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MAY 2024 PROGRAMS

JERUSALEM: THE HOLY CITY’S DEVELOPMENT FROM ANTIQUITY TO TODAY

The Walnut Street Synagogue is pleased to present our Jerusalem: The Holy City’s Development from Antiquity to Today series. Join us in April for our fourth program, Rechavia and Beyond: 1920-Present, on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 pm EDT. Please visit our event webpage for more details and to register.
Jerusalem Series details

SPRING SPEAKER SERIES – JEWISH EXPERIENCES IN AMERICA

The Walnut Street Synagogue is pleased to present our Spring Speaker Series – Jewish Experiences in America series. Join us in May for our third program, Overcoming Antisemitism in America, on Wednesday, May 22 at 7:00 pm EDT. Please visit our event webpage for more details and to register.
Speaker Series details

CSP

The Walnut Street Synagogue is pleased to be a partner congregation of the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program. Please join us at an upcoming program!

Artifacts of Identity – Exploring Jewish Material Culture Through Time

Part 4 – At Home in the Jewish World – Tuesday, May 7, 7:00 pm EDT
Part 5 – Erased Synagogues – Tuesday, May 14, 7:00 pm EDT
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

When we think about archaeology, we think, of course, about antiquity. But Jews in all times in places lived in communities surrounded by the material culture – the architecture, the furnishings, the clothing, and the artifact s– of their time. Join Professor Marc Michael Epstein for a deep dive into Jewish spaces, places, clothing, and the material remains of daily and synagogue life— of Jewish “stuff“ throughout the ages. How should we go about digging for clues in this vast array of material? And how can we use what we discover about how Jewish “stuff” in times gone by to understand Jewish “stuff” and Jewish lives today?
Part 4 – At Home in the Jewish World – What can we learn about Jewish life from the Jewish home, as depicted in art? Where can we find the “lost treasures” of historical Jewish civilizations now gone?
Part 5 – Erased Synagogues – So many synagogues that were, in former times, the hubs of vibrant communities are no longer extant, for a myriad of reasons. Can we reconstruct these beautiful, vanished buildings?
Winner of the 2015 Jewish Book Award in Visual Arts for Skies of Parchment, Seas of Ink: Jewish Illuminated Manuscripts, Marc Michael Epstein is the product of a mixed marriage between the scions of Slonimer and Lubavitcher Hassidim and Romanian socialists, and grew up, rather confused, but happy, in Brooklyn, New York. He is currently Professor of Religion at Vassar College, where he has been teaching since 1992, and was the first Director of Jewish Studies. At Vassar, he teaches courses on medieval Christianity, religion, arts and politics, and Jewish texts and sources. He is a graduate of Oberlin College, received the PhD at Yale University, and did much of his graduate research at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. During the 1980s, Epstein was Director of the Hebrew Books and Manuscripts division of Sotheby’s Judaica department. He continues to serve as consultant to various libraries, auction houses, museums and private collectors throughout the world.
Register here

Tracing the Footsteps of Jewish Prague: A Journey Through Centuries of Resilience

Thursday, May 2, 1:00 pm EDT
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

Join us on a compelling virtual journey through the Jewish history of Bohemia, starting from the 10th century. We’ll uncover the stories behind the WWII Stolpersteine (“stumbling stones”) and the annexation of Czechoslovakia, delve into the narratives of the Shoah and the Terezín Concentration Camp, celebrate the heroism of Nicholas Winton, who rescued 669 children, and visit one of the oldest synagogues in Europe. Our journey will conclude with insights into the life of former US ambassador Norman Eisen and the history of Petschka Palace, now a U.S. diplomatic residence in Prague.
Our guide, Nikola, is the proud ambassador of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. She has been working in tourism for over 15 years and has been working as a full-time guide for the last 4 years. When Nikola has free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, biking and spending quality time with her twins.
Register here

YAD CHESSED

Yad Chessed helps Jewish individuals and families who struggle with financial hardship pay their bills and buy food. As a social services agency rooted in the Jewish values of kindness (chessed) and charity (tzedakah), they are committed to helping those in need navigate a path toward financial stability while preserving their privacy and dignity. They provide emergency financial assistance, grocery gift cards and compassionate advice for those trying to make ends meet. Hundreds of families and individuals throughout the state rely on Yad Chessed to provide for their essentials, and even at times, a Jewish burial for a loved one. Members of our community, as well as others in the Jewish community, who need assistance may contact Yad Chessed by phone at 781-487-2693 or by Email at intake@yadchessed.org for a confidential conversation. Questions can be directed to info@yadchessed.org.
Support Yad Chessed