Best Joshua Gross Podcasts (2024)

1
Avi Shlaim, "Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew" (Oneworld, 2024) 1:01:37

38m ago1:01:37

1:01:37

In July 1950, Avi Shlaim, only five, and his family were forced into exile, fleeing from their beloved Iraq into the new state of Israel. Now the rump of a once flourishing community of over 150,000, dating back 2,600 years, has dwindled to single figures. For many, this tells the story of the timeless clash of the Arab and Jewish civilisations, th…

1
Jonathan A. Allan, "Uncut: A Cultural Analysis of the Foreskin" (U Regina Press, 2024) 32:51

11m ago32:51

32:51

The “uncut” penis is viewed by some as attractive or erotic, and by others as ugly or undesirable. Secular parents of male infants worry about whether or not the foreskin should be removed so their little boy can grow up to “look like dad” or to avoid imagined bullying in the locker room. Medical experts and public health organisations argue back a…

1
Ep. 23 - David Zetter Reveals the Art of Negotiating with Health Insurers 49:40

1d ago49:40

49:40

Meredith Hirsh interviews healthcare business expert and top health insurance negotiator David Zetter who shares how he found his way working in this $4.5 trillion a year sector. He divulges the possibility of negotiating with health insurers and which items are up for grabs. David then offers advice on how healthcare entities can get started in th…

1
Vicente Dobroruka, "Second Temple Pseudepigraphy: A Cross-cultural Comparison of Apocalyptic Texts and Related Jewish Literature" (de Gruyter, 2014) 1:21:28

5d ago1:21:28

1:21:28

At this point of the scholarly debate on the nature of Second Temple pseudepigraphy, one may ask why another look at the problem is needed. Second Temple Pseudepigraphy: A Cross-cultural Comparison of Apocalyptic Texts and Related Jewish Literature (de Gruyter, 2014) is not the definitive answer to that problem but it proposes different paths - or …

1
Dominick Hernández, "The Prosperity of the Wicked: A Theological Challenge in the Book of Job and in Ancient Near Eastern Literature" (Gorgias Press, 2022) 23:05

10d ago23:05

23:05

Does Job convincingly argue against a fixed system of just retribution by proclaiming the prosperity of the wicked, an argument that runs contrary to traditional biblical and ancient Near Eastern wisdom? Addressing this question, Dominick Hernández gives careful consideration to the rhetoric, imagery, and literary devices used to treat the issue of…

1
Ep. 22 - Wendell Potter: Health Insurance Insider Turned Activist 48:46

8d ago48:46

48:46

Meredith Hirsh begins by asking Wendell Potter to describe the executive-level positions he held at Humana and Cigna. Whistleblower, activist and best-selling author, Wendell sheds light on the insurance industry’s manipulative tactics. He then describes the grandiosity in which health insurance executives live and travel before he exposes strategi…

1
Steven T. Katz, "The Holocaust and New World Slavery: A Comparative History, Volume 2" (Cambridge UP, 2019) 54:28

10d ago54:28

54:28

The Holocaust and New World Slavery: Volume 2 (Cambridge UP, 2019) second volume of the first, in-depth comparison of the Holocaust and new world slavery. Providing a reliable view of the relevant issues, and based on a broad and comprehensive set of data and evidence, Steven T. Katz analyses the fundamental differences between the two systems and …

1
Hélène Jawhara Piñer, "Matzah and Flour: Recipes from the History of the Sephardic Jews" (Cherry Orchard, 2024) 47:16

10d ago47:16

47:16

From Hélène Jawhara Piñer, Gourmand World Cookbook Award-winning author of Sephardi: Cooking the History, comes a collection of 125 meticulously crafted recipes showcasing the enduring flavors that define Sephardic culinary heritage. Matzah and Flour: Recipes from the History of the Sephardic Jews (Cherry Orchard Books, 2024) offers a tantalizing e…

