Part 1 – Women, Books and the Seder – Wednesday, November 1, 7:00 pm EDT
Part 2 – Rewriting the Rules: Women, Halakhah and the creation of Jewish Books – Thursday, November 9, 7:00 pm EST
Part 3 – To Write Holy Words: A Soferet Encounters the Sacred – Thursday, November 16, 7:00 pm EST
Part 4 – Queering The Torah Text: Strange Letters and A Woman’s Hand – Thursday, November 30, 7:00 pm EST
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

Tuesday, November 28, 1:00 pm EST
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

Join us for TRUE COLORS, a captivating online salon theatre show presented by The Braid (formerly Jewish Women’s Theatre). This enlightening production spotlights Jews of Color, delving deep into their personal stories of identity, resilience, and the quest for belonging. While reflecting on challenges unique to Jews of Color, TRUE COLORS reveals the universal human experience that binds us all. From a daughter born to a Jewish mother and a Black/Chinese father learning to celebrate her diversity to a woman grappling with her Jewish and Latin heritages, and an African American man reconciling his Jewish identity, each tale unveils profound truths about acceptance and understanding. Ronda Spinak, The Braid’s Artistic Director, captures the essence of the production: “These are poignant tales of commitment, questioning, and connection— quintessential and universal Jewish stories.” Conceived and produced as part of The Braid’s Salon Theatre season in May 2019, and masterfully curated and adapted by Ronda Spinak, directed by Susan Morgenstern, and co-produced by Eric Greene, this is a show not to be missed.

Artist Spotlight Series: Heritage, Tech, and Tradition

The story of an apartment building in Poland owned by the artist’s family is the departure point for an intimate look into Jewish and Israeli identity and heritage. Starting in 2017 at a residency in POLIN museum in Warsaw, Hagar Cygler explored her personal history through objects and images found in local flea markets, creating an installation and a booklet. This deep dive into her family history continued in 2019 in Lodz and later at the Yiddishland Pavilion in Venice, with materials from the city’s archive regarding the actual building. This journey led to an exhibition and artist’s book with the final part manifested in a handmade book, published earlier this year. In the program we’ll travel with Hagar through her own research and art, placing emphasis on the intersections between personal-national-religious identities, how they translate over time and continents and the unique connections between art and archives.
Hagar Cygler is a graduate of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (B.F.A., 2006) and the California Institute of the Arts (M.F.A., 2017). Cygler works in the larger context of archives and collections, focusing on the classification and reorganization of material and information. Her focus is on personal and historical memory, and by connecting photographs with personal and anonymous objects, she explores the act of collecting and its role within the archive as cultural memory.
Program video

A New Jewish Voice: Europe

The contemporary Jewish story has three voices: the mass immigration to the Golden Medina from the old country, the Holocaust and the birth of the State of Israel, and the third only now is beginning to be heard. It is the story of post-Holocaust Europe.  It has its own compelling narrative, its own perspectives, and its potential to contribute to the choir of Jewish civilization. With the fall of Communism came the awakening of the third narrative and the past 30 years since have brought a renaissance of Jewish culture and heritage, together with a focus on regaining Jewish literacy. Recently the European Union has become an active partner in this movement and with it a new European voice, crossing traditional national borders.
Barbara Lerner Spectre, the Founding Director of Paideia, previously served on the faculty of the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, teaching Jewish Thought and cofounding the Seminary of Judaic Studies. Renowned for her research in post-Holocaust theology, she has been honored with a grant from Yad V’Shem Institute. Barbara has authored significant works, including A Theology of Doubt and co-wrote A Different Light: The Hannukah Book of Celebration with Noam Zion. Among her many accolades, she received the Max M. Fisher Prize for Jewish Education in 2007, the ICRF Women in Action award in 2008, the Abraham Geiger Medal in 2016, and in 2018 was honored with the King’s Medal from Sweden’s King Carl Gustav XVI for her remarkable contributions to Jewish culture both in Sweden and internationally.
Program video

Monday, November 13, 1:00 pm EST
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)

