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OCTOBER 2024 PROGRAMS

 

HIGH HOLIDAYS 2024-5785

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!

Roots and Resilience – The Jewish Story of Romania and Moldova

Part 1 – Echoes of the Past: Unearthing the Centuries-old History of Jewish Romania  – Sunday, October 20, 1:00 pm EDT (online)
Part 2 – Moldova (Former Bessarabia) and Its Jewry – Sunday, November 17, 1:00 pm EST (online)
Part 3 – Resilience and Transformation: Jewish Romania in the 20th Century – Sunday, December 15, 1:00 pm EST (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

Welcome to an immersive three-part series exploring the rich and complex Jewish history of Romania and Moldova (aka Bessarabia). From the roots of Jewish life in the 2nd century CE to the vibrant communities of the 18th and 19th centuries, and the tumultuous events of the 20th century, this virtual journey will take you through the heart of these lands, visiting both bustling capitals, Bucharest and Kishinev, and smaller towns in the region. Together, we’ll uncover the intricate tapestry of Jewish heritage in Romania and Moldova, delving deep into the political, cultural, and social landscapes that shaped Jewish life across the centuries.
Part 1 – Echoes of the Past: Unearthing the Centuries-old History of Jewish Romania – Discover the early foundations of Jewish life in Romania, tracing its evolution from ancient times through the flourishing communities of the 18th and 19th centuries. We’ll journey to historic Jewish towns, exploring their vibrant communities and daily life, setting the stage for understanding Romania’s Jewish heritage.
Part 2 – Moldova (Former Bessarabia) and Its Jewry –  Step into the streets of Kishinev, a city once home to over 50,000 Jews, where we’ll recount the devastating pogrom of 1903 that left an indelible mark on Jewish history and culture. We’ll explore the lives of Kishinev’s Jewish intellectuals, political leaders, and everyday citizens, while also discussing the present and future of the Jewish community in Moldova.
Part 3 – Resilience and Transformation: Jewish Romania in the 20th Century – Witness the dramatic shifts in Jewish life throughout Romania in the 20th century, from the challenges of the World Wars to the migration of Jews to Israel. Our virtual tour will take us to surviving synagogues and Jewish communities, including the Grand Synagogue of Bucharest, as we explore the resilience and transformation of Romanian Jewry over the last century.
Evgenia Kempinski is a Russian Jew born and raised in St. Petersburg. Her family was originally from the Pale of Settlement, Poland, Ukraine and Belorussia, and endured the suppression of Judaism in the Soviet Union then the rebirth of Jewish culture and religious life in today’s St. Petersburg. She has been an official St. Petersburg tour guide for over 15 years and is the founder and owner of St. Petersburg Jewish Tours, a company offering Jewish travelers a unique experience of showcasing the best of Russia from a Jewish point of view. She currently lives in Haifa, Israel, still keeping close connections with St. Petersburg and its Jewish community.

 

Kultur-Lige 2.0:  Revitalizing Contemporary Jewish Art in Poland

Sunday, October 27, 1:00 pm EDT (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

Join us for an engaging one-hour online session live from Poland, featuring Aleksandra (Ola) Janus, as she returns to CSP to share exciting developments in the world of contemporary Jewish art.  In 2023, the Zapomniane Foundation, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, and the Jewish arts and activism collective FestivALT launched Kultur-Lige, a network inspired by its early 20th-century predecessor. This initiative fosters connections among Jewish artists in Poland, focusing on revitalizing Polish Jewish culture. Ola will delve into the vision behind Kultur-Lige, introduce us to some of the talented artists involved, and provide an exclusive preview of their upcoming first group exhibition, “We Are Here,” which she is co-curating this fall. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the vibrant resurgence of Jewish arts in Poland!
Aleksandra (Ola) Janus holds a PhD in Anthropology from the Jagiellonian University in Cracow (Poland). She works at the intersections of academia, art, and activism. She has initiated numerous cultural and artistic projects as well as expert working groups, and authored many academic articles and publications. She is President of the Zapomniane Foundation aimed at locating, marking, and commemorating forgotten burial sites of the Holocaust victims in Poland. She co-founded the Engaged Memory Consortium aimed at creating and proposing an innovative approach to remembrance – one that underscores the relevance of remembering for social justice and facing contemporary challenges. She is co-curator of the “Exercising Modernity” program aimed at critically rethinking the legacy of modernity in Poland, Germany, and Israel. She co-founded and curated the “Museum Lab” (Laboratorium muzeum) – an educational program in critical museology for Polish heritage professionals. Recently, she also co-founded two initiatives advocating for heritage institutions to take action in the face of the climate crisis: the working group Museums for the Climate and Culture for Climate collective.
Program video

