18 December 2015 In Honor of Lord David Alliance, CBE, the Kashan-born British entrepreneur who covertly helped Israel rescue Sudan’s Ethiopian Jewish refugees
In Andalusian music, “Melodies intended for coffee shops and cabarets soon [make] their way into religious spaces.” In 1959, one such conversion was unintentionally caught on tape: a recording made in a Moroccan synagogue captures Rabbi David Buzaglo, the great, 20th century Moroccan payytan, transforming Samy Elmaghribi’s 1950’s hit tune, “Qaftanec mahloul” (“Your robe is open, my lady”), into a piyyut, “El hay ram gadol” (“Living, exalted, great God”).
The rescue of Ethiopian Jewry is an astonishing story of ingenuity, audacity, and self-sacrifice that embodied Israel’s mission of saving Jews, wherever they might be: “At one time there were 28 planes in the sky together. One plane took 1,088 people on board, a figure that remains an aviation record to this day. Former Mossad operative, Gad Shimron said: ‘The planes were so heavy, they made lanes in the tarmac of Addis Ababa.’” This epic tale of biblical proportions was recently told in a BBC documentary, “Saving the Forgotten Jews.”
The BBC documentary, “Saving the Forgotten Jews,” narrates how, in an epic tale of biblical proportions, the State of Israel rescued 20,000 Ethiopian Jews during the 1980’s and 90’s.
The Story of Judith and the Scroll of Antiochus are Chanukkah tales of ancient Jewish heroism. Left out of the mainstream of traditional literature, the stories were preserved in Sephardi communities until they were revived in Zionist literature. The Sephardi-Zionist connection can be seen in a 1904 prayer book authored by Rabbi Ya’aḳov Moshe Ḥai Alṭarats in which the Scroll of Antiochus is followed by R’Altarats’ admonition: “From this historical incident and others like it, we may contemplate the heroism of our people, and how fearlessly we (our people) fought like lions in defense of our God, and His law, and for their land, men who glorified our nation…”
January 13th, 17th, 19th, and 21st
at the Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street, New York, NY
Back by popular demand, the American Sephardi Federation invites you to David Serero’s Merchant of Venice. Playing sold-out shows in the summer, the French-Moroccan baritone opera singer once again directs and stars (as Shylock) in his Sephardi adaptation of Shakespeare’s play about love, commerce, and bigotry. Featuring a diverse cast and Sephardi music, there will be a preview matinee on January 13th, ahead of opening night on January 17th.
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
Donate nowand your tax-deductible contribution will help ASF “Connect, Collect, and Celebrate” Sephardi culture throughout the year with engaging programs and compelling publications.
Contact us by email or phone (212-548-4486) to sponsor future issues of the Sephardi World Weekly in honor or memory of loved ones.
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).