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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 Sephardi Ideas Monthly: “David Blesses: R’Haim Sabato’s Wartime Talk in Ofaqim”
In honor of Passover, the ASF’s Sephardi World Weekly is pleased to offer the following “What Does the Oldest Haggadah Teach Us?”:
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“Talk of the Table | This Passover, Try Inquisition Soup”
By Vered Guttman, Moment Magazine
ASF Broome & Allen Fellow Dr. Hélène Jawhara Piñer, The Golden Age of the Jews of Al-Andalus Exhibit Inauguration, Paul S. And Sylvia Steinberg Great Hall, ASF - Center for Jewish History, 11 April 2024
(Photo courtesy of Zak Siraj)
María Días was prosecuted by the Spanish Inquisition beginning on January 12, 1484. Her crime? Secretly practicing Judaism. The evidence against Dias included observing the holiday of Passover:
She celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread which they begin by eating lettuce, celery and other green vegetables…sow thistles and vinegar, and another ceremony which they make with maror, which means bitter, and certain little cakes of unleavened bread.
The list of Passover items is familiar to Jews today, except for one: sow thistles. What are sow thistles?
The ancient compilation of Oral Law, the Mishnah, lists five herbs that can fill the role of maror during the seder. One of them is harhavina, which Maimonides, born and raised in Andalusia, identified as sow thistle.
Unfamiliar to contemporary taste buds, sow thistle was an Andalusian food staple. For instance, an anonymous, 13th-century Andalusian cookbook includes a recipe for sow thistle syrup and jam, while 13th-century Andalusian botanist Ibn al-Baytar’s Compendium on Simple Medicaments and Foods notes that sow thistle was called “Abraham’s thorn” and one of the “vegetables of the Jews.”
If you’re curious to know what sow thistle soup tasted like, in her new cookbook, Matzah and Flour: Recipes from the History of the Sephardi Jews, awarding chef, scholar, and ASF Broome & Allen Fellow, Dr. Hélène Jawhara Piñer, recreated the recipe. Her sources included María Días’s trial records and the writings of Maimonides.
Says Piñer,
For me, as a food historian… Iquisition trials are the best source to understand the complexity and richness of the food practices of the Jews of Spain and the territories [in the New World] where Jews were settled.
Purchase Sephardi: Cooking the History. Recipes of the Jews of Spain and the Diaspora, from the 13th Century to Today By Dr. Hélène Jawhara Piñer
FEATURE: An All-Star Had Gadya, featuring Haim Louk and Omer Avital
Rabbi Haim Louk
(Photo courtesy of Youtube)
The first decade of the 21st century included Israel’s piyut (liturgical “soul” music) revolution, the movement of North African piyutim from the periphery to Israel’s cultural center. Pop artists started recording albums of piyutim, while Piyut Festivals blossomed around the country.
The 2nd Jerusalem Piyut Festival in 2009 featured a stirring rendition of Had Gadya, the playful Hebrew-Aramaic song from the end of the Passover Seder. The piyut beloved by parents and children alike was performed with gusto by an all-star band led by the great Omer Avital on bass and featuring the legendary paytan, R’Haim Louk, on vocals.
“The Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Joseph Knafo, and Moses Montefiore Meet in Morocco”
By Ronny Erez, The Librarians
“Montefiore’s letter to Rabbi Joseph Knafo. The original letter, courtesy of the family”
(Image courtesy of the National Library of Israel)
Rabbi Joseph Knafo was a revered religious mystic who lived in Mogador (today, Essoueira), Morocco, in the early 19th c. That was also the time that the British began to understand Mogador’s importance as a commercial hub.
One of the visitors to Magador in the early 19th c was Sir Moses Monefiore, the London-based banker, philanthropist and President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews from a Sephardi-Italian family. The Moroccan-Jewish locals recommended to Montefiore that he meet with the local tsadiq. Montefiore found R’ Knafo in a Beit Midrash, translating the Ba’al Shem Tov into Judeo-Arabic.
