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MAY 2025 PROGRAMS
REVISITING (THE HISTORY OF) JEWISH CHELSEA
Tuesday, May 13, 7:00 pm ET (online)
Join American Jewish historian Dr. David E. Kaufman for an hour-long exploration of the Jewish past of Chelsea, lovingly called ‘the Jerusalem of Massachusetts.’ Dr. Kaufman will treat this remarkable history in multiple contexts, ranging from how the Chelsea experience exemplifies the Jewish relationship to cities throughout history to his own family history in the Chelsea Jewish community.
Dr. Kaufman is an established American Jewish historian who earned his PhD at Brandeis University in 1994. During his graduate studies, he focused on the history of the Jewish communities of the Boston area and became well known as a popular lecturer and tour guide of Jewish neighborhoods. In the authoritative volume The Jews of Boston (CJP, 1995), he published his first major article on the synagogues of Boston. He is also a ‘son of Chelsea’ as his great grandfather was Asher Bookstein, the unofficial Sofer Stam (Torah scribe) of the Chelsea Jewish community. Dr. Kaufman is excited to be returning to the Walnut Street Shul to give an online talk in which he will give context to his family history by recounting the greater, and often unappreciated, history of the Jews of Chelsea, Massachusetts. Dr. Kaufman was our featured speaker for Chelsea Jewish Heritage Day in September 2024. For those who have attended programs with our partner, the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program, you will also recognize Dr. Kaufman as a frequent and particularly eloquent speaker there.
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JEWISH JOURNEYS TO THE FAR EAST
Wednesday, May 7, 7:00 pm ET (online)
Taiwan’s Jewish community began in 1955 on a military base and is now deeply rooted in the life of the island. They may have one of the world’s only shuls that was unaffected by the pandemic! In fact, their Chanukah gathering of 200 during Covid may have been one the world’s largest (legal) celebrations. Leon, our guide, is an artist who co-leads the Taiwan Jewish Community together with the 102-year-old Rabbi Einhorn for many years. Leon’s art is a powerful form of storytelling and much of his latest work, including ‘dream-scapes’ and a Haggadah, is a journey into the exciting revival of Jewish life in that corner of Asia. This series is made possible by a grant from the Congregation Ahabat Shalom Religious Fund and other generous donors.
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Learn more about the series here including information about an in-person series viewing opportunity for those in the Chelsea, Winthrop, Revere and East Boston areas.
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!
Collecting the Dream – Theodor Herzl, Zionism, and One Man’s Passion for a Visionary’s Legacy
Thursday, May 1, 3:30 pm ET (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)
In celebration of Israel’s 77th birthday, join us for a special one-hour program featuring David Matlow, the world’s foremost collector of Theodor Herzl memorabilia and author of Collecting the Dream. Drawing from the largest private Herzl collection in the world, David will share some of the most remarkable and meaningful items he has gathered—each one offering a window into the life, vision, and enduring legacy of the father of modern Zionism. Through these rare artifacts and personal stories, Matlow invites us to reflect on Herzl’s timeless message of human rights, equality, and Jewish nationhood, and to be inspired by the dream that helped shape the State of Israel and continues to guide its future.
David Matlow is a corporate and private equity lawyer at Goodmans LLP in Toronto and past Chair of the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. He was co-chair of Toronto’s 2015 Campaign for the United Jewish Appeal and is a member of the board of the Ontario Jewish Archives and the iCenter for Israel Education. David founded his one person initiative, The Herzl Project, through which David hopes to inspire people to be a little like Herzl and pursue their dreams while working to improve the future of the Jewish people and the State of Israel and help build a better future for everyone.
Register here
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YAD CHESSED
Fulfill a Passover Mitzvah with Yad Chessed: “Let all Who are Hungry Come and Eat”
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.
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