The  Vatican in Rome is the center of Catholicism and the Sistine Chapel is its crowning glory. The chapel’s world famous ceiling was painted by the great Michelangelo Buonarroti five centuries ago. Less well known is that the chapel was modeled on the holy heart of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem built by King Solomon, that its biblical frescoes reflect Jewish influences on Michelangelo’s education, and that the ornate flooring has kabbalistic overtones. This virtual tour is a unique opportunity…

Dates: Tues., April 27, May 4, 11, 25, and June 1, 2021 @ 10:00am-11:30am The study of Jewish mysticism or Kabbalah is marked by a unique challenge.  On one level, the material is easy to grasp.  This is due to the fact that the insights which Kabbalah introduces are spiritual in nature.  Each of us has the capacity to know the world in a spiritual way. Yet, on another level, the wisdom of Kabbalah is extraordinarily elusive. Kabbalah addresses some…

Wednesdays mornings from 10:00-10:45 am   Give yourself the gift of calm. Join Julie Potiker for this grounding way to start the day and move from a place of fear to a place of calm. In these forty-five-minute mindfulness sessions, you will experience bringing your attention to the present moment without judgment. For past sessions, visit: https://blubrry.com/balancedmind/ About Julie: Julie Potiker is a mindfulness expert with extensive teacher training in a variety of tools and methods, including Mindful Self-Compassion. Through her…

Engaging, knowledgeable and entertaining Rachel Kolsky is a popular prize-winning London Blue Badge Tourist Guide. Focusing on the 'human stories behind the buildings' Rachel's talks are known to be fun and informative filled with anecdotes past and present. From off-the-beaten track London and famous personalities to cinemas and shopping, memories of all aspects of London's rich and varied social history come flooding back. Before embarking on her career as Guide and Lecturer Rachel, a qualified librarian, worked as an information professional in…

The Talmud is full of rich aggadic stories that offer not only a window into the lives and times of the rabbis but narratives meant to teach us about our own lives. In this 4-part series, we'll touch on some of the lesser known Talmudic stories and mine them for their literary richness. From spurned dinner guests to miraculous ovens, from powerful leaders and the women who outsmart them, these stories are sure to delight, surprise, and perhaps even challenge…

"The violence of World War II did not end with the signing of ceasefires, truces, or peace treaties," writes David Nasaw in his new book - THE LAST MILLION: EUROPE'S DISPLACED PERSONS FROM WORLD WAR TO COLD WAR. Millions of concentration camp survivors, POWs, slave laborers, political prisoners, and Nazi collaborators in flight overwhelmed a ruined Germany. After exhaustive efforts to repatriate the malnourished and desperate refugees, there remained more than a million displaced persons left behind in Germany: Jews, Poles, Ukrainians,…

Wednesdays mornings from 10:00-10:45 am   Give yourself the gift of calm. Join Julie Potiker for this grounding way to start the day and move from a place of fear to a place of calm. In these forty-five-minute mindfulness sessions, you will experience bringing your attention to the present moment without judgment. For past sessions, visit: https://blubrry.com/balancedmind/ About Julie: Julie Potiker is a mindfulness expert with extensive teacher training in a variety of tools and methods, including Mindful Self-Compassion. Through her…

Engaging, knowledgeable and entertaining Rachel Kolsky is a popular prize-winning London Blue Badge Tourist Guide. Focusing on the 'human stories behind the buildings' Rachel's talks are known to be fun and informative filled with anecdotes past and present. From off-the-beaten track London and famous personalities to cinemas and shopping, memories of all aspects of London's rich and varied social history come flooding back. Before embarking on her career as Guide and Lecturer Rachel, a qualified librarian, worked as an information professional in…

The Talmud is full of rich aggadic stories that offer not only a window into the lives and times of the rabbis but narratives meant to teach us about our own lives. In this 4-part series, we'll touch on some of the lesser known Talmudic stories and mine them for their literary richness. From spurned dinner guests to miraculous ovens, from powerful leaders and the women who outsmart them, these stories are sure to delight, surprise, and perhaps even challenge…