Duets on Psalms – Drawing New Meaning from Ancient Words

Psalms are spiritual poems to God that emerged from pivotal moments in the lives of their biblical authors. They serve as essential components of Jewish and Christian liturgy and are integral to secular culture, such as the widespread familiarity with “The Lord is my Shepherd” or the exclamation of “Halleluyah.” These ancient compositions are marked by an honesty that conveys wisdom colored with a wide-pallet of intense emotions. In Duets on Psalms (release date of November 2023), Rabbi Elie Spitz and Rabbi Jack Riemer, a pair of rabbis of differing generations, examine eleven psalms as if wearing bifocals,  They will be looking closely at the artistry and original context while extracting personal insights for contemporary readers. Join us as we learn about this welcome addition to the Jewish bookshelf and to explore two of the psalms featured in the book, Psalm 1 and Psalm 23.
Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz approaches the familiar in unfamiliar ways. A spiritual leader and scholar specializing in topics of spirituality and Judaism, he 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 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 seventeen months teaching the Psalms with half-hour presentations for each Psalm (recently completing all 150 Psalms!).
Rabbi Jack Riemer is a well-known author and speaker. He is rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth Tikvah (now Shaarei Kodesh) in Boca Raton, Florida, and founded the National Rabbinic Network, a support system for rabbis across all denominational lines. He is the author of Finding God in Unexpected Places: Wisdom for Everyone from the Jewish Tradition and is editor of The World of the High Holy Days (Bernie Books) and Wrestling with the Angel (Schocken), coeditor of So That Your Values Live On: Ethical Wills and How to Prepare Them, and contributed to May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism Yizkor (both Jewish Lights). Widely sought after as a master storyteller and teacher, Rabbi Riemer is one of the most frequently quoted rabbis in the U.S. That’s because of the winding paths he takes in describing the relevance of timeless Jewish wisdom in our modern world. He is often referred to as the “rabbi’s rabbi” among Jewish clergy, because he has taught and mentored so many of his colleagues.
Program video

 Antisemitism, Israel and the Politics of Resentment on the Campus Today

How has the increasing support for the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment (BDS) initiative affected campus climate and attitudes toward Israel? Is there evidence of greater hostility towards Jews and reports of instances of discrimination? Are the responses and interventions of the Jewish Community helpful? What has been the reaction of Jewish students and academics to the Hillel Israel guidelines? Should J Street U be included in the campus Jewish Community? Is the next generation inclined to continue being actively engaged on behalf of Israel? Does the expression of support for BDS and embrace of an anti-Zionist position constitute antisemitism? These and other questions will be considered by a four decade plus veteran of the campus wars.
Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller recently celebrated his 40th year of working with students and faculty as the Executive Director of the Yitzhak Rabin Hillel Center for Jewish Life at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is currently Director Emeritus. He was ordained in 1971 at Yeshiva University where he completed a Masters in Rabbinic Literature. Chaim has been a lecturer in the Departments of Sociology and Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA and in the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He is currently a faculty member of the Shalom Hartman Institute North America, and of the Wexner Heritage Foundation. He was the founding director of the Hartman Fellowship for Campus Professionals and a founding member of Americans for Peace Now. In 2014 he initiated a fact finding mission for non-Jewish student leaders to Israel and the Palestine Authority which is now offered on 90 campuses.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Introducing Jewish Neighborhood Voices

Thursday, November 30, 6:00 pm EST
(online program presented by the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center)

The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center recently launched “Jewish Neighborhood Voices,” an oral history project and online exhibit that documents Jewish life in Chelsea, Dorchester, Lynn, and Roxbury in the first half of the 20th century. During the webinar,  a tour will be given of the new online exhibit and the process on conducting and exhibiting oral histories will be shared.  Presented by Rachel King and Sarah Quiat.

Israeli Civil Society During War

Part 1 – Monday, November 20, 12:00 pm EST
Part 2 – Thursday, December 7, 12:00 pm EST
Part 3 – Thursday, December 14, 12:00 pm EST
(online program presented by the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University)

All are welcome to Join Professor Yehudah Mirsky for a series of conversations with three leading figures from Israeli civil society to hear about how diverse groups of Israelis are responding to the aftermath of October 7th, and what it can teach us about Israeli society as a whole.
Part 1 – Professor Michal Muszkat-Barkan, Jerusalem Civilian Command Center and Hebrew Union College (HUC)
Part 2 – Rabbah Yael Vurgan, Rabbi of the Gaza Border Communities
Part 3 – Mr. Mohammad Darawshe, Givat Haviva Center for Shared Society

March for Israel

Tuesday, November 14, 1:00 pm EST (National Mall, Washington, DC)

Join Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) and leaders, clergy, friends, allies, and loved ones from across North America — to stand together, loudly and proudly, at a march to support Israel in Washington, DC.  CJP will be arranging for bus and air transportation from Boston and lodging for those who are interested.  
More information 

Shloshim Memorial Event

Sunday, November 5, 7:00 pm EST (location to be provided upon registration)

Join the Israeli American Council – IAC New England along with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), Consulate General of Israel to New England  and Temple Israel of Boston for an evening of remembrance and unity along with a call to release the hostages.

Solidarity Gathering With Hostage Table Display

Friday, November 3, 12:00 pm EDT (Brighton Common, 30 Chestnut Hill Ave, Brighton)

Join Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) , Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, ADL New England and the Israeli American Council – IAC New England for a solidarity gathering in support of the hostages.
More information

Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass

Thursday, November 2, 7:30 pm EDT
(online program presented by the Lappin Foundation)

The Walnut Street Synagogue is a community partner for the virtual Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass program, presented by the Lappin Foundation.   Guest speaker Gregg Philipson will explore the root cause, the key players and the catalyst for the last and the most devastating pogrom before the mass murder and near destruction of European Jewry,
Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass(Event flyer)