 

Meet the Millennials – How Jewish Organizations Will Need to Change to Survive in the 21st Century 

Monday, October 21, 3:30 pm EDT (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

Join us for an insightful online session with Rabbi Mike Uram, Chief Jewish Learning Officer for Jewish Federations of North America, as he explores the most current demographic trends shaping the future of the Jewish community. In this one-hour event, Rabbi Uram will analyze the evolving landscape of the next generation of Jewish adults, discussing how these trends impact the future of Jewish organizations. Drawing on his extensive experience, including roles as the former Chief Vision and Education Officer for Pardes North America and Executive Director at Penn Hillel, Rabbi Uram will provide a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Jewish institutions. He will highlight key factors such as shifting religious affiliations and engagement levels among millennials, offering valuable insights into how Jewish organizations can adapt and innovate to remain relevant and impactful. This session is an essential opportunity for anyone interested in the future of Jewish life to understand the forces shaping our community’s future, with a Q&A segment to engage directly with Rabbi Uram.
Rabbi Mike Uram is the first ever Chief Jewish Learning Officer for Jewish Federations of North America. Previously, he served as the Chief Vision and Education Officer for Pardes North America building a new platform for Jewish education in North America. Before that, Mike led Penn Hillel as the Executive Director and Campus Rabbi for over 16 years. He is the author of the best-selling book entitled, Next Generation Judaism: How College Students and Hillel Can Help Reinvent Jewish Organizations, which won a National Jewish Book Award. He is a sought-after speaker and consultant on the changing nature of the American Jewish community, Jewish innovation, cutting-edge engagement, and how legacy organizations can reinvent themselves in the age of millennials. Mike has worked with dozens of Jewish organizations including the Wexner Foundation, the Schusterman Foundation, Hillel International, United Synagogue, The Rabbinical Assembly, Central Conference of American Rabbis, and many local federations, synagogues and JCCs.  Mike served as lead faculty and Jewish coach for the first three cohorts of Schusterman Fellowship and was the principal architect for the Jewish leadership growth elements of the fellowship.  Recently, Mike also co-authored and designed a new educational framework for Birthright Israel. Mike has spent time in all the different denominations and is most passionate about breaking down the personal, spiritual, and intellectual boundaries that prevent people from having full self-actualized Jewish identities. Mike holds a BA in History and Religious Studies from Washington University and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He lives outside Philadelphia with his wife Leora and their three children.
Program video

 

Memory and  Inheritance – Paintings and Ceremonial Ceremonial Objects by Tobi Kahn

Monday, October 14, 1:00 pm EDT (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

You are invited to join us for an exclusive one-hour online session with acclaimed artist Tobi Kahn as we explore his new exhibition at the Museum at Eldridge Street Museum, his first solo show in New York City in ten years. Titled “Memory and Inheritance,” this exhibition invites deep reflection on ritual, tradition, and memory, both personal and collective. Kahn’s luminous paintings and singular Judaica, showcased in the museum’s historic synagogue, offer a profound meditation on the connections between past and present. The exhibition features 48 objects, including ceremonial art central to Kahn’s practice, informed by American modernism and Jewish ritual. Whether it’s the stunning Omer counter, SAPHYR IV, or the contemplative LKAH series of Sabbath candlesticks, Kahn’s work resonates with spiritual meaning that speaks to any audience. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with the artist and his work in an intimate and thoughtful discussion.
Tobi Kahn is a painter and sculptor whose art has been shown in over 70 solo museum exhibitions. Works by Kahn are in major museum collections, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY and The Jewish Museum in New York. In 2022, The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. installed a unit of seven paintings that are part of the museum’s permanent collection with works from 1977-2020. The exhibition was on view from February-July 2022 and received media coverage in Forbes, The Brooklyn Rail and Hyperallergic to name a few. Kahn also communicates his vision through his passion for teaching. For over 30 years, he has taught fine arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York and lectures extensively at universities and public forums internationally on the importance of visual language and on art as healing. Kahn received his BA in Photography and Printmaking from Hunter College and an MFA in Painting and Sculpture from Pratt Institute.
Program video

 

