22 July 2016 In honor of John Kikoski, Professor Emeritus of Government and Politics at Sacred Heart University, proponent and paragon of care, respect, trust, free inquiry, intuition, and imagination
With the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1924, Turkish culture left little room for anything outside of the Turkish-language mainstream. In the 1990’s, however, cracks began to appear in the vision of standardized Turkish identity, and not surprisingly that’s when two Ladino bands appeared on the scene: the Esim Ensemble and Sefarad. But Turkish national identity remains strong, and today only the Esim ensemble still records in Ladino.
Sami Levy (pictured), former lead vocalist of Sefarad, now records in Turkish: “For the time being, it seems that exposure through conventional music channels will require minority artists to release Turkish-language songs.” (Photo courtesy of Turktime)
Liberated Libyan Jewish Holocaust Survivors (Photo courtesy of Yad VaShem)
Sucary remembers as a child growing up in Israel telling one of his teachers about his family’s suffering at the hands of the Nazis in Libya. The teacher refused to believe him, “She said ‘you’re mistaken. Only the European Jews were in the Holocaust.’” Perceptions are beginning to change, however, thanks in part to Sucary’s prize-winning novel, Benghazi - Bergen-Belsen, now part of the Israel’s public school curriculum.
Video of the Week: “Yo Era Ninya” (“I Was a Girl”)
The Janet and Jak Esim Ensemble (Photo courtesy of Jak Esim)
The Turkish-Based, Ladino-language Esim Ensemble performs, “Yo Era Ninya” (“I Was a Girl”).
64-year-old Abraham Benjamin is the only native-born rabbi remaining in India. Benjamin traveled to Israel to earn his rabbinic ordination, and he regularly fields phone calls from Indian Jews asking religious questions. But his main concern is that no one will follow in his footsteps: “I am content with what I have managed to do in my role as a rabbi so far. However, I would have been happier if I could have passed on this mantle to someone.”
Abraham Benjamin (left) greeting believers at the synagogue in Thane, Maharashtra. (Photo courtesy of Deepak Joshi/The Indian Express)
Southhampton Jewish Film Festival
7:30PM on August 9th Southampton Arts Center
25 Jobs Lane
Southampton, NY 11968
The Last Jews Of Baghdad provides a historical and personal view of the persecution, torture, escape, and flight of over 160,000 Jews from Iraq between the years 1940 and 2003. Carole Basri, born to Iraqi Jewish parents and Vice President of the American Sephardi Federation, presents an amazing account of Jewish life in Iraq based on first hand accounts. Ms. Basri will be on hand to discuss her film and the history of Iraqi Jews. This will be a very special evening and a rare opportunity to meet the filmmaker. The Last Jews Of Baghdad premièred at ASF’s NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival.
Please click here to purchase tickets (General Admission $15; Students under 21 $7.50) Reservations Suggested
April 7th through September 9th Center for Jewish History 15 West 16th Street
New York City
The American Sephardi Federation, Portuguese Consulate of New York, the Sousa Mendes Foundation, and the Municipality of Almeida, Portugal proudly present a new exhibition in the Leon Levy Gallery honoring Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the courageous and creative Portuguese diplomat who saved Salvador Dali, the authors of Curious George, and thousands of other Holocaust refugees.
Please click here for additional information and viewing hours
Thank you for opting (on our websites, at an event, or by email) to receive American Sephardi Federation Programming Updates and Publications. We apologize if this message was sent in error.
The American Sephardi Federation's Sephardi House is located at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th St., New York, New York, 10011).