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FEBRUARY 2026 PROGRAMS
FROM SOIL TO SOUL: FARM-TO-TABLE ACROSS THE AGES IN ISRAEL
Cultural Traditions – The Flavors of the Land
February 4, 7:00 pm ET
This session focuses on the diverse communities that have shaped Israeli cuisine over the last century. As migrants from across the Jewish world arrived in Israel, they brought with them recipes, spices, and deeply rooted culinary traditions. These combined with local and Middle Eastern flavors to create a unique Israeli fusion kitchen. We’ll take a visit to Wadi Nisnas, Haifa’s vibrant food market, where Jewish, Christian, and Muslim vendors sell produce and prepared foods that reflect generations of shared culinary memory. We’ll also explore the enduring practice of foraging for local herbs like za’atar and chubeiza to examine how dishes like
stuffed grape leaves preserve diasporic identity while adapting to a new land.
Modern Innovation – Tech Meets Tradition
February 11, 7:00 pm ET
Israel leads the world in agricultural technology, and this session reveals how ancient principles meet modern ingenuity. Discover hydroponics, vertical farming,
desert irrigation, and the work of BioBee, an Israeli startup using natural predators instead of pesticides—exported globally as a model of sustainable farming.
We’ll also feature the Asif Culinary Institute in Tel Aviv, where culinary archives, seasonal menus, and food culture intersect. Asif bridges the past and future, preserving recipes while reimagining food as an expression of creativity, sustainability, and national identity.
Farm to Community – Food Justice & Urban Agriculture
February 18, 7:00 pm ET
In our closing session, we focus on how food becomes a tool for empowerment and community building. We’ll feature Muslala, a Jerusalem-based initiative turning rooftops into green learning labs, combining art, agriculture, and activism to reconnect people with their environment. We’ll also explore the work of Leket Israel, the country’s largest food rescue network, which redistributes surplus produce to those in need, and organic food box projects that help support local farmers while making healthy.
Our presenter for this series, Gila Levitan, is an award-winning tour guide, based in Tel Aviv. Gila loves to travel all over the world and brings the knowledge and experience of a well seasoned traveler to her explanations. Gila is very curious and likes to know all the little details and being a guide enables her to teach people about a place that she loves. Gila has a passion for languages, not only does she speak Hebrew fluently but has picked up bits and pieces of Arabic to understand local culture better, she also has basic French. Gila loves to add touches of local culture to her tours, off the beaten track places and local delicacies -the best way to travel she believes is to taste new flavors and make new friends. Gila is proud to have been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the past five years in a row.
Learn more about the series here
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!
Soviet Jews: From Revolutionaries to Refuseniks
Part 1 – Between Revolution and Tradition: Jewish Political Life in 1917 – Sunday, February 1, 1:00 pm ET (online)
Part 2 – Builders of a New Society: Jews in the Early Soviet State – Sunday, February 8, 1:00 pm ET (online)
Part 3 – Under Stalin: Terror, War, and the Destruction of Jewish Public Life – Sunday, February 15, 1:00 pm ET (online)
Part 4 – The Thaw, the Struggle, the Exodus: Soviet Jews from the 1950s to the 1990s – Tuesday, February 24, 1:00 pm ET (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)
The story of Soviet Jews is not a story of a single identity or a single role. It is a story of builders and critics, of loyal citizens and disillusioned dissidents, of idealists who believed in the Soviet dream and victims crushed by the very system they helped create. Across seven decades, Jews stood on every side of the Soviet project — as passionate revolutionaries, administrators, cultural leaders, soldiers, skeptics, silent conformists, targets of repression, and ultimately as the men and women who helped bring Jewish life back to the world stage.
