In Memory of Distinguished American Sephardi Federation Board Member David Ribacoff, A”H. Born in Soviet Bukhara (now Uzbekistan), David Ribacoff was one of eight members of a traditional Sephardic family who emigrated to Egypt in 1928. Growing-up in cosmopolitan Cairo, David was a member of the Adly Street Synagogue and married a member of the community, Lisette, in 1955. After the Suez Canal Crisis of 1956, they moved with their young son to Brazil, before, in 1963, settling in New York. David was one of the founders of the Bukharian Jewish community and was a champion of Sephardic history and culture throughout his decades of dedicated service to the American Sephardi Federation. The ASF’s National Sephardi Library & Archives is home to the David Ribacoff Collection, featuring historical documents, photographs, and ephemera. The David Ribacoff Fund at the ASF serves as a living memorial.
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 Sephardi Ideas Monthly: “Who Says Zionists Can’t Make Jazz? A Sephardi-Parisian Perspective”
In honor of Purim, the ASF’s Sephardi World Weekly is pleased to offer the following “Letter from the Land of Israel”:
Classic Sephardi Sages on Purim: Costumes, Charity, & Communitas
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“Finding a Sephardic Jewish Community Changed My World”
By Rachel Pakan, Hey Alma
Rachel Pakan
Rachel Pakan loves the tight-knit, Queens-based Bukharian Jewish community in which she was raised, “We ate bakhsh on Shabbat, danced in the traditional joma during celebrations and held annual yushuvos — memorial dinners — for my late grandfathers.”
While Pakan had been “exposed to Ashkenazi traditions in High School, I never quite had meaningful interactions with Sephardim outside of my community — that is, until I became a Sephardi House Fellow at the American Sephardi Federation (ASF).”
Pakan came away from her year at Sephardi House with a profoundly changed understanding of the character of Jewish life:
Throughout the year-long fellowship, I met virtually with about thirty Sephardi college students from across the country, discussing Sephardic cultural and liturgical history and hearing from the most prominent leaders in the Sephardic world. With each meeting, it became increasingly clear to me that, contrary to the Ashkenormative lens through which Jewish history is often presented, Sephardic Jews weren’t side characters in the Jewish narrative — we were integral to it.
The most intense experience was “the Shabbaton — an in-person weekend spending Shabbat together — that we shared in New York City.” During the course of the Shabbaton, Pakan
realized that despite feeling alienated in high school for my traditional, immigrant Jewish background, I was far from alone — there was a whole community of youth who understood me. Until then, I just hadn’t known where to look.
And, as a result of the fellowship
I felt deeply compelled to bring that indescribable sense of community to my own campus. As a fellow last year and now as an advisor to this year’s ASF fellow from my campus, I’ve worked to organize accessible events celebrating Sephardic heritage. Slowly, we are helping weave the vibrant magic of Sephardic culture into the fabric of our broader Jewish community — ensuring it reaches far beyond our fellowship.
For more information about “Sephardi House,” including how to sponsor participants and support the program, press here.
FEATURE: A Taste and Tour of Jewish Bukhara in the Heart of Queens
Lagman Soup at the Haifa Restaurant, Queens, NYC, 2024
(Screenshot courtesy of Adam Matheson/Youtube)
After enjoying the fare at Hanan Margilan, a Bukharian restaurant in Tel Aviv that is “one of my favorite restaurants in the world,” vlogger, traveler, and foodie, Adam Matheson, recently went looking for Bukharian food in Queens, N.Y.
Matheson found two restaurants on 63rd St.: Haifa Restaurant, and Tandoori Food & Bakery. Along the way he also met Aron Aronov, devoted curator of the local Bukharian Jewish Museum. With great love, Aronov offered Matheson a personal tour of the museum, hidden within an indoor parking lot, and an introduction to the community and traditions to which he has devoted much of his life.
“Adat Shalom Celebrates Bukharian Jewish Culture and Diversity”
By Susan Steinberg, The Detroit Jewish News
“Ruben Shimonov, scholar and artist-in-residence at Adat Shalom Synagogue, shares samples of his beautiful calligraphy and a collection of historical photos that highlight the diversity of the Greater Sephardi world.”
(Photo courtesy of The Detroit Jewish News)
Recognizing that “the Jewish world is vast and wide,” Detroit’s Adat Shalom Synagogue recently opened an exhibit celebrating Bukharian Jewish culture and community. Along the way, they hosted the National Director of the ASF’s Sephardi House & Education and Uzbekistan-born scholar, Ruben Shimonov, for Shabbat.
Shiminov offered three lectures on “Global Jewish Diversity,” led an art-making project and “taught about the role of Hebrew, Persian and Arabic script in Bukharian Jewish life.”
All in all:
The experience heightened the understanding of what it means to be part of Am Yisrael… It is hoped the Ray Maisel z”l Bukharian Jewish Textile exhibit will facilitate members learning about Global Jewish Diversity for many years to come.
