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Join Rabbi Dr. Mitchell Rocklin as he guides listeners through the grand history of Western civilization. This series will examine the great thinkers, key texts, important leaders, and crucial moments that define the West and propel its story forward – all from a uniquely Jewish perspective.
Every week, Rabbi Rocklin will release two 40-minute episodes that will focus on a particular dimension of this unfolding civilization. These lecture-based episodes will be punctuated at periodic intervals by conversations with scholars and special guests.
Over the course of two years, this series will cover the profound impact of Abraham and Moses, the enduring legacy of Hesiod and Homer, the philosophical inquiries of Plato and Aristotle, the virtues of Cicero and the vices of the Roman Empire, the intellects of Maimonides and Aquinas, the art of Michelangelo and Raphael, the literature of Shakespeare and Cervantes, the music of Bach and Mozart, and the poetry of Blake and Byron. And at every turn, we will consider how the Jewish understanding of man as covenantal, sacrificial, and redeemable was integral to the development of Western civilization.
This is a podcast for those craving a coherent and comprehensive overview of the West. Join us as Rabbi Rocklin delves into its origin and essence, exploring how the collision and fusion of Jewish traditions and Greco-Roman culture forged our new civilization.
An opening conversation between Eric Cohen and Rabbi Rocklin. Embark on a journey through the greatest works in Western civilization from a Jewish perspective.
In today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin asks: What makes Western culture worth studying and preserving?
This episode explores the meaning of "culture" and the lasting influence of Judaism's unique understanding of the divine-human relationship.
In today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin explores how pagans and Jews differ on the relationship between man and God.
What does it mean to live well as a human being? The covenantal Jew introduced a new answer that fundamentally shaped the West.
In this next episode, we go back to the roots of civilization with an overview of the great kingdoms of the Ancient Near East.
As we consider the civilizations that the Bible was up against, we now turn our attention to Egypt.
The great empires of the Ancient Near East begin to mingle as we move forward from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.
With the backdrop of the wider geopolitical affairs of the Ancient Near East, we turn our attention to the Jewish people.
The conquests of the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Persian empires will completely upend the Ancient Near East.
The oldest surviving myth from the Ancient Near East sheds remarkable insight into the pagan mindset.
In contrast to the pagan world, the Biblical creation story is ordered, purposeful, and covenantal.
The Biblical approach to politics is yet another arena that is drastically affected by the covenant.
Now that we understand what a covenant is, we turn to the Hebrew Bible to see what it means to live a life according to that covenant.
Although Ancient Greece is long gone, its legacy stands until today, influencing and enriching culture throughout time.
Today, we step back in time to explore the earliest Greek civilizations.
The earliest Greek mythologies come to us from Hesiod, to whom we turn for a glimpse into the Ancient Greek psyche.
The difference between the Jewish and Greek worldviews come into even sharper focus with a careful study of the ancient Greek myths.
The concept of sacrifice is one that differs sharply from the pagan to the covenantal setting.
The way in which we choose to live will be affected by whether we live with Greek outlook or a Jewish one.
We turn our attention now to The Iliad, which is one of the most fundamental texts in western civilization.
Rage, honor, and fate continue to drive The Iliad to its ultimate, tragic end.
Rabbi Mitchell Rocklin is the Academic Director and Dean ofthe Lobel Center for Jewish Classical Education.
Rabbi Rocklin is an experienced educator with expertise in classical curriculum development. He has worked with teachers around the country to produce history and literature curricula that have been used in dozens of schools. He also developed a high school integrated humanities curriculum that was designed for Jewish day schools. This innovative program was profiled in the Wall Street Journal (“Jerusalem Meets Athens in New Jersey”). Rabbi Rocklin serves on the advisory board of Emet Classical Academy, America’s first Jewish classical school.
He received his PhD in history from the CUNY Graduate Center, held postdoctoral fellowships at Princeton University and Yeshiva University, and taught at bothCUNY and Princeton. Rabbi Rocklin also is a chaplain in the Army National Guard with the rank of Major. His writings have been featured in publications including the Los Angeles Times, National Review Online, the Daily Wire, the Forward, the Public Discourse, and Mosaic.
The Lobel Center was founded in 2023 with a bold purpose: to build a movement around Jewish classical education. Through a variety of programs aimed at teachers, administrators, and allies, the Center seeks to promote the ideas, approaches, and spirit of this movement.
The Center has four major initiatives:
To learn more, please visit our website.
The Lobel Center is a project of Tikvah, a think tank and educational institution dedicated to educating the rising generation of Jewish, Zionist, and American leaders.