Evgenia Kempinski is a professional Jewish tour guide, born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia. With over fifteen years of experience guiding Jewish heritage tours in her hometown, she has developed a deep passion for uncovering and sharing the stories of the Jewish Diaspora. With her family she spent six enriching years living in Israel and now resides in Barcelona, continuing her mission to connect people with Jewish history and culture around the world. She is the founder of the Online Jewish Travel Club, a vibrant community that brings together Jews from different countries through a shared love of travel, art, and Jewish heritage.
Part 1 – Program video
Part 2 – Program video
Part 3 – Program video
Part 4 – Program video
Nobody Expects the Italian Inquisition – Jews on Trial in Italy
Thursday, February 19, 1:00 pm ET (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)
On July 1, 1581, Pope Gregory XIII issued a decree that dramatically changed Jewish life in Italy: he expanded the Roman Inquisition’s authority so it could investigate and prosecute practicing Jews, not just Christian “heretics.” Suddenly, the Inquisition claimed oversight of a wide range of alleged offenses Jews might commit under canon law and papal decrees—turning everyday Jewish life into potential legal peril. In this session, we’ll follow the story in Northern Italy through the rare, surviving inquisitorial trial records from Modena—the only intact collection of its kind—bringing us into the courtroom, the streets, and the strategies of communal survival. How did Jews respond when a powerful new institution set its sights on them, and what creative legal, communal, and diplomatic tools did they use to defend themselves? Expect a gripping, archival “true story” look at Jewish resilience under papal power.
Originally from London, Dr. Katherine Aron-Beller is Senior lecturer of Jewish History in the Rothberg International School of the Hebrew University and currently Senior Research Fellow at FEMSMED, a research group that specializes in Mediterranean Female Slavery between 1500 to 1800 at Tel Aviv University. Her areas of expertise include the history of antisemitism, contemporary antisemitism, medieval Jewish history, early modern Jewish-Christian relations and the early modern Papal Inquisition. She is the author of Jews on Trial: The Papal Inquisition in Modena 1598-1638 (Manchester University Press, 2011), the co-editor of The Roman Inquisition: Centre versus Peripheries (Leiden: Brill, 2018) and more recently Christian Images and their Jewish Desecrators: The History of an Allegation (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2024) as well as articles on the Catholic Inquisition, antisemitism and the Jews of Italy. She is a keen traveler to places of Jewish interest and has led Jewish historical tours to Alsace, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Sicily, Spain, Portugal, Provence and the United Kingdom.
Program video
God, Nature, and the Lens – How Spinoza Really Saw the World
Tuesday, February 17, 1:00 pm ET (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)
Most people hear one line about Spinoza— “God is Nature”—and assume they’ve gotten the point. In this session, we’ll see why that shortcut misses what’s most daring (and most useful) about Spinoza, and why he remains one of the most surprisingly modern thinkers in Jewish and Western intellectual history. Viewing him through the lens of his day job as an optician—someone who literally shaped how people saw—we’ll explore how his philosophy is less a slogan about pantheism and more a radical account of reality: a single infinite substance that can be understood in countless ways depending on the “lenses” we bring to it. The result is an eye-opening invitation to rethink perception, freedom, and the limits of what we think we know—Spinoza not as a dusty heretic, but as a guide to seeing the world differently.
Rana Werbin is an author, translator and editor specializing in philosophical and literary texts. She holds a B.A. in English and Comparative Literature and an M.A. in Philosophy (Cum Laude), both from Tel Aviv University, and also studied acting at the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York and screen writing at Sam Spiegel film school, Jerusalem. A recipient of the prestigious Bernstein Prize for Literary Criticism in the Press (2005), she served for six years as the Editor in chief of Hebrew Literature for Yedioth Books. She has published two books: Life is Good (Yedioth Books, 2011) and How to Live: An Adventurous Journey into the Expanse of Consciousness (Arvei Nahal, 2020). Werbin has written for major Israeli newspapers, including Ha’aretz and Yedioth. In the last decade and a half, she had offered guided readings of Spinoza’s Ethics in many cultural institutions around Israel, focusing on the intersections between Spinoza, metaphysics, Jewish thought, and contemporary science.
