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.
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.
Join Irene Shaland, internationally-published art and travel writer, educator, and lecturer for a deeper look into Malta’s Jewish history and present-day society. This presentation will highlight Malta’s spellbinding Jewish narrative still under-the-radar for most historians and travelers: 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.
Much of what will be shared has been captured in Irene’s latest book “Shaland’s Jewish Travel Guide to Malta and Corsica” available in paperback and eBook editions on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3nfjH9s
The Tayar Foundation was established to safeguard Malta’s precious Jewish History. The Foundation aims – To bring awareness to the general public, locally and internationally, of the Jewish communities that lived in the archipelago. – To promote the study of Jewish communities in Malta since Roman times. – To hold events highlighting Jewish History and Culture for the benefit of the Maltese community. – To restore the Kalkara and Ta’ Braxia cemeteries on behalf of the Jewish Community of Malta.
Or One tap mobile : US: +16465588656,,82067065720# or +13017158592,,82067065720#
Introducing Irene Shaland’s Book:
Book Review by Corinne J. Brown, author and HaLapid Editor. Reprinted with permission from the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies and the HaLapid magazine
“Shaland’s Jewish Travel Guide to Malta and Corsica: A Trusted Travel Companion for the Jewish History Explorer”
by Irene Shaland
Link to book: https://amzn.to/3uJRTeQ
Irene Shaland never ceases to amaze with her commitment to Jewish history and travel and her expertise in writing about it. Her latest release is a handbook for discovery and adventure: a reason in and of itself to book a flight to the islands of Corsica and Malta. Drawn to the roads-less-traveled, Irene and her husband Alex, her official photographer, do all the necessary homework, from researching ancient history to the latest advice on where to go and what to see that matters.
This easy-to carry book is loaded with 186 photos and 12 maps. It takes you back in time to a period 3000 years ago when the Israelites first came to Malta. Fun facts to remember about Corsica include the earthshaking proclamation that, in 1763, Corsica was the first country to proclaim equality for its Jews.
As always, Irene’s’ command of the English language and easy writing style compels the reader to enjoy these travel books whether you make the trip or not. Just one more part of the amazing story of the global Jewish Diaspora, the history of these two far-off places in the Mediterranean helps close the gap between who we are today and where the Jewish people have been. This reader can hardly wait to see where she takes us next.
The Jewish story of Corsica is not well known, and many are surprised to hear that the island has any to reveal. However, in 1763, Corsica was the first modern country to proclaim social and political equality for the Jews: 27 years ahead of the US and 28 years ahead of France. The history of the Jews in Corsica goes back at least a millennium. Reconstructing that history in its entirety what firmly comes across, is the welcoming Corsican heart, always open to those who seek refuge from cruelty and injustice. In addition, the island’s Jewish narrative reveals an irony of Omerta (mafia’s code of silence) that led many Corsicans to risk their lives in saving thousands of Jews fleeing the Nazi-occupied mainland France to escape deportation and death.
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. The tiny archipelago of Malta was the only country in the world during WWII that did not require entry visas, therefore 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, Corsica, and Q&A.
Save the date for our upcoming virtual lecture on January 30, 2022: “Acts of Loving Kindness During the Holocaust: Unknown Stories from Corsica and Malta.”
Date: January 30th, 2022 Time: 2:00 PM EST US/20:00 Italy/21:00 Israel
Hosted by the Italian Jewish Cultural Center of Calabria and Synagogue Ner Tamid del Sud, Serrastretta, Italy
Presented by Irene Shaland
This virtual lecture is free and open to the public. No registration is required. To attend, click on the zoom link a few minutes before the starting time: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83848871371
The Jewish story of Corsica is not well known, and many are surprised to hear that the island has any to reveal. However, in 1763, Corsica was the first modern country to proclaim social and political equality for the Jews: 27 years ahead of the US and 28 years ahead of France. The history of the Jews in Corsica goes back at least a millennium. Reconstructing that history in its entirety what firmly comes across, is the welcoming Corsican heart, always open to those who seek refuge from cruelty and injustice. In addition, the island’s Jewish narrative reveals an irony of Omerta (mafia’s code of silence) that led many Corsicans to risk their lives in saving thousands of Jews fleeing the Nazi-occupied mainland France to escape deportation and death.
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. The tiny archipelago of Malta was the only country in the world during WWII that did not require entry visas, therefore 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, Corsica, and Q&A.
The history of the Jews in the Czech lands, which included the modern Czech Republic as well as Bohemia, Czech Silesia, and Moravia, goes back more than a thousand years. Jews are believed to have settled in Prague in the 10th century. By the end of the 19th century, most Czech Jews within the Austro-Hungarian Empire lived in large cities, spoke German, and considered themselves Germans.
In this presentation, we will explore the fascinating and little-studied phenomenon: the formation of the complex and fluid Jewish/non-Jewish sense of identity by peering into the mind of the greatest European modernist writer, Franz Kafka (1883-1924).
Kafka was born and raised as a Jew and lived all his life in Prague. We will focus our exploration on Kafka in Prague and Prague in Kafka’s writing, even though, in his works we find no direct reference to Judaism or to the specific places of Prague or Bohemia. However, Kafka took a keen interest in- and learned- Yiddish and Hebrew, and his diaries and letters reveal a repeated reflection on his identity as a Jew and on European Jewish life. He also anticipated the incoming Holocaust of the European Jewry.
Seeking Kafka in Prague and Prague in Kafka, we will attempt to understand the Jewish Czech narrative through reconciling this contradiction: strong Jewish and East European interest in life and lack of explicit reference to these interests in the great author’s literary work. If Kafka had not been born and raised as a Jew, would he become Kafka?
This virtual presentation is hosted by Adath Shalom Synagogue, Morris Plains, NJ.
Join Irene Shaland, a Jewish historian, internationally-published art and travel writer, and author of five books for a captivating journey through 500 years of Jewish history in Brazil. Encounter little-known stories of Brazil discovery in the 15th century’s context of a twisted world of politics, deceptions, and intrigues. Learn about the key role the Crypto-Jews played in this country’s exploration and development. Find out why Anna Novinsky, a renowned expert in Jewish history in Sao Paolo, claimed that “Brazil was built by the Jews!”
Journey from the 15th to the 21st century of Brazilian history and visit Salvador Bahia, Manaus, the Amazon, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, and the Iguassu Falls to uncover fascinating Jewish narratives of this unique country and to meet the Brazilian Jews who dwell in its cities and in the jungle.
To attend, click on the “Zoom Link” 10 minutes prior to the event on the Adath Shalom site:
