Biographies In Brief

Learn all about the heroine of the Purim story, Queen Esther!

Learn about the mother of Aaron, Miriam and Moses.

Learn more about Serach, who is best-known for telling Jacob that Joseph was still alive.

Learn about the life and impact of Jacob's beloved, youngest son.

One of the most interesting women in the Bible is Hagar, Abraham's second wife, and the mother of Ishmael. How much do you know about her?

A beautiful maiden accused of having converted to Islam and wanting to return to Judaism, a crime punishable by death under Islamic law.

How much do you know about the righteous man whom G-d chose to survive a mighty deluge and repopulate the world with his children?

Every year, we fast to commemorate the death of Gedaliah. How much do you know about this man, and why his passing was so tragic?

Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (1534-1572), known as the Arizal, was one of the most celebrated Kabbalists of all times, whose teachings and mode of living have left an indelible mark on Jewish mysticism and practice.

Learn about Miriam, the prophetess of the Bible, whose life and legacy is celebrated until today.

See how much you really know about our fourth matriarch, Leah!

Esau was the twin of Jacob, but his polar opposite in many respects. Read this article to learn more about him.

Learn about the mothers of Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher, four of the 12 Tribes of Israel

Eliezer, the faithful servant of Abraham, is mentioned by name only once in Scripture, but there is lots to know about him.

Take a minute to see how well you know the great women who shaped the destiny of our people.

Rachel is one of the four mothers of the Jewish people. How much do you know about her?

Want to learn more about the ancestor of virtually every Jew named Cohen? Here's your chance!

Elisheba appears just once in the Torah. To learn more, we dig deep into rabbinic and kabbalistic texts…

Amram, son of Kehot, led the Jewish people in Egypt and fathered three of the greatest leaders in Jewish history.

Nebuchadnezzar is notorious for decimating the Jewish presence in the Land of Israel, exiling the vast majority of its denizens to Babylon, and destroying the first Holy Temple.

Methuselah was one of the Seven Shepherds, i.e. spiritual leaders of their respective eras.

They were descendants of Reuben, mentioned in the Torah in conjunction with Korah’s rebellion. The Midrash tells us a lot more…

Caleb (in hebrew, “Kalev”) was one of the most prominent and influential Jews to leave Egypt.

Nathan was a prominent prophet during the reign of King David and King Solomon.

Malachi (d. 312 BCE) was a member of the Great Assembly during the beginning of the second Jewish commonwealth and was considered the last Jewish prophet.

Rabbi Moshe Schreiber (Sofer), known as the Chatam Sofer, was the preeminent leader of Judaism in the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the first part of the 19th century.

Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan (1839-1933) was a Talmudist, rabbi and decisor of Jewish law based in the town of Radin (today Radun', Belarus).

The Book of Job explores the morality of Divine justice through the experience of human suffering, primarily the suffering of Job himself.

Her tenure as queen of Israel is equated with that of Queen Vashti of Persia, who was renowned for her ruthless and hedonistic lifestyle.

A scion of the royal Davidic dynasty, Isaiah became one of the preeminent prophets of Israel during the first Jewish commonwealth.

Take a look at some amazing Jewish heroines spanning 3,000 years of history.

Learn all about Queen Esther, the reluctant heroine of the Purim story.

Throughout history the Jewish nation has been enriched by converts—upstanding men and women who opted to enter the covenant and become part of the Chosen Nation.

Meet 10 Jewish leaders who were orphaned at a young age and went on to add richness and beauty to Jewish life until this very day.

Time and time again, it appeared as if the plucky nation of monotheists would be swallowed up by the religion du jour

Joseph was sold by his brothers to Egypt, where he ultimately became ruler of the land, second only to King Pharaoh.

The greatest prophet who ever lived, Moses (Moshe) transcribed the Torah (also known as the Five Books of Moses), the foundational text of Judaism.

Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, Talmudist, Halachist, physician, philosopher and communal leader, known in the Jewish world by the acronym "Rambam" and to the world at large as "Maimonides."

"I shall soon leave this world," said the great master. "The one who will take my place will say things that may seem to contradict what I have taught you, but do not oppose him, for his teachings stem from the same source as mine"

The life, teachings and works of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad.

