In Memory of Distinguished ASF Board Member Bruce Slovin, A”H, a Brooklyn-born businessman and philanthropist, who combined a scholar’s sensibility for preserving and making accessible primary sources with an entrepreneur’s short attention span. In less than a decade, Bruce brought together five of the world’s leading Jewish institutions—the American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research—to create a beautiful, 125,000 sq ft space for scholarly study and cultural activity in the heart of Manhattan. In less than two decades, Bruce propelled his creation, The Center for Jewish History, to become the preeminent “research, historical, and educational institution of the Jewish world, exploring the richness of Jewish life and letters, and showcasing the enormous contributions Jews have made to modern civilization.” Bruce was featured in the latest episode of WLIW’s “Treasures of New York.”
Click here to dedicate a future issue in honor or memory of a loved one
Subscribe ◊ Upcoming Events ◊ ASF Sephardi Shop ◊ Donate ◊ Sephardi Ideas Monthly ◊ ASF IJE ◊ ASF Sephardi House ◊ Archive
The Sephardi World Weekly is made possible by Daniel Yifrach, Rachel Sally, Professor Rifka Cook, Maria Gabriela Borrego Medina, Rachel Amar, Deborah Arellano, & ASF VP Gwen Zuares!
Don’t miss the latest Sephardi Ideas Monthly: “Deep Listening: Exploring Music with Dan Asia”
Flashback Friday: “Nearly turned back, a ship of Holocaust refugees got help from Eleanor Roosevelt”
By Cathryn J. Prince, The Times of Israel
Award-winning PBS Producer Laura Seltzer-Duny (Director, Nobody Wants Us) and Olivia Mattis (Executive Director, Sousa Mendes Foundation), Paul S. And Sylvia Steinberg Great Hall - Center for Jewish History, 11 August, 2019
(Photo courtesy of Chrystie Sherman)
In 2019, the American Sephardi Federation and Sousa Mendes Foundation co-hosted the sold-out, New York City première of Nobody Wants Us. The movie tells the story of the Quanza, a ship that set sail from Portugal for the U.S. in August, 1940, with some 250 Jewish passengers armed with life-saving visas issued by Aristides de Sousa Mendes, a Portuguese diplomat who risked everything to do the right thing and suffered grievously for his choice. Antisemitic officials in FDR’s administration were dead set against allowing the refugees to disembark. In the end, only Eleanor Roosevelt’s intervention prevented the U.S. Government from sending many of the passengers back to Nazi-occupied Europe, as infamously happened with another ship, M.S. St. Louis. The ASF’s Executive Director, Jason Guberman, remarked how the film affirms the power of individuals to influence events: “We shouldn’t only look at history’s bloodstained face and focus only on those who wouldn’t help; rather, we need to look on those who were courageous and successful, like Eleanor Roosevelt.”
~~~~~~~
FEATURE: “Iranians After War, “The Soul of a Society” with Roya Hakakian”
By The Jewish People Policy Institute
ASF Pomegranate Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature Honoree Roya Hakakian, Opening Night of the 27th NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival - Inaugural Festival Sefarad, El Museo Del Barrio, 8 June 2025
(Photo courtesy of Zak Siraj)
Tamar Ish-Shalom hosts the Iranian-born, Jewish-American poet, writer and cultural critic, and 2025 ASF Pomegranate Award Honoree Roya Hakakian, for a conversation about the complex reality of Iran.
Hakakian shares her deep disappointment at the outcome of the recent “12 Day War,” arguing that, despite Israeli and American attacks, the Iranian regime has intensified its hold on the country. In recent years, the Islamist government has survived massive public protests and repeated sacrifices by ordinary Iranians, and “[e]very time the regime survives… it believes its own narrative that it’s the representative of God on earth.”
~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~
Upcoming Events or Opportunities
Announcing a new Online CourseSoundtrack of a Nation: An Introduction to Israeli Music
Explore and enjoy Israeli music as a way to understand Israel as it is—beyond the headlines. Guided by Dr. Aryeh Tepper, a dynamic instructor with deep knowledge of Israeli culture and extensive experience teaching in Israel and the United States, this course invites you to discover the fascinating stories and vibrant pluralism of Israeli society through the diversity of its music, while avoiding the polemics that often bedevil conversations about Israel in academia and the media. No prior experience is needed—just a sense of curiosity, an open mind and a receptive soul, and you'll come away with a playlist to last a lifetime.
Sign-up Now!
Twelve Sessions Starting on 11 September
~~~~~~~
Our friends at 14Y, Be’chol Lashon, and the Center for Traditional Music and Dance present:
Reimagining Ladino Song: Lily Henley Live in Concert
“Join groundbreaking singer-composer Lily Henley and multi-instrumentalist Duncan Wickel as they reimagine Ladino music, blending its lyrics with the rich textures of Celtic and Americana folk. Once spoken across the Mediterranean by Jewish communities, Ladino is now a language spoken by fewer than 100,000 people. A blend of Old Spanish, Hebrew, Turkish and Arabic, Ladino carries centuries of Sephardic history, storytelling, and cultural tradition. Lily isn’t just preserving this 500-year-old tradition—she’s reinventing its music for today.
In Henley’s one-hour concert, she and Wickel will perform brand-new songs from her upcoming album, alongside selections from their acclaimed release Oras Dezaoradas (Lior Editions Paris, 2022). After the concert, Henley and Ladino expert Bryan Kirschen will engage in an insightful conversation about the cultural history, resilience, and ongoing revival of the Ladino musical tradition.”
Thursday, 18 September, at 7:00 PM
Sign-up Now!
@14Y - 344 E 14th St, NYC
Tickets: $16.99 - $19.99 including fees
This program is presented by 14Y, Be’chol Lashon and the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, and cosponsored by the American Ladino League, American Sephardi Federation, Hebrew Union College Jewish Language Project, Jalopy Theater and School of Music, and Kanisse. This event is also sponsored by a Humanities New York Action Grant.
~~~~~~~
Our friends at Qesher in partnership with Nora Kaplan Learn-in-trips presents:
Jewish History Tours to Spain
BARCELONA-CORDOBA-GRANADA
SEVILLA-TOLEDO-MADRID
Embark on a 12-day journey this October and November 2025 to experience the history of Jews in Sepharad: explore museums and world heritage sites, walk through the old cobbled lanes of Jewish quarters, take in the splendid architecture, and enjoy delicious food and Spanish wine.
Learn about the Golden Age of Jewish life in Spain on this unique, family-run Jewish Heritage Tour.
26 October - 6 November, 2025
For questions or more information, please visit www.norakaplan.com or email alexis.learnintrips@gmail.com.
Note: While this is not an ASF program, the American Sephardi Federation is proud to serve as a promotional partner for this unique educational experience.
