Please join us for Irene Shaland’s free Zoom lecture on April 29th
Virtual Event Hosted by New City Library, New York
Date and Time: April 29th at 7:00 PM EST, USA
Revisiting Scandinavia Post-October 7th
Join Irene Shaland, for a meaningful virtual journey through Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. While known for stunning fjords and modern design, these nations hold a wealth of compelling, often hidden, Jewish stories that resonate deeply with our shared heritage.
This is a chance to connect with the past and learn about the disturbing present: We will delve into the vibrant Jewish communities that once thrived in the region, examine the role each nation played during the Holocaust, and gain insight into contemporary Jewish life in Scandinavia. This exclusive presentation offers a unique and personal window into the rich tapestry of Scandinavia, seen through a distinctly Jewish lens.
Irene Shaland is an internationally published art and travel writer and educator, with 7 books and over 30 magazine articles published in the US, Canada, and the UK. She is a contributing author and lecturer at academic institutions such as the Siegal College of Jewish Studies and Touro Law School in New York, and Center for Jewish History Research, as well as museums and cultural institutions, such as Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, Museum of Jewish Heritage in Cleveland, Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies, BZD, Qesher, and other communal organizations focusing on Jewish history.
Please save the dates for Irene’s upcoming virtual lectures:
New City Library New York, April 29th at 7:00 PM
Revisiting Scandinavia Post-October 7th
Join Irene Shaland, for a meaningful virtual journey through Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. While known for stunning fjords and modern design, these nations hold a wealth of compelling, often hidden, Jewish stories that resonate deeply with our shared heritage.
This is a chance to connect with the past and learn about the disturbing present: We will delve into the vibrant Jewish communities that once thrived in the region, examine the role each nation played during the Holocaust, and gain insight into contemporary Jewish life in Scandinavia. This exclusive presentation offers a unique and personal window into the rich tapestry of Scandinavia, seen through a distinctly Jewish lens.
On Tuesday, May 19th, at 11:00 AM, the Baltimore Zionist District organization will host Irene’s newest lecture centered on the great modernist writer Franz Kafka.
Emergence of a New Phenomenon: The Secular Jew — Understanding Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka stands at the crossroads of one of the most fascinating transformations in modern Jewish history: the rise of the secular, urban, German‑speaking Jew in Central Europe. His life and work illuminate a world where Jewish identity was both ever‑present and almost unspeakable — a tension that shaped an entire generation.
Join Irene in this journey into identity, memory, and the Jewish soul of one of the greatest modern writers — a story as relevant today as it was a century ago.
Irene’s new lecture explores the deep, thousand‑year Jewish presence in the Czech lands — Bohemia, Moravia, and Prague — and the dramatic cultural shift that produced a new kind of Jew at the turn of the 20th century. By the late 1800s, most Czech Jews identified with German culture, lived in cosmopolitan cities, and navigated a complex dual identity that was both empowering and precarious. At the center of this story stands Franz Kafka (1883–1924): born Jewish, raised Jewish, and yet famously silent about Judaism in his fiction. And still, his diaries, letters, and private reflections reveal a man who wrestled intensely with what it meant to be a Jew in modern Europe. He studied Yiddish and Hebrew, immersed himself in Jewish theater, and sensed — with uncanny clarity — the catastrophe that would soon engulf European Jewry.
In this presentation, we will explore:
Kafka in Prague — the Jewish city that shaped him
Prague in Kafka — the shadows of identity, alienation, and belonging that permeate his writing
The paradox of Jewish presence and Jewish silence in his literary world
How Kafka’s Jewishness influenced his imagination, even when unspoken
Why Kafka foresaw the coming destruction of European Jewry long before others did
Together, we will confront the central question: If Kafka had not been born and raised as a Jew, would he have become Kafka?
Registration information will be announced at a later date.
Upcoming Virtual Lecture:How the Jews of Iberia Changed the Course of World History
Join Qesher for an extraordinary virtual journey into Portugal’s largely unknown, yet utterly fascinating, Jewish history. Acclaimed art and travel writer Irene Shaland, an internationally published historian and author, will transport you through time, from Roman and Visigoth eras to the brilliant Age of Discoveries, and right up to today’s blossoming community. Discover the resilient spirit and secret traditions that survived centuries of Inquisition and persecution, making Portugal a unique safe haven during World War II.
Would you like to know more about the specific dates and times for this virtual event, or perhaps details about Irene Shaland’s books on the topic?
Date: Thursday, January 29 – 3 pm Eastern Time
Duration: 65-75 minutes for presentation, 90 minutes total with Q&A
Irene Shaland is an internationally published art and travel writer and educator, with 7 books and over 30 magazine articles published in the US, Canada, and the UK. She is a contributing author and lecturer at academic institutions such as the Siegal College of Jewish Studies and Touro Law School in New York, and Center for Jewish History Research, as well as museums and cultural institutions, such as Museum of Jewish Heritage in Cleveland and New York, Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies, BZD, Qesher, and other communal organizations focusing on Jewish history.
Upcoming Virtual Lecture: Tuesday, January 27, 11 am Eastern Time
Event Organizer: BZD
Event Presenter: Jewish historian and author of the popular Shaland’s Portugal book series, Irene Shaland
Few people realize that, during the darkest years of the Holocaust, neutral Portugal became one of Europe’s last lifelines. As Nazi occupation spread across the continent, thousands of desperate refugees poured into Lisbon — a city suddenly transformed into a tense crossroads of diplomats, fugitives, and international spies.
More than 43,000 refugees reached Portugal during the war. Many first arrived in Lisbon before being dispersed to towns such as Cascais, Estoril, Ericeira, and Vilar Formoso. All of this unfolded under the authoritarian Estado Novo regime, led by António Salazar — a dictator who admired Hitler’s racial ideology and ordered his diplomats to restrict Jewish immigration.
And yet, in defiance of these orders, a handful of courageous Portuguese diplomats chose humanity over obedience. Irene Shaland’s lecture uncovers these largely unknown heroes who risked their careers — and often their lives — to issue thousands of life‑saving transit visas to Jews fleeing the Nazis.
You’ll also step inside wartime Lisbon’s James‑Bond‑like atmosphere, where spies, informants, refugees, and opportunists converged in a city that became a hub of intrigue and survival.
Join this eye‑opening presentation to discover:
– The hidden history of Portugal as a critical escape route
– The diplomats who defied fascism to save Jewish lives
– The political contradictions of Salazar’s regime of neutrality
– The espionage‑filled world of wartime Lisbon
Reserve your spot and uncover a chapter of Holocaust history that few people know — but everyone should.
Irene Shaland is an internationally published art and travel writer and educator, with 7 books and over 30 magazine articles published in the US, Canada, and the UK. She is a contributing author and lecturer at academic institutions such as the Siegal College of Jewish Studies and Touro Law School in New York, and Center for Jewish History Research, as well as museums and cultural institutions, such as Museum of Jewish Heritage in Cleveland and New York, Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies, BZD, Qesher, and other communal organizations focusing on Jewish history.
Our friends at BZD (Baltimore Zionist District) are organizing a trip to Israel from December 12 through 17, 2025, to experience Hanukkah in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and southern Israel.
From the windswept fjords of Norway to the quiet resilience of Danish Jewish communities, this journey from Scandinavia’s Jewish past to present invites those who cherish global Jewish heritage and thought-provoking history to uncover stories rarely told.
Title: “Scandinavia through the Eyes of a Jewish Traveler”
Presented by: Irene Shaland a Jewish historian and author of 7 books, including “The Dao of Being Jewish and Other Stories: Tales of Jewish Diaspora, Persecution, the Holocaust and Rebirth in Europe, Africa and Asia”
Join the BZD for a captivating journey through Norway, Sweden, and Denmark with internationally published author Irene Shaland. Known for their breathtaking landscapes, royal capitals, and striking modern design, these countries also hold rich and often little-known Jewish stories.
