The Jewish History Hiding in Japan and Korea

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How did Jews escaping the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions end up in Japan? Dr. Henry Abramson joins Yael and Schwab for a special bonus episode to uncover the surprising story of Jewish life in the Far East. While Europe persecuted Jews, Japan’s religious landscape offered a strikingly different environment, shaped by Shinto, Buddhism, trade, migration, and a remarkably tolerant reception for some Jewish refugees seeking safety abroad. Plus, they explore South Korean's fascination with the Talmud.

Be in touch. Write to us at nerds@unpacked.media.

To learn more about Dr. Henry Abramson's trip to Japan and South Korea, check out his lectures on ⁠YouTube:⁠ (youtube.com/@HenryAbramsonPhD/videos)

youtube.com/watch?v=-TYJtzL_4y4&t=3s

youtube.com/watch?v=NpCjuQMk4H0

⁠Birth of Beate Sirota Gordon, who wrote equality into the postwar Japanese constitution.⁠ (jwa.org/thisweek/oct/25/1923/birth-of-beate-si…)

⁠Talmud as a New Intellectual Project⁠ (ancientjewreview.com/read/2026/6/1/talmud-as-a…) by ⁠Sarit Kattan Gribetz⁠ (ancientjewreview.com/read?author=57962f2703596…)

The Talmud in Korea: A Study in the Reception of Rabbinic Literature (muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/article/836469/pdf) by Sarit Kattan Gribetz (muse.jhu.edu/search?action=search&query=au…), Claire Kim (muse.jhu.edu/search?action=search&query=au…)

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