See Ruben’s upcoming lectures co-presented by the ASF:
Saturday, 15 March 12:45PM EST
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Thursday, 27 March 7:00PM EST
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Along the Silk Roads to Jerusalem: A Voyage into Bukharian Jewish History and CultureSunday, 30 March 3:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!~~~~~
*Educator and community builder Ruben Shimonov is available for bookings. For more details, please contact info@americansephardi.org.
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 Ansche Chesedin partnership with the American Sephardi Federation present:
Shushan Purim Kiddush Conversation: The Rich History of Jews in the Persian-Speaking World
With Ruben Shimonov
How did Jewish communities end up east of the Land of Israel? Join us as we explore the deep-rooted history of Persian-speaking Jews, including the Jews of Iran, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.
Ruben Shimonov, Educator and National Director of the American Sephardi Federation’s Sephardi House will take us on a journey spanning 2,600 years.
As we come together on Shushan Purim, this exploration couldn’t be more timely!
Saturday, 15 March 12:45PM EST
@Ansche Chesed
251 W 100th St, New York, NY 10025
Multipurpose Room
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: Free event, RSVP required
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Our friends at the LESJC in partnership with the American Sephardi Federation present:
Rumania, Rumania, Rumania! A Tour of Romanian Jewish History
Join Adrian Iosifescu, author of the “History of the Romanian Jews” Podcast, for a special presentation.
Embark on a journey through the rich history of Romanian Jews from the comfort of your own home! Discover the vibrant culture, traditions, and stories that have shaped the Romanian Jewish community over the years. This virtual tour will take you through significant landmarks and events, providing a fascinating insight into the past. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to explore the fascinating world of Romanian Jewish history!
Sunday, 16 March 7:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: $10
Zoom Livestream
Pictured: LP from 1965 of Israeli singer Yaffa Yarkoni singing Yiddish songs, including Rumania, Rumania!
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Our friends at Qesher present:
A ‘Walk’ Through the Jewish History of Florence
“You are invited to a virtual ‘walk’ through the most significant places in the city where, from the Renaissance to our times, Jews in Florence have lived, worked, and shared community and religious life. This path, enriched with history, curiosity, and memories, aims to bring to life the lesser-known places of Jewish presence in the city.
The tour ends at the Great Synagogue (1882), one of the symbols of the emancipation of Italian Jews. Damaged by the Nazi-Fascists during WWII, it is still active and remains a vibrant focal point of contemporary Jewish life in Florence.”
Tuesday, 18 March at 4:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: $9-$18
About the speaker:
“Giovanna Bossi Rosenfeld, born in Florence, is a historian of Florentine architecture and a licensed tour guide who specializes in tours of her city from a Jewish perspective. She brings Jewish Florence's history to life through her knowledge, stories, and memories, as well as by taking you to the very places where Jewish history was made and continues to thrive, thanks to an active Jewish community. She is a co-author of the book Jewish Florence: Illustrated Itinerary (Florence, ASKA Editor, 2019).”
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Bookhouse presents:
Jews and State Building
New book roundtable with Bernard Dov Cooperman, Serena Di Nepi, and Germano Maifreda.
Jews and State Building: Early Modern Italy, and Beyond.
Edited by Bernard Dov Cooperman, Serena Di Nepi, and Germano Maifreda. Leiden-Boston, Brill: 2025
Tuesday, 18 March at 6:30PM EST
RSVP required: rsvp@primolevicenter.org
ASF-Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street, NYC
Bookhouse is an American Sephardi Federation, Centro Primo Levi, Dan Wyman Books Cooperative initiative.
In 2019, two scholarly meetings (University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins, and University of Rome La Sapienza) sought to explore forms of cooperation, imitation, exchange, alliance, and interaction between Jews and Christians in early modern Italy. The research project aimed at challenging the traditional paradigm that looks at the history of Christian-Jewish interactions only through the prism of anti-judaism and at Italian history in the sole perspective of the realization of the nation-state. These exchanges have highlighted the self-standing nature of the kingdoms, principalities, signorie, and republics that flourished in the peninsula, as well as strategies of coexistence between different religions and cultures that helped shape early modern political and social history in what was to become modern Europe..
The editors of this multifaceted volume will discuss its content, historiographical background, and prospects.
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Our friends at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in partnership with the American Sephardi Federation present:
Spring Equinox Festival
Join the Museum for a celebration of Persian heritage and culture during Nowruz. This day long festival will feature Persian music, food, and games. Museum admission will be free all day.
Sunday, 23 March at 12:00PM EST
@The Museum of Jewish Heritage
36 Battery Pl, New York, NY 10280
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: Free Admission
$15 for food tickets for non-members, $10 for food tickets for members
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Our friends at Qesher present:
The Jews of the Greek Islands: Crete, Rhodes and Corfu
Sunday, 23 March at 4:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: $9-$18
About the talk:
“Since ancient times, many of the thousands of sunny and breath-taking islands dotting the eastern Mediterranean Sea have served as a home for Diaspora Jews.
