Mabrouk/Mazal Tov to HM King Mohammed VI and the people of Morocco on the 67th Anniversary of the Kingdom’s independence!
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!
Click here to dedicate a future issue in honor or memory of a loved one
🙌“Morocco Makes Coexistence History With Arab World’s First-ever Synagogue on University Campus”
By Sara Miller and Felice Friedson, The Media Line
El Mehdi Boudra (Mimouna Association), Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie (Jewish Community of the Emirates/Association of Gulf Jewish Communities/Council of Sephardic Sages), Magda Haroun (Jewish Community of Egypt), Sammy Ibrahim (Drop of Milk Association), Abdeslam Filali (Mimouna Association), Chaymae Aboubou (Rebuilding Our Homes), at the Rabbi Pinhas Synagogue, Marrakech, Morocco.
(Photo courtesy of Mimouna Association/American Sephardi Federation)
Jewish life in Morocco recently received a boost with the opening of a new synagogue at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, the only synagogue of its kind in an Arab-Muslim country. Spearheaded by UM6P’s President Hicham El Habti, OCPGroup’s CEO Mostafa Terrab, and Director of the University’s Institute of Biological Science, Professor Gabriel Malkah, the inauguration was organized as part of the 7th Moroccan Jewish Day by “Mimouna Association, a Muslim-founded Moroccan nonprofit organization that aims to promote the country’s Jewish heritage, and the American Sephardi Federation, which has offices in the kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.” The synagogue is named Beyt Allah/Beyt El (“The House of God”). As Mimouna Association Founder and President El Mehdi Boudra explained: “‘Moroccan Judaism is really a part of Moroccan society for 2,000 years. Morocco is also a Jewish land and we celebrate the diversity of Morocco traditionally.’”
Feature: Installing the Mezuzah at Beyt Allah 🕍🙌
Jacky Kadosh, president of the Marrakech Jewish Community, is joined by Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie and others (including Elmehdi Boudra of Mimouna Association and Zhor Rehihil of the Casablanca Jewish Museum) to install the Beit Allah Synagogue’s mezuzah, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Benguérir, Morocco
(Photo courtesy of American Sephardi Federation/YouTube)
You don’t need to understand the language (largely French) to feel the natural warmth of the recent installation of the mezuzah at Beyt Allah/Beyt El Synagogue at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Benguérir, Morocco. Jacky Kadosh (Marrakech Jewish Community) is joined by Rabbi Dr Elie Abadie (Jewish Community of the Emirates/Association of Gulf Jewish Communities/Council of Sephardic Sages) and others, including Elmehdi Boudra of Mimouna Association and Zhor Rehihil of the Casablanca Jewish Museum, in joyfully performing the mitzvah (commandment)!
🥭“A Story for Shabbat: How to Build a Family”
By Dr. Mijal Bitton, The Rabbi Sacks Legacy
Dr. Mijal Bitton, a Scholar in Residence at the Shalom Hartman Institute, Rosh Kehilla of the Downtown Minyan in NYC, The Sephardic Leadership Institute’s Director of Research, and an ASF Broome & Allen Fellow, Lillian Goldman Reading Room, Center for Jewish History, 1 March 2016 (Photo Courtesy of Michael Datikash/NY Jewish Week)
For the inaugural Chayei Sarah issue of the new Covenant & Conversation: Family Editions series, Dr. Mijal Bitton was invited to share a story to "further illuminate the ideas of Rabbi [Jonathan] Sacks," ZT”L. Appropriately for Mizrahi Heritage Month, Dr. Bitton introduces readers to her Cairo-born in-laws, Nono Nessim and Nona Toni, who, as many Sepharadim in the 20th century, overcame discrimination, displacement, and emigration to build a better future for their families: “Their journey reminds me of Avraham and Sarah’s, and to me they embody the message I found at the heart of this week’s commentary: “‘First build a future. Only then can you mourn the past.’”
