What Happened to the Lost Tribes? 2026 Leonard Wolinsky Lectures

Join our two talks to discover modern and traditional approaches to Jewish ancestry and identity.

The Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies and the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre are proud to welcome you to the 2026 Leonard Wolinsky Lectures in Jewish Life and Education. This year’s presentation, “What Happened to the Lost Tribes: Traditional and Modern Approaches to Jewish Ancestry and Identity”, will present two different approaches to learning about the search for Jewish identity.

Professor Steven Weitzman (University of Pennsylvania) will talk about “Genetics and the Search for Jewish Identity.” His lecture will explore the role of genetics research in the quest to determine the fate of the lost tribes of biblical Israel, including some reflections on the pros and cons of such evidence for understanding Jewish origins and identity.

Professor Andrew Tobolowsky (College of William and Mary) will discuss “The ‘Myth’ of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.” He will talk about the historical development of traditions about the tribes of Israel from biblical times to the present, focusing on how and why they became the basis for so many visions of Israelite identity in so many different places. He will also explore what it says about identity itself that Israelite identities, and biblical identities more generally, have formed and thrived so far from ancient Israel in time and space.

The lectures will be followed by a kosher reception.

Advance registration recommended.