Jewish Mexico: a Visual Journey

This event is fully booked. Register here for Monica's new session on November 11

Jewish Lisbon and Portugal: a community reconnecting with its past

This event is fully booked. Please register here for Gloria's next session on November 7

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. This event is fully booked. Please register here for Judith's next session on November 11.

Two people, one womb: The Jews of Italy

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

Jewish Tunisia: at a crossroads of civilizations

The Two Millennia Story of Moroccan Jewry

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. Read more and sign up

Jews of Argentina: "They sowed seeds and harvested doctors"

Argentina has always been a refuge for those who fled from the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal, the pogroms in Russia and the Holocaust in Europe. We will learn about the first Jewish immigrants, who settled in the rural areas and gradually moved to the cities. In the 60s there were half a million Jews in Argentina, now there are only 220,000. What happened to those who left and those who remained? Read more and sign up

Music among the Crypto-Jews of Portugal: An almost vanished world

Judith Cohen - After the expulsion of Jews from Portugal, some stayed as Crypto-Jews. The early 20th century saw the "discovery" of the Jews of Belmonte and the northeast region of Tras-os-Montes, who had lived in isolation with few cultural contacts with the outside world. I will introduce the people I interviewed, and explain how songs and recited prayers work in both the religious and secular contexts. Then we will move to the internet and social media age and their folklorization, always, with an emphasis on people and where and how they live. Read more and sign up

Stories of Jewish Budapest: From affirmation to persecution and revival

FREE EVENT - Get ready to travel again: Sephardic Jewish Heritage Tour to Spain March 21-28, 2022

Moisés Hassán-Amselém - Travel to Spain for 8 days and 7 nights in March 21-28, 2022 and discover the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry with Qesher speakers and guides. Join us for a dynamic virtual presentation of the "Sephardic Jewish Heritage Tour to Spain", offered in partnership with Nora Kaplan Learn-in-trips and Jewish Spain Tour. We will follow the planned itinerary with Moisés, who will take us through the highlights of Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Toledo and more. Moisés will be available to answer any logistical questions, and if the tour looks exciting to you, you can book a spot. Watch the recording on our Facebook page.

Past and Present of Jewish Romania, from Transylvania with love

Natalia Gross & Cristian Ezri - Before the Holocaust the Romanian Jewish Community had a very interesting mix of cultures, traditions and languages, based on the three areas of the country: Transylvania, Moldavia & Wallachia. Find out some of the historical facts and legends of the community, and the eclecticism of the scenery where Judaism could have been long gone. Discover our life story, and our goal to keep Judaism alive in Romania, while being fully involved in the secular society. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we repeat this talk

Jewish city tour of Riga, the hidden gem of the Baltic

The Jewish history of Riga reaches as far back as the 13th century, but it wouldn't be for at least 200 more years that Jews would make an economic impact. In the late 1920s, Riga even became the center of the global Lubavitch movement . Come and discover this hidden gem with us. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we schedule a new date.

St. Petersburg from the Jewish Perspective: Life, History, Art

Rosh Hashanah Food Traditions Around the World

Polish Jews: Warsaw Ghetto remains and Jewish revival

Iraqi Kurdistan: A Land of Jewish Heritage, and Potential Reconciliation

Levi Meir Clancy - From the Neo-Assyrian era to the present day, learn about the Jews from Kurdistan and their enduring history. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of Kurdish Jews who look to their ancestral fatherland with affection, interest, and curiosity. For some, the support has even become political, and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is celebrated as one of the most durable, stable, tolerant, and secure governments in the entire Middle East. Discover more about Kurdistan, its Jewish heritage, and the present-day efforts to support Jewish expression. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we schedule a new date.

Jewish Life in China: Tales from the Far East

Pablo Faivel Levinton - For many people it is surprising to learn that there is a long and rich history of Jewish communities in China. In this talk we will explore the three places with the most relevant historical presence of Jews: Kaifeng (where a community was established in the Middle Ages and whose descendants still live today); Harbin (where a community from Russia thrived around the Trans-Siberian Railway), and Shanghai (where thousands of Jews came as refugees during WWII). We will also learn how Jewish life is today for those who currently live in China. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we schedule a new date.

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 schedule a new date.

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

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.  Sign up here to be among the first to know when we schedule a new date.