1
Shared Paths: Exploring Jewish and Muslim Experiences in America 41:42

13d ago41:42

41:42

This week on International Horizons, John Torpey, Director of the Ralph Bunche Institute, speaks with sociologists Mucahit Bilici and Samuel Heilman about their book, Following Similar Paths: What Jews and Muslims Can Learn From One Another (University of California Press, 2024). Bilici and Heilman explore how Judaism and Islam, as minority religio…

1
Peter Joshua Atkins, "The Animalising Affliction of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4: Reading Across the Human-Animal Boundary" (Bloomsbury, 2022) 44:42

14d ago44:42

44:42

The Animalising Affliction of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4: Reading Across the Human-Animal Boundary (Bloomsbury, 2022) is a detailed investigation into the nature of Nebuchadnezzar's animalising affliction in Daniel 4 and the degree to which he is depicted as actually becoming an animal. Peter Atkins examines two predominant lines of interpretation:…

1
Rachel O'Sullivan, "Nazi Germany, Annexed Poland and Colonial Rule: Resettlement, Germanization and Population Policies in Comparative Perspective" (Bloomsbury, 2023) 1:03:05

14d ago1:03:05

1:03:05

Nazi Germany, Annexed Poland and Colonial Rule: Resettlement, Germanization and Population Policies in Comparative Perspective (Bloomsbury, 2023) examines Nazi Germany's expansion, population management and establishment of a racially stratified society within the Reichsgaue (Reich Districts) of Wartheland and Danzig-West Prussia in annexed Poland …

1
Ep. 21 - Emily Graham: Creating Regulatory Change 42:02

15d ago42:02

42:02

In this episode, Meredith Hirsh takes a deep dive into regulatory changes within Medicare and our healthcare system. She interviews Emily Graham who works with a diverse range of medical organizations on complex challenges that impact the quality and delivery of healthcare. Emily clarifies the differences between regulatory and legislative issues. …

1
Simcha Gross, "Babylonian Jews and Sasanian Imperialism in Late Antiquity" (Cambridge UP, 2024) 1:14:22

15d ago1:14:22

1:14:22

From the image offered by the Babylonian Talmud, Jewish elites were deeply embedded within the Sasanian Empire (224-651 CE). The Talmud is replete with stories and discussions that feature Sasanian kings, Zoroastrian magi, fire temples, imperial administrators, Sasanian laws, Persian customs, and more quotidian details of Jewish life. Yet, in the s…

1
Ora Horn Prouser et al., "Under One Tent: Circus, Judaism, and Bible" (Ben Yehuda Press, 2023) 1:03:48

16d ago1:03:48

1:03:48

The study of Jewish text, over two millennia, has traditionally taken place in the Bet Midrash (the communal study hall), sitting at a table or desk. Studying the Bible has been a project of thinking, talking, contemplative reflection, and debate. There are other ways. Dr. Ora Horn Prouser, Cantor Michael Kasper, and circus artist and choreographer…

1
Aliza Arzt, "Turning the Pages: Conversations Through Time with Rabbi Isador Signer" (Ben Yehuda Press, 2024) 1:16:01

17d ago1:16:01

1:16:01

Today I talked to Aliza Arzt about Turning the Pages: Conversations Through Time with Rabbi Isador Signer (Ben Yehuda Press, 2024) In 1924, Rabbi Isidor Signer was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City. He had been born in Romania and raised in Montreal. He would go on to lead congregations in Bethlehem, Pennsylvan…

1
Judaism is About Love: A Discussion with Shai Held 34:53

19d ago34:53

34:53

A dramatic misinterpretation of the Jewish tradition has shaped the history of the West: Christianity is the religion of love, and Judaism the religion of law. In the face of centuries of this widespread misrepresentation, Rabbi Shai Held―one of the most important Jewish thinkers in America today―recovers the heart of the Jewish tradition, offering…

