Fortunately, there is another option for those who want to stay at home and enjoy a variety of lectures at a very high production level. It's called "armchair lectures" and, to my even greater delight, I was able to secure special benefits for you.
But before we begin, a few words about this important project.
Lectures from the armchair
“Lectures from the Chair” was established to distribute high-quality enrichment lectures from the best and leading lecturers in their fields. All lectures are filmed and recorded in high quality and combined into a video with the content that was screened in the lecture to allow the viewer to feel like they are sitting in the lecture hall, only without leaving home. Needless to say, all lectures contain subtitles.
The site currently has, as of August 2025, approximately 1700 lectures by senior lecturers and researchers at the academy, alongside geographic photographers, travel editors, storytellers, diplomats, writers, experts and artists from various fields! The lectures can be viewed on a mobile phone, computer and even on a smart TV, using a unique application.
Of course, among all these lectures you will find a number of lectures that deal directly or indirectly with France and its culture. Happily, I was able to bring you two such lectures for free!
A glimpse into the turbulent world of Frederic Chopin
Chopin arrived in Paris at the age of 21, where he wrote most of his works in French and lived at the heart of the city's artistic society. His highly publicized love affair with the French writer Georges Sand became legendary, and even in his death he remained associated with the city - his resting place is in the Père Lachaise cemetery.
Gil Shohat's musical lecture opens a window into the turbulent and complex world of the renowned composer: stories of love, illness and revolutions that have become sounds that accompany us to this day. Lecturer Maestro Gil Shohat presents us with a musical analysis at eye level - with musical excerpts and surprising anecdotes. You are invited to click on the link and receive (after a short registration) a link for free viewing, from any device.
All That Jazz – Music, France, and Henri Matisse
“All colors should sing together”
Did you know that music was an essential component of the daily life of the French painter and sculptor Henri Matisse? Is it possible to speak of a melody or chord in the paintings of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century? This lecture will shine a spotlight on the birth of jazz in France and the musical language of Henri Matisse.
The lecture is given by Irena Friedland, a graduate with honors from the Buchman-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University. The lecture was recorded in a concert hall, with a grand piano, in excellent quality.
To watch this lecture, all you need to do is register on the site using this link.
“Wine is not rocket science” with Yair Haido
And after you’ve enjoyed the two free lectures, let me recommend an excellent series of lectures, this time for a fee. This is Yair Haido’s lecture series, about one of the most French things there is. I’m talking, of course, about wine, which is an integral part of French culture – a national symbol that embodies history, local pride, and an experience for all the senses.
In a light and fascinating series, Yair Haido – one of Israel's leading wine experts and a graduate of the prestigious French magazine La Revue du Vin de France – takes us on a journey among the great grape varieties born in France (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and more) and among the legendary wine regions: Bordeaux , Burgundy, and Champagne.
Click here for details and to register for the series.
And I have another little piece of news.
Because I really appreciate what the Armchair Lectures Society does, I agreed to have my lectures recorded by them, so that those who cannot make it to my lectures around the country can enjoy them. I hope to start doing this in the last months of 2025, and as soon as these lectures are ready, I will of course let you know. Until then, I promise you have plenty of great lectures to watch :-).
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