When Syrian Jews from Aleppo and Damascus arrived on the Lower East Side in the early 20th century, Spanish-Portuguese and Ashkenazi communities had already set-up shop. Unable to assimilate into either of these groups, the Syrian Jews would go on to establish a community that, in the words of a contemporary chronicler, “has maintained its cohesiveness better than any other Diaspora Jewish community in the world.”
Magen David Congregation, 67th Street, Brooklyn, New York
(Photo courtesy of At Home Studios)
Avihu Medina, an Israeli icon and relentless advocate for Mizrahi music as mainstream Israeli music, puts a modern and Yemenite spin on the Sephardi melody for Adon HaSelichot (“Master of Forgiveness”), a classic piyyut traditionally sung during the month of Elul in preparation for the High Holy Days.
Reeling from a half-century of pan-Arabism and Islamism, Al Sisi’s Egypt has begun to re-embrace its more cosmopolitan past. That past includes a Jewish dimension, as notably explored in recent years in television programs such as Haret al-Yahud, or The Jewish Quarter. Now, Egyptian authorities are registering Jewish antiquities, “in an attempt to protect them from theft and neglect — an important step forward in preserving history.” That said, “The government still faces criticism for not making good on promises to renovate the country’s synagogues.”
September 27th at 7:30PM Center for Jewish History 15 West 16th Street
New York City
ASF is co-sponsoring the first in a series of programs by the Center for Jewish History and Jewish Studies Program in the College of Arts & Sciences at Cornell exploring how Jewish-Muslim relations in the pre-modern era are popularly portrayed as a precursor of conflict in the contemporary Middle East. Drawing on religious texts, historical documents, and other materials, however, cultural historian Ross Brann (Cornell University) offers a rich and more complex portrait of early Jewish-Muslim relations, one that is characterized by the creative dynamics of minority-majority interaction. This series is being made possible by the generous support of Bruce Slovin, Chair Emeritus & Founder of the Center for Jewish History and Distinguished Board Member of the American Sephardi Federation.
Please click here to purchase tickets (General Admission $10; Center for Jewish History /Partern Members $5, Seniors,Students, and Cornell Alumni $5) Reservations Suggested
ASF is co-sponsoring Homelands, a proposed exhibit at the next Jerusalem Biennale (October 2017). Multiple artists will “reflect on one of the defining moments of the last century: the disbanding of the Jewish communities of the Muslim world.” Curated by Meira Balas, PhD and Organized by Lenore Mizrahi-Cohen. For additional details and to submit artwork click here.
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 an 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
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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).
