Virtual Talk Details

For thousands of our ancestors, the Jewish world was loud, fast, and full of extreme contrasts. Their lives unfolded in the two greatest Jewish metropolises of the Russian Empire: Kyiv and Odesa.

These cities were completely different, but they shared the same intense energy.

Jewish millionaires built opulent palaces, while poor craftsmen crowded into tiny, noisy courtyards.
Writers, merchants, and early Zionists sat in local cafes, shaping our modern identity.

Let's step into the real streets our grandparents walked and discover the true Jewish history of these two cities.

Monday, November 16 Part 1: Kyiv — The Closed City

Jews have lived in Kyiv for centuries. But under the Russian Empire, this beautiful city became a strange trap. It sat right in the middle of the Pale of Settlement, surrounded by Jewish towns, yet it was strictly off-limits to regular Jews.

The Tsar considered Kyiv a "holy city." Only a tiny elite - wealthy merchants, registered academics, or indispensable doctors- were allowed to live there legally.

But our grandparents were resourceful. Thousands of ordinary Jews lived in Kyiv illegally, hiding from night raids and paying off the police just to give their children a better life.

During our journey, we will explore the city of Sholem Aleichem and Golda Meir.

We will talk about the Jewish billionaires who made their fortunes in sugar and timber, and the famous Jewish artists of the "Culture League."

We will also face the dark times.
We’ll discuss the Bogdan Khmelnitsky pogroms, the infamous Beilis blood libel trial, and the tragedy of Babiy Yar.

We will see how the community fought to keep their memory of the Holocaust alive during Soviet times, and how they live in Ukraine today.

Monday, November 30 Part 2: Odesa — The Secret Jewish Capital

If Kyiv was a city of strict rules and secrets, Odesa was the exact opposite. It was loud, free, and completely unique. If you ask a Russian-speaking Jew today, they will tell you Odesa was the true Jewish capital of the Empire.

Odesa isn't just a place on a map; it's a feeling. It’s a very specific sense of humor, the smell of tasty food from open windows, and Yiddish music playing in the streets.

We will walk through its famous courtyards and green boulevards.

You will meet the tough port workers and the armed Jewish self-defense squads who refused to hide during pogroms.

We will talk about the local Jewish underworld, and the brilliant writers who shaped modern Hebrew and Yiddish literature.

Many believe Odesa is the true cradle of Israeli culture — a seaside city with the exact same energy as modern Tel Aviv.
We’ll follow the stories of the early Zionists who boarded ships in the Odesa port and sailed straight to the land of Israel in the 1920s.

Join me to see Odessa, understand its people, and feel the spirit of a city that changed Jewish history forever.