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8 May 2020

In Memory of Habib Elghanian, HY”D, an Iranian Jewish entrepreneur, philanthropist, and President of the Tehran Jewish Society, who was summarily executed by the Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamist regime on 9 May 1979. All Elghanian’s property was expropriated. A Persian patriot credited with bringing advanced plastic production and other Western technologies to Iran in the 1960s and 1970s, his murder inspired the US Senate to pass S.Res.164, an Iranian human rights resolution introduced by NY Senator Jacob Javits. As the Jewish Journal’s Karmel Malamed reveals, the “Ayatollahs refused to release his body for burial. After [Chief] Rabbi [Yedidia] Shofet pleaded, his body was buried in an unmarked grave. Only years later was he given a tombstone.”
 
Click here to dedicate a future issue in honor or memory of a loved one. 
Counting down the days to Virtual Lag Ba’Omer: Sign-up & Support now!
Why Zoom means boom time for Ladino” 
By Aviya Kushner, The Forward
 
What happens when you have a global lockdown? People from around the world begin plugging into Zoom in order to… learn Ladino. As the surprised course instructor, Dr. Bryan Kirscher, reports: “‘To date, more than 400 people have signed up.’” Students, like literary translator Lida Nostri, are learning just how Middle Eastern Ladino can be: “‘Little did I know that the very first words I’ll be greeted with are ‘dafter’ ‘kalem’ ‘mashallah’ ‘hanum’ ‘aman’, the words marking and making the canvas of my everyday life and tongue (Farsi) by way of other tongues (Turkish, Arabic and more).’” 

Dr. Bryan Kirschen speaks at Manhattan’s 2nd Annual International Ladino Day, presented by the American Sephardi Federation, American Jewish Historical Society, the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America, and Binghamton University, Leo and Julia Forchheimer Auditorium, Center for Jewish History, 10 February 2019
(Photo courtesy of Chrystie Sherman/NBC News)

 
Feature: Introducing: ASF’s Sephardi Playlist 


ASF’s Sephardi Playlist #1

The Sephardi World Weekly brings to your inbox timely, thought-provoking articles on Greater Sephardi history, the arts, and current affairs. Now, we are introducing a new periodic feature, ASF’s Sephardi Playlist, a curated collection of classic and contemporary tracks. This week we present six versions of R’Shlomo Ibn Gabirol’s classic piyyut, Shalom L’ben Dodi (“Peace to you, my love…”):
 
1.) Jo Amar performs a classic Andalusian version, beginning with stunning vocal acrobatics;
2.) Guy Ro'i Zo-Aretz rework the piyyut as an atmospheric dance;
3.) Berry Sakharof channels Steve Riech in his rocked-out version;
4.) Daklon spins the piyyut as a modern Mizrahi tune;
5.) Marc Hazan's Moroccan version goes heavy on hypnotic, instrumental virtuosity;
6.) And Meir Banai re-imagines the piyyut as an original contemporary folk-rock song.

Portrait of Hisdai Ibn Shaprut by Carmen López Rey 
(Photo courtesy of Sefarart.com



 
Hisdai ibn Shaprut: The Andalusian Physician Who Saved a King’s Throne” 
By Rachid Elouahsoussi, Morocco World News
 
The Andalusian Jewish court physician, intellectual, and political figure, Hisdai Ibn Shaprut (915-970), was a model of versatility, famous both for his “medical knowledge” and “diplomatic prowess.” His most celebrated exploit? Curing Sancho I of Leon, aka “Sancho the Fat,” of his obesity. The story? “Rebel nobles had overthrown Sancho in [CE] 958, claiming he was too fat to perform a ruler’s duties.” Ibn Shaprut “put Sancho I on a strict diet. After slowly returning to a functional weight, the king reclaimed his lost throne with the help of Islamic troops.”  

