Category: Announcements

Parent Category for all announcements: upcoming events, book promotions, links to magazine articles

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Review of Jewish Guide to Malta and Corsica

Book cover of Shaland's Jewish Travel Guide to Malta and Corsica

By Barbara Miller, the author of “If I Survive: Nazi Germany and the Jews.”

This book 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.

And this is much more than a travel guide. It also opens the door on the Jewish story of Malta and Corsica. As Jewish migrants from Russia to the USA, they bring unique insights to this travel guide. 

Many gems of information for the curious are revealed like the first alphabet, the temples built well before the pyramids of Egypt, and much more but you need to read it to find out. You will be surprised at how pivotal these two small islands were in the history of Europe and the Middle East. When you pick this book up, you’ll not be able to put it down. Even if you don’t plan to travel there, you’ll be carried along as Irene’s skills as a detective and researcher draw you into this amazing story. 

If your Amazon account is in the US (www.amazon.com), please follow one of the links below to take a look at the paperback or eBook edition of Irene’s book:

Paperback edition: https://amzn.to/3nfjH9s

eBook (Kindle) edition:  https://amzn.to/3uJRTeQ

If you live outside of the US and your Amazon account is based in your country, please go to your Amazon account and type “Shaland’s Jewish Travel Guide to Malta and Corsica” in the search box.

Learn more about Irene Shaland.

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Jews of the Jungles (and cities) in Brazil

Interior of Grand Temple, Rio de Janeiro

Irene Shaland’s Virtual Lecture

Thursday                     December 16th           2021                              7:30 PM

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:

https://www.adathshalom.net/event/jews-of-the-jungle-travels-to-brazil-with-irene-shaland.html

 

Check out our Lecture Schedule.

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Dani Rotstein Talks about Jewish Majorca

Logo of Jewish Majorca company

The following text and images were provided by Dani Rotstein, Founder & Owner of a unique cultural tourism company called Jewish Majorca.

“Let me tell you about an exciting educational resource that is innovative and useful for Jewish communities around the globe!

Jewish Majorca is a cultural tourism company that provides educational tours of the island exploring the deep-rooted Jewish history. They’ve pivoted to offer virtual tours and experiences for people of all ages! This video best describes what they do and how they do it. 

Its founder, Dani Rotstein, is originally from New Jersey but fell in love with Spain when he spent his junior year of college studying in Madrid. Upon moving to Mallorca, he learned of the taboo history of the island’s descendants of Jewish Conversos – named “Chuetas.” He has since made it his life’s mission to educate about the topic and bring other diverse Jewish stories from around the world into the homes of interested Jewish community enthusiasts.

Below is an outline of some of the programs they offer:

Live Zoom Walking tours  where Dani actually walks through the streets of Palma with you as if he were giving you an in-person tour of the city and supplemented with some beautiful pre-recorded content of previous tours. It’s a truly unique experience. The live experience is available during daylight in Spain. If you should need a later time, he can also do a version of the tour from his home office. Dani is a fantastically enticing guide and the content is enthralling. These tours are generally broken into four parts. They can be booked as a complete package or in any combination. 

You can find all the many different virtual programs on their website. 

https://www.jewishmajorca.com/live-zoom-tours/

Feel free to contact Dani as well as Mariano Valdes, who’s managing the program booking. If this is something you’d be interested in for your congregants or community members, feel free to work with them directly! 
Thank you! 
Team Jewish Majorca”

Disclaimer: Global Travel Authors and its members are not affiliated with Jewish Majorca and have no financial interest in sharing the above information. We believe that Jewish Majorca could be a valuable resource for in-person and virtual travelers interested in Jewish history. GTA Team.

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Irene Shaland’s Upcoming October 2021 Lectures

images of lecture add

 

In October, Irene Shaland will be presenting two lectures for you to choose from or – to attend both!

1st Lecture Date: October 14th

Time: 4:30 EST.

Title: “Global Response to the Holocaust: From Europe to Asia—Norway, Sweden, China, India.” This lecture is virtual.

Sponsoring institution: Holocaust Resource Center of New Jersey. Kean University. Union Town.

Targeted audiences are the Holocaust studies teachers. However, the event is free and open to the public; anyone can register and attend.

To register, follow the link below to fill a simple Registration Form:

Link to Registration Form

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2nd Lecture Date: October 21st  

Time: 6:30 PM CST

In person with a virtual option.

