Sephardi Heroine Makes Aliyah, Passage to Pakistan, and Recreating an Ethiopian Jewish Village

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6 December 2019

The ASF joins our friends and partners, Association Mimouna, in mourning the loss of Dr. Armand Guigui, A”H, President of the Jewish Community of Fez, Morocco, a Moroccan Patirot, Preserver of the Judeo-Moroccan Heritage, and Supporter of the ASF & Association Mimouna’s initiatives. As Mimouna writes “The saddest moment is when the people who gave us the best memories of the Moroccan Jewish history, become a memory.”

Click here to dedicate a future issue in honor or memory of a loved one.

Feature ◊ Upcoming Events ◊ Sephardi Gifts ◊ Donate ◊ Archive

The Sephardi World Weekly is made possible by generous readers like you. Now there is a new way to show your support. Become a Patron of the Sephardi World Weekly via Patreon and your name will appear in each edition along with timely, thought-provoking articles on Greater Sephardi history, the arts, and current affairs. Thanking you in advance! And thank you to Sephardi World Weekly Patrons Maria Gabriela Borrego Medina and Gwen Zuares!

“Why I’m coming home to Israel”
By Nina Avidar Weiner, The Jerusalem Post

Nina Avidar Weiner grew-up in cosmopolitan Alexandria, Egypt, but her family was forced to flee as refugees in 1949, “with just three suitcases containing all our lifelong belongings.” Weiner ultimately settled down to a successful career in NYC that included co-founding the ISEF and serving on the board of the American Sephardi Federation. Weiner recently decided to make Aliyah to Israel, “[M]y heart seems to have remained on the other side of the ocean,” and she leaves America with bittersweet feelings, “[T]he clouds slowly gathering for over two decades around us in the US, especially for us Jews, have dampened my wonderful memories....”

Order a copy of Circles of Empowerment; From the Shores of the Mediterranean to the New World by Nina Avidar Weiner now from The ASF's Sephardi Shop!

ISEF Chairwoman Emerita and Distinguished ASF Board Member Nina Avidar Weiner (Photo courtesy of ISEF)

Special Feature: Recreating an Ethiopian Jewish Village in Southern Israel
By i24 News

Geila Hagarai, Beta Israel Village, Kiryat Gat, Israel, 2019
(Photo courtesy of i24 News/Youtube)

A model Ethiopian Jewish village was set up in the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Gat in order to help older Ethiopian Jews feel at home and to educate younger Ethiopian Jews about their heritage. Along the way, the village’s “founders” discovered that it’s also a great way to introduce non-Ethiopians to Ethiopian Jewish history and traditions.

An Iraqi-Jewish architect Moses Somake designed many landmark structures in Pakistan, including this Zoroastrian school. Bai Virbaiji Soparivala (BVS) Parsi School, Karachi, Pakistan (Photo courtesy of Diarna Geo-Museum of North African & Middle Eastern Jewish Life)

“A Passage to Pakistan”
By Paul Slier, The Jerusalem Post

Did a remnant of the ‘ten lost tribes’ settle down in Kashmir 2,500 years ago? Scholars have speculated about the possibility, and the names of local tribes are, indeed, a cause for wonder, “Asheriya (Asher), Dand (Dan), Gadha (Gad), Lavi (Levi), Abri (meaning “Hebrew”) and Kahana (meaning “Jewish priest”).” As for the Pakistani Jewish community, 500 Jewish families left Karachi in 1972, with only the Matat family remaining. That is, until Emanuel Matat left Pakistan for the sake of his Israeli bride. What was life like in Pakistan for a lone Jewish family? “Once, when a local priest said on radio that Jews were non-believers, Matat’s mother, Rahel, went to the station and hit him with her slippers in anger. The station’s staff later came to the family’s house to apologize.”

Sephardi Gifts:

Circles of Empowerment; From the Shores of the Mediterranean to the New World
by Nina Avidar Weiner

In Circles of Empowerment Nina Avidar Weiner shares the joys and challenges of building a nonprofit organization, the International Sephardic Educational Foundation (ISEF), and the inspiring life journey which led her to that purpose.

Nina Avidar Weiner skillfully intertwines episodes from her private life, and the many extraordinary journeys she took as a result of her husband’s career in international finance. The exotic places she visits, the celebrities, the vibrant people, even the wildlife she meets along the way are described with humor and perception. Yet throughout, her passion for her work improving the lives of Israel’s underserved youth through education remain the central core of her book.

Remnant of Israel a Portrait of America's First Jewish Congregation
by Hakkham Rabbi Dr. Marc D. Angel

Special Edition for the American Sephardi Federation

Published to mark Shearith Israel's 350th anniversary, Remnant of Israel a Portrait of America's First Jewish Congregation tells their individual stories as well as the history of the Congregation, explaining its origins, its rituals, and its traditions. It is profusely illustrated with portraits, historical documents and ritual objects. This book tells a fascinating story, one that will appeal to anyone interested in the history and culture of the Jewish People, of New York City, and of the United States.

