Rabbi Leo Baeck stands at the centre of German-Jewish history, yet his life and thought are often known only in outline. Two recent episodes of the Exile podcast from the LBI New York invite listeners to engage more closely with the person behind the name, following his trajectory from provincial rabbi to moral authority under National Socialism.
Part I: The making of a moral leader
‘The Soft-Spoken Sage’ traces Baeck’s early years from Lissa, where he was born in 1873, through his formation in the Wissenschaft des Judentums tradition, which combined Jewish learning with modern academic methods. The episode highlights his famous response to Adolf von Harnack, The Essence of Judaism, in which Baeck argued that Judaism is a living, ethically oriented faith rather than a mere historical remnant. It then follows his appointment as president of the Reichsvertretung der Deutschen Juden in the 1930s, showing how he chose to remain in Germany and represent its Jewish community despite escalating persecution and offers of refuge abroad.
Part II: Teaching and responsibility in Theresienstadt
‘The Teacher of Theresienstadt’ focuses on Baeck’s deportation in 1943 and his life in the so‑called ‘model ghetto’. While the camp was used for propaganda, the episode makes clear the reality of hunger, overcrowding and constant fear. Within these conditions, Baeck continued to teach, organising lectures on philosophy, history and theology that offered fellow prisoners intellectual structure and a sense of continuity. The podcast also addresses his role on the Jewish Council in Theresienstadt and the difficult ethical questions that accompanied it, presenting Baeck as a figure trying to maintain responsibility and integrity in the face of extreme constraint.
Listen now:
Episode 31: The Soft-Spoken Sage – https://www.lbi.org/projects/podcast/episode-31/
Episode 32: The Teacher of Theresienstadt – https://www.lbi.org/projects/podcast/episode-32/
The Exile podcast is a production of the Leo Baeck Institute New York | Berlin and Antica Productions.
