In this episode, acclaimed author Ruth Franklin explores the transformation of Anne Frank (1929–1945) from ordinary teenager to icon, shedding new light on the young woman whose diary of her years in hiding is the most widely read work of literature to arise from the Holocaust.

With antisemitism once again on the rise, Franklin’s The Many Lives of Anne Frank takes a fresh and timely look at the debates around Anne Frank’s life and work, including the controversial adaptations of the diary, Anne’s evolution as a fictional character, and the ways her story and image have been politically exploited. Franklin reveals how Anne has been understood and misunderstood, both as a person and as an idea, and opens up new avenues for interpreting her life and writing in today’s hyperpolarized world.

Menasseh ben Israel (1604–1657) was among the most accomplished and cosmopolitan rabbis of his time, and a pivotal intellectual figure in early modern Jewish history.

Join us with Professor Steven Nadler, author of Menasseh ben Israel: Rabbi of Amsterdam, as we explore Menasseh ben Israel’s role leading one of the most vital Jewish communities of early modern Europe.

A powerful hero of the Bible, Jacob is also one of its most complex figures.

Join us with Israel Prize winner Professor Yair Zakovitch, author of Jacob: Unexpected Patriarch, as we explore the many layers of the life of the patriarch—Jacob’s wanderings, revelations, disgraces, disappointments, and ultimate success.