Room 9
Centuries of persecution and assimilation pushed many Jews to abandon the faith of their forebears. Today, a growing number of Europeans are re-discovering their Jewish family history, some going through confirmation or conversion. Taking the example of Luxembourg we will look at how these ‘rediscovered’ Jews can strengthen European Judaism.
Room 2
In 1932, Yechiel Yakov Weinberg responded to a question sent to him by his student, Julius Samuel, who was serving as the main rabbi in Oslo: could Samuel's community sell the city's other synagogue? Together, we'll explore this teshuva (responsum), the halachot (Jewish laws) of selling a synagogue and Jewish communal politics in Europe in 1932.
Room 3
In 1917, Sara Schenirer, a seamstress from Krakow, opened the first school for Orthodox Jewish girls in her shop. In just two decades, the school system had grown to over 250 institutions in Poland and abroad with 38,000 students. The phenomenon continues today in North America and Israel. Let’s take a look behind the scenes of this movement.
Room 6
Hear the family history of Silvia's maternal great-grandparents, Josef Siebzehner, (b. Vienna 1871) and Amalia Korez, (b. Prague 1884). In Florence, they established the department store Duilio 48, then lived through World War 1 in Zurich. The racial laws of 1938 led to their capture and deportation, and their lives are remembered as part of the Stolpersteine project.
From Vienna to Firenze.pdfRoom 8
Read Jonah with Zsuzsa in a different way. Have you ever seen this story from the perspective of the sailors? And of the big fish? The Ninivaens? Here is your chance. Our bibliodrama will give you the opportunity to delve into this fascinating story as if you were in it, to play, to interact and maybe even to learn about yourself and others.
Lauren Keiles Eva Srut Hana Siková Ben Shapiro
Room 7
Moishe House capitalises on the power of couches: shared, informal, grassroots community spaces to fertilise the intersection between organisational vision and grassroots leadership. Listen to compelling stories from the ground, and discuss how grassroots leaders and institutionalised organisations can work together to transform Jewish communities.
Room 4
Jews have always been on the move. On holidays we say, 'My father was a wandering Aramean', knowing that our migration never ended. Millions of migrants are on the move throughout today’s world. As climate change worsens, their numbers will increase. How can Jewish texts and experiences help as we face this urgency?
Room 1
In 3rd Century CE, the dynamic duo of Rav and Shmuel founded the academies that launched the Babylonian Talmud. The story of how they first met, however, is quite odd and even comical. But it might also contain some relevant insights for us today, on Israel/Diaspora relations and how Jews as a minority relate to the majorities among which we live.