One of the most notable and tragic events in our history was the killing of ten great Jewish leaders by the Romans in a tragedy known as the Asara Harugei Malchut  - The Ten Martyrs. Learn about the tragic story of the Ten Martyrs, the historical background and the controversy around its historical accuracy.

Torah Cafe

The Ten Martyrs

The first major fall of Jerusalem was at the hands of the Babylonian Emperor Nebuchadnezzar about 2,500 years ago. When Jerusalem was captured, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the first Temple built by King Solomon and exiled the people to Babylon.  Learn about the story of the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar based on the story of the prophet Jerimiah who witnessed the destruction.

The Fall of Jerusalem

After leading the People of Israel for 40 years, G-d told Moses and Aaron that they will die in the desert and not get to lead the people into the Promised Land. However, the Torah does not make it clear what they did wrong to deserve such a harsh punishment. Some resolutions to the big riddle of of why Moses and Aaron did not enter the Promised Land

Why did Moses and Aaron not enter the Promised Land?

People often make commitments that they have no intention of keeping or sometimes circumstances change and keeping a commitment is no longer realistic. How important is it to always keep your commitment? Under what circumstances can you break a commitment? A fascinating discussion about the ethics of keeping your commitment.

When must you keep your word?

One of the greatest tragedies to befall our people prior to the Holocaust was the Crusades who destroyed countless thriving Jewish communities as they marched across Europe. Listen to the tragic story of the Crusades and the horrific destruction that they caused.

The Crusades

In 1927, the previous Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson of Lubavitch was arrested in the Soviet Union for his work in keeping Judaism alive in the Soviet Union. After almost four weeks in prison, he was miraculously released and shortly after allowed to leave the Soviet Union. Listen to the story of the arrest and imprisonment of the Rebbe.

The Rebbe in Soviet Prison

Our kitchen and our diets have evolved dramatically from the days when the only appliance in the kitchen was an oven and grocery stores only carries flour, sugar, oil and salt. As our food preparation and consumption evolved, the kosher kitchen evolved with it. A talk about the basics of a kosher kitchen, what makes it kosher and how to balance the milk and meat in the kitchen.

The Making of the Modern Kosher Kitchen

The Rebbe was one of the most influential leaders and greatest Jewish teachers in history. The Rebbe inspired millions with life changing teachings to change their communities and the world around them.  Discover 5 life-changing teachings of the Rebbe.

5 Life-Changing Teachings of the Rebbe

Central to Jewish life and practice today is the 'Rabbi'. Did Judaism always have rabbis? Was Moses a rabbi? When did rabbis begin and how did the position evolve?  What is the role of a rabbi? Are there different types and status among rabbis? Learn about what makes someone a rabbi, what the rabbi's role is and how the position evolved over the past 3,000 years.

Was Moses a Rabbi?

King Saul was the first King of Israel who reigned almost 3,000 years ago. He began his short reign as a promising monarch who united Israel into a functioning kingdom but things quickly went sour.

The Story of King Saul

Moses led the 12 tribes of Israel out of Egypt and to the promised land. But over 2,500 years ago, 10 of the tribes were exiled from Israel leaving only 2 tribes behind in Israel. Where did the 10 tribes go? What happened to them? Where are they today?

What Happened to the Ten Lost Tribes?

Karma is a popular Hindu belief that every action has a direct consequence, which will come to fruition and impact us in either this life or a future life. Does Judaism believe in Karma? Do we believe that all actions have direct consequences on our lives? Do we believe that we can see things that happen to us through the lens of our previous actions? A discussion of the Jewish perspective on the principle of Karma.

Do Jews Believe in Karma?

A central Jewish belief is that G-d communicated his instructions to us through the Torah. But does G-d really speak to people? What is talking to G-d like? How does someone know if G-d is talking to them? Does G-d speak to people today? A discussion talk about the Jewish belief in G-d communicating with humans and how it works.

Does G-d really speak to people?

The festival of Shavuot marks the date when G-d 'gave' our ancestors the Torah at Mt. Sinai. What exactly does 'Giving the Torah' mean? What happened? What did we receive? How did it happen? A discussion of the full story of the giving of the Torah, how it happened and what it means.

How did G-d 'Give' us the Torah?

The first book of our Oral Torah is the Mishnah which stands at the center of all Jewish law and teachings and is one of the most important texts in Judaism. A discussion about who wrote the Mishnah, how it was written, what it contains and how it is studied today.

The Mishnah

A discussion on a topic from the week's Parsha covering many important parts of Judaism that are not regularly addressed.

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Torah Cafe

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