From the boats to the Pampas: History of the Jews in Argentina

From Yemen to Israel: Conversations with my Grandmother

USA (10:30 am PST / 1:30 pm EST)

UK 6:30 pm / France 7:30 pm / Israel 8:30 pm

The talk will last approximately 90 minutes

This talk has been postponed.

Sign up here to be notified when we schedule a new date.

Yona Abeddour - Morocco is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Diaspora. This two-millennia heritage is the result of an intersection between various civilizations and traditions including Berber, Andalusian, and Arab among others. We will explore the past and present of Moroccan Jewry while addressing some central questions related to why the Jews left or stayed, what is Jewish life like in Morocco today, and what is the future of Moroccan Jews in the country. This talk has been postponed. Sign up here to be notified when we schedule a new date.

Jewish Life in China:

Tales from the Far East

USA (10:30 am PST / 1:30 pm EST)

UK 6:30 pm / France 7:30 pm / Israel 8:30 pm

The talk will last approximately 90 minutes

Kavkazi "Mountain Jews": Ancient Hebrew and Persian roots at the border of Azerbaijan and Russia

USA (1:30 pm PST / 4:30 pm EST)

UK 9:30 pm / France 10:30 pm / Israel 11:30 pm

The talk will last approximately 90 minutes

Valeriya Nakshun - The Jewish community of the Caucasus lived for centuries in the mountainous region between the Black and Caspian Seas. However, their history dates back to biblical times, when they found refuge in the Persian Empire. They remained under the sphere of Persian influence until 1812, when these lands were ceded to Tsarist Russia to be later absorbed into the Soviet Union. This talk will feature an overview of Kavkazi Jewish origins and history, and the way in which the diaspora is making efforts to preserve their heritage today.  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, it was the epicenter of Sephardi culture in Europe and boasted 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.

It is personal: Reviving the history of the Jewish community of Mosul, Iraq

Polish Jews:

Warsaw Ghetto remains and Jewish revival

USA (10:30 am PST / 1:30 pm EST)

UK 6:30 pm / France 7:30 pm / Israel 8:30 pm

The talk will last approximately 90 minutes

Purim Special - The Jews of Iran: A 2700-year journey 

(Part 1 - From Ancient Times to Modernity)

USA (1:30 pm PST / 4:30 pm EST)

UK 9:30 pm / France 10:30 pm / Israel 11:30 pm

The talk will last approximately 90 minutes

Ruben Shimonov - Join us in this two-part series as we explore the rich, deep-rooted history of one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. In this first session we will travel from antiquity to the XIX century. The origins of Iranian/Persian Jewry date back to late biblical times, and are mentioned in the books of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Through music, photography, visual and literary arts we will take a virtual journey to a region steeped in twenty-seven centuries of uninterrupted Jewish history. Read more and sign up.

Vilnius: The Jerusalem of Lithuania and the city of my family

Daniel Gurevich - Lithuania became home to a Jewish community seven hundred years ago that suddenly was known as "Litvak". Why? When? What did it mean then and what does it mean today? In this talk I will use my own personal and family stories to illustrate the past and present of Vilnius and Lithuania, explaining the main reasons why Vilnius is famous in the Jewish world, and showing you the principal hallmarks of a Jewish tour in Vilnius. Read more and sign up.

Purim Special - The Jews of Iran: A 2700-year journey (Part 2 - Modern Times)

Ruben Shimonov - Join us in this two-part series as we explore the rich and dynamic history of one of the world's oldest Jewish communities: Iranian Jews. In this second session, we will focus on the time period from the XIX century to the present day-exploring Jewish life during the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties, as well as after the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979. Through music, photography, visual and literary arts we will take a virtual journey to a region steeped in twenty-seven centuries of uninterrupted Jewish history. Read more and sign up.

Jewish Barcelona: now you see it, now you don't

Dominique Tomasov - Jewish presence in Barcelona can be traced back to between the mid 9th until the end of the 14th century. What are the hints to this Jewish past? Are there any artifacts from those days? Where are they kept? How do we connect with our history? Which are our places of memory today? The early 20th century marks the beginning of a second chapter of Jewish life in the city. We will learn about the irregular evolution of this community, the second largest in Spain. And we will discover how Jews contributed to some of the "most Spanish" creations. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we repeat this talk.