Title: “In Search of a Jewish Story in China.“ This lecture is in-person and virtual. Presented in connection with the Illinois Holocaust Museum’s current exhibit: Shanghai as a Safe Haven during the Holocaust.

Sponsoring institution is Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Chicago.

https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/events/in-search-of-a-jewish-story-in-china/

To register, click below and select “Virtual option.”

https://18161.blackbaudhosting.com/18161/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=8d226f05-f43c-4e9f-a903-57da06c242e8

 

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India through the Jewish History Lens

Taj Mahal, India

Free Zoom Presentation:

The Art of Travel:  India through the Jewish History Lens – A Personal Journey

Hosted by: New City Library, NY

Date & Time: Wednesday, August 4, at 7:00 pm EST U.S.

Irene Shaland, a Jewish historian, came to see India as not just another country on her exploration list but as a place in space and time where one comes for self-discovery and personal growth. You have to know deep down why you are coming to India. If you do know why, you are bound to discover the most refined beauty and the deepest spirituality. Travelling through India, you will gradually learn – like peeling the onion, layer after layer – some very important truths about yourself and history, about people and myths they create. Something unexpected and wonderful might happen during this trip.

Hopefully, India, unique among the world civilizations with its seven thousand years of uninterrupted traditions, will forever become an integral part of your mental landscape. For Irene, a passionate Jewish history aficionado, India has changed her own understanding of Jewish identity. And this presentation will illustrate how and why this happened.

Join Irene on a virtual trip through layers of historic periods, artistic and architectural styles, and a multitude of cultural traditions and fascinating Indian Jewish stories of origin. This presentation, enriched by Alex Shaland’s photography, will transport you to Delhi, Varanasi, Khajuraho, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur, Udaipur, Aurangabad, Ellora and Ajanta caves, Cochin, and finally – Mumbai.

This event is free, but a reservation is required.  Please follow the link to the library website to register:

https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/india-through-jewish-history-lens

Phone: (845)-634-4997 ext. 139

Meet the presenter Irene Shaland.

Take a look at the schedule of our events: Schedule of Events.

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Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Australian Aboriginal History

Book Cover

Introducing a new book by our friend Barbara Miller. Barbara is a famous Australian author, human rights activist, historian, and pastor.

Barbara Russell, a young woman from a white working-class family. A ruthless Premier Bjelke-Petersen enforcing legal discrimination. What secrets lie hidden? What lies are being told?

Barbara couldn’t stand by and watch the feud of the people with governments and miners strip Australian Aboriginal communities of all they held dear. Not if she could help.

Would her passion make a way for her? Was she strong enough to make a difference for the people, resist the temptation of love, and stand up to her family too?

In this story of secrets, lies, ideological conflict and racial discrimination laws, Barbara teams up with Mick, an Aboriginal schoolteacher. They organise remote Australian Aboriginal people to fight Bjelke and the mining companies that encroach on their land. But Bjelke has a few tricks up his sleeve and will use all in his powers in this police state to stop them. If the Aboriginal people fail, more of them will die in poverty and desperation.

Can the church take on the state and win in this epic battle as the church stands with the Aboriginals to challenge racism? This historical memoir is another sizzling story in the First Nations True Stories series.

With the current debate in Australia of Voice Treaty Truth and the worldwide issue of Black Lives Matter, this book gives many key Aboriginal people a voice and reveals the shocking truth of the hidden history of 1975 to 2021 in a near-novel like manner. Every important historical event is covered. This is one of the social justice books that you will want on your shelf. The political activism examples are not those of keyboard warriors but those of a people who took to the trenches.

If you like fast-paced action, real-life heroes, and the window opened on another culture, this book is for you. If you like books with political intrigue that bring to life an interesting historical period, you’ll love Secrets and Lies.

The eBook will be 99c till 6 July 2021, and then go up to $3.99.

START READING NOW!!!

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Crazy Travel Photography and Story-Telling

Irene Shaland and Alex Shaland in Africa

Come to a Free In-Person Presentation “Crazy Travel Photography and Story-Telling”

Date and Time: June 24, 2021 at 7-8 PM EST

Presenters: Irene and Alex Shaland

Organized by: Cleveland Photo Fest

Where: 2731 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, in the Bostwick Design Art Initiative Building

About the presentation:

Meet Irene and Alex Shaland, world travelers, book authors, travel writers, and camera swingers.  Alex swings the camera, Irene simply looks glamorous. Hear their stories of globe-trotting adventures-on-steroids researching, photographing, and writing about the countries and places they visit, people they meet, and nature and wildlife they deeply care about.

