What’s Coming Up in October?
WHAT’S ON AT CSP THIS OCTOBER?
New ideas, fascinating stories and unexpected connections await! This month, we’ll travel across the former Soviet Union with Evgenia Kempinski to explore Post-Soviet Jews, Life After the Iron Curtain, uncover the surprising journey of Jewish mysticism in Kabbalah, Cabala, Qabalah with Stav Appel, and make sense of Israel’s political landscape with Mike Hollander in our timely member series Israel Votes 2026: A Guide for the Perplexed (a member’s only series). We’ll explore the intersection of travel, gender, Judaism and American identity with historian Dr. Melissa Klapper in the launch of her new book, Jewish Women at Home in the World: Gender, Judaism, and American Identity in the Rise of Mass Tourism, and have an exclusive conversation with acclaimed filmmaker Dani Menkin about the unforgettable story of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 1977 European basketball triumph, The Game That Put Israel on the Map.
We’ll also continue our artistic journey through Italy as Tobi Kahn brings us the final installment of Exploring the Masterpieces of Art in Rome, Florence and Venice, taking us into the beauty and brilliance of Venice. And that’s just the beginning!
Our fall calendar has many more fascinating conversations in store, including Richard Michelson’s Can the Legacy of Louis Brandeis Save American Democracy?, a thought-provoking exploration of Brandeis’s enduring legacy and its relevance today; Jewish Life and Learning in Today’s World, with Rabbi Elie Spitz in conversation with Rabbi Michael Paley and Breaking the Chain with Dr. Agnes Veto. From politics and history to art, mysticism, travel and contemporary Jewish life, there’s always something new to discover at CSP. Join us this October and keep the conversation going!
Post-Soviet Jews Life After the Iron Curtain
Monday October 5, Sundays October 11 & 18, 2026
10:00-11:00 AM PDT / 1:00-2:00 PM EDT / 20:00-21:00 Israel time
This three-part series explores the dramatic transformation of Jewish life across the former Soviet Union following the collapse of the USSR, when millions of Jews were suddenly free to leave, stay, or rediscover identities suppressed for generations. From the mass migration of the 1990s to the revival of synagogues, schools, Hebrew, Shabbat and Jewish communal life. Journeying from the Baltic states to the Caucasus and Central Asia, we’ll discover how diverse Jewish communities are reinventing themselves and asking what it means to build a Jewish future after generations of enforced silence. LINK
Israel Votes 2026: A Guide for the Perplexed — member’s only series
Thursdays October 8, 15 & 22, 2026
10:00-11:00 AM PDT / 1:00-2:00 PM EDT / 20:00-21:00 Israel time
This timely three-part series explores how Israel’s political system has been shaped by years of elections, coalition upheaval, judicial reform debates, October 7 and the ongoing war. We’ll unpack how Israeli democracy works, examine the growing pressures and divisions confronting it, and trace the political journey from broad coalitions to Israel’s most right-wing government. As Israelis head toward the October 27, 2026 election, we’ll look at the parties, leaders and key issues including the enduring question of “To Bibi or Not to Bibi?” and consider what the results could mean for Israel’s future. LINK
Kabbalah, Cabala, Qabalah
Tuesday October 13, 2026
10:00-11:00 AM PDT / 1:00-2:00 PM EDT / 20:00-21:00 Israel time
This fascinating session explores how Jewish Kabbalah traveled beyond the Jewish world and evolved into Cabala and Qabalah, influencing Christian scholars, Western occultists and even modern Tarot. We’ll uncover how Hebrew letters, mystical symbols and the Tree of Life became part of the visual language of Western mysticism. Along the way, we’ll discover how an ancient Jewish tradition crossed cultural boundaries and helped shape the modern mystical imagination. LINK
Jewish Women at Home in the World
Gender, Judaism, and American Identity in the Rise of Mass Tourism
Tuesday October 20, 2026
10:00-11:00 AM PDT / 1:00-2:00 PM EDT / 20:00-21:00 Israel time
Dr. Melissa R. Klapper explores the experiences of American Jewish women who traveled internationally between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries, from studying abroad and visiting ancestral homes to working overseas and joining organized tours. Drawing on diaries, letters, photographs and other archival sources, she reveals how travel expanded their horizons, challenged traditional gender roles and strengthened Jewish identity. This fascinating presentation explores how journeys around the world helped shape the intersections of gender, Judaism and American identity in the modern era. LINK
The Game That Put Israel on the Map, One Team, One Nation, One Unforgettable Victory
Sunday October 25, 2026
10:00-11:00 AM PDT / 1:00-2:00 PM EDT / 19:00-20:00 Israel time (clock change in Israel)
Join acclaimed filmmaker Dani Menkin for a special conversation about On the Map, his celebrated documentary about Maccabi Tel Aviv’s extraordinary 1977 European Championship victory. Against the backdrop of the Yom Kippur War, the Munich Olympics massacre and the Cold War, discover the story of a team that became a powerful symbol of Israeli identity and national pride. Register to receive a link to watch the film in advance. LINK