from being the martyrs of Europe to the military power of the Middle East in less than fifty years?This episode exposes the roots of the extraordinary transformation of the physical culture of Am Yisrael in Max Nordau's vision of a muscular Judaism.

At the First Zionist Congress, Herzl awakened the Jews of Europe to their national political life. But Asher zvi Ginsberg, better known as Ahad Ha'am, tried to teach them that the soul of the people needs to be revived before they seek their national home. The battle between them will become a fundamental split in Zionism whose influence remains down to our day.

Return to the land of Israel had been a dream for almost 2000 years, and in the late 19th century it began to become a reality. But it took one man to transform the notion of a national rebirth from a subconscious desire to an international issue. Here is a presentation of the early life of Theodore Herzl.

Class two focuses on the Golden Age as a time of cultural fusion and thriving life. But the challenges which language and philosophy pose to tradition Jewish life were laid in this era as well, and the future may not look as rosy as the past.

The first in a series of five, this class introduces the origins of Spanish Jewry from the perspective of the historical documentation as well as their own inner narrative. It covers the period from the end of the Roman Empire, through the Visigothic kingdom up to the birth of the Caliphate of Cordoba.

The history of Zionism can be seen as a long conversation about what it means to be a nation. In honor of the State of Israel's 70th birthday, Rav Mike gives an overview of the meaning of the word Am, and makes a call to continue the conversation.

The Jewish problem was pressing in the second half of the 19th century, and it took the form of antisemitism. When faced with such a problem, it is not surprising that many leaders took a problem-solving approach to the future of Am Yisrael. But what if our goal is not to solve the problem, but rather fulfill the Jewish mission?

In this interlude we take a pause from the flow of history in order to consider whether Passover is the festival of freedom or the time of our redemption. But don't worry, it turns out the 19th century nationalist thinkers had a lot to say about the original birth of a nation.

It's time to talk about nationalism. Here is a presentation of the underpinnings of nationalist thought along with a look at what is happening in the Pale of Settlement. And the episode ends with a ground breaking work that emerges from the intersection of the two.

The struggle between the parochial and the cosmopolitan is a defining tension of the 19th century for Europe as a whole and the Jews in particular. In this episode we will update our understanding of chassidut as it battles with the Galician Haskalah, meet the figure of the radical socialist Jew in the person of Moses Hess, and ask the question whether to be a national or international Jew.