Wandering Jews: A Travel Podcast That Entertains & Informs

Our journey begins in Madrid’s Plaza de España, standing before the weathered bronze figures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza as Miguel de Cervantes watches from above. We explore why this "Impossible Dreamer" became a profound symbol for the Jewish experience, from the 19th-century Yiddish schlemiel to the "Prince of Dreams" in modern Israeli pop. From the shadow of the Expulsion to the stages of Broadway, we trace the knight’s journey and the "messianic yearning" that makes this 400-year-old character feel like a member of the Tribe. Links for Additional ReadingThe Secret Jewish History of Don Quixote by Benjamin Ivry (The Forward, 17 February 2014)Why You Should Read ‘Don Quixote’? by Ilan Stevens (Ted Ed, 18 October 2018)Don Quixote: An Honorary Wandering Jews – A Spotify Playlist

Discover how the Israeli Supreme Court’s design serves as a "physical articulation" of the state’s democratic architecture and the values it aspires to uphold. From the "square" of human law to the "circle" of timeless justice, we explore a building rooted in Jerusalem stone yet open to the future. Join us as we discuss how this landmark translates the ancient command "Justice, justice shall you pursue" into a modern judicial shield for all inhabitants. Links for Additional ReadingThe Israel Supreme Court – A Virtual TourJewish or Democratic? Israel’s Former Top Judge Reflects on Values, Aharon Barak, My Jewish LearningThe Israel Religious Action CenterThe Israel Democracy Institute

Greek music fills Israeli weddings, cafés, and stadiums — but why? Israel doesn’t just listen to Greek music; it needs it. Listen to ‘Wandering Jews’ as we uncover how a “foreign” sound became a cultural safe harbor, revealing the Israeli search for identity and belonging. Through stories of exile, trauma, and survival, Greek music became a borrowed and reimagined sound of a Mediterranean home. What we listen to, it turns out, tells us who we want to be. Links for Additional Readings:Rosa Eskenazi, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish WomenYehuda Poliker – My EyesThe Mediterranean Israeli Identity, A.B. Yehoshua, the European Institute of the Mediterranean

Join us at “Wandering Jews” as we step beneath the branches of Israel’s “Storytelling Tree”—the Knesset Menorah—and uncover the roots that nourish a nation’s identity. From biblical heroes to modern pioneers, this monumental sculpture weaves centuries of struggle, hope, and renewal into bronze. Explore how art, memory, and moral vision intertwine to shape Israel’s civic heart. Links for Additional ReadingThe Knesset Menorah, Wikipedia (including pictures)The Man Who Made The Menorah, Eli Abt, The Jewish Chronicle December 7, 2023 The Story Of The Menorah: From Temple To State Seal, Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab, Unpacked

*Ramle* is an ancient crossroads, shaped by numerous empires along the historic ‘Way of the Sea.’ Its history and human mosaic highlights a modern reality: it is one of Israel’s most heterogenous cities, where a diverse *Jewish majority* lives alongside a significant *Arab minority*. The city's vibrant tension yesterday and today is a microcosm of the larger challenges and potential of Jewish-Arab coexistence within Israel.Wandering Jews will visit Ramle and probe lessons in how the past's multicultural mosaic continues to inform the present's complex politics and aspirations for a shared tomorrow. Links for Additional Reading:Migration Patterns in Mixed Cities in Israel: Socioeconomic Perspectives, The Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in IsraelThe Municipality of Ramla – Financial Status and Human Capital Management, The Israel State ComptrollerArchaeology in Israel: Ramla, Jewish Virtual Library

Explore the dramatic irony of turn-of-the-century Vienna, a city that both nurtured titans of Jewish thought and art—from Freud to Mahler—and became the hotbed for modern, racial antisemitism. Discover how Jewish luminaries defined Viennese modernity while simultaneously facing an increasingly hostile political and social climate. This episode delves into the genius and the heartbreak of the "Wandering Jews" whose contributions and fates molded and reflected the modern European experience. Links for Additional Reading:Our City! Jewish Vienna - Then to Now, The Vienna Jewish MuseumAmbivalent Modernity: the Jewish Population in Vienna by Albert Lichtblau, Issues in Contemporary Jewish HistoryHow To Deal With Anti-Semitic Legacies And Historically Burdened Places In Public Urban Spaces? The Case Of The Lueger Monument In Vienna, OppAttune

From the misty glens of Scotland to the hidden speakeasies of Prohibition America, Jews have shaped the story of whiskey in surprising ways. In this episode, we trace the historic roots of Jewish involvement in the global whiskey trade, uncover the families and fortunes behind the barrels, and ask a question that blends law and spirit: what blessing do you say over a glass of whiskey? And what famous fictional whiskey Jew was created by James Joyce?Lior Hochberg - a J2 tour educator and travel expert - will share her work as a volunteer and champion of a vocational school for women exiting prostitution and abuse. Her Academy is about empowerment and building expertise through vocational and life training. Listen to Lior and learn more about Her Academy at - https://www.heracademy.org.il/ Links for Additional Reading: The Forgotten History of Jews in the Alcohol Industry, Joel Haber, My Jewish LearningThe History Of Jewish Bootleggers, Leah Siesfeld And Heidi Siesfeld, St Louis LightFrom Bourbon to Bagels in Kentucky, Table Studios

In the Jezreel Valley, a 6th-century synagogue floor reveals a people rooted in their land, inscribing faith into stone. This episode explores how archaeology affirms Jewish indigeneity, why the Binding of Isaac still unsettles us, and what these ancient treasures whisper about return and belonging. Links for Additional Reading:The Beit Alpha Synagoge at Wellesley CollegeThe Beit Alpha Synagogue National ParkJewish Worship, Pagan Symbols, Walter Zanger, Biblical Archeological Society

In this episode of Wandering Jews, we journey to Budapest’s Dohany Synagogue, a stunning landmark that became the architectural blueprint for grand synagogues across Europe and the United States. Built in the Neo-Moorish style, the Dohany reflects a dual vision: a nostalgic nod to the Jewish Golden Age in medieval Spain and a bold architectural statement of Jewish modernity, pride, and belonging in 19th-century Europe. When is a building more than just a pile of bricks?Links for Additional readingTracing the History of Budapest’s Dohany Street Synagogue, Jewish Heritage Europe Moorish Style: Orientalism, the Jews, and Synagogue Architecture, Ivan Davidson KalmaThe Dohany Synagogue: History, Culture, and Sacred Rituals