In Memory of novelist, essayist, and playwright, A.B. Yehoshua, A”H, whose love of the many layers of Hebrew culture will nourish literature-loving souls for generations to come.
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!
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☕“My Last Cup of Coffee with A.B. Yehoshua”
By Rabbi Daniel Bouskila, The Jewish Journal
A.B. Yehoshua, Rabbi Daniel Bouskila, & Edna Assis, Givatayim, Israel, January 2020 (Photo courtesy of Rabbi Bouskila/Jewish Journal)
R’Daniel Bouskila was a friend and admirer of the recently deceased giant of Israeli literature, A.B. Yehoshua, “The author whose Sephardic-themed novels like Mr. Mani and The Journey to the End of the Millennium gave voice in modern Israeli literature to the classic Sephardic-Ladino heritage.” Yehoshua’s father, Yaakov, chronicled in eleven volumes, “the history and stories of that old Jerusalem Ladino community,” which raises the question: was the son walking in his father’s footsteps? Bouskila recalls how in a small Israeli café, Yehoshua shared his ambivalence regarding his Sephardi roots. On the one hand, “While Sephardic Judaism was the very fabric of my parent’s being… we were raised as Zionist Jews in the emerging new Jewish national project.” On the other hand, Yehoshua confessed, “In my older years, I’ve come to appreciate the value of my father’s work, and how in some roundabout way it influenced my own – especially the Sephardic pieces of my writing.”
Feature: A.B. Yehoshua Reflects on a Literary Life 📚✍️
By The Dan David Prize
A.B. Yehoshua, a Dan David Prize Laureate, at home, Givatayim, Israel, 2017 (Screenshot courtesy of Dan David Prize/Youtube)
In this brief, 2017 visit to A.B. Yehoshua’s study, the Israeli writer recalls how at 17 he planned to be a lawyer: “I wanted to perform, argue and debate.” However, “Suddenly came the creation.” Reflecting on the role played by “travel” in his books, Yehoshua explains, “Israeli literature is actually the continuation of generations of Hebrew literature and Jewish literature. I don’t want to lose the broad, geographic scope of Jewish literature.”
📖“Novelist A.B. Yehoshua, dissector and lover of Israel and the Jews, dies at 85”
By Ron Kampeas, JTA
A.B. Yehoshua
(Photo courtesy of Rafaela Fahn Schoffman/Times of Israel)
Ron Kampeas remembers how, back in 2006, A.B. Yehoshua ruffled feathers at the AJC’s 2006 centennial, telling an audience of Diaspora Jews, “‘Only those living in Israel and taking part in the daily decisions of the Jewish state have a significant Jewish identity.’” Yehoshua softened his tone but made the same point in a subsequent Haaretz op-ed, “‘What I sought to explain to my American hosts, in overly blunt and harsh language perhaps, is that, for me, Jewish values are not located in a fancy spice box that is only opened to release its pleasing fragrance on Shabbat and holidays, but in the daily reality of dozens of problems through which Jewish values are shaped and defined, for better or worse.’” Kampeas, however, looks past Yehoshua’s polemics to the deeper link to Diaspora Jewish life that emerges from his novels, “The fancy spice box entranced [Yehoshua]: In novel after novel, his protagonists emerged from the Jewish Diaspora or disappeared into it, like Gabriel, the titular ‘Lover,’ the remoteness of Diaspora life embodied for Yehoshua an almost erotic longing.”
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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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Sir Moses Montefiore: Livourne 1784 - Ramsgate 1885: Une Vie au Service du JudaÏsme
By Shlomoh Umberto Nahon
A biography of the Italian Sephardic entrepreneur, champion of Jewish causes, Sheriff of London, and generous philanthropist, whose century of life was blessed with accomplishments (chief amongst them rebuilding Jerusalem and the land of Israel) and well-deserved adulation. Please note: this edition is en français.
The Essential Pele Yoetz: An Encyclopedia of Ethical Jewish Living
By Rabbi Eliezer Papo
Pele Yoetz ("Wondrous Advisor") is a work of ethical literature (musar) written by Rabbi Eliezer Papo (1785-1828), who was venerated by Turkish Sephardim as a saint and sage. It encompasses ethical precepts, religious guidance, moral instruction, and practical advice as they apply to all aspects of daily Jewish life. This volume is an abridged edition of the original work.
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Upcoming Events or Opportunities
ASF Broome & Allen & ADL Collaborative for Change Fellow Isaac de Castro presents:
Entre Diasporas: Telling the Latin-American Jewish story. Contando la historia judía latinoamericana
Tell your story. Cuenta tu historia.
We’re looking for first-generation Latino Jews in the United States who immigrated because of political and social turmoil. Jews of Sephardic descent from Colombia, Cuba, and Venezuela that now reside in the Miami area will be given priority, but others are welcome to apply as well.
Fill out this form to be considered as an interviewee for this project. After you’ve submitted, we will be in touch promptly to set up a preliminary phone call.
Click here for more information.
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The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:
Bringing Jewish Law to the People: The Moroccan Approach
Rav Yosef Messas was born in Meknes, Morocco. He served as the Rabbi of Tlemcen, Algeria and later as the Chief Sephardi Rabbi of Haifa. Rav Messas sought to improve the halakhic attitude to the questions of modernity and the changes of time. Rabbanit Shira Marili Mirvis will discuss Rav Messas’ history, some stories about his life, and present some of his most impactful rulings.