Etrog: A Journey Through Time, Tradition, and Jewish Identity

Sunday, October 13, 7:00 pm EDT (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

Join us for a special pre-Sukkot online event with Dr. Sharon Keller as she walks us through the captivating recent exhibit “Etrog: The Wandering Fruit” from the Bernard Museum of Judaica at Temple Emanu-El, New York (September 5–December 31, 2023). The etrog, a curious fruit rarely seen in grocery stores or kitchens, plays an indispensable role in the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. Its journey through Jewish history is filled with twists and turns — from medieval Jewish communities appointing emissaries to find it, to wealthy connoisseurs commissioning ornate boxes to protect it. Even today, the sole commercial grower of etrog in the U.S. is a Presbyterian! Through a collection of artifacts, manuscripts, fine silver, and ephemera, this exhibit tells the story of the etrog as a symbol of Jewish wandering and belonging, tradition and innovation, and the unique cultural forces that shaped Jewish peoplehood. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the fascinating legacy of this rare fruit!
Dr. Sharon Keller, who served as CSP’s 15th Annual One Month Scholar in residence in January 2016 and who earned her doctorate at New York University (NYU) in the Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies in the area of Bible and the Ancient Near East, is a member of the Classics faculty at Hofstra University. She has been an Assistant Professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages at the Jewish Theological Seminary and at Hebrew Union College; she has also held appointments at NYU, and New York City’s Hunter College—teaching biblical text courses as well as more general courses in biblical literature and history, as well as the courses in the art and archaeology of the lands of the Bible and the ancient Mediterranean world. She has written and edited numerous scholarly articles and academic books, most of which relate to the interplay between biblical Israel and ancient Egypt. Her most popular book, Jews: A Treasury of Art and Literature was awarded the prestigious National Jewish Book Award. Known for the enthusiasm and humor that she brings to all of her talks that make otherwise esoteric subjects easily accessible, Sharon is an in-demand lecturer and adult education course instructor throughout the United States.

 

“The Good News” – A CSP 5785 Yamim Noraim Program

Thursday, October 10, 4:30 pm EDT (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

As we celebrate the High Holidays, we invite you to join us for an insightful online session exploring our Jewish tradition’s unique capacity for facing adversity with creativity and resilience. Can we find that capacity even now? Known for his engaging lectures and deep insights, Rabbi Feinstein will help us harness our historical strengths to navigate contemporary challenges.
Rabbi Ed Feinstein serves the Valley Beth Shalom (Encino, California) as a teacher, pastor and visionary leader. He is a faculty member of the Ziegler Rabbinical School of the American Jewish University, the Wexner Heritage Program and the Shalom Hartman Institute and lectures widely across the US and Canada. Raised on the frontier of the West San Fernando Valley, Rabbi Feinstein graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz, Columbia University Teachers College, and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he was ordained a rabbi and earned his doctorate in education. Rabbi Feinstein was the founding head of the Solomon Schechter Academy of Dallas, Associate Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas, and Executive Director of Camp Ramah in California. He is the author of several books, including Tough Questions Jews Ask – A Young Adult’s Guide to Building a Jewish Life (Jewish Lights, 2003), which was chosen for the American Library Association’s Top Ten Books on Religion for Young Readers and a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Jews and Judaism in the Twenty-First Century: Human Responsibility, the Presence of God and the Future of the Covenant (Jewish Lights, 2007) was also a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Capturing the Moon (Behrman House, 2008) retells the best of classic and modern Jewish folktales. Most recently, he authored Chutzpah Imperative! – Empowering Today’s Jews for a Life that Matters (Jewish Lights, 2014), in which Rabbi Feinstein urges us to recover the message of Jewish self empowerment, or chutzpah, to reshape the world. An engaging lecturer and storyteller, Rabbi Feinstein unites the ancient Jewish love of ideas with the warmth of Jewish humor.
Program video

 

Breaking Barriers – Reflections on a Trailblazing Journey

Monday, October 7, 3:30 pm EDT (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

