Travel to Spain: Sephardic Jewish Heritage Tour

The Jews of Ukraine: A Virtual Tour of Kiev and Odesa

The Jews of London: One Thousand Years of History

Ian Fagelson - Join us on a journey through the streets and alleys of London to discover the history of the Jews in England. From the arrival of a Jewish community from Normandy in 1066/67 to the Kindertransport children of 1938/39, Jews have played essential roles in the unfolding drama of British history. On our journey, we will encounter many colourful characters and visit some of the most spectacular sites in the City, revealing the little-known Jewish associations of some of London's most famous landmarks. Read more and sign up

The Jews of Panama: A Prosperous Community Between Two Oceans

David Mizrachi Fidanque -Welcome to Panama, the only place where you can see the sunrise in the Pacific Ocean and set on the Atlantic Ocean. This is also the only country other than Israel to have had two Jewish Presidents in the XX Century. That is no small feat for a community that has existed openly only since the end of Spanish colonial rule in the 1820s. Home to 10,000-12,000 Jews, it is the largest continuously existing Jewish Community in Central America and it keeps growing thanks to the recent arrival of Jews from other Latin American countries fleeing political and economic instability. Join us on this virtual journey for a historical, demographic, social, gastronomic, and spiritual visit to this small but prosperous community. Read more and sign up

The Jews of the Great Silk Road: Yesterday and today

Manashe Khaimov - Follow in the footsteps of the Bukharian Jewish merchants on the Silk Road and discover the ancient network of trade routes that were for centuries crucial to Eurasian cultural interaction.  Understand the impact and the contribution that Central Asia's Jewish communities of today's Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan made towards the development of this ancient path, and learn about the Jewish presence in this area for over 2000 years. Read more and sign up

Recalling Jewish Calcutta

Jael Silliman  - With the use of slides and audio-visual images, I will present the history of our community, which came from the Middle East to Calcutta, then the seat of the British empire, to seek their fortunes. Though small in number, these Jews made an indelible impression on the mercantile city. Global events of the 1940s and '50s led to an exodus from India, and most of them sought their future in England, Australia, America, Canada, and Israel. There are only a handful of Jews left in Calcutta today but there are three synagogues, two of which are quite magnificent, two schools, and a sprawling cemetery. Read more and sign up

The Jews of Galicia (Western Ukraine): A Virtual Tour of Lviv and Brody,

Evgenia Kempinski - Lviv, the city that changed hands so many times: from Russia to Poland, from Poland to Austria, then back to Poland, then to USSR and finally to independent Ukraine. Jews settled here as early as the 13th century. In the best times, there were about 100 synagogues, and Jewish religious, business, and intellectual life flourished here over the centuries. Brody, today a small and unknown town, was in the past, one of the most important Jewish centers in Europe. We invite you to travel around Galicia and discuss the uniqueness of its Jewish history. Read more and sign up

Greek Jewry: At the crossroads of civilizations

Joseph Michael Vardakis - The presence of Jews in Greece dates back to antiquity: it is the oldest Jewish community in the Western hemisphere, and it was the epicenter of Sephardi culture in Europe, boasting the unique Greek-speaking Romaniote community as well as Jews that had taken refuge there from all across Europe. At the start of WWII, Jews in Greece numbered around 80,000; however, the Holocaust decimated the Jewish population. At present, the Jewish community is working to preserve its unique heritage. Read more and sign up

Jewish New York: A Virtual Tour of Harlem

Barry Judelman - Join us on a virtual walk by the former sites of Jewish religious life in the remarkable urban settlement of Harlem, which from 1870 -1930 was the third-largest Jewish community in the world. View important landmarks and talk about legendary people of this often-forgotten segment of Jewish history, starting with its origins as a community for the very rich, and covering its glory days as a major center of Jewish life in New York. Read more and sign up

Jewish names around the world

Sarah Bunin Benor - What makes a family name Jewish? How did Jewish family names originate in different periods and places? Why did Jews in North America, Hungary, Israel, and elsewhere change their surnames, and why are new generations reclaiming them back? This session answers these and many more questions about Jewish first and last names. Participants will learn about patronymic (father-based) surnames, geographic names, and profession names. They will learn about traditions of naming babies after honorees and using biblical and local sources. Read more and sign up

Finland: Home of Kosher Reindeer and Kabbalat Shabbat at Midnight

Jewish Africa: A Photographic Journey

Jews of Algeria: French, Indigenous, or both?

Dr. Jessica Hammerman - Join us for an overview of the history of Jews of Algeria before, during, and after the French presence there. Sixty years have passed since the mass exodus of Jews from Algeria. Of all the Jews who fled Arab countries, the Algerians were unusual: they held French nationality, although the community was indigenous. Was there something inherently antisemitic about Muslim culture in Algeria? Or were Jews and Muslims divided by the French colonial government? In this talk, we will discuss some of these issues while learning about the unique history and culture of the Algerian Jews. Sign up here to be notified when we schedule a new date