Jewish Languages Today: Endangered, Surviving, and Thriving

The Bene-Israel of India: an ancient living community

Eliaz Reuben-Dandeker -The Bene-Israel is the largest Jewish historical community from the Indian sub-continent. According to their oral tradition, they arrived in India sometime in the first or second century BCE. We will explore their history, culture and heritage. How did it all began? What part did they take in the history of today's India and Pakistan? What was their role under British colonial rule, and in the creation of the Bollywood film industry? Of some 100,000 Bene Israel at the turn of the 21st century, less than 4,000 remain in India. The great majority have immigrated to Israel, thus realizing their motto: "Mother India, Father Israel". Sign up here to be among the first to know when we schedule a new date.

Gleams and shadows of Jewish life in France

Emmanuelle Stein - France has currently the largest Jewish population in Europe. The history of French Jews successively alternated between periods of tolerance and prosperity and the ordeal of insecurity and anti-Semitism, with both phenomena sometimes coexisting in parallel. Paris born Emmanuelle Stein will provide an overview of the Jewish presence in France from the Middle Ages to present day, while describing what pluralistic Judaism looks like here today through the eyes of a young Jewish woman and activist for human rights. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we schedule a new date.

In Golem's Shadow: The Jews of Prague between Reality and Fiction

David Kraus -  Jews arrived to the Czechlands before the 9th century, and eventually Prague became home to once the largest Jewish community in the world. Its former Jewish Quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the ancient Old New Synagogue, the oldest working shul. Did Hitler really build a "Museum of Extinct Race" in Prague - and how did the Golem oppose him? Why is the story of interwar Czechoslovakia a key to unlocking aspects of modern Jewish identity?  We will also cover the renaissance of a community that almost ceased to exist due to the Holocaust and Communism. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we schedule a new date.

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

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 here to be among the first to know when we schedule a new date.

Frost-resistant Jews of Siberia, Russia's promised land

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 schedule a new date.

Finland: Home of kosher reindeer and Kabbalat Shabbat at midnight

Jewish Africa: A Photographic Journey

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

Jewish Bulgaria: A Virtual Sephardic Journey

From Ethiopia to Israel:

The Unofficial Story

The Jews of the Great Silk Road: Yesterday and today

Jewish Cuba: Past, Present and Future

Jewish Amsterdam: A Small Community with a Giant History

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. Sign up here to be among the first to know when we schedule a new date.

The 3K Virtual Tour of Jewish Lithuania: Kaunas, Kedainiai and Kalvarija

The Jews of Iran: A 2700-year journey

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

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 here to be among the first to know when we repeat this talk

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 here to be among the first to know when we repeat this talk

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

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 here to be among the first to know when we repeat this talk

From Yemen to Israel: Conversations with my Grandmother

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. Sign up here to be among the first to know whe we repeat this talk.

From Post-war to the 21st Century: A Portrait of Contemporary Jewish Life in Berlin

Micki Weinberg - Both before and after the War, Berlin has been a center for creativity. Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin has returned to being a global center for artists, creatives, and others seeking to experience the open minded and supportive environment that Berlin offers. This has led to an influx of Jews from around the world-- ex-Hasidim, Israelis, Russian speakers, Americans, and others--together creating new communities and forms of Jewish life and thought. This talk will explore post-War Jewish life in Berlin, with a special focus on the rich variety of Jewish life today. Sign up here to be among the first to know whe we repeat this talk.

Growing up Jewish in Uganda

Get to know the "Tarbut Foundation": striving to preserve the heritage and memory of the Jews of Maramures (Romania)

Peninah Zilberman - Tarbut Foundation Sighet (FTS) was established in 2014 following the 70ᵗʰ commemoration to the Jewish deportations from Maramures. Due to the tremendous success of that first gathering, we founded FTS with the intention to keep alive the memory of the 40,000 Maramures Jews that lived in the region before the Holocaust. We strive to preserve the Jewish heritage of Maramures through art, culture and education. We invite you to a webinar in order to learn more about our work. Watch the recording on our Facebook page.

Get to know: The Museum of Turkish Jews in Istanbul

Get to know: The Genealogy Department at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw

Get to know: "Sephardic Balkans - Jewish Heritage Tours"