Opening Day hosted by the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at the KU Leuven The second edition of the Flemish Emouna Programme started on October 8 with Peter DB and myself as Jewish participants alongside a strong contingent of Muslim, Buddhist, Baha’i, Catholic, Protestant and Humanist representatives. This visionary project was launched in Paris in 2016 and continues to inspire communities of faith across Europe. Founded at Sciences Po by Rabbi Pauline Bebe, among

By Ann E ---Throughout history, there have been amazing Jewish women doing incredible things. Jewish women have been active in a very wide range of fields – art, literature, science, politics, feminism, acting, dancing and even spying. The first part of this article was posted in September. Lipstadt's Official Portrait as US Special Envoy Deborah Lipstadt An unsung heroine is Deborah Lipstadt. She struck a major blow against Holocaust deniers when she won a landmark libel cas

Andres Mosquera on the right  All three members of this year's graduating class at the rabbinical seminary run by the Reform movement in Argentina happened to be from Spain. And one of these graduates is former IJC member Andrés Mosquera. It was a great reason to hold the first ordination ceremony in Spain in more than 500 years.   About 10 years ago, Spain passed a law offering citizenship to the descendants of  Sephardi Jews  expelled during the Inquisition. As many Jews,

By Sarah S- -- On a recent Sunday, our President Peter G. and I had the honor of taking part in the annual clean-up of the Jewish cemetery in Kraainem, an event organized by the Union des Étudiants Juifs de Belgique (UEJB). It was a morning filled with remembrance, respect, and a strong sense of community. The atmosphere was wonderful, with 20 or so kind and motivated people coming together to honor those who came before us and to preserve this important place of memory. It w

It’s hard to believe that two years have passed since October 7th, 2023 – two years of pain in Israel, in Gaza, and across the world. Our...

By Peter Goldfein - While many of the melodies are still echoing in my head, I would like to share just a few words with everyone...

Granada Sephardic Museum The summer break is drawing to a close and we can look back on some very warm weeks, and hopefully sweet holiday...

The IJC is seeking one Jewish man and one Jewish woman  to join the Chevra Kadisha , which we share with our friends at Beth Hillel. The...

By Ann E – Part of a two-part series… We all know exceptional Jewish women. Our formidable mothers for a start, then there is a whole...

By Sarah S -- LJG Brabant – Tilburg Synagogue recently held its annual shul outing, this time to the beautiful city of Maastricht....

Henry VIII and the Rabbis or “How the King Relied on Jewish Law to End His First Marriage - and Why He Failed” by Jerry Rabow Every...

First rabbinical ordinations  in Spain since 1492 -- Andres Boaz Mosquera is ordained..   Early in June of this year, I was asked by the...

‘When you are asked to serve, you have to step up,’ says Leslie Oversteyns, who has just joined the IJC Board. She had been asked before,...

For our final event of the semester, 20+ IJC members and friends gathered in the sun-drenched Kortenberg countryside for a Shabbaton of...

On Sunday June 1st, IJC and Beth Hillel came together in record numbers to celebrate Shavuot together. We started with Erev Shabbat...

Judy, a longtime IJC member, is of Hungarian origin, born in Budapest in 1944. She managed, with the help of others, to escape from...

On a Sunday in May, a group of IJC culture and history enthusiasts met at the Museum of History and Art in the Parc Cinquantenaire to...

On Saturday April 12, the first night of Pesach, after weeks of remote preparation, administrative follow-up, and a concentrated 48 hours...

By Ann E --- Golan, former IJC Administrator and a well-known figure in our community, was born into a secular family in Jerusalem in...

By Sarah S -- Our recent visit to the mikveh in Tilburg was more than a ritual - it was a moment of profound spiritual connection,...