Please click here to download a printable version
Also see Dr. Mijal Bitton on Hakham Professor R’José Faur, A”H in the Sephardi Ideas Monthly for October 2020
✡️“A Sephardic Family Reunites to Remember the Past”
By Bob Bahr, Atlanta Jewish Times
Ottoman refugee Abraham Cohen’s descendants with a 20-foot-long scroll of the family tree and a rare photograph of Cohen from the 1920s, Eclipse Di Luna, Dunwoody, Atlanta, Georgia, October 2022
(Photo courtesy of Atlanta Jewish Times)
Abraham Cohen fled the Ottoman Empire in 1908 with his son, Victor, to Havana. He soon brought over the rest of the family, including cousins. After World War I, Cohen moved with his wife and children (ultimately twelve) to Atlanta, and in the 1950s the extended family took up a single block of Atlanta’s Central Avenue. Recently, some of the clan got together in Atlanta for a reunion. One of Cohen’s descendants at the Atlanta event, Luna Cygielman, tried to explain the deep connection felt by members of the family, “‘This is where we come from. And deep in your heart, you have this Sephardic thing in you, and you have your Cohen family in you, and it’s your world. It’s your roots.’”
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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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by Devorah Michael
This is a unique Mezuzah handmade in the Spanish and Mexican tradition of Talavera pottery - the first of its kind.
Devorah Michael focuses on offering high-quality, Mexican Judaica products that represent the beauty of both cultures. All products are 100% Mexican 100% Jewish and 100% unique!
All products are handmade by experienced artisans whose craft has been perfected over centuries of hard work and dedication.
Talavera is a colorful, handmade, style of artisan pottery present in Spain and Mexico. Authentic Talavera pottery originates in only two places: Talavera de la Reina in Spain and San Pablo del Monte in Mexico. In order for Talavera to be deemed authentic, not only must it originate from the previously mentioned places, but it can only be produced in six colors: blue, yellow, black, green, orange, and mauve. Such colors can only come from natural pigments.
More items available at the ASF’s Sephardi Shop
By Dr. Hélène Jawhara Piñer, a 2018 ASF Broome & Allen Fellow
In this extraordinary, award-winning and best-selling cookbook now in its 4th imprint, chef and scholar Hélène Jawhara-Piñer combines rich culinary history and Jewish heritage to serve up over fifty culturally significant recipes. Steeped in the history of the Sephardic Jews (Jews of Spain) and their diaspora, these recipes are expertly collected from such diverse sources as medieval cookbooks, Inquisition trials, medical treatises, poems, and literature. Original sources ranging from the thirteenth century onwards and written in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Occitan, Italian, and Hebrew, are here presented in English translation, bearing witness to the culinary diversity of the Sephardim, who brought their cuisine with them and kept it alive wherever they went. Jawhara-Piñer provides enlightening commentary for each recipe, revealing underlying societal issues from anti-Semitism to social order. In addition, the author provides several of her own recipes inspired by her research and academic studies.
Each creation and bite of the dishes herein are guaranteed to transport the reader to the most deeply moving and intriguing aspects of Jewish history. Jawhara-Piñer reminds us that eating is a way to commemorate the past.
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Upcoming Events or Opportunities
The American Sephardi Federation, the Seattle Jewish Theatre Company, and the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America present:
“ARRIVALS”
Back by Popular Demand for an Encore Performance!
A Jewish Romeo & Juliet love story based on historical events.
A hit in Seattle, coming to New York.
(Written and Directed by Art Feinglass)
When the first Sephardic Jew arrived in Seattle in 1902, not everything went as planned. Marco Cordova, a young Sephardic Jew from Turkey, came to America to make his fortune. Bayla Keigelman, a fragile Ashkenazi girl from Russia, arrived fleeing a pogrom. Their meeting seemed written in the stars until tradition declared their love forbidden.
Sunday, 20 November at 6:00 PM EST
Sign-up Now!
The Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York City
“Arrivals tells the Sephardic story with great drama, humor and warmth.”
Rabbi Simon Benzaquen, Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, Seattle, WA
“Everyone in the audience was engaged and enjoyed the show.”
