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  • Janusz Korczak: The Educator who Refused to Abandon his Children in the Holocaust

    Janusz Korczak: The Educator who Refused to Abandon his 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 Min.
  • 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 Min.
  • 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 Min.
  • 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.
  • The JNF Blue Box: A Symbol of Hope, Controversy, and Nation-Building

    The JNF Blue Box: A Symbol of Hope, Controversy, and Nation-Building
    Jun 5 2025
    In this season finale, Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab explore the powerful and surprising story of the Jewish National Fund's iconic blue tzedakah box—also known as the JNF "Blue Box." What began as a nostalgic household object for many Jewish families turns out to be one of the most influential and controversial symbols in modern Zionist history. Discover how this simple tin box, known as a "pushka" in Yiddish, became a global fundraising tool for land purchases in pre-state Israel, helped popularize the holiday of Tu Bishvat, and instilled Zionist values across generations of diaspora Jews—dime by dime. Click here to see a picture of Yael's great grandmother's blue box. Here ⁠is a link to the Blue Box, New Edition, on the JNF's website. Click here to read about the Jewish National Fund in the Encyclopedia Judaica. Click here to read excerpts from Eric Engel Tuten's history of the JNF. Here are links to protests in Canada and Colorado. 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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    53 Min.
  • The Judensau: How Pig Imagery Fueled Centuries of Antisemitism

    The Judensau: How Pig Imagery Fueled Centuries of Antisemitism
    May 29 2025
    This week, Schwab and Yael dive into one of the most disturbing and enduring symbols of antisemitism in European history: the Judensau, or “Jew Pig.” From its origins in 13th-century German churches to its persistent presence in modern cathedrals like those in Cologne and Wittenberg, this grotesque motif—depicting Jews in degrading, obscene interactions with pigs—embodied and perpetuated centuries of Christian antisemitic propaganda. Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at nerds@unpacked.media. Click here for Isaiah Shachar's book, The Judensau. Click here for Daniel Leeson's work on The Judensau. Click here to see images of the Judensau on the church in Wittenberg. Click here for additional images of the Judensau. Click here to see images of the Judensau in Cologne. Click here for a news article about the court order to keep the Judensau in Wittenberg. 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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    42 Min.
  • When Jews Thrived in India: Castes, Coexeistence and the Cochin Copper Plates

    When Jews Thrived in India: Castes, Coexeistence and the Cochin Copper Plates
    May 22 2025
    This week, Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner explore the rich history of some of India’s Jewish communities, including the caste-influenced divisions among the so-called "Black Jews, White Jews, and Brown Jews" of Cochin. Using the Cochin Copper Plates as an entry point, Yael and Schwab explore how Indian Jewish life flourished—largely free of antisemitism—until almost the entire population made Aliyah after 1948. Yael explains that the Cochin (Cranganore) Copper Plates, dating possibly as far back as 1000 CE and inscribed in Tamil, bestowed unique privileges to the Jewish community on India’s Malabar Coast Jews and a Jewish leader named Joseph Rabban. Whether or not you're a "history nerd," you will appreciate this unique story, which reframes what we think of as "Jewish history." Click here or a summary and sources referenced in the episode. Click here to see pictures of the Cochin Copper Plates. 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 Min.
  • Judea Capta: The Romans Coins that Celebrated the Fall of Judea

    Judea Capta: The Romans Coins that Celebrated the Fall of Judea
    May 15 2025
    What can a coin tell us about history, power, and identity? This week, hosts Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner explore the Roman Judea Capta coins—propaganda minted to celebrate Rome’s brutal suppression of the Jewish revolt and the destruction of the Second Temple. Why would a global empire spotlight a small province like Judea on its currency? Schwab unpacks the fascinating world of numismatics, showing how coins served as ancient mass media and a tool for emperors like Vespasian to craft political narratives. This episode dives deep into coins as artifacts, propaganda tools, and symbols of survival and resistance. Click here for a summary and sources referenced in the episode. Click here for images of the Judea Capta Coins. Click here to see images of the Israel Liberata Coin. 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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    31 Min.