1
Tikva Hecht, "Tashlikh" (Ben Yehuda Press, 2024) 48:13

20d ago48:13

48:13

Poetry is a commentary on life, on the human longing to find shelter in a space where the spiritual and the physical, the holy and the profane meet. For thousands of years, the exploration of text, of words, of what was not said between the lines has been a creative and meaning-making outlet for Jewish scholars and artists. With Tashlikh (Ben Yehud…

1
Ep. 20 - Ethel Owen: History of NORM and 2024 Recap 46:08

22d ago46:08

46:08

Meredith Hirsh sits down with past president and one of NORM’s first attendees, Ethel Owen. Ethel provides insight into how CSRO and NORM were formed and the importance of joining similar types of healthcare advocacy organizations. She then shares data on NORM’s growth and its efforts to provide educational resources. Meredith and Ethel get honest …

1
Jamie Michaels and Doug Fedrau, "Christie Pits" (Dirty Water Comics, 2019) 48:09

23d ago48:09

48:09

A gritty ride through Toronto's immigrant neighbourhoods, Christie Pits (Dirty Water Comics, 2019) tells the incredible true story of when young Jewish and Italian immigrants squared off against Nazi-inspired thugs on the streets of Toronto. This is the history of a gruff and unrecognizable Canada - one of 'swastika clubs' and public bigotry.A home…

1
Anat Geva, "The Architecture of Modern American Synagogues, 1950s-1960s" (Texas A&M UP, 2023) 53:52

26d ago53:52

53:52

Today I talked to Anat Geva about The Architecture of Modern American Synagogues, 1950s-1960s (Texas A&M UP, 2023). There is no one mandate on how to build the exterior of a synagogue - something that I don't think I ever thought about, yet it was something that Professor Anat Geva focused on. Famous architects of different backgrounds built the sy…

1
Robert Rozett, "Conscripted Slaves: Hungarian Jewish Forced Laborers on the Eastern Front During the Second World War" (Yad Vashem, 2014) 1:03:00

29d ago1:03:00

1:03:00

From the spring of 1942 until the summer of 1944, some 45,000 Jewish men were forced to accompany Hungarian troops to the battle zone of the Soviet Union. Some 80% of the Jewish forced laborers never returned home. They fell prey to battle, starvation, disease, and grinding labor, aggravated immensely by brutality and even outright murder at the ha…

1
Naomi Seidman, "In the Freud Closet: Psychoanalysis and Jewish Languages" (Stanford UP, 2024) 1:13:30

28d ago1:13:30

1:13:30

There is an academic cottage industry on the "Jewish Freud," aiming to detect Jewish influences on Freud, his own feelings about being Jewish, and suppressed traces of Jewishness in his thought. In Translating the Jewish Freud: Psychoanalysis in Hebrew and Yiddish (Stanford University Press, 2024), Naomi Seidman takes a different approach, turning …

1
Shalva Weil, "The Baghdadi Jews in India: Maintaining Communities, Negotiating Identities and Creating Super-Diversity" (Routledge, 2021) 43:43

28d ago43:43

43:43

Speaking with Professor Shalva Weil, one receives a glimpse into the wider world. Through her family ties, her personal journeys, and her research, she has gained, and shares, an understanding of the unique nature and histories of different groups. In this interview she shared the significance of a Jewish community that lasted less than 200 years b…

1
Ep. 19 - Matt Gracey: Detailing Medical Malpractice Insurance 51:22

29d ago51:22

51:22

Join Meredith Hirsh in the studio for a sit-down interview with Matt Gracey. Originally planning a career in law, Matt changed course and joined his family’s boutique insurance company. He delves into the nuances of medical malpractice and Florida’s unique structure. Learn from an insurance expert on required business insurances and best practices.…

1
Steven T. Katz, "The Holocaust and New World Slavery: A Comparative History" (Cambridge UP, 2019) 58:08

1M ago58:08

58:08

The Holocaust and New World Slavery: A Comparative History (Cambridge UP, 2019) offers the first, in-depth comparison of the Holocaust and new world slavery. Providing a reliable view of the relevant issues, and based on a broad and comprehensive set of data and evidence, Steven Katz analyzes the fundamental differences between the two systems and …