Aaron Petersen, President , Temple Beth El, Tacoma, WA
“A tour de force!”
Rabbi Emeritus James Mirel, Temple B’nai Torah, Bellevue, WA
Sponsorship opportunities available:
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The NY Jewish Week, B’nai Jeshurun Congregation, Natan Fund, Jewish Book Council, and ASF Institute of Jewish Experience present:
An Evening with “One Hundred Saturdays”
An event featuring Sephardic songs from Daphna Mor (vocal) and Adam Good (on the oud), artwork from Maira Kalman, and a wide-ranging conversation between celebrated author Michael Frank and award-winning journalist Sandee Brawarsky, with the participation of Stella Levi!
Wednesday, 30 November at 7:00 PM EST
Sign-up Now!
(Tickets: $14.36 - $22.85)
In-person at B’nai Jeshrun Congregation and online
257 West 88th Street,
New York, NY
A luminous work, One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World is the encounter of two brilliant storytellers: Stella Levi, who was born and grew up in the old Sephardic Jewish quarter of the island of Rhodes and is now almost 100 years of age, and Michael Frank, who listens to, captures, and retells the story of her survival and embrace of life.
Michael Frank will be in conversation with award-winning New York journalist Sandee Brawarsky.
About the author:
Michael Frank is the author of What Is Missing, a novel, and The Mighty Franks, a memoir, which was awarded the 2018 JQ Wingate Prize and was named one of the best books of the year by The Telegraph and The New Statesman. One Hundred Saturdays is a Jewish Book Council Natan Notable Book. The recipient of a 2020 Guggenheim Fellowship, Michael lives with his family in New York City and Camogli, Italy.
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The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience, the Center for Jewish History, Bar-Ilan University, Dahan Center, and the Ben-Zvi Institute present:
From Middle Eastern North African Jewish Refugees to Israeli Cultural Renaissance
International Conference featuring speakers from Canada, Israel, the Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States
Sunday, 4 December 10:30AM - 6:00PM EDT
($8 G/A or Donation)
Sign-up Now!
The Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York City
Program Details:
Sunday, December 04, 2022, 4 Kislev, 5783
- 10:30-11:00: Arrival and Registration
- 11:00-12:00: Opening Session
Chair: Dr. Shimon Ohayon, Director, the Dahan Center, Bar-Ilan University
Greetings:
- Mr. Yaakov Hagoel, Chairperson of the World Zionist Organization
- Mr. Eyal Gabbai, Chairperson, Yad Izhak Ben Zvi
- Mr. David Dangoor, President, American Sephardi Federation
Keynote Adress:
Prof. Noam Norman Stillman, University of Oklahoma
Prelude to Exodus: the Jews of Arab lands in the face of the challenges and transformations of the modern era
- 12:00-12:15: Coffee break
- 12:15-14:00: Second session
Chair: Mr. Moshe Zaafrani, Manager of cultural-educational projects, Yad Ben Zvi
Mr. Gilad Erdan, Ambassador to the United Nations - Struggle and Recognition: Jews from Arab lands and Iran
Mr. Ben-Dror Yemini, Reporter - The Jewish Nakba: a Comparative Study
Dr. Stanley Yurman, Rutgers University & Director of JJAC - Justice for Jews from Arab countries: the case for rights and redress
Ms. Dana Avrish, Researcher, Artist & Creator - Rediscovering the Jewish roots in Islamic countries
- 14:00-14:45: Lunch Break
- 14:45-16:15: Third Session
Chair: Dr. Drora Arussy, Senior Director, ASF Institute of Jewish Experience
Dr. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah, University of Groningen - Communal Dissolution and the Baghdadi Diaspora: Reframing Iraqi-Jewish Migration as Multidirectional
Mr. Edwin Shuker, Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews - The Ethnic cleansing of the Jews of Iraq in the second half of the 20th century
Dr. Jesse Weinberg, University of Oklahoma - The End of Eden: Antisemitism in Iraq, 1917-1951
- 16:15–16:30 Coffee break
- 16:30-17:30 Fourth Session
Ms. Sarina Roffé, Sephardic Heritage Project - Syrian Jewish Paths to Freedom
Mr. Ruben Shimonov, ASF's National Director of Sephardi House - Conversation with Sephardi House Fellows
Student Presentations - The Story of Our Family Roots
- 17:30-18:00: Musical Program
Naama Perel Zadok
Concluding Remarks:
Dr. Shimon Ohayon and Dr. Drora Arussy
Supported by Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, World Zionist Organization, and World Jewish Congress - North America.
