Name: Jews Are Magic: Occult Practices from Palmistry to Professional Psychics
Start: 2026-05-26T19:00:00-04:00
Location: 15 W 16th St, New York, NY, United States, New York 10011

Jews Are Magic: Occult Practices from Palmistry to Professional Psychics

In person and on Zoom
From palm and face reading to phrenology; from reading tea leaves and coffee grounds to lead and wax pouring practices; through to mind-reading, hypnosis, and mentalism, the Jewish experience with the occult is a rich field for exploration that continues into the present.
The opening of YIVO’s latest exhibit, Jews Are Magic: Occult Practices from Palmistry to Professional Psychics (https://yivo.org/Magic), will include a panel discussion featuring specialists on the Jewish occult, Samuel Glauber and Rokhl Kafrissen, moderated by YIVO Senior Academic Advisor & Director of Exhibitions, Eddy Portnoy. The discussion will consider the history and nature of Jewish occult practices, as well as their modernization and professionalization.