1
Estelle Tarica, "Holocaust Consciousness and Cold War Violence in Latin America" (SUNY Press, 2022) 1:05:59

1M ago1:05:59

1:05:59

Holocaust Consciousness and Cold War Violence in Latin America (SUNY Press, 2022) proposes the existence of a recognizably distinct Holocaust consciousness in Latin America since the 1970s. Community leaders, intellectuals, writers, and political activists facing state repression have seen themselves reflected in Holocaust histories and have used H…

1
Waitman Wade Beorn, "Between the Wires: The Janowska Camp and the Holocaust in Lviv" (U Nebraska Press, 2024) 1:28:36

1M ago1:28:36

1:28:36

Waitman Wade Beorn's book Between the Wires: The Janowska Camp and the Holocaust in Lviv (University of Nebraska Press, 2024) tells for the first time the history of the Janowska camp in Lviv, Ukraine. Located in a city with the third-largest ghetto in Nazi-occupied Europe, Janowska remains one of the least-known sites of the Holocaust, despite bei…

1
Zeev Levin, "Collectivization and Social Engineering: Soviet Administration and the Jews of Uzbekistan, 1917-1939" (Brill, 2015) 1:23:49

1M ago1:23:49

1:23:49

In Collectivization and Social Engineering: Soviet Administration and the Jews of Uzbekistan, 1917-1939 (Brill, 2015), Zeev Levin seeks to provide a comprehensive picture of government efforts to socialize the Jewish masses in Uzbekistan, a process in which the central Soviet government took part, together with the local, republican and regional ad…

1
Ep. 18 - Jeremy Cohen Breaks Down Health, life and cyber insurance 54:54

1M ago54:54

54:54

Join Meredith Hirsh in the studio for an in-depth interview with Jeremy Cohen. Jeremy shares his industry knowledge of health, life and cyber insurance. With the average cost of health insurance increasing, learn what options are best. Jeremy reveals the employer’s responsibility if providing health insurance and provides insight into how employers…

1
Francesco Lotoro, "The Lost Music of the Holocaust: Bringing the Music of the Camps to the Ears of the World at Last" (Headline, 2024) 1:31:55

1M ago1:31:55

1:31:55

Scores sewn into coat linings, instruments hidden in suitcases, sheet music stashed among dirty laundry, concertos written on discarded food wrappers - these are just some of the ingenious ways prisoners in civilian, political and military captivity from 1933 to 1953 protected their music in the darkest of times. Italian pianist and composer France…

1
Hannan Hever, "Hebrew Literature and the 1948 War: Essays on Philology and Responsibility" (Brill, 2019) 1:22:15

1M ago1:22:15

1:22:15

Hebrew Literature and the 1948 War: Essays on Philology and Responsibility (Brill, 2019) is the first book-length study that examines the conspicuous absence of the Palestinian Nakba in modern Hebrew literature. Through a rigorous reading of canonical Hebrew literary texts, the author addresses the general failure of Hebrew literature to take respo…

1
Shane Burley and Ben Lorber, "Safety through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism" (Melville House, 2024) 1:10:01

1M ago1:10:01

1:10:01

Antisemitism is on the rise today. From synagogue shootings by white nationalists, to right-wing politicians and media figures pushing George Soros conspiracy theories, it’s clear that exclusionary nationalist movements are growing. By spreading division and fear, they put Jews, along with other marginalized groups and multiracial democracy itself,…

1
Tom Navon, "Radical Assimilation in the Face of the Holocaust: Otto Heller (1897–1945)" (SUNY Press, 2024) 1:03:59

1M ago1:03:59

1:03:59

This book explores the confrontation of radically assimilated Jews with the violent collapse of their envisioned integration into a cosmopolitan European society, which culminated during the Holocaust. This confrontation is examined through the biography of the German-speaking intellectual and prominent communist theoretician of the Jewish question…

