Spinoza: 6 Reasons for the Excommunication - Sponsored Content

Baruch Spinoza was an important 17th-century philosopher who argued that God and Nature are one and the same, a radical idea that paved the way to modern secular thought. In 1656, Spinoza was excommunicated from his Jewish community in Amsterdam. But the reasons for this banishment are far from simple, and help us understand what underpins modern Jewish identity.

‘Spinoza: 6 Reasons for the Excommunication of the Philosopher’ will be available exclusively for members of our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community, to stream June 18-25.

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‘Spinoza: 6 Reasons for the Excommunication

of the Philosopher’

Spinoza: 6 Reasons for the Excommunication of the Philosopher

2022 | 54 Minutes | Directed by David Ofek | June 18-25, 2026

The excommunication of Baruch Spinoza, the Dutch Jewish philosopher who revolutionized modern thought, is a formative, mysterious event in the understanding of his work. Director David Ofek takes us on an intercontinental journey tracing six reasons for Spinoza’s excommunication. Between Amsterdam, the Hague, New York, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv, he makes some surprising discoveries, and traces the figure of a man who continues to intrigue our culture with his ideas, which remain revolutionary, spiritual, and radical to this day.

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‘Spinoza: 6 Reasons for the Excommunication of the Philosopher’ is available exclusively for members of The Times of Israel Community as a part of our ongoing collaboration with DocuNation.

About DocuNation for the ToI Community

DocuNation provides outstanding Israeli documentary films for you to stream online from the comfort of your home. The films, plus follow-up live discussions with the filmmakers themselves, are available for a week at a time — exclusively for members of our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community.

DocuNation allows Times of Israel Community members to enjoy two award-winning Israeli documentary films with English subtitles each month.

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All of the funds earmarked for this project go directly to Israeli documentary filmmakers at this difficult time when they’re encountering global cultural boycotts.

For DocuNation, we’re collaborating with renowned documentary filmmaker Yonatan Nir, who hosts the discussions with the filmmakers.

How it works

Each film — with English subtitles — will be available to watch for seven days over a weekend. On that Sunday, you can join our live English webinar with the filmmaker. We will send out a reminder for each event.

‘Spinoza: 6 Reasons for the Excommunication of the Philosopher’ will be available to stream June 18-25. The live Q&A hosted by Yonatan Nir will take place on June 21 at 8 PM (Israel time) /1 PM (Eastern Time) with director David Ofek.

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‘Spinoza: 6 Reasons for the Excommunication

of the Philosopher’ and DocuNation

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the series cost money?

Nope, the series is included in your ToI Community membership – there is no additional cost. If you still need to sign up for the ToI Community, our reader support group, click here.

Where can I see other upcoming DocuNation films?

You can check out upcoming films here.

How long is each film?

Each film is between 50 and 90 minutes. Each live discussion with filmmakers will be around an hour.

If I sign up for the ToI Community can I access previous films and discussions?

You can only watch the films during the 7-day period scheduled for each. We do, however, record every webinar discussion with the filmmakers, which you can watch at your convenience, even if you sign up after streaming for a film has ended.

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