In honor of the proud, resilient, and proactive ASF Sephardi House Fellows on the frontlines fighting the astronomical rise in antisemitism at Yale, Harvard, Cornell, and other campuses coast-to-coast. Support our students!
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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!
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The American Sephardi Community Marches for Israel on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
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Can’t make it? Donate One Minute A Day to Bring Them Home!
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📣“What Is Happening on College Campuses Is Not Free Speech”
By Gabriel Diamond, Talia Dror, and Jillian Lederman, The New York Times
ASF Sephardi House Fellow Talia Dror (Cornell University) and NYT op-ed co-author Jillian Lederman (Brown University), Kathy Tur Reports, 3 November 2023
(Screenshot courtesy of MSNBC)
Clarifying that threats that are backed by the willingness to do harm are not to be confused with free speech, Gabriel Diamond, Jillian Lederman and Talia Dror, an ASF Sephardi House Fellow at Cornell, argue that “Universities need to get back to first principles and understand that they have the rules on hand to end intimidation of Jewish students.” Diamond, Lederman and Dror embrace the idea that “Free speech, open debate and heterodox views lie at the core of academic life. They are fundamental to educating future leaders to think and act morally.” The problem is that “open intimidation of Jewish students” and “mob harassment must not be confused with free speech.”
Watch Talia and her co-authors in two MSNBC interviews:
Morning Joe: “‘Universities need to step up’: Students say what's happening at schools isn’t free speech””
Katy Tur Reports: “‘It’s a very difficult time’ Jewish college students on clashes on campus”
And on Fox News:
America Reports “Cornell student slams ‘hostile’ campuses: We’re paying a fortune to be indoctrinated”
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Feature: “Homeland” 🎶🎺🙌
Third World Love: New Blues
(Album Cover)
Whether they are playing Flamenco, folk rock, blues, Andalusian piyyut, or straight-ahead jazz, Israeli-born artists Omer Avital and David Broza infuse their musical worlds with extra-heavy doses of heart and soul. This Sunday they will be opening hearts, strengthening souls and by playing for Israel at New York’s City Winery; all concert proceeds will go to those in Israel suffering from PTSD. Avital’s melodic sense and deep feeling, informed by growing up in the sun-drenched, Mediterranean Jewish state, are wonderfully captured in this 2008 recording by Third World Love – an all-star band of Jewish jazz musicians from Israel and America with Avital on bass – of Avital’s 2006 original, “Homeland.”
Join us on Sunday for Israel, This Jazz Is For You, David Broza & Omer Avital’s Wilson Live Experience, in a benefit concert to help strengthen the resilience of Israeli society. Dr. Aryeh Tepper, the ASF's Director of Publications and resident of Ofaqim, one of the southern Israeli communities invaded by Hamas, will provide a perspective from the frontlines.
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🤰“The Two Lives of Sarah: Thoughts for Parashat Hayyei Sarah”
By R’Marc Angel, The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals
Rabbi Dr. Marc Angel
(Photo courtesy of JBS/YouTube)
The opening of this week’s Torah portion, Hayyei Sarah, seems to include a redundant phrase, “And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the years of the life of Sarah (shenei hayyei Sarah)” (Bereishith/Genesis 23:1). In R’ Marc Angel’s sensitive reading, both of the Biblical text and human character, he explicates how the seeming redundancy echoes a double meaning embedded in the term “life” that points, in turn, to the hidden and revealed dimensions of Sarah’s existence. The hidden dimension burst through when Sarah directed Abraham to separate Yishmael from Yitzhak and, as such, determined the future trajectory of the Jewish people. In R’ Angel’s reading, Avraham only fully comprehends Sarah’s greatness after she died:
With Sarah’s passing, he finally realized that Sarah wasn’t simply a subservient participant in his life: she was in fact the vital force for his family’s future. If Abraham was going to become a forefather of a great nation as God had promised, it was only through Sarah that this would come to pass. Abraham finally saw the ‘two lives’ of Sarah—the compliant wife, and the princess (Sarah means princess) of his people.
Join R’Angel, Rabbi Yamin Levy, and Founder of the ASF’s Sephardi House Fellowship Joshua Benaim on 27 November for a live event: Maimonides in Times of Crisis.
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Please 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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Exploring Sephardic Customs and Traditions
By Hakham R’Marc D. Angel, Ph.D
Over the centuries, Jewish communities throughout the world adopted customs that enhanced and deepened their religious observances. These customs, or minhagim, became powerful elements in the religious consciousness of the Jewish people. It is important to recognize that minhagim are manifestations of a religious worldview, a philosophy of life. They are not merely quaint or picturesque practices, but expressions of a community’s way of enhancing the religious experience. A valuable resource for Sephardim and Ashkenazim alike.
Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality: The Inner Life of Jews of the Ottoman Empire
By Hakham R’Marc D. Angel, Ph.D
Who were the Sephardic Jews of the Ottoman Empire?
What lasting lessons does their spiritual life provide for future generations?
“How did the Judeo-Spanish-speaking Jews of the Ottoman Empire manage to achieve spiritual triumph? To answer this question, we need to have a firm understanding of their historical experience…. We need to be aware of the dark, unpleasant elements in their environments; but we also need to see the spiritual, cultural light in their dwellings that imbued their lives with meaning and honor.”
—from Chapter 1, “The Inner Life of the Sephardim”
In this groundbreaking work, Rabbi Marc Angel explores the teachings, values, attitudes, and cultural patterns that characterized Judeo-Spanish life over the generations and how the Sephardim maintained a strong sense of pride and dignity, even when they lived in difficult political, economic, and social conditions. Along with presenting the historical framework and folklore of Jewish life in the Ottoman Empire, Rabbi Angel focuses on what you can learn from the Sephardic sages and from their folk wisdom that can help you live a stronger, deeper spiritual life.
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Upcoming Events or Opportunities
Hannah Senesh Community Day School presents:
Multicultural Fall Family Fest
“Join us for a morning full of family fun activities as we lift up and celebrate the customs and traditions of our global Jewish community!
Enjoy live klezmer music, a Middle Eastern drum circle, read-alouds of Jewish stories from around the world, a fun variety of arts & crafts tables, a special calligraphy station, yard games, yummy snacks, and more to be announced!”
Sunday, 12 November at 10:00AM EST
In-person @Hannah Senesh Community Day School
342 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
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RSVPs in advance are strongly requested. Security will be on premises.
This event is held in partnership with: American Sephardi Federation, AsefaMusic, Be'chol Lashon, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, B'ShERT, Encore Music, Flatbush Jewish Center, JCC Brooklyn Summer Camp, JIMENA, Kane Street Synagogue, New York Andalus Ensemble, Park Slope Jewish Center, PJ Library, Sephardi Mizrahi Q Network, Sprout Brooklyn, and The Multitudes.
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The Jazz Leadership Project, Combat Antisemitism Movement, American Sephardi Federation, Omni-American Future Project, White Rose Magazine, and Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Arthur Schneier Center for International Affairs are proud to co-present:
Israel, This Jazz Is For You
You are invited for an afternoon of music that opens the heart and strengthens the soul. Featuring: David Broza & Omer Avital’s Wilson Live Experience.
Sunday, 12 November at 12:00PM EST
@City Winery, 11th Avenue, NYC
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Concert proceeds will go to those suffering from PTSD in Israel via NATAL.
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The American Sephardi Community Marches for Israel
The American Sephardi Federation, as the Sephardic Voice in the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, is proud to be joining forces with the Jewish Federations of North America and other groups in Washington, DC, for a nationwide solidarity rally!
Let’s bring #AllJewsTogether to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to the USA & Israel, demand the immediate release of HAMAS’ hostages #BringThemHome, & to achieve an end to Antisemitism!
Sign-up below if you are interested in coming individually or will be bringing a group on behalf of a synagogue or organization.
Tuesday, 14 November, 1:00-3:00PM
National Mall, Washington, D.C.
Gates Open at 10:00AM
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World Jewish Congress in partnership with the Consulate General of Spain, Centro Sepfarad Israel, American Sephardi Federation and the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America presents:
An Evening Honoring Sephardic Heritage and Jewish Life in Spain
Event Highlights
Live Performance by Sarah Aroeste
Panel Discussion on the historical and current ties between Spain and Sephardic Jewry
Reception with Sephardi cuisine featuring an exquisite blend of flavors and spices
Wednesday, 15 November at 6:30PM EST
In-person @Museum of Jewish Heritage,
36 Battery Place, New York, NY 10280
Please note you will need to present a photo ID
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Please RSVP by Friday, 10 November 2023
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The Yeshiva University Museum, the Center for Jewish History, and American Sephardi Federation present:
A Maimonidean in India: The Perils of Jewish Healing
“Sir Simon Schama will discuss his new book, Foreign Bodies: Pandemics, Vaccines and the Health of Nations, and address the Maimonidean enterprise of reconciling medical science, philosophy and Judaism.
The lecture follows the epic path of the micro-biologist Waldemar Haffkine, who achieved brief fame as an originator of vaccines against cholera and bubonic plague, but after becoming a casualty of a miscarriage of medical justice, ended as a champion of orthodoxy.”
