Part 1 – Tuesday, October 24, 3:30 pm EDT
Part 2 – Tuesday, October 31, 3:30 pm EDT
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

The “Golden Age” of Jewish life in Spain came to a devastating end in 1492. In the wake of the infamous expulsion decree of that year, Jews from Spain dispersed far and wide with the largest number ultimately settling in the lands of the Ottoman Empire. This lecture traces the trans-Mediterranean journey of the exiled Spanish Jews to the sultan’s realm and the cultural and political dynamics that shaped the communities they created and developed over the subsequent centuries. In short, it explores how the descendants of Spanish Jews eventually became Ottoman Jews.
Dr. Devin E. Naar is the Isaac Alhadeff Professor in Sephardic Studies, Associate Professor of History, and faculty at the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. Born and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Naar graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis and received his Ph.D. in History at Stanford University. He has also served as a Fulbright fellow to Greece. His first book, Jewish Salonica: Between the Ottoman Empire and Modern Greece, was published by Stanford University Press in 2016. The book won the 2016 National Jewish Book Award in the category of Research Based on Archival Material and was named a finalist in Sephardic Culture. It also won the 2017 Edmund Keeley Prize for best book in Modern Greek Studies awarded by the Modern Greek Studies Association.
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The Charm of Santa Cruz – Exploring Seville, Spain’s Jewish Quarter

Seville’s Santa Cruz quarter was formerly the city’s famous Jewish quarter. Its maze of streets and their evocative names give a good idea of what the city was like in 1492. During our live, virtual tour with Jose Luis Angeles, we will stroll around the Calle de la Judería, Callejón del Agua, Plaza de la Alianza, Marmoles the Roman Temple, and more. Located in the center of Seville, the charming, whitewashed facades, flowers, and patios of Santa Cruz give a feel for daily life of Sepharad. We will also see a small remnant of the wall that surrounded the Jewish quarter, and two of the city’s four synagogues that were converted into churches San Bartolomé and Santa María la Blanca.
About our guide: Jose Luis Angeles, better known as “Chel.” is a professional tour guide and Flamenco dancer & teacher. As a true lover of Seville, Chel inspires that same love in others through his tours. By sharing his passion for the history, legends, and culture of the beautiful city of Seville, Chel sheds light on the city that was once the capital of the civilized world.

From the Ashes – Poetry at Times of Tragedy  (updated topic)

We are living unprecedented times. There is no wisdom or solace that can soothe the pain. What we can do is delve into the words of some of our greatest poems at times of utter despair in our recent history: Bialik after the Kishinev pogrom, Tchernichowski following the terrible slaughter of Jews in the land of Israel in 1938, Leah Goldberg upon the knowledge of what was happening in Lithuania in 1942 and more. Join us for this special session so we can study and mourn together.
Dr. Rachel Korazim is a powerful speaker and a freelance Jewish education consultant specializing in curriculum development for Israel and Holocaust education. She is involved with Jewish education worldwide; creating and implementing in-service training programs for educators, writing educational materials, counseling and teaching. As one of the founders and directors of a special program for Israeli soldiers from disadvantaged backgrounds, she was responsible for creating the educational framework and training teachers for the implementation of the program. Born in Israel, she served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as an officer in the central training base for women and was later a member of the IDF delegation to Niger (West Africa). She is a graduate of Haifa University with a Ph.D. in Jewish education.
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Jewish Genealogy and the Making of Fioretta

Attorney E. Randol Schoenberg, known for his role in the recovery of Nazi-looted paintings as portrayed in the 2015 film Woman in Gold, will discuss his lifelong passion for genealogy and the making of his new documentary film Fioretta, which has its West Coast Premiere on Thursday October 19th, 2023 at the Newport Beach Film Festival. In Fioretta, Randy drags his teenage son Joey on a roots trip that ends up tracing his family back 500 years to the beginning of the ghetto in Venice, Italy. Grandson of the famous composer Arnold Schoenberg, Randy is renowned for recovering Nazi-looted art, but his greatest achievement might just be reuniting the fractured and scattered shards of his own family.
E. Randol Schoenberg is an American lawyer and genealogist, based in Los Angeles, California, specializing in legal cases related to the recovery of looted or stolen artworks, particularly those by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. Schoenberg is widely known as one of the central figures of the 2015 film Woman in Gold, which depicted the case of Maria Altmann against the government of Austria. Schoenberg is portrayed by Ryan Reynolds. Schoenberg represented Maria Altmann in her suit to obtain five Gustav Klimt paintings from the estate of Ferdinand and Adele Bloch-Bauer as well as the “Palais”, the Viennese house in which the paintings had been housed. Altmann won her case before the Supreme Court of the United States against the government of Austria in Republic of Austria v. Altmann in 2004. Randy used a portion of his fee from winning the case to fund a new building and expansion of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. He is featured in the documentary films Stealing Klimt and Adele’s Wish, which deal with the events surrounding Altmann’s case against the government of Austria.
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On the Ground, In Israel Update

Join as we hear directly from some recent Israel-based CSP presenters about their personal experiences and insights into the recent events surrounding the Simchat Torah attack by Hamas in southern Israel. Gain a unique perspective on the situation in Israel and discover meaningful ways in which we can offer support and assistance. This event promises to be both informative and inspiring, providing a platform to connect, learn, and make a difference. Your presence and participation are greatly valued, as together, we navigate these challenging times with unity and resilience.
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