Program video
Derfner Judaica Museum – The Best Little Museum You Never Knew Existed
Thursday, February 5, 3:30 pm ET (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)
The Derfner Judaica Museum is a true hidden gem—an intimate “jewel box” of a museum overlooking the Hudson River on the campus of The Hebrew Home at Riverdale in the Bronx. In this session, we’ll take a vivid journey through its remarkable permanent collection—nearly 1,000 works that tell the Jewish story through art, ritual, and everyday creativity. Centered on beautifully crafted objects made for synagogue and home—metalwork, textiles, ceremonial implements, and more—the collection reveals how Jewish communities across time and place transformed tradition into visual form, blending sacred purpose with local style, personal artistry, and bold imagination. From historic ritual masterpieces to striking modern interpretations, the Derfner reminds us that Judaica isn’t static—it’s a living, evolving language of meaning. Come discover the objects, the artisans, and the unexpected stories that make this museum such a powerful celebration of Jewish material culture.
Dr. Sharon Keller, CSP’s 15th Annual One-Month Scholar in Residence (January 2016) and the recipient of the 5th Annual CSP Maimonides Award for Excellence in Jewish Education, is a captivating and unconventional educator who brings the ancient world to life. With a PhD in Hebrew and Judaic Studies from New York University (NYU) —where she specialized in the Bible and the Ancient Near East—Dr. Keller has held faculty positions at the Jewish Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College, NYU, and Hunter College. She currently teaches in the Comparative Literature Department at Hofstra University, where she continues to explore the ancient Mediterranean through courses on biblical literature, Egyptology, and archaeology.
From Sand to Skyline: An Urban Tel Aviv Exploration
Part 1 – History – Jaffa Belle of the Seas – Tuesday, February 3, 3:30 pm ET (online)
Part 2 – Culture – Foundations: From Colonies to City Streets – Tuesday, February 10, 3:30 pm ET (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)
Tel Aviv is a city built on layers of history, architecture, culture, and flavor. Join renowned tour guide Gila Levitan for two eye-opening virtual journeys that takes you far beyond the guidebooks.
Part 1 – History – Jaffa Belle of the Seas: Wander the winding alleys of ancient Jaffa, where Tel Aviv’s story starts. Discover the city’s oldest treasures—from the flea market to the Ilana Goor Museum—and see how historical streets are adapting to a 21st-century landscape shaped by the new light rail and modern development.
Part 2 – Culture – Foundations: From Colonies to City Streets: Explore the first bold steps beyond Jaffa’s walls—the American and German colonies, Neve Tzedek, and the old train line turned Park HaMesila. Contrast the charm of Florentin’s bohemian vibe with the creeping edges of gentrification in this dynamic portrait of Tel Aviv’s earliest neighborhoods.
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Gila Levitan moved to Israel 20 years ago, transitioning from a career in physiotherapy to becoming a top-rated tour guide, celebrated on TripAdvisor. With her passion for detail and love for teaching, Gila will enrich your knowledge and inspire your next adventure. Don’t miss this chance to uncover the lesser-known treasures of Israel with one of the country’s most acclaimed guides.
Part 1 – Program video
Part 2 – Program video
Judaism and Astrology
Thursday, February 5, 1:00 pm ET (online)
(online in partnership with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program)
Once quite common in Jewish culture—from late antiquity through the medieval period—astrology has largely faded from mainstream Jewish life, even though its traces still appear in texts, calendars, and Jewish art. This lecture explores the evolving relationship between Judaism and astrology, asking why it once flourished and why many communities later distanced themselves from it. Along the way we’ll tackle the big theological questions astrology raises: Does a universe governed by the stars leave room for free will? Is consulting the heavens a kind of idolatry or forbidden divination—or can it be understood as a form of wisdom about God’s created order? Did any Jewish thinkers treat astrology as a kind of prophetic insight, or as a competing claim to revelation? And if fate can be “read,” what happens to reward and punishment, responsibility, and moral choice? Drawing on examples from the Bible, Talmud, and Midrash (and later Jewish interpretation), we’ll map how Jewish voices debated astrology—sometimes embracing it, sometimes warning against it, and often using it to clarify what Judaism ultimately insists upon: human accountability and a relationship with God that transcends the stars.
