Seafaring and piracy are not the first associations that come to mind when we think of the Jews. In this episode, we will travel the Great Sea – the Mediterranean – in search of Jews who had salt water in their blood. We will sail from ancient Israel to the Middle Ages – and even revisit the question often asked – Columbus? Funny, he does not look Jewish!

Links for Additional Reading

The Great Sea, David Abulafia – a Book Review (The Guardian, May 1, 2012)

Jewish Pirates of the Mediterranean, Yaakov Landman (Kankan, April 3, 2020)

Columbus and the Jews, Jonathan Sarna (Commentary, November 1992)

Fado with Lior Hochberg – A Spotify Playlist mentioned in Something for the Road

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Find more at j2adventures.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who doesn’t love an Indiana Jones flick? The excitement of the search for treasure, the trepidation before the unknown, and encounter with long-buried stories. At Tel Maresha and Beit Guvrin – UNESCO World Heritage Sites – we will uncover the underground city and its caves, tunnels, and chambers – and share the stories of the archeological excavations and the Dig for a Day program. Join us for an adventure above and below ground… and bring your fedora. And this time – we will host a special guest – Dr. Ian Stern of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Haifa University – the archeologist responsible for the excavation and one of the founders of the Dig for a Day program.

Links for Additional Reading

A Dig Full of Holes, Sara Jo Ben Zvi (Segula – The Jewish History Magazine, September 2023)

Beit Guvrin National Park Israel Nature and Parks Authority

Israel Museum Receives Stone 'Letter,’ Etgar Lefkovits (The Jerusalem Post, May 7, 2007)

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Find more at j2adventures.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

High in the Portuguese mountains lies the small, inconspicuous village of Belmonte. At first glance, Belmonte possesses the local charm of many of the villages of the Senhora da Esperança range. However, the village possesses a secret dating back nearly half a millennia – a Jewish community that went underground during the Spanish and Portuguese expulsions and inquisitions – and held onto their Jewish core for centuries. Discover Belmonte and this little-known story of steadfast Jewish resistance.

Links for Additional Reading

Portugal, Echoes of a Jewish Past

Belmonte: A Reporter Revisits An Anusim Community

The Converso History

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Find more at j2adventures.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel has become known internationally as the ‘start-up nation’ – one of the most successful international hi-tech hubs. The Ayalon Institute – just outside of Rehovot – may have possessed the world’s only start-up laundry – an underground factory designed to produce the crucial bullets needed by the pre-state and early Israel to fight the 1948 War of Independence. How do you keep such an operation a secret? How did the Ayalon Institute reflect something about the ethos of pre-state Israel? And does some of that same ethos survive today?

Links for Additional Reading

The Ayalon Institute: The Secret Facility Hidden Under a Kibbutz Laundry

Why Did American Jews Smuggle Guns Into Palestine?

Israel’s Defense Industries: From Clandestine Workshops to Global Giants

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Find more at j2adventures.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wine in Judaism isn’t just a drink—it’s a ritual, a symbol, and a story poured into every glass. From the vineyards of ancient Israel to today’s award-winning boutique wineries, wine has played a sacred and celebratory role in Jewish life for millennia. But how did Israel go from kiddush wine to world-class vintages? And what makes Israeli wine so special? Grab a glass as we explore the past, present, and future of Jewish wine culture. L'Chaim.

Additional reading:

https://www.jpost.com/jewish-world/judaism/the-value-of-wine

https://www.sefaria.org.il/sheets/601017?lang=bi

https://www.timeout.com/israel/things-to-do/the-israeli-wine-list

https://www.ice.edu/blog/wines-of-israel

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Find more at j2adventures.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The planet Earth may not be able to support the billions who call it home. Even in the wealthiest countries, too many people are hungry. We zoom in on the Jewish experience of issues connected with food justice – from the days of the Bible and before, to modern Israeli food innovation, and including the non-profits striving to provide those in need with that most basic of rights – the right to go to sleep and wake up without hunger. Our special guest today is Joseph Gitler, the founder of Leket – a leading NGO aspiring to implement Jewish values around food access towards a healthier society in body and soul.

Links for Additional Reading (And Ways For You To Help…)

Latet - Combating poverty and food insecurity in Israel

Leket Israel - Rescuing nutritious surplus food for those in need

Pantry Packers - Providing nutritional support to Israel's neediest families

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Find more at j2adventures.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tel Aviv is sometimes described as just another city with no story to call its own. Today we will pull back the curtain to share the many stories and the foundational narratives that Tel Aviv told about itself through the years and the connections between story and symbol and urban planning, architecture, and design. Whether you want to call it ‘The White City’ or ‘The Big Orange’ or ‘The City That Never Stops’ – join us for a behind the scenes look at Tel Aviv and its celebration of the Zionist new normal.

Links for Additional Reading:

How Did Tel Aviv Become a Beacon For Stunning Bauhaus Architecture? Elizabeth Warkentin, Architecture + Design, 25 September 2019,

The Mythography of Tel Aviv, Maoz Azaryahu and Jonathan Silver. Mosaic, 17 November 20222

Tel Aviv: Israel's Cultural and Financial Capital, History of Israel Explained, Unpacked

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Find more at j2adventures.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mount Hermon – the eyes of Israel – has been witness to thousands of generations telling their stories throughout the ages. This single, towering peak bears the weight of countless narratives — stories of history, culture, faith from ancient times until today. Hermon is not just a place to go skiing; it’s a place where the sacred intersects with the strategic, where ancient traditions meet the present day, and where diverse communities—Jewish, Druze, Christian, and Muslim—leave their imprints on its slopes.

Links for Additional Reading

Mount Hermon – A General Overview

Mount Hermon – Jewish Virtual Library

Druze Lives Matter | Real Talk Marissa Streit sits with Rania Dean and Omar Nasser

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Find more at j2adventures.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.