Join us on Sunday May 23, 2021 for a virtual walking tour of three important Jewish towns in Lithuania led by CSP's favorite Lithuanian guide - Daniel Gurevich. Starting in Kaunas (Kovno), which was 60% Jewish at the end of the nineteenth century, we will visit the city center, Jewish Quarter, 9th Fort, Sugihara House, and many other important sights. We then take a virtual jump 50 kilometers north to Kedainiai (Keidan), one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. Situated on the banks of…

Dates: Tues., April 27, May 4, 11, 25, and June 1, 2021 @ 10:00am-11:30am The study of Jewish mysticism or Kabbalah is marked by a unique challenge.  On one level, the material is easy to grasp.  This is due to the fact that the insights which Kabbalah introduces are spiritual in nature.  Each of us has the capacity to know the world in a spiritual way. Yet, on another level, the wisdom of Kabbalah is extraordinarily elusive. Kabbalah addresses some…

Wednesdays mornings from 10:00-10:45 am   Give yourself the gift of calm. Join Julie Potiker for this grounding way to start the day and move from a place of fear to a place of calm. In these forty-five-minute mindfulness sessions, you will experience bringing your attention to the present moment without judgment. For past sessions, visit: https://blubrry.com/balancedmind/ About Julie: Julie Potiker is a mindfulness expert with extensive teacher training in a variety of tools and methods, including Mindful Self-Compassion. Through her…

Engaging, knowledgeable and entertaining Rachel Kolsky is a popular prize-winning London Blue Badge Tourist Guide. Focusing on the 'human stories behind the buildings' Rachel's talks are known to be fun and informative filled with anecdotes past and present. From off-the-beaten track London and famous personalities to cinemas and shopping, memories of all aspects of London's rich and varied social history come flooding back. Before embarking on her career as Guide and Lecturer Rachel, a qualified librarian, worked as an information professional in…

The Talmud is full of rich aggadic stories that offer not only a window into the lives and times of the rabbis but narratives meant to teach us about our own lives. In this 4-part series, we'll touch on some of the lesser known Talmudic stories and mine them for their literary richness. From spurned dinner guests to miraculous ovens, from powerful leaders and the women who outsmart them, these stories are sure to delight, surprise, and perhaps even challenge…

Monthly, usually on the 3rd Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. on Zoom. No fee. See below for the scheduled meeting dates and books being read. New members are always welcome, and no reservation is required. Most book club selections are available in libraries or through online booksellers used or in paperback. September 17, 2020: Racing Against History - with author Rick Richman attending and facilitated by Arnie Gass. October 15, 2020: Perfidy by Ben Hecht- facilitated by Catherine Hand. November…

Dates: Tues., April 27, May 4, 11, 25, and June 1, 2021 @ 10:00am-11:30am The study of Jewish mysticism or Kabbalah is marked by a unique challenge.  On one level, the material is easy to grasp.  This is due to the fact that the insights which Kabbalah introduces are spiritual in nature.  Each of us has the capacity to know the world in a spiritual way. Yet, on another level, the wisdom of Kabbalah is extraordinarily elusive. Kabbalah addresses some…

Wednesdays mornings from 10:00-10:45 am   Give yourself the gift of calm. Join Julie Potiker for this grounding way to start the day and move from a place of fear to a place of calm. In these forty-five-minute mindfulness sessions, you will experience bringing your attention to the present moment without judgment. For past sessions, visit: https://blubrry.com/balancedmind/ About Julie: Julie Potiker is a mindfulness expert with extensive teacher training in a variety of tools and methods, including Mindful Self-Compassion. Through her…

Dates: Tues., June 8, 15, 22, 29, 2021 @ 10:00am-11:30am What does it mean to feel Jewish? Is Jewish identity primarily an ethnic, tribal identity? Or a set of religious obligations? Or a collection of ethical ideas? A combination of all three? What makes an organization Jewish? Can non-Jews acquire, or feel a Jewish identity? What role does Israel and Zionism play in forming today’s American Jewish identity? In this class, we’ll examine the building blocks of Jewish identity using…