Moved by the fusion of seemingly distant Jewish worlds, after returning to England, Montefiore sent to R’ Knafo a letter of appreciation, together with two gold coins. (The letter can be found today in the Asher Knafo archive in the National Library of Israel).
The rest reads like a Moroccan-Hasidic tale:
On his way home from the beit midrash, with the letter and coins in his pocket, Rabbi Joseph encountered a poor man from the community, who asked for a donation for his daughter’s wedding.
Rabbi Joseph reached into his pocket, intending to give him a few small copper coins, but by mistake, he handed over the gold coins from Montefiore.
Only when he arrived home and told his wife about the letter and the gift did he realize what had happened. Initially, his wife insisted that he find the beggar and exchange the coins. But Rabbi Joseph refused, saying:
“This is how God willed it—to let Montefiore’s gift bring joy to the poor bride and her family.”
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Explore one-of-a-kind handmade gifts for Shabbat and Jewish holidays at the ASF’s Sephardic Store!
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Upcoming Events or Opportunities
Our friends at Qesher present:
Stories from Curaçao’s Jewish History
“The tiny island of Curaçao, in the Caribbean Sea, is considered the cradle of Judaism in the Americas. Nearly 400 years of Jewish presence on this island are exemplified by Mikvé Israel-Emanuel, the oldest synagogue in continuous use on the continent.
The founders of this congregation were Jews from the Amsterdam Portuguese community, whose success allowed them to send money to help start other Sephardi communities in the Caribbean as well as provide support to Sephardic congregations in New York and Rhode Island. Today, there are fewer than two hundred Jews living on the island, but in the early days, there were more Jews in Curaçao than in all the rest of the Americas combined.
The history of Congregation Mikvé Israel-Emanuel in Curaçao will be told through stories of events that have formed the congregation and the broader Jewish community as they are today.”
Tuesday, 15 April at 3:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: $9
About the speaker:
“Ronald Gomes Casseres descends from Sephardic Jews who came to Curaçao in 1690. He was born on the Dutch Caribbean island where he is a leader of the historic Mikvé Israel-Emanuel community. Now retired from a long commercial banking career, one of his interests is the history of his Jewish community and its practices.
He has been active in numerous organizations and institutions in Curaçao. He has published in local newspapers, in the local social-cultural Kristòf and archival Archiefvriend publications, in the American Jewish Archives Journal, in the congregational Bulletin and co-edited 'Connecting the Lights' with historical aspects of the Curaçao Jewish community on the occasion of Chanukah in 2016.
He was awarded decorations by the Kingdom of the Netherlands for social and cultural contributions to the Curaçao community.”
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Our friends at Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan in partnership with the American Sephardi Federation present:
The Upper West Side Mimouna Celebration
Celebrate the vibrant conclusion of Passover at the Upper West Side Moroccan Mimouna! Enjoy an unforgettable evening of music, food, and tradition, featuring the enchanting sounds of Layali El Andalus. Indulge in a rich and colorful Mimouna table, overflowing with handmade sweets, traditional mufletas, and refreshing Moroccan mint tea.
Monday, 21 April at 7:00PM EST
@JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave, NYC
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: $30
About the Artist:
Layali El Andalus breathes new life into the musical traditions of Morocco, Andalusia, North Africa, and the Middle East. Founded by Moroccan-born musician Rachid Halihal (singer, oud, violin), the ensemble, joined by Daphna Mor and other world-class musicians, is committed to preserving this rare and captivating repertoire. Layali El Andalus has graced prestigious music festivals and concert stages across the United States and abroad, with notable performances at MoMA and Lincoln Center.
This event is made in partnership with Israeli House, the American Sephardi Federation, YAMIM, JCRC, Congregation Rodeph Sholom, UWS Shlichut, UJA Federation New York, Ansche Chesed, and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
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Our friends at Qesher present:
Moroccan Judaism: History and Culture
“Morocco is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Diaspora, with a heritage spanning over 2,000 years. This rich history reflects an intersection of various civilizations and traditions, including Berber, Andalusian, and Arab influences.
In this talk, we will explore the historical and contemporary context of Moroccan Judaism, tracing the migrations of Jewish communities to and from Morocco and their integration into the fabric of the country. We will discuss regional, linguistic, and cultural differences, as well as the unique characteristics of certain local traditions.”
Thursday, 24 April at 3:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: $9
About the speaker:
“Dr. Vanessa Paloma Duncan-Elbaz is an ASF Broome & Allen Fellow, Research Associate at Cambridge University, and award-winning scholar and singer.
Dr. Vanessa Elbaz’s work focuses on the cultural histories of sound in the diasporic regions of 1492’s expulsion. She is described as “a kind of one-woman roving museum of her own” by The New York Times and was featured in a 2022 New York Times feature on Judeo-Spanish women's music. She has also written extensively on Judeo-Muslim relations through culture and public diplomacy of popular music.
Dr. Elbaz is the Chair of the Mediterranean Music Studies Group of the International Council for Traditional Music and Dance (ICTMD) and her work is regularly featured in the international press such as BBC, Al Jazeera, i24, France24, L’Express, NPR, PRI, Radio Pompidou, etc and is a frequent consultant for documentary film projects and media pieces. She is also an internationally known performer of Sephardi repertoires.”
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The Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy and American Sephardi Federation present:
Musical Poetry of Three 19th c. Jewish Women: Emma Lazarus, Grace Aguilar, and Penina Moïse
This presentation will examine obscure work of the most famous Jewish women from the nineteenth century: Grace Aguilar (1816-1847), Penina Moïse (1797-1880), and Emma Lazarus (1849-1887). As Sephardic writers, they often wrote of exile, particularly of their Spanish and Portuguese heritage, of Jewishness in broader society, and of their pride in establishing a new homeland. Furthermore, their writing was profoundly impacted by their relationship to music. This presentation will reveal their musical projects to gain a better understanding of 19th century American and English Sephardic culture.
Sunday, 27 April at 12:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: $10
About the guide:
Leonard Stein, is a literary scholar, musician, and writer. He received his PhD at the University of Toronto Centre for Comparative Literature and Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies. An ASF Broome & Allen Fellow (2021), he is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Bar-Ilan University, and lectures at Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He researches Sephardic literature, crypto-Jewish identity, poetry, music history, and the intersections between music and literature.
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Our friends at Qesher present:
The Musical Traditions of Moroccan Jews
“Throughout the centuries, Moroccan Jews preserved and blended religious and secular musical traditions, improvising upon them and popularizing them. By frequently collaborating with Muslim musicians, they helped develop a musical style that was authentically Moroccan.
This talk will explore the diverse musical traditions within Moroccan Jewish practice. The music of both men and women, including sacred, liturgical, and humorous traditions, forms part of a larger sonic world that has helped Moroccan Jews integrate different aspects of their identities.”
Sunday, 27 April at 3:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: $9
About the speaker:
Dr. Vanessa Paloma Duncan-Elbaz is an ASF Broome & Allen Fellow, Research Associate at Cambridge University, and award-winning scholar and singer.
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The Museum of the Bible, the American Sephardi Federation and Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) present:
Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book
Explore the new Library exhibit, featuring the remarkable story of the earliest Hebrew book.
On View 19 March - 17 July 2025
@Jewish Theological Seminary
3080 Broadway (at 122nd Street)
New York City
The exhibit is open to the public during Library Hours.
Group tours are available.
Please contact Dr. David Kraemer, Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian and Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, for more information.
About the Exhibit:
After 1,300 years of untold travels along the Silk Roads, the oldest Hebrew book reveals its extraordinary story. In Sacred Words, guests will behold the oldest-known Hebrew book, containing Sabbath-morning prayers, liturgical poems, and the world’s oldest Haggadah, which was mysteriously written upside down. Learn about the book’s content, its origins on the Silk Roads, and the multicultural cooperation that brought it first to Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. This sacred book has a story to tell. Come discover it.
This exhibition was created in partnership with the American Sephardi Federation and the Museum of the Bible.
