Israel’s recently deceased fifth President, Yitzhak Navon, was a “pure Sephardi” descended from a family of Spanish exiles. A man of many talents, Navon served as soldier, diplomat, member of Knesset, government minister, President, author, and, at the end of his long and rich life, composer of “Bustan Sefardi [Sephardic Garden],” a musical of Sephardi folklore that “continues to be staged to this day at Habima, Israel’s national theater in Tel Aviv.”
The first Israeli head of state to officially visit an Arab country, Yitzhak Navon went to Egypt in 1980 at the invitation of Anwar Sadat (Photo courtesy of The Knesset)
The execution of Mariana de Carabajal, one of ten members of her family convicted and burned at the stake for covertly observing Jewish Law, at the auto-de-fé in Mexico City, 25 March 1601 (Illustration by El Libro Rojo, 1870)
Descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity during the Inquisition are increasingly reconnecting to their Jewish roots. In order to facilitate the connection, Israeli Knesset member Ashley Perry, a Sephardi Jew born in England, founded Reconectar, “an organization whose mission is to facilitate the reconnection with descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jewish communities.”
This week’s featured song is Amir Benayoun’s moving interpretation of the classic “Yigdal Elohim Chai” (“Magnify the Living God”). This 13th century piyyut, written by Daniel ben Yehuda, Judge of Rome, is based upon Maimonides’ “13 Principles of Faith,” which is sung in many congregations at the conclusion of Shabbat evening prayers.
CORRECTION: Last week’s link to Shlomo Bar’s song, “By Us, in the Village of Todra,” mistakenly led to another classic. Sephardi World Weekly hopes you enjoyed “Sh’charoret” (“Brunette”) and apologizes for the error.
While Spain reopens its doors to Sephardi Jews, Moisés Hassán-Amsélem, a Spanish-Jewish educator of Moroccan and Algerian Jewish descent, is cynical about Spain’s interest in its Jewish past and pessimistic about the future of Jews in the country: “Sometimes I feel myself like a dinosaur, like I should be in a museum from 500 years ago.”
Come visit ASF’s Leon Levy Gallery at The Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street) to view our new exhibition: “Baghdadis & The Bene Israel in Bollywood & Beyond: Indian Jews in the Movies”
on display now through March 2016
Click here for viewing hours and additional information
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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).
The first Israeli head of state to officially visit an Arab country, Yitzhak Navon went to Egypt in 1980 at the invitation of Anwar Sadat (Photo courtesy of 
The Cordoba Synagogue was in use from 1315 to 1492 
