In lieu of a dedication, this is a call to action. Political and religious violence are anathema, yet alas not unknown, in America. If we wish to keep it that way, “It is necessary that [all Americans]... behave in such a manner as to give strength and stability to the laws… [and] contribute… to support that government which is founded upon the strictest principles of equal liberty and justice. If to seek the peace and prosperity of the city wherein we dwell be a duty, even under bad governments, what must it be when we are situated under the best of constitutions?” ~ Shearith and Mikveh Israel’s Reverend Gershom Mendes Seixas, Thanksgiving Sermon, 1789
Click here to dedicate a future issue in honor or memory of a loved one
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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 “Letter from the Land of Israel,” An Open Letter to My Haredi Brothers, written by our Director of Publications, Dr. Aryeh Tepper. A Hebrew language version of the essaywas published by Strugim, an influential Israeli online outlet that covers news from the perspective of the religious Zionist community.
“İstanbul governor bans Enrico Macias concert after calls for protest over support for Israel”
By Bianet
Enrico Macias’ sings at the ASF to more than 500 fans, Closing Night of the 27th NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival - Inaugural Festival Sefarad, 15 June 2025
(Photo courtesy of Zak Siraj)
Bianet, a liberal and independent news agency in Turkey known for its commitment to freedom of expression, reported on the government’s recent decision to cancel Enrico Macias’s scheduled concert in Istanbul. Macias’ musical career traces back to Algeria, and he was popularly celebrated in Turkey for decades, once being “more popular in Turkey than local singers due to his Oriental sounds and Algerian background.” Macias even sang in Turkish and “Several of his songs were adapted into Turkish by local artists.”
In September, 2025, however, authorities in Istanbul revoked a concert permit for Macias after waves of protest emerged on social media, targeting Macias for his outspoken support for Israel. The Istanbul governor’s office justified the ban on grounds of potential unrest. This cancellation, the first in Macias’s Turkish career, not only halted the sold-out concert but effectively silenced one of the most prominent Jewish cultural voices to perform on a Turkish stage.
Bianet’s coverage of this episode should be placed in the larger context than an intra-Turkish dispute: a veteran performer with a history of building bridges and fostering dialogue is now barred from one of his most loyal venues, emblematic of growing barriers for Jewish participation in global culture in the face of politicized discrimination.
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FEATURE: Now is the Time to Celebrate Enrico Macia’s Humane Art
Enrico Macias’ performing Juif Espagnol (“Spanish Jew”) at the Olympia in Paris, 2003
(Screenshot courtesy of Enrico Macias/YouTube)
Enrico Macias’ song Juif Espagnol (“Spanish Jew”) tells the story of Sephardi Jewish exile, but with a universalist twist:
I am a Spanish Jew
I am an Armenian Greek
I am a French creole who becomes
A Parisian stranger
I am a Spanish Jew…
Macias traces displacements across borders and in the face of brutal violence, but he holds onto a Sephardi Jewish hope that transcends particular identities:
I saw past the violence
There are tears of all colors
In this video recording from a live performance at the Olympia in Paris in 2003, Enrico delivers an impassioned version of Juif Espagnol, narrating the universal journey of exile and identity through Sephardi eyes. Weaving together histories of displacement and solidarity, Macias names himself in the roles of Spanish Jew, Armenian Greek, French Creole and others, as he sings for all who need to remember and be heard.
Note: Turkish authorities recently banned Enrico Macias from performing in Istanbul over his openly Zionist views and support for Israel. This ban singled out Macias despite six decades of performances in Turkey and his message of peace, because he stands firmly with Israel and the Jewish people. As Jews encounter increasing discrimination from Hollywood to Istanbul, it becomes doubly important to robustly celebrate Macias and his humane vision and to extend him, and other banned artists, our support.
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Upcoming Events or Opportunities
Announcing a new Online Course
Soundtrack 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 (New Link!)
Twelve Sessions Starting on 11 September (still a chance to catch-up if you sign-up now!)
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Our friends at 14Y in partnership with Be’chol Lashon, the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, and the American Sephardi Federation 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.
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Our friends at the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities, Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and Center for Jewish Civilization, the American Sephardi Federation, and MALA present:
Rumi Night in Washington: Celebrating Our Shared Humanity
On behalf of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS), we are pleased to invite you to a special cultural evening titled “Rumi Night in Washington: Celebrating Our Shared Humanity”, an evening of poetry, music, and shared conversation. The program celebrates Afghan, Christian, Persian, Jewish, Sufi, and American cultural heritage, reflecting the shared humanistic spirit expressed in Rumi’s timeless aesthetic poetries.
As September 30 marks the anniversary of Rumi’s birth, and in connection with the academic conference “Jews and the Persianate World: Politics, Culture, and Historical Ties” taking place the same day at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., we will gather to honor Rumi through this cultural evening.