Why was this program titled “Crazy Travel Photography and Story-Telling”? As an example, who else but crazy Shalands would have crisscrossed the entire Indian subcontinent in 12 days pushing the shutter button and scribbling notes as fast as they could. After returning home, they produced two magazine articles, a chapter for Irene’s book, and several lectures. And they have been performing this stunt (research-travel-meet people and become friends-photograph and take notes-write, publish, present–repeat) for over 30 years. Almost 80 countries and counting.

Knowing Shalands’ “mode of operation” event sponsors asked Irene and Alex to share some unusual or “crazy” moments and images from some of their trips. This program will take you from the jaw-dropping architectural marvels of Singapore to insanely-creative street art of Melbourne, Australia; from African safaris in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Tanzania to the pyramids of Egypt; and from the streets and fields of Nepal to national parks in the USA.

About the presenters:

Irene Shaland’s art and travel articles, accompanied by Alex’s photographs, have appeared in over 20 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, and other journals printed in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Korea, and Kenya. Irene’s third book “The Dao of Being Jewish and Other Stories” narrates little-known tales of Jewish communities in 10 countries over two millennia.

“Suburbanites on Safari” is Alex’s first work devoted exclusively to Africa and African wildlife that, in addition to being informative and entertaining, aspires to support the effort to preserve and protect the animals with whom we humans share this planet.

Learn more about Alex Shaland.

Learn more about Irene Shaland.

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Free Virtual Lecture: Travels in Jewish History – Asia

angkor watt Cambodia

Adath Shalom Synagogue Presents
Irene Shaland’s Free Virtual Lecture:

Travels in Jewish History

Date: Thursday, May 6th, 2021   Time: 7:30 PM EST

Join this event on Zoom: 

https://zoom.us/j/3393948412?pwd=QjJiVW0yUUtuV01mS0NvUzlyOU9SUT09

Meeting ID: 339 394 8412

Passcode: Israel

For more information follow this link to the announcement on the Adath Shalom website: https://www.adathshalom.net/event/travels-in-jewish-history-india-china-myanmar-cambodia-and-more.html

     Travel with Irene Shaland to the continent of Asia in search of little-known Jewish histories. In China, learn the two-fold narrative: the Jews IN China and the Jews OF China while discovering the 2,000-year history of Jewish life there. What are the Jewish secrets of the Gobi Desert and the Silk Road? What do the most anti-Semitic of Russian Tsars and a Russian-Yiddish cultural enclave in the north of China have in common?

     In India, discover the most refined beauty and the deepest spirituality of this country while learning the little-known history of the oldest continuously living Jewish community in the world, its myths of origin, and the sense of identity. Hear fascinating stories about the synagogue near the tomb of a Persian emperor, Jewish atheist’s shrine in a mosque, India’s role in the Holocaust, and Muslim youths defending the synagogue of Mumbai.

     In Burma/Myanmar, you will be transported to the ancient land of rice fields and countless golden Buddhas and pagodas to discover the little-known narrative of the once-thriving Jewish community there, which was all but decimated during World War II. Understand why this small group of immigrants throughout their history in Asia became so successful commercially and powerful politically only to disappear to almost oblivion after the 1940s and 1960s. 

     In Cambodia, you will visit a small synagogue near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh and discover what the Rabbi’s usual day looks like in the country of Angkor Wat.

Irene Shaland is the author of a multitude of magazine articles published in the US, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, the UK, and Israel. She regularly presents at conferences, museums, universities, special-interest group events, and other venues.

Irene’s last book “The Dao of Being Jewish and Other Stories” is available on Amazon.

Join this event on Zoom: 

https://zoom.us/j/3393948412?pwd=QjJiVW0yUUtuV01mS0NvUzlyOU9SUT09

Meeting ID: 339 394 8412

Passcode: Israel

For more information follow this link to the announcement on the Adath Shalom website: https://www.adathshalom.net/event/travels-in-jewish-history-india-china-myanmar-cambodia-and-more.html

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