Two people, one womb: The Jews of Italy

From the Pale of Settlement to the USSR and Beyond: The History of the Jews of Belarus

Debra Brunner and Artur Livshyts - Belarus' Jewish story is rich, vital, traumatic, fascinating and barely spoken of. Come on this journey through time and explore the story of Jewish Belarus across the centuries. An integral part of the predominant Lithuanian (Litvak) culture, its members have included artists like Chagall and Rabbis like Gaon of Vilnius. Learn directly from the Jewish activists who are helping the Belarusian communities today in order make them self-sustaining again. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we repeat this talk 

Salonica and Sarajevo:

Balkan Sephardi Metropolises

Dr. Joseph Benatov - As Sephardi Jews settled in the Ottoman Empire, Salonica and Sarajevo became two of the most important centers of Jewish life. Our talk will highlight some of the most important figures and events from the Jewish histories of these cities. How did the famous Sarajevo Haggadah survive both Nazi occupation and the Balcan Wars? What effect did the charismatic false messiah Sabbatai Zevi have on the Jews of 17th-century Salonica? We will also travel through these picturesque sites and visit their sumptuous synagogues, the iconic White Tower of Thessaloniki, the colorful Old Bazaar of Sarajevo, and much more. Sign up to know when this talk is happening again

From Ethiopia to Israel: My Story, Our Journey

Zehava Tesfay  - The Beta Israel, or Ethiopian Jews, lived for centuries in northern and northwestern Ethiopia isolated from other Jews. During the later part of the 20th century most of the community immigrated to Israel. In this session we will embark on a journey from Ethiopia to Israel and learn about the Jewish Ethiopian community's way of life, traditions and reality. By engaging through a personal Aliyah story, we will learn about the identity, strengths, and activism of the community and their effort to realize the dream of reaching Jerusalem. We will also talk about the reality of life in Israel for the grandparents and parents' generation and for the second generation of Israeli- Ethiopians. Sign up to know when this talk is happening again

Jewish Romania: A century of upheaval and resurgence

Remember Baghdad

Edwin Shuker - In 2015 Edwin Shuker was asked if he had any film footage of Baghdad for a documentary that was being produced about the story of Jews in Iraq. The director was incredulous when Edwin offered to fly to Baghdad with the film crew and get the footage himself! In doing so he revisited his childhood home, which he had not seen since the day his family escaped for their lives when he was young. In addition to that, he even purchased a new house in the city of Erbil! Over the course of the trip and production, Edwin vividly relived his life and the life of 2000 years of Jewish history in Iraq. In this talk he will share that life and let you live it too. Sign up to know when this talk is happening again

Finland: Home of kosher reindeer and Kabbalat Shabbat at midnight

At the Crossroads of Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian-Speaking Worlds: The Story of the Bukharian Jews

Ruben Shimonov  - The experience of the native Jews of Central Asia - Bukharian Jews - is situated at a unique intersection of Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian-speaking Jewish identities.  We will explore the eclectic story of this millennia-old Jewish community, discovering the ways in which Bukharian Jews have developed their multifaceted and rich culture, while also shedding light on how their journey fits into the broader historical saga of the Jewish people.  Sign up to know when this talk is happening again

Golden Age, Silver Age: Jews of Spain yesterday and today

Jewish Bulgaria: A Virtual Sephardic Journey

Jewish Mexico: from Inquisition to prosperity

Benito Gritzewsky - Among the earliest colonial settlers of Mexico were countless crypto-Jews escaping the Spanish Inquisition. For the next 300 years they were persecuted to the point of total obscurity. Mexican independence brought freedom of worship, and conversos gradually displayed their faith again. In the 20th Century, Mexico welcomed thousands of Jews fleeing the Middle East and Europe, and the foundations of a thriving community were established. By the 1950's it had become one of the world's most prosperous, which continues to thrive to this day. Sign up to know when this talk is happening again

Rosh Hashana special: Tastes from the Danube Valley to the Jerusalem Highlands

Stories of Jewish Budapest: From affirmation to persecution and revival

Turkish Jews: Jewish legacy in Anatolia and today's Turkey

Sefarad: Music of the Jews of Spain, Portugal and their diaspora

Judith Cohen - Sefarad is both a geographical place and a concept - it's Spain and Portugal, and it's the centuries and continents of the Sephardic diaspora, to the present. We'll travel - musically - from medieval Jewish life in Spain and Portugal through the diaspora in Morocco and the eastern Mediterranean, former Ottoman lands. Old ballads with hypnotizing stories, irresistible wedding song rhythms, songs of the Jewish calendar cycle and the popular love songs and songs of daily life will be presented both live and in archival recordings, with photos and stories of the Sephardim who kept this tradition alive against all odds. Sign up to know when this talk is happening again

Growing up Jewish in Uganda

Shoshana Nambi - The Abayudaya community was founded by a tribal chief who converted himself and many of his followers to Judaism in 1919. One hundred years later, there are nine synagogues in different Ugandan villages, three Jewish schools, and the community continues to grow. I will share the history of my community, as well as my own family story and journey to rabbinical school. I will also comment on my experiences living in Israel and America as a Ugandan Jew. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we repeat it.

Colonial roots and vibrant present: The Jewish Heritage of Brazil

Felipe Lichand - In Brazil we can find one of the largest Jewish communities in Latin America, with a presence in different regions, each with distinct stories. In this talk we will introduce you to the Jewish history of Brazil from colonial times to present. Travel with us to Rio, São Paulo and Recife, and discover with images and videos the most emblematic Jewish landmarks of these cities. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we repeat it.

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 Afghanistan made towards the development of this ancient path, and learn about the Jewish presence in this area for over 2000 years. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we repeat it.