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The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:
Exclusive Authors Series with Alan Verskin
Join us for this episode of Exclusive Authors Series with Alan Verskin discussing his new book, A Vision of Yemen.
Tuesday, 6 December at 12:00PM EDT
(Complimentary RSVP)
Sign-up Now!
About the book:
In 1869, Hayyim Habshush, a Yemeni Jew, accompanied the European orientalist Joseph Halévy on his archaeological tour of Yemen. Twenty years later, Habshush wrote A Vision of Yemen, a memoir of their travels, that provides a vivid account of daily life, religion, and politics. More than a simple travelogue, it is a work of trickster-tales, thick anthropological descriptions, and reflections on Jewish–Muslim relations. At its heart lies the fractious and intimate relationship between the Yemeni coppersmith and the “enlightened” European scholar and the collision between the cultures each represents. The book thus offers a powerful indigenous response to European Orientalism.
This edition is the first English translation of Habshush’s writings from the original Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew and includes an accessible historical introduction to the work. The translation maintains Habshush’s gripping style and rich portrayal of the diverse communities and cultures of Yemen, offering a potent mixture of artful storytelling and cultural criticism, suffused with humor and empathy. Habshush writes about the daily lives of men and women, rich and poor, Jewish and Muslim, during a turbulent period of war and both Ottoman and European imperialist encroachment. With this translation, Alan Verskin recovers the lost voice of a man passionately committed to his land and people.
About the authors:
Alan Verskin is Associate Professor of History at the University of Rhode Island.
Click here for more about the book.
Sponsorship opportunities available:
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The American Sephardi Federation and the Moise Safra Center present:
Sephardi: Cooking the History with Hélène Jawhara-Piñer
Join Chef Hélène Jawhara-Piñer for an extraordinary cooking class as she recreates recipes from her award-winning and best-selling cookbook.
Thursday, 8 December at 10:00AM EDT
(Tickets: $50 - $95)
Sign-up Now!
The Moise Safra Center
130 E 82nd St. (7th Floor Culinary Studio)
New York, NY 10028
In this extraordinary cooking class, chef and scholar Hélène Jawhara-Piñer has selected some of her favorite recipes from her latest cookbook, Sephardi: Cooking the History. Recipes of the Jews of Spain and the Diaspora, from the 13th Century to Today, to serve up in our culinary studio. Steeped in the history of the Sephardic Jews and their diaspora, these recipes are expertly collected from such diverse sources as medieval cookbooks, Inquisition trials, medical treatises, poems, and literature. Original sources ranging from the thirteenth century onwards and written in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Occitan, Italian, and Hebrew, bear witness to the culinary diversity of the Sephardim, who brought their cuisine with them and kept it alive wherever they went.
Jawhara-Piñer provides enlightening commentary for each recipe, revealing underlying societal issues from anti-Semitism to social order. Hélène Jawhara Piñer holds a doctoral degree in Medieval History and the History of Food. In 2018, she was awarded the Broome & Allen Fellowship of the American Sephardi Federation, dedicated to recognizing outstanding academic accomplishments and services to the Sephardic community, as well as encouraging continued excellence in the field of Sephardi studies.
Each creation and bite of the dishes are guaranteed to transport you to the most deeply moving and intriguing aspects of Jewish history. Jawhara-Piñer reminds us that eating is a way to commemorate the past.
Sponsorship opportunities available:
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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.