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2 January 2020

On 2 January 1492, the Andalusian Granada Emirate surrendered to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella’s Catholic Reconquista. Although Muslims and Jews had been guaranteed religious liberty by the Treaty of Grenada (1491), the Spanish Monarchs soon violated the Treaty by issuing the Alhambra Decree (Edict of Expulsion for Jews) on 31 March 1492 (Muslims were formally expelled a decade later). This set the stage for the Iberian exodus, forced conversions, the converso (or Crypto-Jewish) experience, the Inquisition's horrifying world-wide persecutions, and 528 subsequent years of Sephardic journeys

 
Click here to dedicate a future issue in honor or memory of a loved one. 
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!
 
Nahoum and Sons” 
By Reina Gattuso, Atlas Obscura
 
The Nahoum and Sons Jewish bakery was opened in Kolkota (Calcutta) in 1916 by Nahoum Israel Mordecai, one of 4,000 Baghdadi Jews who made their way to India at the turn of the 20th century. Only twenty Jews remain in Kolkota today, but a family member still minds the store, and Nahoum and Sons bakery remains a popular desert destination: “Some sweets at Nahoum’s, such as savory caraway cookies known as kakas, are signatures of the Baghdadi Jewish community. Others, like the bakery’s coconut and cheese samosas, are pure fusion, the result of a marriage of traditions and flavors common to this once-colonial capital.”
 
(Photo courtesy of Raymond Rozario/FourSquare) 
Special Feature: Nahoum and Sons: The Legendary Eatery in Old Kolkota


Rocky N Mayur Tour and Review of Nahoum and Sons
(Photo courtesy of rockyandmayur/YouTube

Established in 1916 by a Baghdadi Jewish family, the tasty pastries on sale at Nahoum and Sons have, “evolved with the city of Kolkota.” Two Indian “foodies” with big smiles and sizable appetites, Rocky and Mayur, will be happy to introduce you to some of sweets Nahoum and Sons has to offer.
 
Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom, Distinguished ASF Board Member Dr. Ephraim Isaac, and UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide Ambassador Adama Dieng, Jewish Africa Conference, Leo and Julia Forchheimer Auditorium, Center for Jewish History, 29 January 2019
(Photo courtesy of Bizu Riki Mullu/Facebook)
10 ways American Jewish life changed in the 2010s” 
JTA
 
According to the JTA, one of the most remarkable developments in American Jewish life during the past decade was the incorporation of “Jews of Color” into the American Jewish mainstream. The end of the decade list goes on to cite a noteworthy example of this trend: the January 2019 “Jewish Africa Conference,” co-hosted by the American Sephardi Federation and Association Mimouna, “the first conference focusing on Jews in Africa that was not exclusively for academics.” 

Don't miss early bird registration now through 15 January for the 2nd edition of the Jewish Africa Conference (23-25 March 2020) in Rabat, Morocco, and Morocco Trip Extension. For more information and to register click here
Iconic Buenos Aires synagogue celebrates centennial year” 
JTA
 
The Beit El Synagogue was the first Sephardic synagogue of Buenos Aires, established one-hundred years ago by Moroccan Jews. The Argentinian Jewish community is celebrating the synagogue’s centennial this year, and according to Diana Serfaty, President of the Association of Moroccan Jews of Argentina, “‘The temple was considered… one of the most beautiful in Latin America… and to celebrate its centennial the community is restoring it in order to maintain its beauty.’”
 
Bet El Synagogue, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Photo courtesy of ACILBA (Association of Moroccan Jews of Argentina)
Sephardi Gifts:
Jewish Culture and Society in North Africa
by Emily Benichou Gottreich, Daniel J. Schroeter 

With only a small remnant of Jews still living in the Maghrib at the beginning of the 21st century, the vast majority of today’s inhabitants of North Africa have never met a Jew. Yet, as this volume reveals, Jews were an integral part of the North African landscape from antiquity.

Scholars from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Israel, and the United States shed new light on Jewish life and Muslim-Jewish relations in North Africa through the lenses of history, anthropology, language, and literature.

The history and life stories told in this book illuminate the close cultural affinities and poignant relationships between Muslims and Jews, and the uneasy coexistence that both united and divided them throughout the history of the Maghrib.

 
Backyard Kitchen: Mediterranean Salads
A Cookbook from Sarina's Sephardic Cuisine

by Sarina Roffé

Backyard Kitchen: Mediterranean Salads by Sarina Roffé, whose recipes have also been featured in the NY Times Jewish Cookbook and Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America.

The inspiration for Backyard Kitchen came from Sarina's grandmother, Esther Cohen Salem, the first Syrian Jewish caterer in Brooklyn, NY. Sarina picked up her grandmother's art, crafting every dish with care and love. Sarina learned her secrets and techniques about the subtleties of Syrian cooking that make the difference between a good cook and a great chef. She wanted to pass on the lessons learned from the women in her family to her children as a way of preserving Sephardic culture.

The cookbook includes 36 authentic recipes handed down from mother to daughter with love and are traditional foods found in the Levant. The book also has links to video demonstrations. Perfect for vegetarians, the diet conscious and kosher cooks.

 
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Upcoming Events or Opportunities:


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
 


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.


  American Sephardi Federation Logo — In color     SEPHARDIC HOME FOR THE AGED FOUNDATION


The American Sephardi Federation & Association Mimouna invite you to 
The 2nd Jewish Africa Conference & Morocco Trip Extension!

 

Please click here to apply now
Applications Close on 24 January 2020!

Trip Dates:  23-29 March 2020

Total in-country tour cost: $2,600.00*
(Early Bird offer ends on 15 January 2020)

Total in-country tour cost: $3,200.00*

(Price after 15 January 2020)

HIGHLIGHTS:

•Experience Rabat, Casablanca, Essaouira, and Marrakech with scholars and communities members.  

•VIP Access to the 2nd Jewish Africa Conference (23-25 March), featuring African leaders and scholars discussing the role of Jews and the need for Jewish voices in African civil society, the development of Jewish space, perspectives on old and new African Jewish identities, and encounters between Jews and non-Jews in contemporary Africa.


•Explore Moroccan Jewish history, culture, and contemporary life, as well as Mimouna’s pioneering work to perpetuate Morocco’s tradition of tolerance and combat anti-Semitism abroad


*PRICE INCLUDES:

· Welcome & assistance upon arrival at Casablanca’s Mohamed V Airport (Roundtrip airfare NOT included)
· 6 Nights / 7 Days in Five Star Hotels (Double-occupancy; Single rooms available upon request for additional cost)
· In-country tour transportation 
· Certified local English speaking tour guide and scholars throughout the whole trip 
· Shabbat experience in Marrakech at Slat Lazama, a Sephardic synagogue founded in 1492 by Jewish refugees expelled by the Alhambra Decree 

· Entrance fees to monuments 
· Kosher breakfasts, lunches, and dinners


~Click here to learn more about the trip, or contact ASF at
212-294-8350
info@americansephardi.org 
~

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.

 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! 

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

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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