The evening will feature:
- Launch of the Persian translation of From Kabul to Queens: The Jews of Afghanistan and Their Move to the United States by Sara Y. Aharon
- “Convergence: At the Intersection of Hebrew and Persian Calligraphy” by Mr. Ruben Shimonov, National Director of Sephardi House & Education, American Sephardi Federation.
- Special lecture on the history of the Afghan liturgical quire by Herschel Hepler, Associate Curator of Hebrew Manuscripts at the Museum of the Bible
- Special conversation with Pastor Dr. Mark Burns, Chairman of the Multicultural Policy & Political Action Conference (MPAC)
- Music performance by The Yuval Ron Ensemble
- Dinner (Halal, Kosher and Vegetarian cuisine will be served)
Monday, 29 September, at 6:30 PM
Sign-up Now!
@Museum of the Bible, 400 4TH ST. SW, WASHINGTON, DC 20024
Tickets: $87.21 including fees
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Our friends at The Neighborhood - An Urban Center for Jewish Life in partnership with the American Sephardi Federation present:
Convergence: An Exploration of Arabic, Hebrew and Persian Calligraphy
Join us as we dive into the rich visual worlds of Arabic, Hebrew and Persian calligraphy. Through historical, spiritual, linguistic and artistic lenses, we will discover the connections between these languages. Educator, community builder and artist Ruben Shimonov will also take us on an exploratory journey of his own multilingual calligraphy—sharing the ways he has used his art to build Muslim-Jewish interfaith bridges and celebrate the cultural diversity of the Greater Sephardi world.
Following a conversation between Shimonov and Co-Executive Director of The LUNAR Collective Maryam Chisti, participants will have the opportunity to engage with these languages through a hands-on calligraphy workshop.
This event will take place as part of Sukkot in The Neighborhood – a festival of Jewish arts, culture, and spirituality taking place in an art installation Sukkah in Brooklyn. Check out the full line-up of events here.
Thursday, 9 October, at 6:30 PM
Sign-up Now!
@Ring Community Center at Luria Academy
664 Bergen St, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Tickets: $15.00
About Ruben Shimonov:
Born in Uzbekistan, Ruben Shimonov is an educator, community builder, social entrepreneur, and artist passionate about Jewish diversity and intercultural understanding. He is the American Sephardi Federation’s National Director of Education & Sephardi House—an innovative initiative that works to enrich Jewish campus life and young leadership with the vibrancy, richness, and wisdom of the Sephardic tradition. Previously, he was the Director of Community Engagement & Education at Queens College Hillel and Director of Educational Experiences and Programming for the Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee. As a visual artist, Ruben uses his multilingual Hebrew-Arabic-Persian calligraphy to build interfaith bridges and celebrate the diversity of the Greater Sephardi world. His art has been featured in international publications and exhibits, including at the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan. Ruben lectures globally on the cultures and histories of Sephardic and Mizrahi communities.
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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.
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Our friends at the Center for Jewish History in partnership with the American Sephardi Federation present:
Family History Today: A Moroccan Jewish Genealogical Journey
Join us for a fascinating talk with Raquel Levy-Toledano as she shares her remarkable journey to uncover the origins of her great-grandfather, born in Manchester. What began as a family mystery evolved into an international quest spanning Morocco, England, Portugal, the Azores, and Cape Verde, combining traditional archival research with genetic testing to reveal an unknown branch of her family—the Levy Belfsahi.
Along the way, Raquel connected with distant relatives around the world and shed light on the urgent need for more organized research on Moroccan Jewish genealogy. To help bridge this gap, she founded the Jewish Moroccan Genealogy group on Facebook, which now links over 400,000 profiles of Moroccan and Algerian Jews, reconnecting families and reconstructing a shared history.
Monday, 3 November, at 5:00 PM
Sign-up Now!
Live on Zoom
Tickets: Pay what you wish - Free
About the speaker:
Raquel Levy-Toledano was born in Morocco, then moved to France where she received her MD in gynecology and PhD in molecular endocrinology, followed by postdoctoral training at the NIH in Maryland. She is a board member of IAJGS, a board member of the Cercle de Généalogie Juive where she manages the Genetic Genealogy Group, a member of the General Assembly of the International Institute for Jewish Genealogy in Israel, president of NAJMA (Nos Ancêstres Juifs Marocains et Algériens) Genealogical Society, an expert curator of Geni’s Moroccan and Algerian Jewish family tree, co-administrator of the Avotaynu DNA project section involving North African Jews and founder of the Généalogie des Juifs Marocains Facebook Group, which has 13,000 members. She has published several articles in Généalo-J and other journals and has presented at numerous conferences and Zoom meetings.