Wednesday, 15 November at 7:00PM EST
In-person @the Center for Jewish History & Livestreamed on YouTube
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Optional tours of Yeshiva University Museum’s current exhibition, The Golden Path: Maimonides Across Eight Centuries will be offered before and after the lecture at 5:45 pm and 8:00 pm.
About the Speaker:
Sir Simon Schama is University Professor of Art History and History at Columbia University. He is author of 20 books, and writer-presenter of over 50 documentaries on art, history, and literature for BBC television. Sir Simon has been awarded numerous prizes and honors including the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Literature; the Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement, and the Premio Antonio Feltrinelli Prize in historical sciences from the Accademia dei Lincei in Rome. His work has been translated into 23 languages, and his 20th and most recent book Foreign Bodies: Pandemics, Vaccines and the Health of Nations, was published in September 2023.
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The Jewish-American Hall of Fame, Combat Antisemitism Movement, B’nai B’rith International, American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, and Jewish Heritage Alliance present:
2023 Honoree: Photographer, Artist, Explorer, Author, and Inventor
Solomon Carvalho (1815-1897)
A dozen experts will describe the accomplishments of this 19th century Renaissance man
Sunday, 19 November at 12:30PM EST
Zoom ceremony
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“Arthur Maserjian, Chief of Staff and Director of International Affairs at the Combat Antisemitism Movement, as well as Deputy Director of the Jewish-American Hall of Fame is the moderator and will tell how the Jewish-American Hall of Fame has been fighting antisemitism since 1969. Mel Wacks, Director of the Jewish-American Hall of Fame, will talk about the other Sephardi Jews in the Hall of Fame ― from Spanish Biblical scholar and statesman Don Isaac Abravanel to Statue of Liberty poet Emma Lazarus. Sam Asher, Director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum will unveil the Solomon Carvalho plaque in the museum’s permanent exhibit of Jewish-American Hall of Fame honorees. Keith Atkinson, whose wife is Solomon Carvalho’s granddaughter, will talk about the family tree. Carvalho’s time in Charleston in general, and his paintings of the historic synagogue in particular will be the topic of Anita Rosenberg, past president, of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue, Historian and Chair of Museum, Archives and Fine Arts Committee. Dr. Ava Kahn, who authored the introduction to “Incidents of Travel and Adventure in the Far West with Colonel Frémont’s Last Expedition, by Solomon Nunes Carvallo, will describe Carvalho’s adventures on the trek between Missouri and California, across mostly unexplored territory to identify a viable route for a transcontinental railroad along the 38th parallel. Dr. Michael Hoberman, author of “New Israel/New England: Jews and Puritans in Early America” and “A Hundred Acres of America: The Geography of Jewish American Literary History,” will cover Carvalho’s time in Los Angeles, based on his article “100 Years of Sephardic Los Angeles.” Dr. Micah Christensen, a partner at Anthony’s Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City and an expert on Solomon Carvalho’s paintings, will discuss his artistry. Steve Rivo, producer of TV series “Death Row Stories,” The Hunt with John Walsh,” “Disappeared,” “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” “Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy,” will talk about his documentary “Carvalho’s Journey,” and show an excerpt. And rounding out the all-star lineup of speakers, will be Jerry Klinger, the president and founder of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, revealing his efforts in trying to get the U.S. Board of Geographic Names to name the famous formation of the Three Sisters Obolisks in the Capital Reefs National Park (Utah) after Carvalho. The induction ceremony will also include remarks by Gemma Birnbaum, Executive Director of the American Jewish Historical Society, David Dangoor, President of the American Sephardi Federation, and Dan Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith International.”
For any questions about the Jewish-American Hall of Fame contact Mel Wacks at directorjahf@yahoo.com.
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The American Sephardi Federation presents:
Maimonides in Times of Crisis
The ASF is proud to host two renowned Sephardic spiritual leaders and scholars—Rabbi Dr. Marc Angel and Rabbi Yamin Levy—for a timely conversation about the Rambam’s intellectual legacy in contemporary times.
They will discuss insights from their books “The Mysticism of Andalusia: Exploring HaRambam’s Mystical Tradition” and “Maimonides, Spinoza and Us: Toward an Intellectually Vibrant Judaism.”
Join us for this fascinating discussion, moderated by the founder of ASF’s Sephardi House, Joshua Benaim
Monday, 27 November at 6:30PM EST
@The Center for Jewish History (Kovno Room)
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The talk will be followed by refreshments, book signing (books will be available for purchase), and a tour of Yeshiva University Museum’s exhibition on Maimonides.
