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SEPTEMBER 2026 PROGRAMS

HIGH HOLIDAYS 2026-5787

FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN TO THE NORTHERN LIGHTS: JEWISH JOURNEYS TOGETHER

 Jewish Finland Tour

Thursday, September 17, 12:00 pm ET (online)

Our series concludes with a virtual visit to the Jewish community in Finland. The Finnish Jewish community is a small but active community that encompasses a synagogue a Jewish school, Chabad house and sports activities by the only Maccabi in Europe that did not stop operating during World War II. Today the Finnish Union of Jewish Students is one of the most active ones in Northern Europe and has been recently awarded the prize of the Developing Union of the Year by the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS). Finland is the northernmost Jewish community in Europe and its traditions and active Jewish life is as diverse and alive as in any big city elsewhere.
Our presentation will be given by Beto Guzman, who is originally from Mexico but has lived in Helsinki since 2015. As an activist and community organizer, he has been working and volunteering in the Finnish Jewish community first as a Moishe House host and even starting the Finnish Union of Jewish Students.
Register here
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!

Join acclaimed artist Tobi Kahn for a captivating three-part adventure through the artistic soul of Italy, where every stone, canvas, and canal tells a story. From the eternal layers of Rome, where ancient sculpture, Renaissance genius, and contemporary vision meet in the Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese, Musei Capitolini, Palazzo Barberini, and MAXXI; to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, where Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, and Brunelleschi’s soaring Duomo forever changed the way humanity sees beauty; to the magical waterways of Venice, where Byzantine splendor, Renaissance masters, Murano glass, delicate lace traditions, and daring engineering created a city unlike any other. Together, we will explore not only Italy’s greatest masterpieces, museums, and architectural wonders, but also the artists, patrons, ideas, and innovations that transformed Italy into one of the world’s most extraordinary centers of creativity and civilization.
Tobi Kahn is an internationally acclaimed painter and sculptor whose work has been featured in more than 70 solo museum exhibitions and is included in major collections worldwide, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Phillips Collection, The Jewish Museum, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Yale University Art Gallery. A longtime educator, Kahn has taught fine arts at New York’s School of Visual Arts for over 30 years and lectures internationally on visual language, creativity, and art as a source of healing. He holds a BA from Hunter College and an MFA from Pratt Institute. His upcoming solo survey exhibition, Quest for the Essence, will be presented at the Boca Raton Museum of Art from November 2026 through April 2027.
Register here

COMMUNITY PARTNER PROGRAMS

Israel’s Elections:  What They Mean for Israel’s Future

Wednesday, September 2, 7:00 pm ET
(in-person program presented by Combined Jewish Philanthropies at Jewish Community Center of the North Shore, 4 Community Road, Marblehead)

As Israelis prepare to head to the polls, the stakes of this election extend far beyond party politics. The outcome will shape Israel’s leadership, security, society, and relationships with the Jewish world at a pivotal moment in the country’s history.  Join us for an insightful evening with Professor Reuven Hazan, one of Israel’s leading experts on politics and democracy, for a timely overview of Israel’s political landscape ahead of the October elections. Professor Hazan will provide clear, nonpartisan analysis of the major issues, key political players, and the possible paths forward, helping our community better understand the dynamics shaping Israel today.
Register here