Dr. Eyal Dujovny, PhD, is an anthropologist and Israeli government-licensed tour guide whose work bridges society, politics, and history with depth and nuance. A passionate educator and cross-cultural broker, he is dedicated to helping people understand Israel’s diverse cultures, religions, traditions, and ancient sites in a way that builds real connection. Specializing in educational tourism, he has guided everyone from Bat Mitzvah families and Birthright groups to dual-narrative tours of the Arab-Israeli conflict, battlefield programs, cruise ships, heads of state, and the occasional celebrity. Dr. Dujovny has also lectured for Sar-El Volunteers for Israel, the Haifa–Boston Connection, Birthright-Taglit, and at universities including Haifa University, the University of Georgia, Kyoto University, and institutions in Kolkata, India.
Program video
COMMUNITY PARTNER PROGRAMS
Imagining Early American Jews
Tuesday, February 17, 6:00 pm ET
(online program presented by the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at American Ancestors)
Join the Jewish Heritage Center for a talk with Dr. Michael Hoberman regarding his upcoming book, Imagining Early American Jews. Dr. Hoberman will discuss popular interpretations of early Jewish American history. He will discuss how the Jewish experiences of the American Revolution, the institution of slavery in the early republic and antebellum period, and westward migration have been imagined and commemorated. Dr. Hoberman will explore how interpretations and representations of the past are key to understanding Jewish American history and identity.
Michael Hoberman is a professor of English Studies at Fitchburg State University and has published several books on Jewish American history, including New Israel/New England: Jews and Puritans in Early America and A Hundred Acres of America: The Geography of Jewish American Literary History. His articles can be found in Tablet Magazine, The Jewish Review of Books, and other popular and scholarly venues.
Insights for our Future – Live Community Briefing
Thursday, February 12, 12:00 pm ET
(online program presented by Combined Jewish Philanthropies)
CJP’s 2025 Greater Boston Jewish Community Study provides a comprehensive look at data across our community. The study was one of the largest community studies in CJP’s history and it will serve as an invaluable resource to help better understand changing demographics, attitudes, behaviors, and more. It is a reflection of where we are today and a call to action about how our community can build its future together.
Matanot LaEvyonim – Gifts for People in Need
The Walnut Street Synagogue is pleased to be participating again this year in Yad Chessed’s Purim Campaign. From now until Purim Day (11:00 am on Tuesday, March 3), you can donate tzedakah to Yad Chessed to fulfill the Purim mitzvah of Matanot LaEvyonim. For over 35 years Yad Chessed, has worked to address the needs of Jews in Greater Boston and beyond who struggle with financial and food insecurity. With the support of donors and partner organizations, Yad Chessed’s team of social workers provides swift emergency financial assistance, grocery gift cards, and compassionate care, advice, and referrals to those in need. Yad Chessed aids more than 2,400 Jewish individuals across Massachusetts annually. The mitzvah of Matanot LaEvyonim is central to the spirit of Purim and reminds us that we are obligated to offer a helping hand to those in our midst who need it most. Yad Chessed will use donations raised to fund vouchers that can be used on Purim Day so our neighbors in need can purchase food and celebrate the holiday.
Donate online here
You may also mail a donation to Yad Chessed at:
333 Nahanton Street
Suite 315
Newton, MA 02459
Please include the word “Purim” and “Walnut Street Synagogue” on your check memo.
Any questions: email info@yadchessed.org or call: 781-613-3413
For more information about Yad Chessed’s Purim Program visitwww.yadchessed.org/purim/