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Smuggled rabbis. Forgotten thinkers. 4,000 years of Jewish survival—in one wild hour.

Published May 30, 2025

Jewish history spans more than four millennia—and Richard Gavatin is aiming to unpack it all in just one hour. On June 17, the Mirowitz Center will host his fast-paced presentation, “4,000 Years of Jewish History in One Hour,” where Gavatin will walk attendees through 29 pivotal moments that shaped Jewish identity, survival and continuity.

The program first debuted at Kol Rinah, where Gavatin is an active member. The idea, he says, emerged from a previous class on Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.

“We did a program on Rabbi Zalman Schechter-Shalomi last year and we used a book about him called Paradigm Shifts,” Gavatin says. “And that led us to come up with the idea to talk about paradigm shifts in Jewish history.”

With that, a new class began to take shape—one that would trace Jewish survival through 29 key turning points across four millennia. The concept? A whirlwind journey through the events that forced Jews to adapt, reimagine and rebuild.

Of course, not everyone agrees on which moments matter most.

“I’m often asked, ‘Why did you pick these 29 (or so) events and not others?'” he says, laughing. “It’s always a lively discussion.”

Poignant Jewish events

Among the events he believes deserve more attention is one that happened shortly after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE—a moment he considers pivotal to Jewish continuity.

“When the Temple was destroyed in the Year 70 and Judaism, as an animal-sacrificing temple-cult, ceased to exist, a rabbi, Yonathan Ben Zachai, had his students smuggle him out in a coffin, as the Roman soldiers did allow for burials outside the gates of Jerusalem despite their siege of the city,” Gavatin says. “Once outside, he set out on a journey to the Mediterranean coast and founded a school at a place called Yavne. That was the beginning of what we call Rabbinic Judaism. Without that event, Judaism would have ceased to exist—along with Greek, Roman and other cultures.” (He’s got it marked as slides 16 and 17 in his deck.)

When asked which moment still gives him chills, Gavatin says, “Of course, everyone would say the Holocaust and how can you deny that?”

But the founding of Rabbinic Judaism, he says, gives him “chills — but of a POSITIVE kind.”

“The expulsion from Spain is also a ‘biggie,’” he adds.

Forgotten Jews in history? You’ll meet a few.

Part of what makes Gavatin’s presentation unique is that it doesn’t just focus on what happened—but who helped steer the course of Jewish history. And not all of them are household names.

Instead of kings and prophets, he spotlights thinkers—figures like the members of the VEREIN group, a circle of Jewish intellectuals active in early 19th-century Europe.

“Members of the so-called VEREIN group in the early 1800’s in Europe,” Gavatin says. “This was the core of the Jewish Enlightenment, including men who became founders of the Reform and Conservative movements.”

At the center of that group was Zechariah Frankel, a scholar Gavatin considers essential to understanding the evolution of modern Judaism.

“The number one person from this era that I would love to have met would be Zechariah Frankel, generally seen as the founder of the Conservative movement,” says Gavatin.

While the contributions of the VEREIN group often go unrecognized in typical Jewish history courses, they don’t in Gavatin’s. In fact, Kol Rinah’s adult education group, which he co-chairs, took its name from this underappreciated cohort.

Bringing history to life — and inviting yours

Whether you’re a lifelong learner or just starting to explore Jewish history, this session promises to introduce some unfamiliar names who left a lasting mark on the Jewish world.

The original presentation was given over Zoom—but this time, it’s live and in person, and Gavatin says that makes all the difference.

“This particular presentation has only been given once—at Kol Rinah (and on Zoom, which makes a difference),” he says. “At Mirowitz Center it is always ‘live’ and in-person.”

Audience feedback has been lively, especially around his choice of events—but one thing Gavatin hasn’t heard yet is personal reflections from attendees. He hopes that changes on June 17.

“So far, I have not had anyone tell their own story, but that is a great idea,” he says. “I will encourage the audience to do so!”

So: 4,000 years. One hour. Twenty-nine events. And probably a few questions.