Moroccan Amazigh (“Berbers”) are known for fondly remembering the Jews who, not too long ago, lived among them. Today, Jewish merchants are turning to Moroccan Amazigh for etrogim, one of the ‘four species’ used by Jews during the Sukkot holiday: “We are Berber people. We have good relations with Jewish people because they originated from this place, and they are coming to visit us.”
Sukkah, Negev, Israel (Photo courtesy of Jeremy Price)
Against a backdrop of whirling dervishes, R’ David Menahem performs R. Moshe ben Yaakov Adahan’s 18th century piyyut in honor of the holiday of Sukkot, “Sukkah and Lulav” in the mixed Arab-Jewish city of Jaffa, Israel.
In 1920, Joseph (Giuseppe) Albert Souriano escaped conscription in the Turkish army by fleeing to the Jewish community of Seattle. Speaking seven languages, Souriano soon established a printing company that produced Rosh HaShanah postcards and material in Ladino, including a novel. Souriano’s print oeuvre is being collected and studied at the University of Washington’s Sephardic Studies Program, which is headed by ASF Academic Advisory Board Member Professor Devin Naar.
Large numbers of Israeli tourists are showing up in the Central Asian country of Georgia. Turned off by Turkish anti-Semitism, enticed by the hiking, and catered to by kosher restaurants in the capital city of Tbilisi, the Israelis are breathing new life into Georgia’s dwindling Jewish community. Says one local leader, “(The Israelis) sing in the Moroccan, not Georgian, style. But who cares? Before they came, the only time I had a full house was on Yom Kippur.”
Between Baghdad and Haifa: A Tribute to Sami Michael
October 7th-9th at Northwestern University
1860 Campus Drive, Crowe Hall 5-163, Evanston, Il
Northwestern University Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies will be holding its next Israel Studies conference from October 7-9th, 2015 entitled “Between Baghdad and Haifa: A Tribute to Sami Michael.”
A number of prominent Jewish and Israeli scholars and artists will participate and honor the work of Sami Michael and his central role in contemporary Israel literature.
2nd Annual Concert for Daniel Pearl: “Building Bridges: From Bene Beraq to Baghdad” (Jews of Iraq Series)
October 12th at 7PM at the Center for Jewish History 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY
Daniel Pearl, armed with a pen and a fiddle, loved to connect with people the world over, forming friendships and building a coalition of the decent. The American Sephardi Federation is proud to honor his legacy with a special concert bringing together diverse peoples and music. This concert is part of the “Daniel Pearl World Music Days” occurring in more than 60 countries throughout the month of October. A feature of this concert is a recording of Daniel’s mother, Ruth, talking about her experiences as a survivor of the Farhud, the 1941 anti-Jewish pogrom at Baghdad, Iraq.
October 14th at 7PM
at the Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street, New York, NY
The American Sephardi Federation invites you to a conversation with Seth M. Siegel, author of Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution For A Water-Starved World. Mr. Siegel’s book treats the remarkable story and global implications of how Israel developed the world’s most sophisticated water management system. The evening will also include a special presentation on the unknown story of how Israel came to develop Iran’s water system prior to the Revolution.
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The American Sephardi Federation's Sephardi House is located at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th St., New York, New York, 10011).