Together we’ll explore the Jewish communities that once thrived in Scandinavia, the role each nation played during the Holocaust, and what it means to live as a Jew in these societies today. From history to modern life, this presentation offers a unique window into Scandinavia through Jewish eyes.
Step into the hidden world of Sephardic resilience and rediscovery! If you’re a Jewish history enthusiast—or planning a meaningful journey to Portugal—this virtual lecture is your gateway to a rich, little-known chapter of Jewish heritage.
Join renowned scholar Irene Shaland for her newest presentation in the “Saga of Sefarad” series: “Porto and the North: Resilience and Defiance.” From the majestic synagogue and museums of Porto to the mysterious villages “Behind the Mountains,” where Crypto-Jews secretly practiced their faith, this immersive experience will transport you through centuries of courage, ingenuity, and spiritual defiance.
Whether you’re tracing ancestral roots or mapping your next travel adventure, this lecture promises revelations you won’t find in guidebooks. Registration is open—don’t miss your chance to uncover the untold stories of Sephardic Portugal.
Lecture Title: “Porto and the North: Resilience and Defiance”
Presented by: Jewish Historian and Author Irene Shaland
Hosted by: New City Library, New York
Date and Time: Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at 7:00 PM EST
Place: Zoom virtual event
This virtual event is free, but registration is required to receive the link to attend this lecture.
We begin our journey in Porto: visits to Portugal would not be complete without your immersion in the history and sites of this great city. No matter why you love to travel and whether you are passionate about the arts, music, architecture, rivers, bridges, or wine, Porto offers everything for everyone!
Specifically, for the Jewish history sleuths, we will explore Porto’s fascinating Jewish narrative by unveiling one site at a time. We will also visit Porto’s beautiful synagogue, the city’s two museums dedicated to Jewish history and the Holocaust, and discuss an amazing story of Porto’s Jewish community development throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
From Porto, we will travel to small towns and villages like Braganza, Chaves, Carcão, and Guimarães, to name just a few in the region called Terras de Trás-os-Montes or “Behind the Mountains.” We will “deep-dive” into the largely unknown outside of Portugal and little-researched Jewish narratives. There, Conversos or forcibly converted to Christianity Jews, risked their lives but secretly followed their ancestral religion by ingeniously modifying it to avoid the neighbors’ suspicion.
In the small ancient city of Bragança, we visit two unique Jewish organizations where the stories of the long-gone, forgotten, and hidden “behind the mountains” Jews are preserved: The Sephardic Culture Interpretation Center and The Sephardic Memorial and Documentation Center.
In Guimarães, we will learn why this fascinating city is widely regarded as “The Birthplace of the Nation.”
But it will be in the village of Carcão, where we will discover something extraordinary: the stories of its people’s astonishing defiance of the Inquisition, and see the village’s coat of arms that has a mezuzah and a menorah!
Our journey of discoveries through the unknown Jewish history in Terras de Trás-os-Montes concludes in Tui, Spanish Galicia, where we see the only preserved collection of Sanbenitos, or the Iberian Inquisition’s clothes of shame.
“Jewish Revival in the Mediterranean: Rediscovering Hidden Legacies”
Come VIRTUALLY to Irene Shaland’s lecture on February 11th at 11:00 AM EST
Presenter:
Internationally published writer and educator Irene Shaland
Date and Time of this virtual event:
Tuesday, February 11th at 11:00 AM EST
Description:
Travel to Southern Italy, which presents an unusually optimistic chapter in the history of the Jewish Diaspora. Visit the islands of Sicily and Sardinia and the tip of the Italian “boot,” Calabria, in the company of a Jewish author and historian Irene Shaland. On this virtual trip, you will discover a world of little-known Jewish history: centuries marked by fear and secrets, decades filled with the search for one’s identity, and the courage to defy conventions by reinventing oneself.
