We’ll have blessings, readings and three groups of fruits and learn the Kabbalistic meaning of each fruit group. You can have items on hand and participate along with Rabbi Barbara. Or you can observe and enjoy. Either way, all are welcome to The Birthday of the Trees, often described as “Jewish Earth Day,” – The Tu B’Shevat Seder!
After Irene’s January 13th virtual lecture “Revealing the Secrets of Jewish History in Malta” hosted by a British educational organization Abraham Presentations, we received several emails asking where Irene’s book “Shaland’s Jewish Travel Guide to Malta and Corsica” could be purchased.
Some of us prefer reading only physical books, paperback edition in this case. Others are thinking about downsizing and would only acquire eBooks and read them on their tablets, phones, or computers. We are happy to report that Irene Shaland’s two most recent books are available in both formats. Below please find directions on how to find the Malta – Corsica book:
Note: Some readers mistakenly think that they need a Kindle Reader device to read Kindle eBooks downloaded from Amazon. Kindle eBooks can be read on ANY Tablet, smart phone, and computer. All you need is to download and install a free Kindle App that looks like this and use it to read eBooks from Amazon.
eBook in Google Play Store: On your Android phone, tablet or computer open the Google Play store. From Games / Apps / Books, choose Books. Type author’s name “Irene Shaland” (without quotation marks) in the Search Books box. Choose eBooks. View Irene’s books.
eBook on Apple Books: On your iPhone, iPad, or Mac device open the Books app. Touch or click the Book Store button. Touch or click the Search button (looks like a magnifying glass). Type author’s name “Irene Shaland” (without quotation marks). Touch or click search and view Irene’s books in the Store Results.
Here is what readers say about “Shaland’s Jewish Travel Guide to Malta and Corsica”
“Irene Shaland takes you through the island treasures of the Mediterranean, a part of the ancient and modern Jewish world few of us know. This informative and scholarly book will make you want to start packing!” –Corinne Joy Brown, multi-award winning author and Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies editor HaLapid.
“It’s well structured, well written and smart. It is also very deep in history comparing to regular travel books. We traveled to Malta this year and definitely inspired by author to visit Corsica in the future!” -Amazon reader.
“Shaland’s Jewish Travel Guide to Malta and Corsica” is a masterpiece in bringing to light the unknown history and rich cultural treasures of Malta and Corsica which are situated in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea but off the beaten track for most tourists. Author Irene Shaland’s experience as an art and travel writer, educator and theatre reviewer brings a richness and depth not normally found in travel guides. Her husband, Alex, an internationally-acclaimed photographer has contributed a huge number of amazing photos that bring the story to life.” – Amazon reader.
“I was delighted to stumble upon this book! It gives a great overview of the historical features and present day community in the Maltese Islands. A handy book for those interested in Jewish History and the Maltese Islands in general.” – Amazon reader.
“This work of Irene Shaland opened my eyes to unknown parts of history and captured my attention from the start. This work is a result of profound and thorough research. It is a study and exploration into history on a deep level. Great for history lovers and travelers who like to breathe in the essence of unfading Jewish spirit.” Amazon reader.
Mark Your Calendars: Irene’s Zoom Lecture on January 13th “Revealing the Secrets of Jewish History in Malta”
Sign on the place of Old Jewish Market in Mdina,Malta.
Dear friends, readers, followers,
Many of you asked if and when my presentation on Malta will be repeated. Yes, it will be! On Friday, January 13th, 2023, I will be presenting my Malta lecture via Zoom at the event hosted by a British educational organization Abraham Presentations.
The event is FREE and open to the public, but you will need a link to attend. Next week, the link will be available, and I will email it to all of you in a follow-up Newsletter.
If you are not on my Newsletter mailing list, please send me an email at [email protected], and I will forward you the link once it is available.
About the Presentation:
The Maltese Jewish narrative manifests a spellbinding trajectory still under the radar for most historians: from Israelites sailing there with Phoenicians three thousand years ago, to the first Jewish traveler, the Biblical Paul, arriving in Malta in the first century CE, through the dark times of Jewish slavery during the Knights of St. John’s rule in the 16th century, to today’s blossoming Jewish community.