1
William H. F. Altman, "The German Stranger: Leo Strauss and National Socialism" (Lexington Books, 2010) 2:12:04

1M ago2:12:04

2:12:04

Leo Strauss was a German-Jewish emigrant to the United States, an author, professor and political philosopher. Born in 1899 in Kirchhain in the Kingdom of Prussia to an observant Jewish family, Strauss received his doctorate from the University of Hamburg in 1921, and began his scholarly work in the 1920s, as well as participating in the German Zio…

1
Seth J. Frantzman, "The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza" (Wicked Son, 2024) 39:03

1M ago39:03

39:03

A harrowing account on the frontlines of the war between Israel and Hamas, The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (Wicked Son, 2024) War tells the story of how Hamas surprised Israel with its deadly attack, killing more than 1,000 people and kidnapping more than 250. With unparalleled access to the Israeli soldiers and units that f…

1
Ep. 17 - Stacey Busch Explains Health Insurance 50:11

1M ago50:11

50:11

Join Meredith Hirsh as she sits down for a candid interview with Stacey Busch to dissect health insurance options. Discover the differences between Traditional Medicare and any Medicare Advantage plan. Stacey explains the difference between name brand, generic and biosimilar drugs so you can make an educated decision. Learn from a healthcare vetera…

1
Sivan Zakai and Matt Reingold, "Teaching Israel: Studies of Pedagogy from the Field" (Brandeis UP, 2023) 41:38

2M ago41:38

41:38

Today I talked to Sivan Zakai and Matt Reingold's their book Teaching Israel: Studies of Pedagogy from the Field (Brandeis UP, 2023). In this discussion we discuss best teaching practices for Israel Incorporating Israel educators from inner-city nontraditional college classrooms, the US marine core university, Jewish day school high schools and pre…

1
Aviad Moreno, "Entwined Homelands, Empowered Diasporas: Hispanic Moroccan Jews and Their Globalizing Community" (Indiana UP, 2024) 1:01:42

2M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

Dr. Aviad Moreno is himself an incarnation of entwined homelands. He is an Israeli whose grandfather moved from Morocco to Venezuela, sent his son back to Morocco to study. The family hailed from Spain before the Exile in 1492 only to maintain much of the Spanish language and character. These migrations create a unique diaspora for the Jews of nort…

1
Katharine J. Dell, "The Lord by Wisdom Founded the Earth" (Baylor UP, 2023) 16:06

2M ago16:06

16:06

The foundation of the earth, its division from the heavens and the waters, God's provision of all of nature as well as human and animal life, God's relationship to the world, and the ethics and morality of our human response; these key themes, related to both creation and covenant, emerge from the Wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible. In her recen…

1
Marilynne Robinson, "Reading Genesis" (FSG, 2024) 33:06

2M ago33:06

33:06

For generations, the book of Genesis has been treated by scholars as a collection of documents by various hands, expressing different factional interests, with borrowings from other ancient literatures that mark the text as derivative. In other words, academic interpretation of Genesis has centered on the question of its basic coherency, just as fu…

1
Geoffrey D. Claussen, "Modern Musar: Contested Virtues in Jewish Thought" (Jewish Publication Society, 2022) 38:02

2M ago38:02

38:02

Today I talked to Geoffrey D. Claussen about Modern Musar: Contested Virtues in Jewish Thought (Jewish Publication Society, 2022). How do modern Jews understand virtues such as courage, humility, justice, solidarity, or love? In truth: they have fiercely debated how to interpret them. This groundbreaking anthology of musar (Jewish traditions regard…

1
Ep. 16 - From Pharmacy to Public Health: Dr. Joshua Lenchus’s Journey and Insights 51:01

2M ago51:01

51:01

Join Meredith Hirsh in this episode of Working Healthcare as she dives deep with Dr. Joshua Lenchus, a pharmacist turned physician and now Medical Director at Aetna. Discover how his unique path—from community college to leading health systems—has shaped his approach to healthcare. Dr. Lenchus shares candid insights on the evolving roles in medicin…

