Mazal Tov/Felisitasiones to ASF Sephardi House Fellow (2020/2021) Ariella Levy, ASF Broome and Allen Scholar Ethan Marcus (2018), as well as B&A Fellows Isaac Choua (2018) and Andrew Marcus (2021) for being elected to the Central Council of the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America! Mashallah!
The Sephardi World Weekly is made possible by Professor Rifka Cook, Maria Gabriela Borrego Medina, Rachel Amar, Deborah Arellano, and Distinguished ASF Vice President Gwen Zuares!
Click here to dedicate a future issue in honor or memory of a loved one
📺“Sephardic Jew, Coptic Christian to Launch Middle East Talk Show”
By Aaron Bandler, Jewish Journal
Adela Cojab and Mariam Wahba (Photo courtesy of the co-hosts)
2018 ASF Broome & Allen Fellow Adela Cojab is a Syrian-Lebanese Jew who immigrated to the United States from Mexico City. Named in 2018 as one of the Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” Jewish Leaders, Adela’s courageous stand against campus antisemitism made national headlines and moved the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Now to take action. Now a student at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law, Adela is launching a talk show, “The American-ish Show: Daughters of the Diaspora,” with Mariam Wahba, Associate Director of Advocacy at the Middle East Christian engagement organization (and ASF partner), The Philos Project. Wahba comes from a Coptic-Christian Egyptian family, and says Cojab, “‘The more we talked the more we realized we had so much in common… our experiences are very similar, our communities are very similar. The conversation lasted hours and hours and hours, and we just felt like we had… good conversations that other people should hear.’”
Feature: Adela Cojab: Fighting Antisemitism at NYU ⚔📢
In this Hadassah-Combat Antisemitsm Movement video, 2018 ASF Broome & Allen Fellow Adela Cojab shares how she found herself fighting antisemitism at NYU. After a student was assaulted while singing HaTkivah, Cojab filed a complaint in line with the 2019 Executive Order determining that, “Discrimination against Jews may give rise to a Title VI violation,” The result? The Department of Education opened a full-scale investigation.
✡️“Conserving Kurdish Jewry”
By The National Association of Jews from Kurdistan in Israel
Jerusalem-born Kurdish Jew Eliyahu Avrahami says “‘My family fought for this country before it was a country,’” including two sisters, Shoshana and Rashel, who served in the Irgun (See: “The Kurdish Immigrants Who Built Israel”; Photo courtesy of Eliyahu Avrahami/Forward)
The Jewish presence in Kurdistan dates back at least a millennium. Today, the entire Kurdish Jewish community lives in Israel, but impostors claiming to represent Kurdish Jews have been appearing in Kurdistan. Deciding enough is enough, the National Association of Jews from Kurdistan in Israel is setting the record straight: “When Jews were expelled from Kurdistan in the 1950s, the Jews living in Kurdistan left in their entirety... Because of the very close nature of the Jewish communities, this was never under any doubt… Since the 2010s… impostors [have claimed] to represent long-lost Jews, usually in order to obtain some personal advantage... This is dishonest, degrading, and connected to antisemitism. Impostors serve nothing except usurping goodwill toward Jews, by attempting to gain personal benefits through inserting themselves into the public consciousness about the Jews from Kurdistan.”
📝“Burnt Tefillin: When Agnon’s Fiction Became My Reality”
By R’Daniel Bouskila, Jewish Journal
Rabbi Bouskila co-hosted a panel with Nick Jankel at the ASF, Jazz Leadership Project, and Combat Antisemitism Movement’s inaugural “Combating Racism and Antisemitism Together: Shaping an Omni-American Future” event (Screenshot courtesy of CAM/Youtube)
Rabbi Daniel Bouskila, the Director of the Sephardic Educational Center, writes a monthly column for the Jewish Journal on the great Nobel Prize winning author, Shai Agnon. This month, R’ Bouskila turns to Agnon’s story, Shnei Zugot (“Two Pairs”) in order to explore if ritual objects like tefillin, “hold any personal meaning to us beyond their intrinsic sanctity?” In Bouskila’s telling, they do, serving as a key to unlocking emotional depths. But his reading is also informed by a parallel: Bouskila’s tefillin were blown up by suicide bombers during his army service in Lebanon, while Agnon laconically reports, “[M]y house burned down, and the tefillin burned with it.” What to do? Writes Bouskila, “‘The day of perfection has not yet arrived in this world, so I went and bought new tefillin.’ So tells Agnon at the end of his story. I, too, went and bought new tefillin. Indeed, nothing is perfect.”
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The American Sephardi Federation invites all individuals, communities, and organizations who share our vision & principles to join us in signing the American Sephardi Leadership Statement!
Please also support the ASF with a generous, tax-deductible contribution so we can continue to cultivate and advocate, preserve and promote, as well as educate and empower!
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Our Story: The Jews of Sepharad; Celebrations and Stories
By Lea-Nora Kordova Annette and Eugene Labovitz
Celebrations and Stories, a special publication of the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education with the American Sephardi Federation, is an essential work that enhances the teaching of Sephardi history, traditions, and cultures.
The life cycle and calendar sections are designed to horizontally connect to the teaching of customs and ceremonies from the Spanish & Portuguese, Syrian, Judeo-Spanish, and Moroccan traditions. Other sections include translations of classic texts and poetry, tales of our history’s heroes, and classroom activities.
Jewish Women from Muslim Societies Speak
Published by the American Sephardi Federation and Hadassah International Research Institute on Jewish Woman at Brandeis University
Jewish women from Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, and Iran were invited to share their personal stories. It could be said that these women's voices are from the last generation of Jews to have an intimate personal knowledge of the Muslim world, the enormous diversity within and among Middle Eastern Jewish communities.
We hope that these essays, told through the medium of vivid personal stories, will stimulate discussion about contemporary dynamics in the Muslim world and raise awareness of Jewish women’s history in North Africa and the Middle-East.
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Upcoming Events or Opportunities
HUC-JIR Jewish Language Project, Iranian American Jewish Federation, Nessah Synagoque, and USC Caden Institute present:
Languages of the Jews of Iran: A series of online conversations and performances
On Sundays at 1:00PM EST
(10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK / 8pm Israel / 9:30pm Iran)
(Complimentary RSVP)
20 February
Lishán Didán and Hulaulá: Jewish Neo-Aramaic in the Kurdish region of Iran
In each town of the Kurdish region, Jews and Christians spoke different dialects of Jewish Neo-Aramaic. Dr. Geoffrey Khan gives a historical and linguistic overview and showcases an interactive map with recordings based on his decades of research. Shahnaz Yousefnejadian shares her long-term dictionary project of the Hulaulá dialect of Sanandaj. Alan Niku gives the perspective of a heritage learner/speaker. And musicians Alon Azizi and Adi Kadussi explain why it’s important to record songs in these languages. The event ends with the world premiere of two new songs by Azizi and Kadussi
13 March
(10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm UK / 7pm Israel / 8:30pm Iran - note time - US Daylight Savings)
Judeo-Persian in the 20th century: New research
Dr. Habib Borjian and Ibrāhīm Šafiʿī present personal documents written in Persian in Hebrew letters, and Alan Niku discusses the distinctive Tehran Jewish dialect of Persian based on recordings and fieldwork. Then, Cantor Jacqueline Rafii presents Passover psalms translated into Judeo-Persian and recorded by her grandfather in Tehran in 1971.
Jews in Iran historically spoke many languages - from Semitic, Median, and Persian language families. The languages/dialects of Jews in different cities and towns were so different that their speakers often could not understand each other. Now these longstanding Jewish languages are endangered, as most Jews shifted to standard Persian in Iran or to Modern Hebrew, English, and other languages after emigrating.
The HUC-JIR Jewish Language Project presents a series of conversations and performances highlighting this rich linguistic heritage. By attending these events, you will learn how Jewish languages compare to each other and to local Muslim, Zoroastrian, and Christian languages. You will be inspired by the elderly speakers and young activists who are working hard to preserve them for future generations. And you will be entertained by new songs in Judeo-Isfahani, Judeo-Hamadani, and Jewish Neo-Aramaic.
These events will last for 75 minutes. Please register for each event separately. While the Jewish Language Project usually posts recordings of events the following day, these events will only be accessible at the times they are presented (due to security concerns and preferences of some of the presenters). These events will also be screened in person at Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills, California. Learn more and RSVP for the in-person screenings here.
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The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:
Kavkazi, Georgian, and Bukharian Jews: At the Crossroads of Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian-Speaking Worlds
(3 Part Learning Series)
The histories and cultures of Bukharian, Kavkazi (Mountain), and Georgian Jews are situated at the unique intersection of Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian-Speaking Jewish (RSJ) identities. Through this 3-part learning series, we will explore the multilayered and rich stories of these millennia-old communities in Central Asia and the Caucasus—discovering the ways in which they have developed their mosaic cultures through dynamic interactions with the dominant and changing societies surrounding them. Our discussion will also shed light on how their experiences fit into the broader historical saga of the Jewish people.
On Tuesdays at 12:00PM EST
(Ticket: $10 per session)
22 February
(Part 2)
Sign-up Now!
22 March
(Part 3)
Sign-up Now!
About the Speaker:
Ruben Shimonov is an educator, community builder, and social entrepreneur with a passion for Jewish diversity. He previously served as Director of Community Engagement and Education at Queens College Hillel. Currently, Ruben is the American Sephardi Federation’s National Director of Sephardi House and Young Leadership. He is also the Founding Executive Director of the Sephardic Mizrahi Q Network and Director of Educational Experiences & Programming for the Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee. He is an alumnus of the COJECO Blueprint, Nahum Goldmann and ASF Broome & Allen Fellowships for his work in Jewish social innovation and Sephardic scholarship. He has been listed among The Jewish Week's "36 Under 36" Jewish community leaders and changemakers. Currently, he is a Jewish Pedagogies Research Fellow at M² | The Institute of Experiential Jewish Education. Ruben has lectured extensively on the histories and cultures of various Sephardic and Mizrahi communities. He is also a visual artist specializing in multilingual calligraphy that interweaves Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian.
Sponsorship opportunities available:
info@americansephardi.org
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The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:
New Works Wednesday with Chef Sibel Pinto
Join us for this episode of New Works Wednesdays with Chef Sibel Pinto as she explains the “global food waste challenge” and discusses her new book “Kashkarikas: Wasteless Kitchen – A Turkish-Sephardi Chef’s Recipes and Stories.”
Wednesday, 23 February at 12:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
(Complimentary RSVP)
About the book:
In this colorful cookbook Chef Sibel Pinto gives an authentic collection of recipes, with many tips and tricks to open up new culinary possibilities for a conscious and sustainable kitchen. Pinto combines her Sephardic, Georgian and Turkish culinary heritage, her sustainability educator background and professional experience to raise awareness on how easy it is to respect and use seasonal ingredients from ‘root-to-leaf’.
In this difficult Covid-19 pandemic period, where many would like to change habits and adapt new ways, you will find the secrets of her easy techniques and helpful insights, inspired by the memories of her ancestors’ kitchens, her researches, her travels and the rich stories of her charity mission ‘Action Kasharikas’.
The book consists of 222 versatile, mouthwatering recipes divided into easy-to-find 60 main ingredients to inspire the passionate home cooks to reproduce waste-free meals. This book is a tribute to previous generations and an invitation to new generations to respect the environment, to give a second life to ingredients, to learn, to experiment, to share and to enjoy.
About the author:
Sibel Cuniman Pinto is a chef, culinary instructor, researcher, author, and lecturer specialized in Sephardi, Turkish and Mediterranean cuisines. As a WorldChefs certified ‘Sustainability Education to Culinary Professionals’ and Agro Tech Paris certified Food Waste Prevention trainer, food waste activist, coach and consultant she teaches how to give a ‘second life’ to ingredients, using the root-to-leaf approach. She works to raise awareness in food waste reduction and sustainable and conscious kitchens. She educates and inspires people to eat real food.
For more about the book: https://www.kashkarikas.com/
Sponsorship opportunities available:
info@americansephardi.org
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The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:
Jewish Languages Today: Endangered, Surviving, and Thriving
Throughout history Jews have spoken many languages, such as Ladino, Judeo-Arabic, Jewish Neo-Aramaic (Iraq-Iran), and Judeo-Malayalam (Southern India). Over the past two centuries, migrations and other historical events have led to many of these languages becoming endangered. At the same time, Jews are now engaging with these languages in postvernacular ways, such as through song and food, and new Jewish language varieties are developing, including Jewish English, Jewish Latin American Spanish, and Jewish French. This talk explains these developments and makes the case for the urgent need for documentation and reclamation.
Wednesday, 28 February at 12:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
(Complimentary RSVP)
About the Speaker:
Dr. Sarah Benor is Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (Los Angeles campus) and Adjunct Professor (by courtesy) in the University of Southern California Linguistics Department. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University in Linguistics in 2004. She has published and lectured widely about Jewish languages, linguistics, Yiddish, American Jews, and Orthodox Jews. Her books include Becoming Frum: How Newcomers Learn the Language and Culture of Orthodox Judaism (Rutgers, 2012) and Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community at American Jewish Summer Camps (Rutgers, 2020). Dr. Benor is founding co-editor of the Journal of Jewish Languages (Brill) and co-editor of Languages in Jewish Communities, Past and Present (De Gruyter Mouton, 2018).
Sponsorship opportunities available:
info@americansephardi.org
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The Department of Anthropology & Archeology at the University of Calgary, Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Brandeis University and Belzberg Program in Israel Studies, University of Calgary, & the American Sephardi Federation present:
Sephardi Thought and Modernity 2022 Webinar Series
Continuity and Rupture in Sephardi Modernities
(Second Edition)
On Wednesdays at 1:00PM EST
(10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK / 8pm Israel / 9:30pm Iran)
(Complimentary RSVP)
9 March
Deborah Starr (Cornell University) and Eyal Sagui Bizawe (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Nostalgia as Critique: The Case of Jews in Egyptian Cinema
13 April
(10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm UK / 7pm Israel / 8:30pm Iran - note time - US Daylight Savings)
Julia Philips Cohen (Vanderbilt University) and Devi Mays (University of Michigan) Middle Eastern and North African Jews in Paris: A Forgotten Chapter
11 May
(10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm UK / 7pm Israel / 8:30pm Iran - note time - US Daylight Savings)
Vanessa Paloma Elbaz (University of Cambridge) Rhizomic networks of unruptured continuity from 16th c. Italy to 21st c. Casablanca: Music, Power, Mysticism and Neo-Platonism
In this second edition of the Sephardi Thought and Modernity Series we will focus on the question of continuity and rupture as a way to deepen our dialogue about the different forms that modernity has adopted throughout Sephardi history. We will discuss questions such as the meaning of the concept of “modernity” in non-European contexts such as the Levant and/or the Arab world. We will explore how non-European Jewish societies developed ways of life and practices that synthesized tradition, change and cultural diversity throughout time. We will delve into Sephardi intellectual life, cosmopolitanism, cultural belongings, language, translation and mobility.