For more details about Shaprut's recommendations for exercise and diet (including “Hebrew Herbs”) see: Pedro Gargantilla Madera and Noelia Arroyo Pardo, “Hasday: Treatment of obesity in 10th century,” Endocrinología y Nutrición (English Edition), Vol. 63, No. 2 (February 2016): 100-101.
Sephardi Gifts:
A Ladino Legacy: The Judeo-Spanish Collection of Louis N. Levy
By Professor Aviva Ben-Ur 

A complete, descriptive bibliography of library of the late Louis N. Levy, which includes one of the most important Ladino collections in the world. Amassed over the course of more than three decades, this library contains more than 150 publications in Judeo-Spanish and upwards of 150 rare books in Hebrew, Spanish, Yiddish, Portuguese, Italian, French and other languages.

A tribute from his grandchildren, Rena Marcy Levy, Jeremy Eliahu Levy, and Louis Agnew Levy. The Louis N. Levy Rare Book Collection is part of the ASF’s National Sephardic Library & Archive

 
Neim Zemirot: 102 selections of Sephardic Jewish Music
by Dina Sabbah

Book & Cassettes, exclusively available at the ASF’s Sephardi Shop!


Dina Sabbah, who holds a Ph.D. in ethno-musicology from the University of Montreal, was born in Morocco, and studied in Tel-Aviv and Paris. A teacher of Jewish studies and music, Dr. Sabbah founded “Zimryia," a gathering of all the choirs of Jewish schools of Montreal, and conducted “Kinor,” The Centre Communautaire Juif Choir.

Publication of this collection of Sephardic Jewish songs was sponsored by the Communauté Sépharade du Québec to encourage the perpetuation of the Sephardic legacy amongst the Greater Montreal community.

 
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Upcoming Events or Opportunities:

ASF IJE Travels in Jewish History... from home presents:

Virtual Lag Ba’Omer

A hilula like no other, as Diarna Geo-Museum Tours digitally transports pilgrims to shrines in multiple countries, including IranIraqTunisia, and Morocco


Tour departs promptly on Tuesday 12 May at 2PM EST 
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Complimentary RSVP

No Passport, Airfare, or Quarantines! 

SUPPORT THE LAG BA’OMER TOUR NOW

We would love to thank everyone who donated to our Facebook fundraiser to make this tour free and open to the public. 
Counting down the days... donate now!
Every donation is tax-deductible and essential to keep our researchers working non-stop to identify, document, and make Jewish history accessible.

At this terrible and turbulent time, we are here to serve the community, preserving and promoting our Greater Sephardic history, traditions, and rich mosaic culture.



Feedback on Previous Experiences

>>“Totally engrossing program … thank you” 

>>“I loved the Egypt Tour, as it personally connected me, truly, authentically to the spirit of the ASF, which I sorely miss.
 
It was also so satisfying to be connected (via Zoom) to all the scholars 
across many lands and learn new things.”

>>“Thank you so much for a truly enjoyable and educational trip to the Jewish sites of Egypt!  I visit[ed] Cairo in 2009 and am so happy to have had the opportunity to ‘return’ to Egypt today! Kol ha’kavod v’todah rabah for the wonderful presentation!” 

>>“I just wanted to say how informative and impressive it was.... It was also reassuring in these incredible ‘science fiction times’, that we had a chance to band together and share our resources, and keep optimistic.”

>>“Thanks so much. Truly fascinating, we really enjoyed it. We have signed up for more information so hopefully we will be able to join further tours.” 


Sponsorship Opportunities

Possible future tour destinations include: IranMorocco, Syria, Kurdistan, and Tunisia.

Naming opportunities available.


Please click here to sponsor a tour today!
(Donations are tax-deductible)



On an ASF IJE Travels in Jewish History tour, you will... explore the Middle Eastern and North African heartlands of Jewish history with live Diarna Geo-Museum guides and historians, meet special guests, see historical sites that are off the beaten path or even inaccessible to visitors, hear fascinating stories, and reconnect with your roots.

At this terrible and turbulent time, we are here to serve the community, preserving and promoting our Greater Sephardic history, traditions, and rich mosaic culture.

Join us this month for ASF IJE Live, our exclusive events exploring the beauty, depth, diversity, & vitality of the Jewish experience.

