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What happens when geopolitics holds up the esrog? From ancient battles to Cold War secrets, Gedalia Guttentag reveals the extraordinary story of how the arba minim made their way to Jewish hands.

A kidnapped 10th-century Torah scholar, Novardok meets Slabodka, and a million Israelis saying Selichos — what connects them all?

The Left gave birth to Israel. So how and why did the Democrats and Labour Party of old, give us Zohran Mamdani and Jeremy Corbyn?   In Episode 21 of Behind the Times, Gedalia Guttentag explores how the Western Left went from supporting the creation of Israel to producing some of its Jewish state’s most vocal critics. What changed — and how did we get from there to here?

The Alter of Novardok on finding who we are really, beyond the seder, the chavrusa, and the framework.

How did an American diplomat become a Jewish convert, a Jerusalem pioneer, and the subject of a sensational insanity

The tangible soil of Har Habayis tells a story of longing, and Tisha B'Av redemption.

As Nevuchsdnezzar closed in, were these the final words of a doomed commander?

As America retreats, Israel's enemies plot to isolate it by reviving an Ottoman railway. What is the battle of trains now underway in the Middle East?

The urge to kick a ball is ancient — but what did both the Talmud Yerushalmi and Rav Shach have to say about sports obsession?

Built by knights, seized and retaken by the IDF, what is the secret of Lebanon's Crusader castle? Join Gedalia Guttentag as he explores the history, mystery, and strategic importance of Lebanon’s famed Crusader fortress.

After the Yom Kippur War, a collection of Israeli tinkerers and visionaries pioneered unmanned warfare - so why was the IDF caught unawares by Hezbollah's deadly drones?  Gedalia Guttentag breaks it down in this week's episode.

In the summer of 1929, two worlds met as German Orthodox rabbis journeyed across Eastern Europe’s Torah centers. Join Rabbi Efraim Zalman Galinsky and Gedalia Guttentag as they explore an encounter that foreshadowed the Torah world that would later rise from the ashes.

From Frankfurt to Rhodes, Jewish communities that have faced destruction and were rescued at the last minute went on to celebrate their salavation through a local Purim. Join Rabbi Ephraim Zalman Galinsky and Gedalia Guttentag on a tour through the halachic meaning and liturgical innovations of Purim Sheini.

As claims of Jewish control over America’s president go mainstream, echoes of the medieval blood libel return. How did the Rishonim respond to the libels of their day, and what might Rav Elchonon Wasserman have said about today’s far-right resurgence?

Baron Wilhelm (Shimon Wolf) von Rothschild: a Rothschild who chose an Orthodox life, backed yeshivas, advised emperors — and met a tragic end. Rabbi Efraim Zalman Galinsky and Gedalia Guttentag uncover his remarkable story.