Join us for an enlightening and inspiring hour-long conversation with Rabbi Sally Priesand, the first woman in the world ordained by a rabbinical seminary, in conversation with Rabbi Elie Spitz.  Rabbi Priesand’s journey to the pulpit was born before the feminist wave of the mid-1960s but was realized thanks to the movement’s successes. Her career was marked by numerous challenges as she navigated a field dominated by male privilege. Despite these obstacles, Rabbi Priesand found a welcoming home and a pulpit at Monmouth (NJ) Reform Temple, where she served faithfully for a quarter of a century until her retirement. In this exclusive CSP online event, Rabbi Priesand will share her remarkable story, reflecting on her accomplishments, the hurdles she overcame, the significant impact she made in the world of rabbinical leadership and her vision of the future of Judaism in America. This is an incredible opportunity to learn from a true pioneer and gain insight into the history and future of women in religious leadership.
Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz, a spiritual leader and scholar specializing in topics of spirituality and Judaism, teaches, writes and speaks to a wide range of audiences. He served as the rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel in Tustin, California, for over three decades and served as member of the Rabbinical Assembly Committee on Law and Standards for twenty years. Rabbi Spitz is author of Duets on Psalms: Drawing New Meaning from Ancient Words, co-authored with Rabbi Jack Riemer, Healing from Despair: Choosing Wholeness in a Broken World, Does the Soul Survive? A Jewish Journey to Belief in Afterlife, Past Lives & Living with Purpose and Increasing Wholeness: Jewish Wisdom and Guided Meditations to Strengthen and Calm Body, Heart, Mind and Spirit (all Jewish Lights) and many articles dealing with spirituality and Jewish law. Rabbi Spitz spent the past 17 months teaching the Psalms with half-hour presentations for each Psalm (recently completing all 150 Psalms!).

 

Midrash in the Wake of Crisis – Marking a Year Since October 7th

Sunday, October 6, 1:00 pm EDT (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

In its time, the destruction of the Temple, habayit (the house), brought with it tremendous violence, loss and suffering.  In this session, we’ll turn to new midrashim written post-October 7th by Dr. Nurit Hirschfeld-Skupinsky, a professor of Midrash in Israel. Based on traditional midrashim from Eicha Rabbah (lamentations) and the Talmud, Hirschfeld-Skupinsky’s midrashim tell the stories of the devastation and loss wrought on Israeli families with a particular focus on the stories of women.
Rabbi Avi Strausberg is the Senior Director of National Learning Initiatives at Hadar, and is based in Washington, DC. She received her rabbinic ordination from Hebrew College in Boston and is a Wexner Graduate Fellow.   Energized by engaging creatively with Jewish text, she maintains a Daf Yomi haiku blog as well as an Eish Kodesh poetry blog. Avi is most grateful for her wife, Chana, and three children, Ori, Niv, and Amit.
Program video

COMMUNITY PARTNER PROGRAMS

An Evening of Remembrance and Hope

Monday, October 7, 7:00 pm EDT
(in person program at the Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston)

Amid ongoing heartache and devastation, the Walnut Street Synagogue is proud to partner with CJP, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, the Israeli-American Council (IAC), the Consulate General of Israel to New England, and others across Greater Boston to commemorate the first anniversary of October 7 together with our entire community. The event will feature stories from those most directly affected on or by October 7, music to heal our souls, inspiring speakers to remind us of the resilient spirit of Israel and Israelis, and opportunities to mourn, honor survivors and heroes, and fill one another with strength and hope for our collective future.

 

Commemorating October 7th

Sunday, October 6, 7:30 pm EDT
(online program sponsored by the Lappin Foundation)

As we gather to remember the victims of October 7th and to commemorate the day, Ido Aharoni Aronoff will share his insights about the impact of October 7th on the State of Israel and the Jewish People.  Aharoni Aronoff is an Israeli diplomat, writer, lecturer and consultant.  He was Israel’s Consul General to New York, serving from 2010 through 2016 and  he has been a member of the Tel Aviv University Board of Governors.

 

COMMUNITY PARTNER PROGRAMS FOR TEENS

Teens  Feed

Tuesday, October 15, 6:00 pm EDT
(in person at Congregation Shirat Hayam, 55 Atlantic Ave. Swampscott)

Jewish teens in grades 7-12 are invited to participate in the mitzvah of caring for the stranger by preparing meals for Lifebridge North Shore.  Teens learn about the connection between Judaism and social justice while contributing to the well-being of our community.  Dinner will be served to teen volunteers.  Sponsored by the Lappin Foundation
Teens Feed Flyer

 

Teen Up – Empowering Teens to Stand up to Antisemitism Using Lessons of the Holocaust

The Lappin Foundation’s Teen Up program is open to Jewish high school students and includes a free one-day trip to the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC on Monday, November 11.  Space is limited.  Register by October 15.
Teen Up DC Flyer Fall

 

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