Sign-up for the Global Nação, Professor Zvi Zohar’s Sephardi Halakha, the Yemenite Tradition, the Syrian-Jewish Community, and more!




The ASF’s Institute of Jewish Experience & Eeleh BeTamar present:


Series with Rabbi Dr. Ratzon Arussi
*Lectures will be conducted in Hebrew
(Registration required for each date)


Tuesday 12 May at 10AM EST 
(17:00 Jerusalem)
הקשר בין ל"ג בעומר למות תלמידי רבי עקיבא
Rabbi Dr. Ratzon Arussi - הרב ד"ר רצון ערוסי
Sign-up Now!

Tuesday 19 May at 10AM EST 
(17:00 Jerusalem)
תנועות המשיחיות בתימן
Sign-up Now!

Tuesday 26 May at 10AM EST 
(17:00 Jerusalem)
מנהגי שבועות בקרבת יהודי תימן
מרדכי יצהרי
Sign-up Now!





Rabbi Dr. Ratzon Arussi is a City Rabbi of of Kiryat Ono and a member of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Council, founder and chairman of Halichot Am Yisrael, a movement bringing people closer to Judaism through Torah lessons, Yarchei Kalla (Torah conventions in the months of Adar and Elul), and other activities.

Dr. Arussi has a Ph.D. in law from Tel Aviv University, and lectures on Jewish law at Bar-Ilan University. He heads Kiryat Ono’s rabbinical court for monetary law. Following the passing of Rabbi Yosef Kapach, some see Rabbi Arussi as the role model for practical implementation of Maimonides’ teachings.

The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:

Barak Oded on the uniqueness of Yemenite song and prayers

(Pay via PayPal by Credit or Debit Card)
*Registration required for each date 



Musical Source of the Yemenite Tefillah and its Distinction from Other Groups 

Sunday 31 May at 12PM EST
(19:00 Jerusalem)

Sign-up Now!


Yemenite Men and their Music 

Sunday 7 June at 12PM EST
(19:00 Jerusalem)

Sign-up Now!


Yemenite Women and their Music 

Sunday 14 June at 12PM EST
(19:00 Jerusalem)

Sign-up Now!

The Yemenites were a fixed community in the southern Arabian peninsula for 3,000 years. Barak Oded is a musicologist who specializes in Yemenite songs of all types, as well as the language and tunes involved in the context of other Jewish communities. In these sessions, Barak will show the uniqueness of Yemenite song and prayers as they were distinct from other communities. Prayers were chanted, there wasn't and still isn't music and song in liturgical services. Men would sing songs based on Jewish texts, and in Hebrew, while women would sing in Arabic about daily life.

Samples of each of these categories will be presented throughout these presentations.


The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:

Values and Consequences in the Halakhic Process: A Sephardi Perspective
(A Four Part Series)

By Bar-Ilan University Professor Zvi Zohar

On Mondays
11, 18, 25 May
&
1 June at 12PM EST


Sign-up Now!
(Pay via PayPal by Credit or Debit Card)
*Registration required for each date

The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:

The Syrian-Jewish Community of NY: Similarities & Differences to other Jewish Communities

ASF Broome & Allen Fellow Dr. Murray Mizrahi 

Wednesday, 13 May at 12PM EST

Sign-up Now!
(Pay via PayPal by Credit or Debit Card)

The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:

Global Nação

Four part Series 
(Registration required for each date)


Sunday, 17 May at 12PM EST
Virtually tour the Chatham Street Cemetery with Congregation Shearith Israel’s Sexton Zachary Edinger
Sign-up Now!

Thursday 21 May at 12PM EST 
Global Nação conference may have been postponed, but we're still giving you a glimpse into the world of Western Sephardim through an academic perspective
Sign-up Now!

Sunday 24 May at 10AM EST 

Just before Shavuot, we gather for a reading of the Azharot, as is customary in Sephardi communities
Sign-up Now!

Tuesday 26 May at 12PM EST 

A Tour of Western Sephardi Synagogues from Jamaica, Bayonne, Philadelphia, Montreal, and New York with S&P Central’s Joshua Mendes
Sign-up Now!