A brief biography of the second Chabad Rebbe.

Chacham Yosef Chaim understood that cut-and-dry Torah law would not appeal to many, so the bulk of his discourses were coupled with Kabbalah and Aggadah. He helped his followers make associations between Biblical lore and the law, so their hearts would be drawn to the wisdom of Torah...

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the sixth rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, was one of the most remarkable Jewish personalities of the twentieth century.

Adam and Eve were the first humans, created by G‑d on the sixth day of Creation and ancestors to all of mankind.

Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, yet it was Isaac who was chosen to carry on Abraham’s legacy. Why?

There is very little mention of him in the Torah, and most of what we know about him and his times is from Midrashic and Talmudic sources.

Before you go calling me names, it’s only fair that you familiarize yourself with all the details . . .

I have undertaken to commit my life experiences to writing, so that my place in history is not forgotten.

Daniel (3304-3399 / 457-362 BCE) was a celebrated Jewish scholar and master interpreter of dreams who was exiled to Babylon after the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

This is not the actual diary of Leah, wife of Jacob. To the best of my knowledge, no such document exists.

When everyone else hesitated, he jumped into the swirling sea.

Jethro (or Yitro or Yisro) was a Midianite priest and the father-in-law of Moses. He is mentioned three times in the Pentateuch, once in the Prophets and in numerous places in rabbinic literature. Let us learn what we can about this fascinating figure.

Only when Betzalel and Aholiav work in unity can we forge a connection with G-d.

Korah takes a stance against Moses and Aaron, which ultimately led to his downfall.

“Why should our father’s name be eliminated from his family because he had no sons? Give us a landholding among our father’s brothers!”

Isaac is the second of the patriarchs of the Jewish people. He is most famous for his central role when he was almost offered up as a sacrifice to G‑d

The fascinating story of Balak and Balaam’s failed attempts to curse the Jewish people, in which a talking donkey and a sword-wielding angel also take starring roles.

King Solomon was the third king of Israel, who ruled Israel for 40 years and, while ushering peace and properity in his era, built the First Holy Temple.

The Jewish world is scattered with institutions all named after Sir Moses Montefiore—and yet, how many Jews now know who he was?

The sages likened her stalwart ability to rise above her environment to a rose growing among thorns

Aaron personified kindness. His life’s work was the endless and vigorous promotion of peace.

Ezekiel spent the bulk of his life in Babylonia, where he envisioned most of his prophecies.

His teachings and lessons have become ingrained in Jewish culture, making a permanent mark on the ethos of Judaism today.

Joshua's mode had the unique advantage in that he achieved that the world itself should become G-dly.

Phinehas was brazenly zealous when he slayed Zimri, the licentious leader of the tribe of Simeon.

In the latter part of the 19th century, in the small Russian (now Belarusian) town of Volozhin, a miniature revolution was brewing.

Born into a prestigious Jerusalem family, Elisha was described by the Talmud as an extraordinary scholar who delved deep into the secrets of the Torah.

Nehemiah was appointed to be the governor of Israel during the beginning of the Second Temple period.

Ezra the Scribe headed the religious revival of the people living in Israel at the beginning of the Second Temple era.

Judah Maccabee was one of the leaders of the Jewish guerilla freedom fighters who drove the Seleucid Greek occupiers out of Judea in 139 BCE.

The High Priest's role extended through history, from Aaron in ancient times until the destruction of the Second Temple.

Deborah was there because Rebecca was fulfilling a promise she made to Jacob 36 years earlier.

Judah Touro was a Jewish philanthropist who gave generously to Jewish and non-Jewish causes in the US, the Holy Land, and beyond.

What do we know of Pharaoh, the evil king of Egypt who played a key role in our formation as a nation, from the enslavement to the Exodus?

The chief architect was Bezalel, and he was helped by many wise-hearted people. But only one of his helpers gets a special mention: Oholiab.

Moses was born in Egypt during the enslavement of the Jews. His parents, Amram and Yocheved, were from the illustrious tribe of Levi.