Episodes

  • Episode 4: The Mad Messiah (Iran and the Ottoman Empire; 1600 - 1700 CE)
    Jul 13 2026

    In this episode, we make a brief pit stop in Safavid Iran, before turning to the Ottoman Empire. We see the first cracks form in the Empire, and watch as power shifts between the sultan, his harem, and his slave soldiers. We take an in-depth look at Jewish life in the Ottoman Empire, and then witness the rise and fall of Shabbetai Tzvi, global celebrity and purported messiah.

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    35 mins
  • Episode 3: Marauders, Money-Lenders and Thieves (Europe; 1600 - 1670 CE)
    Jul 6 2026

    In this episode, we discuss the Khmelnytskyi rebellion, meet both the Court Jews and Betteljuden of Germany, explore Jewish life in Italy, watch the Jews of France and Spain slowly rebuild, and survey the foundling Jewish communities of Scandinavia.

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    35 mins
  • Episode 2: Readmittance (England and the Netherlands; 1640 - 1660 CE)
    Jun 29 2026

    In this episode, we meet the Chief Rabbis of Amsterdam, we hear an explorer's tale of finding ancient Jews in North America, we see the toppling of a king in England, we meet the two men who would go on to overturn the centuries-long ban on Jews in England, and we survey the life of Baruch Spinoza, a controversial secular Jewish figure.

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    33 mins
  • Episode 1: A New Alliance (The Netherlands; 1600 - 1640 CE)
    Jun 22 2026

    In the first episode of Season 5, we explore the foundling Jewish community of Amsterdam, and watch it grow to become one of the most important Jewish communities in the world. We witness the explosion of Protestantism across Europe, and meet Uriel Dacosta, one of the first modern secular Jews.

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    36 mins
  • Episode 0: Season 4 Recap
    Jun 16 2026

    In this episode, we recap Season 4 of the Jewish Story, spanning from the late 15th to the early 17th century. We review the routes of escape for Iberian Jews at the height of the Spanish Inquisition, the massive rescue network of Gracia Mendes, the first Jews to arrive in the New World, the small Jewish communities of the far East and Africa, and the rising Christian antisemitism of late 16th century Europe.

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    15 mins
  • Episode 5: Life in the Colonies (Iraq, the Ottoman Empire, and the Americas; 1600 - 1700 CE)
    Jul 20 2026

    In this episode, we meet the first female rabbi in Jewish history, see the fallout from Shabbetai Tzvi's rise and fall in the Ottoman Empire, explore life in the European colonies of South America and the Caribbean in the 17th century, and meet the first Jews to set foot in North America.

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    30 mins
  • Episode 5: East and West (1500 - 1665 CE)
    Jan 14 2025

    In this episode, we return to India to meet two new groups of Jews who would become prominent populations in Indian society; we travel to China, where we see how Chinese Jews attempted to blend Jewish tradition with Chinese neo-Confuscian culture and philosophy; and we survey the Jews of East and West Africa, and briefly discuss the evidence of Afro-Jewish origin.

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    30 mins
  • Episode 4: The Jews at Court (1555 - 1600 CE)
    Jan 6 2025

    In this episode, we see a new Pope elected, and a new wave of Jewish expulsions sweep across Europe. We follow Gracia and Joseph Nasi to Constantinople, and watch them ascend to great heights within the Ottoman Empire. We see a new Jewish city established in northern Palestine, and learn of the golden age of Kaballah. And we meet the Jewish serving women who became close advisors of some of the most powerful political figures in Ottoman society.

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    38 mins