This lecture is presented in commemoration of the approaching in two weeks (January 27th) 2023 Yom HaShoah, International Holocaust Memorial Day. HMD Trust in the UK which organizes, runs, and streams country-wide commemoration has announced its 2023 theme as “Ordinary People.”
And therefore, we will discuss today – within the detailed context of Maltese history – Gemilut Hasadim or the Unknown Acts of Loving Kindness during the Holocaust.
The tiny archipelago of Malta was the only country in the world during WWII that did not require entry visas, therefore – due to the Gemilut Hasadim of the non-Jewish Maltese – saving the lives of untold thousands of European refugees.
The lecture concludes with the Lessons Learned from the “acts of loving kindness” and Jewish stories in Malta and the Q&A.
Please register for Irene’s new virtual Portuguese Jewish History lecture hosted on December 20 by the New City New York Library. This lecture is FREE, but registration is required to receive a link to attend.
The Hidden History of Jewish People on the Islands of Madeira and Azores and the Unsolved Mystery of a Sefer Torah
Day/Date: Tuesday, December 20th
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Marina on Madeira island
Follow Irene Shaland in her exploration of two Portuguese autonomous regions in the Atlantic: Madeira and Azores. With their mild climate, dramatic waterfalls, and mountains, both archipelagos are popular tourist destinations with over five million visitors arriving annually. Few of the tourists though know that the two islands of Madeira and the nine islands of Azores have a hidden Jewish history, and the archipelagos tightly guard their secrets. The Jewish presence on the islands, still under the radar of most historians, spans the entire length of recorded history beginning with their discovery by the Portuguese in the 14th and 15th centuries. It is even thought that the explorer who discovered Madeira, Joao Zarco, was of Crypto-Jewish ancestry.
Learn about the unsolved mystery of the ancient Sephardic Torah with an Ashkenazi cover. First given by a local man to an American Jewish officer serving on the US Army base on Terceira Island of the Azores, the Torah reappeared 40 years later on Sao Miguel Island inside a sea cave. Follow Irene on a virtual visit to the synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in Madeira and Azores and delve deeper into the archipelagos’ hidden Jewish history.
The Cleveland Photo Fest Presents: A free in-person presentation “Storytelling with Photos”
Presented by: Alex Shaland
Date and Time: December 16, 2022 at 7:00 PM
Location: Bostwick Design Art Initiative Building, 2731 Prospect Rd, Cleveland, OH 44115 (Parking at East Side of Building)
Alex Shaland is a travel photographer and the author of two adventure books: “Suburbanites on Safari” and “Jackie the Penguin Goes on Safari.” In this entertaining presentation he will explain how his life-long passions for travel photography and creative writing merged into his published books.
Alex and his wife Irene explored more than 80 countries around the world. This presentation features many images he took during their travels. The emphasis is on photography used in their books. Three of Irene’s five books are richly illustrated with Alex’s photographs. In two of his own books, his creative writing and images help Alex to tell an entertaining and engaging story.
Irene’s and Alex’s books will be on display. Founders of the GTA Books publishing company, Irene and Alex will be delighted to share their experience with anybody interested in writing and publishing a book of their own.
About Alex Shaland
Alex Shaland started his writing career in the 1990s, contributing articles and book chapters for several Penton Publishing periodicals and other publications. In addition to his own writing, he collaborated as an editor and photographer with his wife, Irene Shaland, in producing four books and articles published in numerous magazines in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and East Africa.
Alex’s photographs have appeared in over 20 print publications and online sources including Holiday Magazine (France/U.K.), The Boston Forward, Tikkun, ZEEK, Diarna Digital Heritage Mapping, Hackwriters(U.K.), IMAGE Magazine, ROMAR Travel, Design World Magazine and other journals printed in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Korea, and Kenya. Alex had several solo travel photography shows and participated in group exhibitions in New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Ohio.
Following his first adventure book for adults “Suburbanites on Safari,” Alex’s children’s book “Jackie the Penguin Goes on Safari” was published in May of 2022.
