Join us for a pre-Passover journey through the old kingdoms of the Pharaonic kings who established one of the most fascinating civilizations in human history. Dr. Benny Furst will guide us through these ancient sites – from the Giza pyramids to the Abu Simbel temple – with a focus on the culture and their unique architecture. Dr. Benny Furst earned his B.A., M.A., and a doctoral degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in political sciences, geography, and urban planning, respectively.…

Our second pre-Passover virtual visit to Egypt covers the period from when Napoleon conquered the country in 1799 and continues through today. This dynamic era includes the rapid development of Cairo, discovery of the Ben Ezra Geniza, independence from British colonialism, and both war and peace with Israel. Reflecting on the political change of the Arab Spring, we will conclude with the conflict with Ethiopia and Sudan regarding the Grand Renaissance Dam, a new high dam on the Nile River. Dr.…

Eshkol Nevo, the grandson of the third Prime Minister of Israel - Levi Eshkol, is one of Israel’s most critically and commercially acclaimed writers and also co-runs the biggest creative writing school in Israel. All of his books have been bestsellers in Israel, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. His novels have sold over a million copies globally and won or been nominated for several literary prizes. Join us on Thursday April 14th at 12:30 PM PST/3:30…

The memory of the Holocaust plays a significant role in the fraught relationship between Israeli Jews and Palestinians, and it is undoubtedly a factor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So it is part of the 'painful hope' of Roots/Shorashim/Judur to delve into what the Holocaust means not only for Jews but for Palestinians as well. In this program, Khaled and Noor, two Palestinians connected to Roots, talk about their perspectives on the Holocaust. They discuss their own and their community’s relationship…

MONDAY APRIL 25, 2022 St. Petersburg from the Jewish Perspective: Life, History, Art St. Petersburg - the city which was a capital of Russian Empire for 200 years is known for its unique beauty and rich cultural heritage. Museums, palaces, bridges, squares, classical and modern architecture can be found all over. The city of White Nights is visited by millions of travellers each year. It's my privilege to show you the beauty of my city and much more; we will…

MONDAY APRIL 25, 2022 St. Petersburg from the Jewish Perspective: Life, History, Art St. Petersburg - the city which was a capital of Russian Empire for 200 years is known for its unique beauty and rich cultural heritage. Museums, palaces, bridges, squares, classical and modern architecture can be found all over. The city of White Nights is visited by millions of travellers each year. It's my privilege to show you the beauty of my city and much more; we will…

MONDAY APRIL 25, 2022 St. Petersburg from the Jewish Perspective: Life, History, Art St. Petersburg - the city which was a capital of Russian Empire for 200 years is known for its unique beauty and rich cultural heritage. Museums, palaces, bridges, squares, classical and modern architecture can be found all over. The city of White Nights is visited by millions of travellers each year. It's my privilege to show you the beauty of my city and much more; we will…

Peggy Guggenheim is well known as the collector who discovered and promoted many of the Abstract American artists. She is credited for bringing the first paintings by Jackson Pollock to Europe and introducing him at the Venice biennale in 1948. What is less known is that, in 1953, she donated 36 works by many of her gallery artists to the Tel Aviv Museum. The lecture will discuss Guggenheim's immense influence on the art scene during the middle of the 20th…

The great Mexican chef Enrique Olvera says that Mexico is rich with poverty. When people have nothing to eat, they have to eat nothing and everything; they have to make something strange taste wonderful. Hasidut is a theology of poverty; a theology of suffering, of deprivation. Hasidut is a theology that sees miracles in the dirt; God – in a falling shack; redemption in the heart of despair, joy in the darkness of exile. In this sense, Hasidut shares similar…

In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the “Sea Peoples” invaded Egypt. The pharaoh’s army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites,…

The great Mexican chef Enrique Olvera says that Mexico is rich with poverty. When people have nothing to eat, they have to eat nothing and everything; they have to make something strange taste wonderful. Hasidut is a theology of poverty; a theology of suffering, of deprivation. Hasidut is a theology that sees miracles in the dirt; God – in a falling shack; redemption in the heart of despair, joy in the darkness of exile. In this sense, Hasidut shares similar…

Jewish Israeli grandparents are challenged by their grandchild to compose an agreed-upon version of the untold story of a large mirror, taken from an Arab village after the 1948 war. An intimate discussion that reflects on how history is written, contested and negotiated. With its accented aesthetic and what can be seen as a surprising choice of topic, Mirror Image teaches us that these counter-spaces can also be occupied by “accented filmmakers” who were born and raised in Israel. It…

The great Mexican chef Enrique Olvera says that Mexico is rich with poverty. When people have nothing to eat, they have to eat nothing and everything; they have to make something strange taste wonderful. Hasidut is a theology of poverty; a theology of suffering, of deprivation. Hasidut is a theology that sees miracles in the dirt; God – in a falling shack; redemption in the heart of despair, joy in the darkness of exile. In this sense, Hasidut shares similar…

Join us on Wednesday June 22nd, 2022 at 12:30 PM PDT/3:30 PM EDT for a conversation with Israeli rock star, songwriter, comic, television host and cultural icon Yair Nitzani. We'll explore his distinctive take on life, his work with the hit Israel band T-Slam, his Jon Stewart-inspired news satire television show and the strange reality of being a rock and television star in the land of Israel. Yair Nitzani: Known as the Israeli Jon Stewart, Yair Nitzani is a musician, writer,…

The great Mexican chef Enrique Olvera says that Mexico is rich with poverty. When people have nothing to eat, they have to eat nothing and everything; they have to make something strange taste wonderful. Hasidut is a theology of poverty; a theology of suffering, of deprivation. Hasidut is a theology that sees miracles in the dirt; God – in a falling shack; redemption in the heart of despair, joy in the darkness of exile. In this sense, Hasidut shares similar…

In the follow up to his critically acclaimed first book, The Well of Being, Jean-Pierre Weill's EVOLVE: A Children's Book for Adults takes readers on a philosophical journey that explores the age-old question -- who am I? Join us we unpack three foundational stories from the book of Genesis in the hopes of answering where we come from and where we might choose to go. Jean-Pierre Weill is a painter and writer of picture-books for adults that explore philosophical and spiritual ideas. Weill was born…