“Like” ASF on Facebook to keep up-to-date on our projects, programs, and publications, as well as to share your thoughts

Upcoming Events or Opportunities:

The American Sephardi Federation invites you to the concert of an ASF Broome & Allen Fellow:

An Evening of Music and Song From Al-Andalus and North Africa
Artistic Director, Samuel Torjman Thomas, Ph.D.

Wednesday, 11 December at 7:30PM

Please register here
Use a promo code asf to get Sephardi World Weekly readers' special 10% discount

La Nacional-Spanish Benevolent Society
239 West 14th Street
New York City

For five hundred years, Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived side by side in medieval Iberia, sharing their arts and sciences to create a scintillating, multicultural tradition of music and poetry. Singing in Arabic, Hebrew, and Ladino to reflect this cultural pluralism, the New York Andalus Ensemble presents spiritual texts and songs of love and everyday life in Al-Andalus, emphasizing the expressive quality of the region’s shared tradition even as it respects the individual cultures that comprise it.

Meticulous attention is paid to authenticity of style and pronunciation as ensemble members, hailing from Algeria, Syria, Israel, Morocco, and the United States, pool their linguistic and musical expertise.

“You won’t want to miss the chance to see such a diverse and versatile group.” - Spain Culture, New York.

The American Sephardi Federation with the Jewish Community of Urmia, Iran and participants from Iraq, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey present:

International Nash-Didan (Judeo-Aramaic) Day

Sunday, 15 December at 7:00PM

Please register here

~Sponsorship Opportunities Available: Email or Call (212.294.8350) Yves Seban ~

Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York City

The first of its kind to take place outside of Israel, an evening featuring an international team of scholars exploring the history, culture, language, and traditions of the Nash Didan, the Aramaic speaking Jewish communities of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.

Featuring NY State Senator Anna Kaplan, a native Nash-Didan speaker

Performance by Israeli-Nash Didan Star Hadassah Yeshurun

The American Sephardi Federation, the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America and the Sephardic Home for the Aged Foundation present:

International Ladino Day:
A Celebration of Story and Song

On view 29 October through 24 November, 2019

Sunday, 12 January at 2:00PM
Light refreshments will be served

Please register here

~Sponsorship Opportunities Available: Email or Call (212.294.8350) Yves Seban ~

Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York City

Come celebrate Ladino, also known as Judeo-Spanish, with acclaimed scholars and musicians. Hear Prof. Gloria Ascher, who has taught courses in Ladino at Tufts University for 17 years; Prof. Dina Danon, whose new book brings Izmir's Ottoman Jewish community to life; two scenes from a New York Ladino play; a panel of Generation Y and Z Ladino enthusiasts; and musicians dear to our hearts, The Elias Ladino Ensemble and Sarah Aroeste.

Since 2013, International Ladino Day celebrations have been held around the world. January 12th marks Manhattan's Third Annual Ladino Day created by Prof. Jane Mushabac for the American Sephardi Federation at The Center for Jewish History.

Ladino is a bridge to many cultures. It is a variety of Spanish that has absorbed words and expressions from many languages, most notably Hebrew, Turkish, Arabic, Greek, and French. The mother tongue of Jews in the Ottoman Empire for 500 years, Ladino became the home language of Sephardim worldwide. While the number of Ladino speakers has sharply declined, distinguished Ladino Day programs like this one celebrate and preserve a vibrant language and heritage for future generations.

The American Sephardi Federation Presents:

The New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival’s (NYSJFF)
23rd Anniversary Edition

SAVE THE DATE
23-29 February 2020!
Please click here to reserve your Festival Passes now!

~ Sponsorship Opportunities Available: Email or Call (212.294.8350) Yves Seban ~

The Philos Project and the American Sephardi Federation present:

Nosotros 3.0: Strengthening Bonds Between Jewish and Latino Communities

On view until May 2020

Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York City

The Philos Project and the American Sephardi Federation cordially invite you to the third edition of our Latin American classic art exhibit: Nosotros 2019.

This years exhibit explores the Judtice of Zionism through the lens of Jewish and Latino national liberation struggles for independence from European colonialism. A new collection of art pieces will be revealed, including pieces from master artists Norma Lithgow and Deyvi Pérez. It will be a night of celebration of the shared history and culture of the Jewish and Latin communities.

Donate now and your tax-deductible contribution will help ASF preserve and promote the Greater Sephardi history, traditions, and culture as an integral part of the Jewish experience!

Copyright © 2019 American Sephardi Federation, All rights reserved.

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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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