1
Yaacob Dweck, "Dissident Rabbi: The Life of Jacob Sasportas" (Princeton UP, 2019) 54:07

2M ago54:07

54:07

In 1665, Sabbetai Zevi, a self-proclaimed Messiah with a mass following throughout the Ottoman Empire and Europe, announced that the redemption of the world was at hand. As Jews everywhere rejected the traditional laws of Judaism in favor of new norms established by Sabbetai Zevi, and abandoned reason for the ecstasy of messianic enthusiasm, one ma…

1
Jeremy Salamon, "Second Generation: 100 Hungarian and Jewish Classics Reimagined for the Modern Table" (Harvest Publications, 2024) 48:58

2M ago48:58

48:58

From Jeremy Salamon the chef and owner of Agi’s Counter in Brooklyn comes 100 classic Hungarian and Jewish recipes reinvented for a new generation – Second Generation: Hungarian and Jewish Classics Reimagined for the Modern Table (Harvest Publications, 2024). Salamon speaks to New Books Network, talking about the inspiration that came from growing …

1
Naomi Leite, "Unorthodox Kin: Portuguese Marranos and the Global Search for Belonging" (U California Press, 2017) 1:31:07

2M ago1:31:07

1:31:07

Unorthodox Kin: Portuguese Marranos and the Global Search for Belonging (U California Press, 2017) is a lively, readable exploration of "chosen" identity, kin, and community in a global era. Anthropologist Naomi Leite examines the complexity of how we know ourselves -- who we "really" are -- and how we recognize others as strangers or kin through t…

1
Oren Kroll-Zeldin, "Unsettled: American Jews and the Movement for Justice in Palestine" (NYU Press, 2024) 1:07:05

2M ago1:07:05

1:07:05

Unsettled: American Jews and the Movement for Justice in Palestine (NYU Press, 2024) digs into the experiences of young Jewish Americans who engage with the Palestine solidarity movement and challenge the staunch pro-Israel stance of mainstream Jewish American institutions. The book explores how these activists address Israeli government policies o…

1
Dan Stone, "Fate Unknown: Tracing the Missing after World War II and the Holocaust" (Oxford UP, 2023) 1:09:27

2M ago1:09:27

1:09:27

In Fate Unknown: Tracing the Missing after World War II and the Holocaust (Oxford University Press, 2023), Dan Stone tells the story of the last great unknown archive of Nazism, the International Tracing Service. Set up by the Allies at the end of World War II, the ITS has worked until today to find missing persons and to aid survivors with restitu…

1
Cary Nelson, "Hate Speech and Academic Freedom: The Antisemitic Assault on Basic Principles" (Academic Studies Press, 2024) 40:42

2M ago40:42

40:42

Completed shortly before Hamas carried out its barbaric October massacre, Cary Nelson's Hate Speech and Academic Freedom: The Antisemitic Assault on Basic Principles (Academic Studies Press, 2024) takes up issues that have consequently gained new urgency in the academy worldwide. It is the first book to ask what impact antisemitism has had on the f…

1
Ep. 15 - From Classroom to Capitol Hill: Navigating Healthcare with Brad Traverse 44:03

2M ago44:03

44:03

Meredith Hirsh sits down with Brad Traverse, a former high school teacher turned legislative aide, now a key player in healthcare policy in Washington, D.C. Discover how Brad transitioned from teaching English in Arizona to shaping healthcare policy on Capitol Hill. Learn about the inner workings of healthcare legislation, the importance of network…

1
Ronnie Grinberg, "Write like a Man: Jewish Masculinity and the New York Intellectuals" (Princeton UP, 2024) 56:06

2M ago56:06

56:06

In the years following World War II, the New York intellectuals became some of the most renowned critics and writers in the country. Although mostly male and Jewish, this prominent group also included women and non-Jews. Yet all of its members embraced a secular Jewish machismo that became a defining characteristic of the contemporary experience. W…

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