Face-to-Face with Africa Through the Eyes of a Jewish Explorer
Virtual Lecture: Irene Shaland
Sunday, November 13th, 2022 7:00 PM EST Via Zoom
Hosted by Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield, MA
For more information and to register for this lecture, please email the Sisterhood President Susan Hochberg: [email protected]
Encounter Africa – a never-ending journey of mystery and discovery!
Join Irene Shaland, a Jewish historian, book author, and educator, as she leads us on a unique journey to Africa seen through the eyes of a Jewish explorer. As a writer focused on the past and present of Jewish communities around the world, Irene shares personal Jewish stories she discovered in Africa.
Nairobi Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, KenyaInside the sanctuary, Nairobi Synagogue, Kenya
The mysterious continent of Africa remains one of the most enchanting and fascinating destinations for both Irene and her husband Alex, a travel writer and photographer.
Masai warrior dance
Through Alex’s photographs and Irene’s story-telling, you will journey to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. You will meet Africa’s Big Five (five African animals most dangerous for a hunter on foot), visit the Nairobi Synagogue and its energetic community, go to a Masai Tribe village to learn Masai Old Testament-like legends, the Great Rift Valley (where life on Earth began) and follow the Great Migration in Kenya and Tanzania.
For more information and to register for this lecture, please email the Sisterhood President Susan Hochberg: [email protected]
Discover Jewish Portugal: SAVE THE DATES FOR IRENE’S PORTUGUESE SERIES LECTURES
Dear friends, readers, and followers,
Many of you asked us when you would finally learn about our exploration of Portugal. Well, the wait is (almost) over!
Please save the dates in your busy calendars for Irene’s Portuguese Jewish History Series lectures, hosted by our great supporter, the New City New York Library.
Part I Day/Date: Tuesday, November 8th Time: 7:00 PM EST Title: Rediscovering Portuguese Secrets: How the Jews of Iberia Changed the Course of World History
Travel with the author and historian Irene Shaland to Portugal and discover the most fascinating Jewish history, which is largely unknown. The Jews are believed to have been present in the Iberian Peninsula since Biblical times. The Sephardic or Spanish-Portuguese Jewish heritage in Portugal has greatly influenced the country’s development throughout the ages: from the Roman and Visigoth times to the brilliant Age of Discovery; through the dark centuries of Inquisition and persecution, when the Jewish faith and traditions survived in secret, to World War II, when the country became a safe haven for thousands of European refugees; and to today’s small but blossoming Jewish community.
Discover remarkable stories of courage, resilience, and survival: the enduring legacy of the Sephardic Jews. Embark on the search for legends and evidence of Jewish history in Portugal within a broader history of the world. Follow the Shalands from Lisbon and Belem to Mafra and Evora, from Sagres and Tomar to Coimbra and Guarda, from Castelo de Vide to Belmonte and tiny mountain villages, and even crossing the border to Tui in Galicia, Spain.
To register for Part I of the Series, please click the link below:
Part II Day/Date: Tuesday, December 20th Time: 7:00 PM ES Title: The Hidden History of Jewish People on the Islands of Madeira and Azores and the Unsolved Mystery of a Sefer Torah
Follow Irene Shaland in her exploration of two Portuguese autonomous regions in the Atlantic: Madeira and Azores. With their mild climate, dramatic waterfalls, and mountains, both archipelagos are popular tourist destinations with over five million visitors arriving annually. Few of the tourists though know that the two islands of Madeira and the nine islands of Azores have a hidden Jewish history, and the archipelagos tightly guard their secrets. The Jewish presence on the islands, still under the radar of most historians, spans the entire length of recorded history beginning with their discovery by the Portuguese in the 14th and 15th centuries. It is even thought that the explorer who discovered Madeira, Joao Zarco, was of Crypto-Jewish ancestry.
Learn about the unsolved mystery of the ancient Sephardic Torah with an Ashkenazi cover. First given by a local man to an American Jewish officer serving on the US Army base on Terceira Island of the Azores, the Torah reappeared 40 years later on Sao Miguel Island inside a sea cave. Follow Irene on a virtual visit to the synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in Madeira and Azores and delve deeper into the archipelagos’ hidden Jewish history.
On the streets of medieval mountain village Monsaraz, Alentejo, Portugal.Former Synagogue building in Funghal, Madeira.Madeira Island Marina.Synagogue Interior, Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island, Azores.
