Episodes

  • The Rosenbergs: "Atomic Spies" or Scapegoats? The Jewish Community’s Reckoning

    The Rosenbergs: "Atomic Spies" or Scapegoats? The Jewish Community’s Reckoning
    Feb 19 2026
    In 1953, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were sent to the electric chair. They were condemned by a Jewish judge, and executed on a Friday night. The charge: espionage. The backdrop: Cold War hysteria. This week, Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab reframe the story. Yael explores the Jewish response to the Rosenberg trial and the tensions it revealed within the American Jewish community. Sources and summary: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ryhznJ81I9DdIzLmqnvE8NzyAGJlsFfPXYfVUVCAoQo/edit?usp=sharing Watch Yael and Schwab on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠: Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at nerds@unpacked.media. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews
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    48 mins
  • Meet the First Jewish Woman to Publish a Book: Rivka Tiktiner

    Meet the First Jewish Woman to Publish a Book: Rivka Tiktiner
    Feb 12 2026
    In 1609, Rivka Tiktiner did something no Jewish woman had ever done before: she published a book. Meneket Rivka, printed in Prague, is the earliest surviving full-length work by a Jewish woman—written in Yiddish yet steeped in serious Torah scholarship. This week on Jewish History Nerds, Jonathan Schwab introduces Yael Steiner to this little-known trailblazer as they explore her legacy—and wrestle with the challenge of applying modern ideas about feminism to a woman from the 16th century. For a brief summary and sources on Rivka Tiktiner, click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UTdUQXea7MSiNnDRv5Z4YHuodJ38Au7iiSA2UuMexj8/edit?usp=sharing Watch Yael and Schwab on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠: Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at nerds@unpacked.media. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews
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    41 mins
  • Leon Trotsky: The Jewish Revolutionary in Stalin’s Shadow

    Leon Trotsky: The Jewish Revolutionary in Stalin’s Shadow
    Feb 5 2026
    Leon Trotsky’s name gets thrown around a lot—but the story behind it is darker and stranger than most realize. This week, Yael Steiner walks Schwab through Trotsky’s rise from an assimilated Jewish childhood in Ukraine to revolution, Lenin’s inner circle, and the founding of the Red Army. From a revealing stint in New York to the brutal realities of Soviet power, Trotsky embraces total revolution—only to be outmaneuvered by Stalin. The story ends in exile, assassination, and a Jewish identity he tried to erase but never escaped. For a brief summary of Leon Trotsky, click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z7QQuewJIw9haXdJMWPsE1BLYoq0uSb9_DJsBoO6r98/edit?usp=sharing Watch Yael and Schwab on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠: Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at nerds@unpacked.media. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews
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    46 mins
  • Secret Jews: Samuel Schwarz’s Discovery of Portugal’s Crypto-Jews

    Secret Jews: Samuel Schwarz’s Discovery of Portugal’s Crypto-Jews
    Jan 29 2026
    This week, Jewish History Nerds explores the extraordinary story of Portugal’s secret Jews—families forced into hiding who preserved Judaism for centuries after the Inquisition. Through Samuel Schwarz’s accidental 1925 discovery, Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner reveal whispered prayers, hidden rituals, and a Jewish life sustained entirely underground—and reflect on what it takes to carry Jewish identity forward when faith must be practiced in secret. Plus: Don’t miss Schwab’s thoughts on his least favorite couple of all time. For more on Samuel Schwarz and the discovery of the Crypto-Jews of Portugal, click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cgXAN6EiJRw9qWGHeR_QeTDGMn10LutLXUZqo1iod-4/edit?usp=sharing Watch Yael and Schwab on ⁠YouTube⁠: Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at nerds@unpacked.media. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews
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    44 mins
  • Janusz Korczak: The Educator who Refused to Abandon Children in the Holocaust

    Janusz Korczak: The Educator who Refused to Abandon Children in the Holocaust
    Jan 22 2026
    Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab are back for a new season of Jewish History Nerds, starting with the remarkable story of Janusz Korczak—the Jewish-Polish pediatrician and educator who insisted children are full human beings, not “human becomings.” Korczak pioneered radical ideas about children’s rights, dignity, and autonomy, building orphanages where children governed themselves and were treated as moral equals. The episode explores his complex Polish-Jewish identity and lasting influence on child psychology—before confronting the ultimate test of his philosophy during the Holocaust, when Korczak refused multiple chances to escape and instead accompanied 200 Jewish orphans from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka. For more on Janusz Korczak and this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NAb5Zxas4SipmAP9M7X5NPWPOIE_tqeJvGjTNTbOTVk/edit?usp=sharing Watch Yael and Schwab on YouTube: Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at nerds@unpacked.media. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews
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    45 mins
  • Jewish History Nerds is BACK on January 22nd!

    Jewish History Nerds is BACK on January 22nd!
    Jan 15 2026
    Jewish History Nerds is back for Season 6! Hosts Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner return with a new slate of smart, engaging stories from Jewish history—blending deep research with curiosity, humor, and lively conversation. Each week, they take turns exploring a fascinating figure or moment, asking big questions, learning together, and inviting listeners into the journey. This season spans famous and forgotten Jews across eras and regions, with surprising stories you’ve likely never heard before. New episodes drop weekly, and Jewish History Nerds is now on YouTube. Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at nerds@unpacked.media. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews
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    3 mins
  • Revisiting Hebrew Hammer: The True Story of Hannukah

    Revisiting Hebrew Hammer: The True Story of Hannukah
    Dec 18 2025
    Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025⁠⁠ Season 5 is coming soon. In the meantime, to celebrate Hanukkah, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from our very first season. Ah, Chanukah. That festive time of year where we light candles, indulge in fried foods, and celebrate… a brutal civil war? Join Yael and Schwab as they complicate the story we all thought we knew. What did the Maccabees really fight for? How should we feel about their legacy? And who is Helen? For more on Hanukkah, Judah Maccabee, and this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19vHg-inRureVw3AlW2UA_uyUYMH12HH5qjvkXrMf_h4/edit?usp=sharing Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at nerds@unpacked.media. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews
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    33 mins
  • Listener Survey is Here

    Listener Survey is Here
    Jun 12 2025
    This survey has expired. Thanks for listening and see you next season.
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    1 min