Biographies In Brief

Haman was the evil Persian prime minister who schemed to have the Jews killed. He fell before Queen Esther and Mordecai, heroes of the Purim party.

Mordechai was the leader of the Jews and cousin of Queen Esther, his co-hero in the Purim story.

The High Priest wore a breastplate with 12 precious stones, one for each of the tribes. The first stone, etched with Reuben’s name, was the red ruby.

Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. Compared to a lion, Judah was the ancestor of the royal House of David. He made mistakes and rectified them, blazing a path for others to follow.

Torah tells us that Dinah, daughter of Jacob and and Leah, was the victim of rape. Oral traditions add to our understanding of this special woman.

Sarah was the first of seven prophetesses and the mother of the Jewish nation.

Abraham, the first of the patriarchs, was chosen by G-d to be the progenitor of His special nation.

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki was the most important commentator on Talmud and Torah of all times. Living in France and Germany, he left an indelible mark on Ashkenazi scholarship and culture.

Learn about Elijah, perhaps the most famous of the Jewish prophets.

As told in the Book of Esther (the Purim story), Esther was a Jewish orphan who became queen of Persia, a position that allowed her to save her people from death.

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.

Celebrated on Purim, Esther was a Jewish maiden who was forced to become queen of Persia. She used her influence to save the Jewish people.

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.