We have been going to Stratford Theater Festival, our beloved place of theatrical pilgrimage, for almost thirty years, missing only two seasons due to the pandemic. For theater lovers, Stratford offers arguably the best English-language theater outside London, UK. We also admired one more treasure, unique to Stratford, Canada. Stratford, with its forward-thinking and innovative approach to theater, stays ageless otherwise, seemingly frozen in time: the river, the swans, the boats, the streets, the gardens, and the houses, all look the same as years before. And we try to believe that we too have not changed, that time has no power over us all. Even with a new, brilliantly designed, Tom Patterson theater, Stratford seems to be that magical place where nothing and nobody ever gets old.
As we discovered, Stratford was also able to unveil for us, old-timers, wonderful newcomers to its “stage.” Just a few weeks before our mid-August arrival at the Festival, we unexpectedly found ourselves desperately seeking a place to stay in a town where everything – from restaurants to B&Bs – gets booked up solid for the summer. And then, when we almost resigned to try our luck 20 or more miles outside of Stratford, we found the Inn on Britannia.
This brand new establishment opened in June 2022 and is not yet broadly advertised. It remains largely unknown to Stratford visitors. The owners, Vern and Catherine, he – a retired communication towers business owner and she – a registered full-time midwife, have always been in love with the town itself and its crowds of theater-worshipers. This passion was the reason that Vern and Catherine had decided some time ago to acquire a 1908 house and turn it into an elegant B&B. They restored the outside of this old century house to the original look it used to have 114 years ago. Inside, you will find a beautiful interior, period furniture, and a stunning staircase. Each of the three double rooms and a suite with their oak trims and heated floors testify to the owners’ elegant taste and carry what Catherine called “a touch of magnificence.” The large bathrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art showers, towel warmers, expensive toiletries, and plush bath robes.
Hall: all three double bedrooms and a suite open up into this hall.Bedroom.Spacious bathroom .Bathroom interior.
The professionally equipped kitchen is also state-of-the-art with a built-in coffee and tea maker producing anything from chi latte to elaborate cappuccino to double expresso. The kitchen is Vern’s kingdom, where this successful communications industry business owner transformed himself into an amazing gourmet cook. Breakfasts are turned into an edible art exhibit: homemade yogurt and whipped cream parfait with fresh fruit or glazed fresh figs with raspberry coils as appetizers followed by either most tasteful scones or omelet quiche or asparagus crepes. And these are just a few examples.
Kitchen.Caramelized fresh figs with raspberry coils and cream.
When we returned to our room either for a quick change after the matinee or late at night after an evening show, the beds were prepared, and gluten-free fruit and chocolate muffins and pitchers with reverse osmosis mint water were waiting for us.
If the B&Bs were rated like hotels, the Inn on Britannia would rightfully get its five-star rating.
We will be definitely returning to the Inn on Britannia next year!
Irene Shaland and Alex Shaland will present their books at the Loganberry Books Author Alley annual event on Saturday, August 20th, 2022 between 12:00 noon and 4:00 PM.
Many of you know that we just spent 6 weeks crisscrossing Portugal and jumping to Madeira and Azores archipelagos. We explored in depth cultural and historical centers like Lisbon, Evora, Coimbra, Belmonte, and Porto, which also served as our bases for trips to towns like Guimarães and Guarda and a dozen or so enchanting small mountain villages saturated with rich history and Jewish stories. We met with many wonderful people on this trip who opened the doors to special museum and archival collections helping us to reach our objectives. And, just as importantly, we made new friends. So, why did we go to Portugal for so long?
Yes, you guessed it right: we were on the hunt for materials and photos for our next book “Shaland’s Jewish Travel Guide to Portugal.” This will be the second book in our Jewish Travel Guide series, following the “Shaland’s Jewish Travel Guide to Malta and Corsica” published last year and available at Amazon in the paperback and eBook formats: https://amzn.to/3nfjH9s
Shaare Tikvah Synagogue, Lisbon, Portugal
The writing and photo editing phase of the projects will start soon after our return from the Tiger Safari in India at the end of May. Stay tuned for updates!