Rabbi Yamin Levy is a practiced educator, rabbi, author, and academic administrator. Rabbi Levy has devoted his career to teaching and preserving Sephardic culture, law and philosophical worldview. He is the senior Rabbi of Beth Hadassah Synagogue, the Iranian Jewish Center in Kings Point NY and the founder and director of the Maimonides Heritage Center based in Tiveria, Israel and New York. He authored four books the most recent of which is titled “The Mysticism of Andalusia: Exploring HaRambam’s Mystical Tradition.” He edited two books and published numerous articles in Jewish Law, Biblical Exegesis and Sephardic Philosophy and Jewish Mysticism.
Rabbi Marc Angel has a long career of service to his congregation and community. He has served as President of the Rabbinical Council of America, the Rabbinic Alumni of RIETS, Sephardic House, and various other organizations. He is co-founder of the International Rabbinic Fellowship and its first President. He has served as an officer and board member of UJA-Federation of New York, the HealthCare Chaplaincy, American Sephardi Federation, Cancer Care and other agencies. He has won national rabbinic awards from the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations and the United Jewish Communities, and the Finkle Award of the New York Board of Rabbis. Author and editor of 40 books and hundreds of articles, he has won a National Jewish Book Award in the category of Jewish Thought for his book,The Orphaned Adult, published by Human Sciences Press; and a National Jewish Book Finalist Award in the field of Sephardic Studies for his book, Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality: The Inner Life of Jews of the Ottoman Empire; and another National Jewish Book Finalist Award for Jewish Scholarship for his book Maimonides, Spinoza and Us: Toward an Intellectually Vibrant Judaism. The latter two books were published by Jewish Lights Publishers.
Joshua Benaim is a leading real estate investor and entrepreneur and the visionary founder of the ASF’s Sephardi House Fellowship. He is the founder and CEO of Aria, an award-winning real estate company on a mission to humanize the experience of living in our great cities. An operatic baritone who has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera and throughout the United States, Benaim lives in New York City with his wife and three children.
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Jewish Art Salon, Jerusalem Biennale, Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, and American Sephardi Federation present:
Jerusalem Biennale in New York
“The Jerusalem Biennale, scheduled to open on 9 November in Israel, has been postponed due to the war.
Instead, it opened some of its scheduled exhibitions internationally on 9 November in the home cities of its artists and curators, including Rome, London, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, and New York.”
On View 9-16 November, Monday -Thursday 9AM-6PM
@Dr. Bernard Heller Museum
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
One West Fourth Street, New York
The Heller Museum will feature works by:
Siona Benjamin, Yona Verwer, Joan Roth, Chelsea Steinberg-Gay,
Goldie Gross, Ronit Levin Delgado, curated by Hadas Glazer
and Archie Rand, curated by Samantha Baskind
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The American Sephardi Federation presents:
Convergence: Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian Calligraphy in Conversation
Featuring the multilingual art of Ruben Shimonov Convergence creates a visual world where Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian languages interact with, and speak to, one another; a world where stylized letters and words dance together on the page; a world where cultures, religions, communities, and philosophies intersect.
Juxtaposing cognates from these ancient West Asian languages, artist Ruben Shimonov encourages the viewer to explore the deep-rooted connections between these tongues, as well as the multilayered and transnational identity of the artist himself.
On View in the Leon Levy Gallery
through 31 December 2023
@ the Center for Jewish History
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The American Sephardi Federation and Mimouna Association’s Rebuilding Our Homes Project present:
Re-Creation: Judaica by Moroccan Muslim Artisans
Explore the exhibition of Judeo-Moroccan art, Moroccan Judaica, cultural and religious objects, including Menorot, Mezuzot, Yads, Shabbat Candleholders, Seder Plates, Hallah Covers, and much more.
On View through 31 December 2023
@ the Center for Jewish History
As Moroccan Jewish populations largely left the mellahs (Jewish quarters) in the latter half of the 20th century, there was a danger that not only designs but even the traditional artisanal techniques needed to create them would be lost. Passed down from one artisan to another and perfected over time, these designs and techniques. ranging from vibrant patterns to intricate metalwork and soulful wood carvings, are expressions of Moroccanity and reflect the individual character of each city. The materials and craftsmanship of Rabat are different than Fez, and Essaouira is distinct from both.
Mimouna Association and the American Sephardi Federation’s Rebuilding Our Homes Project, a multi-year USAID-supported New Partnerships Initiative, brought three notable experts-Ms. Zhor Rehihil, Ms. Deborah Koenigsberger Gutierrez, and Ms. Meryem Ghandi to train Moroccan Muslim artisans in the history of Judeo-Moroccan art and guided them in re-creating Moroccan Judaica, which encompasses a diverse array of cultural and religious objects, including Menorot, Mezuzot, Yads, Shabbat Candleholders, Seder Plates, Hallah Covers, and much more.