22nd December 2025

Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s life took a dramatic turn when the author of Crime and Punishment was arrested, sentenced to death, and taken to a firing squad before receiving a last-minute reprieve from the Russian state. This episode covers the staged execution, his imprisonment and exile, and how the experience shaped his writing. Alongside this, we explore the history of Hanukkah, from the Maccabean Revolt to the story of the oil, tracing how the festival developed and why it remains central to Jewish identity and tradition.