The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:

The Muslim World’s Reaction to the Six Day War

By Bar-Ilan University Lecturer Mordechai Kedar 

Tuesday 2 June at 10AM EST
Sign-up Now!
(Pay via PayPal by Credit or Debit Card)


The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:

The Crypto Experience
The Global History of Secret Jews

An online course presented in 10 minute episodes.
Learn at your own pace.


Please sign-up now!
Total cost of the course is $75.00

The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience is proud to present “The Crypto Experience,” an online course on Crypto-Jews. It is part of a series of online courses on a variety of topics that make up the robust Jewish experience.

For hundreds of years there have been descendants of Crpto-Jews, who have covertly kept some of their traditions while maintaining a very different public persona. It is a question of identity, be it Huegenot, Catholic, Sephardi, or Mashadi. Professing one faith on the outside and another on the inside speaks to our quest for defining identity today.

These questions of identity that we think are so new and so relevant are really rather old questions under different circumstances. In this course Dr. Hilda Nissimi (Bar Ilan University) presents an overview of crypto societies historically and in the context of today. She challenges the participants to ask themselves difficult questions like: What defines identity? If I project this outer self, how do I keep my real me? Who is the real me? Am I the me before the expression of an outer facade? Is it a new me?

The course discusses these questions as they pertain to Jews, specifically. What does it mean to be a Jew? What do I have to keep if I want to call myself a Jew? Am I allowed to change? Am I the person to decide? Who will decide? How can anyone decide under such circumstances?

In order to understand this in historic and cultural contexts, world-renowned scholars and experts in the field have joined Dr. Nissimi and will be presenting the challenges facing a range of crypto societies: 

Huegenots – Dr. Hilda Nissimi
Spanish-Portuguese Crypto Society – Dr. Ronnie Perelis (Yeshiva University)
Bildi’in of Morocco – Professor Paul Fenton (Sorbonne Université, Paris) 
Mashhadi Jews of Iran – Dr. Hilda Nissimi
Tracing Jewish Roots – Genie and Michael Milgrom
Growing Up Mashhadi– Reuben Ebrahimoff


For more information and other ASF IJE online course offerings visit: https://courses.instituteofjewishexperience.org/


The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:

The Greek Experience
Explore the world of Greek Jewry from the ancient Romaniote to the Sephardim and others who made it to and through Greece.

An online course presented in 10 minute episodes.
Learn at your own pace.


Please sign-up now!
Total cost of the course is $75.00

Jews have been in Greece since before the Temple was destroyed. They were in Greece upon the founding of the Greek Orthodox Church. Community members, known as Romaniote, made their way through Venice, Byzantium, Spain, across the Ottoman Empire, and beyond.
 
Dr. Yitzchak Kerem provides an overview of the unique languages, liturgical nuances, and communal life of Jews across Greece. Dr Kerem spent significant time living in Greece and researching Greek and Sephardic history. Photographs, maps, and personal accounts provide course participants with a full picture of the unique nature of the Jews of Greece and its surroundings.
 
In the course, participants will look at major influential points in Greek Jewish history. They will explore The Golden Age of Salonika, a time when Greece’s northern city was a hub of Jewish scholarship. Kerem introduces the tension arising in the Greek Jewish community because of Shabtai Tzvi and the Sabbateanism movement that brought with it false messianism and conversion to Islam, at least outwardly.
 
The course looks at when the Alliance Israélite Universelle moved in and the Sephardic culture in Greece developed a rich secular culture with its own novels, theater, and music. 
 
This is part of the greater Jewish heritage and history that is often overlooked. ASF IJE online courses will bring to life all parts of the greater Jewish Experience.

For more information and other ASF IJE online course offerings visithttps://courses.instituteofjewishexperience.org/

 and your generous tax-deductible contribution will empower the ASF to fight for Jewish unity and champion the Sephardi voice in Jewish communal affairs at home and abroad, as well as in our programs, publications, and projects. 

Contact us by email to learn about giving opportunities in honor or memory of loved ones

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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).

www.AmericanSephardi.org | info@AmericanSephardi.org | (212) 294-8350

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