Beginning this spring—and in the aftermath of October 7, 2023, and all that followed—the Jewish Museum introduced a new series of talks featuring James S. Snyder, Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director, in conversation with artists, authors, and other cultural leaders and thinkers exploring the role and relevance of art and culture during challenging times.

These probing discussions—from social and cultural perspectives, rather than political ones—featured: award-winning author Ruby Namdar whose poetic fiction conflates the narrative of Jewish world history from Biblical times to the present; Soviet émigré Israeli artist Zoya Cherkassky, whose 7 October 2023 series portrayed the harrowing events of that day in Israel; multimedia artist Michal Rovner on her metaphorically evocative imagery relating to the universal narrative of human frailty; and Harvard scholar and author Tarek Masoud, on an exploration of pathways to common ground among the cultures populating the Middle East.

Given the profoundly complex times we are all experiencing today, these talks offer a forum for dialogue and discourse for public audiences of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, all of whom nonetheless embraced the Jewish Museum setting as a venue for education and engagement.

Watch the series on the Director's Talks playlist on the Jewish Museum's YouTube channel.

VIEW PLAYLIST