The flight of Iraqi Jews in the early 50’s, “an educated, vibrant and creative community,” simultaneously enriched Israel and impoverished Iraq. Some brave Iraqi-Jewish Israelis manage to visit the country of their birth, and they report that they are well received by locals. But, as one Iraqi-born Israeli notes: “No one is going to move back. However, there are many who would be very receptive to visiting their shrines and where their ancestors are buried.”
A Hanukkah Lamp by Baghdad-born artist Oded Halahmy, The Babylonian Heritage Center, Or Yahuda, Israel (Photo courtesy of Babylon Jewry Heritage museum - Secret Tel Aviv)
Want to understand Israel? Listen to the popular music, especially to the ways in which different forms of Western and Mizrahi pop music compete to represent authentic Israeliness. Today, Mizrahi artists dominate the Israeli mainstream, a reminder that Jewish roots run deep in the Middle East and the Israeli story is as Middle Eastern as it is European.
Tuesday, 29 May 7:00 PM Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York City
Join Irene Shaland, an internationally-published art and travel writer, educator, and lecturer, for a fascinating talk about her travels through Jewish history in Burma, India, China, Cuba, and Cambodia. Seeking Jewish narrative all over the world, Irene with her husband-photographer Alex, has visited close to 70 countries and shared her experiences with audiences and readers in US, Canada, and Europe.
A three day academic and cultural conference exploring the cultural heritage of Jews of Yemenite heritage and their joint cultural commonalities with the Muslims of Yemenite heritage. Learn more at: www.ASFYemenConference.org
International Academic Conference Monday, 4 June, 9:00am-5:30pm
Tuesday, 5 June, 9:00am-3:30pm @The Center for Jewish History
Celebrating the culture and history of Yemenite Jews and the rich interactions between Yemenite Jews and Muslims. Topics include Jews and Muslims, spirituality, antiquity, modern culture, and Yemenite women.
Wednesday, 6 June at 6:00 PM Opening Night
(Followed by After Party)
Friday, 8 June at 3:00 PM
Monday, 11 June at 8:00 PM
Thursday, 14 June at 8:00 PM
(Followed by After Party)
Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York City
Set in Seville, Spain, Mozart’s opera, Don Giovanni, shows the unsatisfying ends that await a sordid life of scheming and serial seduction. Starring baritone David Serero in the title role, along with a large cast, the libretto was written by the Italian Sephardi Lorenzo Da Ponte. Cast members: Charles Gray (Leporello), Anna Cley (Donna Elvira), Pablo Veguilla (Don Ottavio), Donna Anna (Jennifer Allenby), Masetto/Commendatore (Javier Ortiz), Zerlina (Yi Wang)
Tickets: $26 and $36
(Including VIP seating and access to an After Party)
The Algemeiner Editor’s Club Presents: The New York Times and the Jews
Tuesday, 5 June at 7:15 PM Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York City
The American Sephardi Federation is hosting The Algemeiner Editor’s Club for an important conversation—featuring a line-up of acclaimed experts in journalism—delving into The New York Times' history of covering Israel, Jewish figures, and other matters of Jewish concern, from the turn of the century to the current day.
Panelists will include Ira Stoll (Algemeiner columnist), Laurel Leff (author of Buried by the Times and an Associate Professor of Journalism at Northeastern University), and Ari Goldman (former New York Times Reporter and a Professor at Columbia University’s School of Journalism).
The discussion will be followed by a Q & A session.
Ticket options include VIP entry, which provides access to an exclusive reception preceding the talk and reserved seats. Please note that this event is complimentary for Algemeiner members.
Only a limited number of tickets available.
For further information, please emailevents@algemeiner.com or call212-376-4988.
The Teimani Experience: An interactive, multi-sensory exploration of the history and culture of Yemenite Jews
On view until 5 June
Yeshiva University Museum’s Rosenberg Gallery
Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York City
The Teimani Experience immerses visitors in the sights, sounds, and even smells of the Yemenite Jewish culture, including the actual room (complete with ostrich eggs and rose water) recreated in Israel by Yemenite women from Sana’a who continued the tradition of making the birth mother the center of attention after both she and her newborn survived for thirty days.
This exhibition is part of The Yemenite Conference, the world’s first symposium on shared Jewish and Muslim cultural values in Yemen. The Yemenite Conference, which will be held at The Center for Jewish History (3-5 June) and United Nations (5 June - Closing Ceremony), will feature presentations by over 30 prominent scholars from four continents, as well as cultural workshops and performances by Israel’s top Yemenite musicians and more than 70 Israeli-Yemenite dance troupe and choir members.
The Teimani Experience is proudly presented by The American Sephardi Federation, E’eleh BeTamar, and Institute for Semitic Studies, in conjunction with Yeshiva University Museum.
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The American Sephardi Federation is located at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York, New York, 10011).