These are the stories of B’nei Anousim, or “children of the forced ones” from Southern Italy. The destruction of synagogues and the burning of “Judaizers” five centuries ago forced the Jews of Sicily, Sardinia, and Calabria to take their traditions down to the cellars of their homes, where the memories and stories were kept alive, even when descendants forgot their exact meaning.
And now, the number of those with a “call of blood,” who think they have Jewish ancestry and want to learn more about it or even embrace their newly-discovered heritage, is on the rise throughout Southern Italy. Let the story of the Anousim lead you into the world of hope – the cultural and spiritual reawakening – The Return of The Jews.
For registration and ticketing information follow the link below:
Join the Baltimore Zionist District on January 28th at 11:00 AM for a virtual lecture
“Echoes of Memory: Navigating Holocaust Remembrance Across Europe”
Presenter: Internationally published writer and educator Irene Shaland
Date and Time: Tuesday, January 28th, 2025 at 11:00 AM EST
Description provided by BZD:
Join the Baltimore Zionist District on January 28th at 11:00 AM for “Echoes of Memory: Navigating Holocaust Remembrance Across Europe,” a powerful virtual event that coincides with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Hosted by internationally published writer and educator Irene Shaland, this session provides a poignant exploration of four European countries to understand the multifaceted responses to Holocaust remembrance.
Journey Across Four Nations: Austria, Germany, Hungary, and the Soviet Union
Our exploration begins in Vienna, Austria, where the city’s reputation as a beacon of European culture dramatically darkened after the Anschluss. Discover how Vienna transformed from the home of Mahler and Freud into a place marked by profound antisemitism, and trace Austria’s path from initial denial to its current reckoning with the past.
In Germany, witness a nation’s proactive engagement with its painful history. We will virtually visit Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum, concluding with a discussion on the Stolpersteine project, which personalizes the Holocaust experience across Europe.
Our virtual tour then takes us to Budapest, Hungary, where the haunting “Shoes on the Danube” memorial serves as a stark reminder of Hungarian involvement in the Holocaust. Examine Hungary’s struggle with its history and identity, highlighted by contentious modern memorials that ignite national debate.
Finally, in the former Soviet Union, we visited Minsk, Belarus, home to the deeply moving Yama memorial. Learn about the Soviet suppression of Holocaust recognition and witness how this denial shaped the collective memory of Jews in Soviet territories.
“Echoes of Memory” offers an immersive look at how nations confront or conceal their histories. It’s an essential session for anyone interested in the dynamics of memory, the lessons of the past, and their implications for fighting antisemitism today.
For registration and ticketing information follow the link below:
(The link to the presentation is sent after the registration is submitted)
Event Description (from the BZD Website):
Embark on an extraordinary virtual journey with the unparalleled expertise of renowned historian and speaker Irene Shaland as she uncovers 500 years of Jewish history woven into the very fabric of Brazil. From the mysterious world of 15th-century politics, deception, and exploration, discover the pivotal role of Crypto-Jews in shaping Brazil’s development.
Dive deep into the untold stories that reveal why Anna Novinsky, a leading expert in Jewish history, famously declared, “Brazil was built by the Jews!” Travel through time from the 15th century to the present day, visiting key locations such as Salvador Bahia, Manaus, the Amazon, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, and the Iguassu Falls. Immerse yourself in the rich and diverse Jewish narratives that have flourished in this fascinating country’s bustling cities and remote jungles.
Join the BZD for a captivating lecture that promises to shed light on the hidden Jewish influences in Brazil’s history. This is a journey you won’t want to miss, whether you’re a history buff, a culture enthusiast, or simply curious. Get ready to be engaged and enlightened!
For Information and Registration follow the link below:
