Imagine a Judaism that draws on the best of contemporary philosophy; has deep connections to surrounding non-Jewish culture; and celebrates Judaism in the language everyone already speaks. No, this is not us! Rather, it was Hellenistic Judaism, the variety of Judaism we would have chosen 2,000 years ago . . . and exactly the variety the Maccabees most hated.

Rabbi Adam Chalom, Dean for North America of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and Rabbi of Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation in suburban Chicago, continues his exploration of Ancient Jewish History based on the IISHJ Adult Education Curriculum, "An Introduction to Jewish History."

Viewers might also enjoy this past IISHJ program with Professor Eric Meyers on "From the Maccabees to the Dead Sea Scrolls":    • From the Maccabees to the Dead Sea Sc...  

See the other videos in this series at    • Introduction to Jewish History  .

The recommended reading in Rabbi Sherwin Wine's A Provocative People: A Secular History of the Jews for this session is pp143-170. Available in print and e-book - more information at https://iishj.org/publications/a-prov....