{"podcast":{"title":"History for the Curious - The Jewish History Podcast","slug":"history-for-the-curious-the-jewish-history-podcast-4092442","podcast_index_feed_id":4092442,"rss_url":"https://feed.podbean.com/rabbiaubreyhersh/feed.xml","website_url":"https://rabbiauberyhersh.podbean.com","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/11909840/Curious-_podbean78t0s.jpg","author":"JLE","episode_count":200,"summary":"History for the Curious The most talked-about Jewish History Podcast History for the Curious features the dynamic historian and famous tour guide & lecturer: Rabbi Aubrey Hersh, live from Olami UK in London, hosted by myself: Mena Reisner Join us as we cross continents, sail through the centuries, tracing lives, uncovering events and following epic journeys, to reveal the untold stories, the scandals, and the mysteries, that have impacted our history and shaped us into who we are today. Encounter leaders, visionaries, spies, heroes & traitors and unpack 2,000 years of Jewish heritage. Go back to the story of Jews in the Temple of Jerusalem. Confront the dilemmas of the Holocaust. Visit Paris, Prague, Vilna, London, Venice, New York & the Cairo Geniza. Meet The Russian Czar, Ramchal, Maharal, Maimonides, Churchill, Shabbetai Zvi and the Hapsburgs.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-22T02:18:10.907967+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/history-for-the-curious-the-jewish-history-podcast-4092442"},"episode":{"title":"#180: Chanukah - Celebrating the War We Didn't Win?","slug":"180-chanukah-celebrating-the-war-we-didn-t-win","published_at":"2025-12-11T21:00:58+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/history-for-the-curious-the-jewish-history-podcast-4092442/180-chanukah-celebrating-the-war-we-didn-t-win","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/history-for-the-curious-the-jewish-history-podcast-4092442","url":"https://rabbiaubreyhersh.podbean.com/e/180-chanukah-celebrating-the-war-we-didnt-win/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/zisihcc4nc6z9u7s/HC073_-_Ep_180_-_Chanuka_Assembled_mixdown88gg8.mp3","summary":"Chanukah is central to our Jewish Calendar and way of life, but there are many unanswered questions: Why celebrate defeat? What was the real role of Kohanim during the Second Temple? Why was this Yomtov chosen to reflect the ultimate ideal ? Tracing the story from Alexander the Great and Shimon HaTzaddik through the corruption of the Second Temple and the rise of Hellenism, the podcast redefines the central idea of Chanukah - the only festival established by the Sages post-prophecy Connecting the ancient clash of civilizations to the battles which echo down through Russia, America and Eretz Yisrael; It defines Who is a Jew. Timestamps [0:00:00] Introduction to Greek Exile and Historical Context [0:01:07] Podcast Dedication and Welcome [0:02:05] Setting Up the Hanukkah Discussion [0:04:13] Questioning the Purpose of Hanukkah Celebration [0:14:44] Historical Prequel: Alexander the Great and Shimon HaTzadik [0:22:49] Corruption of the Priesthood [0:26:38] Empire Dynamics After Alexander [0:31:05] Jewish Attraction to Greek Culture [0:40:41] The Spiritual Victory of Hanukkah [0:49:26] Comparing Purim and Hanukkah [0:50:44] Conclusion and Podcast Wrap-up","meta_description":"Chanukah is central to our Jewish Calendar and way of life, but there are many unanswered questions: Why celebrate defeat? What was the real role of Kohan…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3061,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/history-for-the-curious-the-jewish-history-podcast-4092442/episodes/180-chanukah-celebrating-the-war-we-didn-t-win/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/history-for-the-curious-the-jewish-history-podcast-4092442/180-chanukah-celebrating-the-war-we-didn-t-win.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}