On Sunday (26 June) at 12:00PM EST
“On Women & Jewish Practice”
Rabbanit Mirvis will present Rav Messas’ approach to women learning Torah, prayer and keeping the mitztvoth.
*Registration is required for each session
(Ticket per session: $10)
Sign-up Now!
About the speaker:
Rabbanit Shira Marili Mirvis is the Rabbanit of the Shirat HaTamar congregation in Efrat. Prior to that, she was a Fellow at Midreshet Lindenbaum’s Institute for Halachic Leadership where she became certified in the topics of Shabbat, Niddah, Chuppah and Kiddushin, Brachot, and Issur V’Heter. In addition to being Rabbanit of Shirat HaTamar, she is involved in the community as a member of the city council's education committee, a member of the mikvah committee, volunteers for the “Chevra Kadisha” (burial committee), and answers halachic questions. At the same time, Shira manages a Vlog called “Daf MiShelahen” on the topic of Daf Yomi in collaboration with the Hadran organization in addition to a podcast about the weekly Parsha called “Parsha Mishelahen” with Makor Rishon. Shira is a member of the Beit Hillel Rabbinical Organization and takes an active part in the Meshivat Nefesh website in responding to halachic questions. Shira is a Fellow in the Mandel Program for Leadership in Jewish Culture. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Informatics from Bar Ilan University and lives in the Tamar neighborhood in Efrat with Shlomo and their five children.
Sponsorship opportunities available:
info@americansephardi.org
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The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:
Exclusive Authors Series with Mark Schneegurt
Join us for this episode of New Works Wednesdays where Mark Schneergurt discusses “Anthology of Religious Poetry from the Mexican Inquisition Trials of 16th-Century CryptoJews.”
Wednesday, 29 June at 12:00PM EST
(Complimentary RSVP)
Sign-up Now!
About the book:
A century after being expelled from Portugal, cryptoJews in Mexico, false converts to Christianity, could not speak of their beliefs for fear of becoming embroiled in the imprisonment, torture, and death in flames that characterized the Inquisition. Without written texts, the Jewish liturgy lost, clans of cryptoJews created a unique body of religious poetry, connecting them to the Laws of Moses, seeking redemption from sin, or hoping for an escape from their embittered lives. The Carvajal clan was led by Luis el Mozo, an alumbrado, a mystic, and his Judaizing sisters. Once discovered to be secretly practicing Judaism, years of suffering at the hands of the Inquisitors were meticulously recorded in the transcripts of their long demeaning trials. The Carvajal's friends, spouses, children and grandchildren were implicated as Judaizers, with many being reconciled by the Church to secular authorities to be burned alive at massive public ceremonies. The burning of Luis and his sisters was the main attraction for cheering crowds at the auto de fé of 1596 in Mexico City. The cruelty of the Inquisitors was matched by their attention to legal detail and testimonies made at trial. Buried within thousands of pages of transcripts, hiding in library special collections of rare books around the world are the only remnants of the religious poetry that sustained cryptoJews hiding in Mexico. Anthology uncovers these hidden treasures!
About the author:
Mark A. Schneegurt is an author, educator, scientist, and entrepreneur. His books range from scholarly works on science, religion, and literature to popular books on The Beatles. He has authored 80+ publications and has made 200+ public presentations of his works.
Sponsorship opportunities available:
info@americansephardi.org
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The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:
Exclusive Authors Series with Joyce Yarrow
Join us for New Works Wednesdays with Joyce Yarrow discussing her new book “Zahara and the Lost Books of Light”!
Wednesday, 6 July at 12:00PM EST
(Complimentary RSVP)
Sign-up Now!
About the book:
Seattle journalist Alienor Crespo travels to Spain to claim the promise of citizenship offered to the descendants of Jews expelled from Spain in 1492. As she relives history through her vijitas (visits) with her ancestors, Alienor also confronts modern-day extremism and commits herself to protecting an endangered “Library of Light” – a hidden treasure trove of medieval Hebrew and Arabic books, saved from the fires of the Inquisition.
About the author:
The author of five novels, Joyce Yarrow was born in the SE Bronx, escaped to Manhattan as a teenager, and today does most of her traveling through her writing.
Joyce has worked as a screenwriter, singer-songwriter, multimedia performance artist, and member of the world music vocal ensemble, Abráce.
She is a Pushcart nominee, whose stories and poems have been widely published. She considers the setting of her books to be characters in their own right and teaches workshops on “The Place of Place in Suspense Writing.”
Click here for more about the book.
Click here for the Spanish edition.
Sponsorship opportunities available:
info@americansephardi.org
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The Greek Jewish & Sephardic Young Professionals Network in partnership with the Association of Friends of Greek Jewry present:
Special Young Professionals Tour of Jewish Greece
(Summer 2022)
Join to trace the roots of our families, visit the beautiful cities of Thessaloniki (Salonika), Veroia, Kastoria, Ioannina, Athens, and Rhodes, and connect with other young Jews in Greece.
Check out the full itinerary here!
For more information email GreekJewishYPN@gmail.com