In this lecture, we will explore the fascinating and lesser-known history and traditions of three of the most famous such islands situated in modern-day Greece: Crete, the largest Greek island with its ancient Romaniote Jewish community; Rhodes, a Sephardic microcosm in the Aegean Sea; and Corfu, with its prolific Italian Jewish community in the Ionian Sea.
These historic and diverse communities enrich our understanding of the Jewish Diaspora and its remarkable saga of survival.”
About the speaker:
“Joseph Michael Vardakis was born in Athens, Greece. He has a B.A in Psychology, an M.A in Psychobiology and is currently completing his M.Sc in Clinical Psychology. He has lived and studied in the UK, South Africa and Israel and is currently residing in Athens. He has been a student counsellor for the Ministry of Absorption for new immigrants to Israel and has also worked in an educational framework for the Jewish community in South Africa before his studies. On his spare time, he offers themed tours in Athens, including sites of Jewish interest.”
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Bookhouse presents:
An Evening of Cantigas and Romansas
Join us for Judith Cohen’s presentation and performance of little-known musical gems handed down through word of mouth, research, and the legacy of Alan Lomax’s work. Introduction by Isabelle Levy (Columbia University).
Wednesday, 26 March at 6:30PM EST
RSVP required: rsvp@primolevicenter.org
ASF-Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street, NYC
Bookhouse is an American Sephardi Federation, Centro Primo Levi, Dan Wyman Books Cooperative initiative.
Dr. Judith Cohen is a Canadian ethnomusicologist, medievalist, singer, and storyteller. She teaches at York University in Toronto and is the editor and consultant for Alan Lomax’s 1952 Spain collection. Known internationally for her work on Sephardic music and music among Crypto-Jews of Portugal, her work on the Sephardic diaspora includes medieval music and traditions of regional Spain and Portugal, the Balkans, French Canada, Yiddish, and European balladry, exploring connections among the songs and their singers.
More recently, Judith has extended her research to Jewish communities in Brazil, working with Moroccan Sephardim in the Amazon and Crypto-Jews of the Northeast.
For this session, Judith will sing songs from her fieldwork among Sephardim of both Morocco and the Eastern Mediterranean, including Rhodes, and regional songs from Spain and Portugal, including some she learned in the same villages, sometimes from the same people, of Lomax’s 1952 recordings.
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Andalusian lute, from the 1283 AD book, The Book of Chess, Dice and Board Games, St. Lorenze del Escorial, Madrid. The book was made for or commissioned by Alfonso X, King of Castile and León.
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Our friends at the LESJC in partnership with the American Sephardi Federation present:
Rich History of Jewish Communities of the Caucasus: Kavkazi/Mountain Jews
The Caucasus—an ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse region at the crossroads of Asia and Europe—has been a millennia-old home to two distinct Jewish communities. Join us as we discover the deep-rooted histories and vibrant cultures of Kavkazi/Mountain Jews.
Thursday, 27 March 7:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: $10
About the speaker:
Born in Uzbekistan, Ruben Shimonov is an educator, community builder, and artistic leader passionate about Jewish diversity and intercultural understanding. As a Bukharian Jew who belongs to the ancient Persian-speaking Jewish community of Central Asia, Ruben harnesses his own multilayered identity in his educational, creative and social entrepreneurial work. He is the National Director of Sephardi House and Education at the American Sephardi Federation. ASF's Sephardi House initiative works to enrich Jewish campus life and young leadership with the vibrancy, wisdom and diversity of the Greater Sephardic world. As a visual artist, Ruben uses his multilingual Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian calligraphy to build Muslim-Jewish interfaith bridges and spark conversations about multiculturalism. His art has been featured in international publications and exhibits, including at the U.S. Embassy Residence in Uzbekistan. Ruben has been listed among The Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” young leaders and changemakers. He is an alumnus of the COJECO Blueprint, Nahum Goldmann, Schusterman ROI, and UJA-Federation of New York Ruskay Institute Fellowships for his work in Jewish social innovation and education. Ruben has lectured extensively on the histories and cultures of Sephardic and Mizrahi communities. Among his speaking engagements, Ruben has given talks at New York University, the University of Southern California, Jewish Federations of North America, and Hillel International, as well as conferences in Greece, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
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Our friends at Qesher present:
Along the Silk Roads to Jerusalem: A Voyage into Bukharian Jewish History and Culture
Embark with us on an exploration of the rich and multilayered history of the ancient Jewish community of Central Asia, the Bukharian Jews.
Join us as we discover how Bukharian Jews have developed their rich culture against the backdrop of changing societies—including Iranian, Arab, Turkic, and Russian empires. Through archival documents, music, heritage site photographs, and personal stories, our Uzbekistan-born educator, Ruben Shimonov, will guide us on a journey through Central Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.
Sunday, 30 March 3:00PM EST
Sign-up Now!
Tickets: $9
