In Memory of the more than 1,000 victims (including 120 poisoned
patients, as revealed by ASF VP Carole Basri) and survivors of the Farhud, the two-day, Nazi-instigated attack on Babylonian Jewry that took place 80 years ago on 1-2 June 1941 at Baghdad, Iraq. Earlier this month, Joseph Samuels, a survivor, eloquently described “[w]hen the Mob Came for the Jews of Baghdad” in the Wall Street Journal.
Click here to dedicate a future issue in honor or memory of a loved one.
During Passover, Iranian regime-backed Houthis expelled almost all of Yemen’s last Jews. They continue to illegally imprison Levi Salem Musa Marhabi. Don’t turn away. Don’t close your eyes. Don’t let another group of Jews become forgotten refugees. Join the ASF’s campaign to #FreeLeviMarhabi!
Sephardi Ideas Monthly is a continuing series of essays and interviews from the rich, multi-dimensional world of Sephardi thought and culture that is delivered to your inbox every month. This month’s issue of Sephardi Ideas Monthly features a searching, passionate, and piercingly sharp poem, “The Farhud,” written by Yvonne Green, a British-born poet, translator, and writer.
Farhud is a Kurdish word for “violent dispossession,” and today it is used as the name for the orgy of death and destruction initiated by the Nazi-inspired, anti-Semitic forces of the Muslim Brotherhood that targeted Baghdad’s Jewish community on 1-2 June 1941, “on the Jewish Festival of Shabu’oth (Pentecost).” Green’s poem unflinchingly traces the history, horror, heroism, and psychological scars left by the traumatic event. She originally recited the poem, “on 2nd June 2017 at a service at London’s Lauderdale Road Synagogue, and at the Knesset (Parliament) in Jerusalem on 6th June 2017 to mark the Israeli Government’s announcement that they would compensate victims on the same scale as Holocaust survivors.”
The poem was commissioned by Harif for the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Farhud.
Yvonne Green’s honors include being named the 2007 Poetry Business’ Book & Pamphlet Prizewinner for “Boukhara,” receiving the Winter 2011 Poetry Book Society Recommended Translation Award for “After Semyon Izrailevich Lipkin,” and the 2012 Buxton prize Commendation for “Welcome to Britain.” She splits her time today between Israel and England.
Sephardi Ideas Monthly wishes to honor the memory of those who suffered 80 years ago and to remember the rich and once-thriving Jewish world of Iraqi Jewry with Yvonne Green’s poem, “The Farhud.”
Special Feature: A Family’s Farhoud Remembrance by David E.R. Dangoor
The Dangoor home on the banks of the Tigris river, Baghdad, Iraq, circa 1920s
(Photo courtesy of The Scribe)
“This is as it was told to me by my father (Salim Eliahou Dangoor) and several members of his family.
Trouble was brewing. The third week of May my father’s Auntie’s (Naima Peress’) husband was asked to help to bring back Naim, my father’s brother, from the army. His camp had been bombarded by the British. He succeeded and Naim came home safely. Then in the morning of June 2nd, at the heat of Farhoud, my father’s Auntie and family heard a strong knock on our door. My father’s Grandfather Shaoul Khazma was staying in the house with the family. They were bracing themselves for the worst. Then a familiar voice said ‘Auntie open the door’. It was my father. He had put on his brother Naim’s uniform and riding trousers, and he was armed with a gun.
My father announced that he came to check on the family to make sure they were safe and alright. He then went to check on his father’s office and warehouse, which he discovered had been completely looted. He chased away intruders and later that evening returned home. My father loved his family and fear could not hold him back. He had to make sure they were alright and defend them if necessary.”
An 1882 Warsaw imprint of the RaDBa”Z’s writing
(Photo courtesy of the Hollander Books Blog)
The sage for the month of June is Hakham David Ben Zimra (1479-1573), popularly known in traditional circles by his acronym, RaDBa”Z.
Born in Spain, David Ben Zimra was only thirteen when the Spanish-Christian monarchs authorized the expulsion of the Jews. David and his family first settled in Fes, Morocco, before moving to Safed in the Land of Israel. There, young David studied under rabbinic luminaries such as Hakham Yosef Saragosi, Hakham Levi Ben Habib, and Rabbi Yosef Taitachak.
Young David grew up to become a brilliant scholar, and Hakham David later moved to Egypt, where he was appointed head of the rabbinic court. Hakham David’s success as a merchant enabled him to support other Torah scholars and establish contacts with local government officials. When the Ottomans conquered Egypt in 1517, Hakham David was chosen to lead the Egyptian Jewish community, a position he held until, in 1553, he returned to the Land of Israel and settled in Safed.
Hakham David Ben Zimra was an original thinker, and a number of his judgments became foundational for subsequent rabbinic thinking. For instance, concerning the verse, “Miriam and Aaron spoke out against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married, he married a Cushite woman” – RaDBa”Z clarified the Cushite woman was, “of the seed of Dan, who reside in the mountains of Cush.” “Cush” in Biblical Hebrew refers to Ethiopia, and RaDBa"Z, in short, was not only indicating that Jews reside in Ethiopia, but that they descend from the Biblical tribe of Dan. Four hundred years later, 20th century rabbinic authorities such as Hakham Ovadia Yosef based their rulings that Ethiopian Jews are, in fact, Jewish upon Hakham David's earlier declaration.
Hakham David Ben Zimra passed away on 21 Heshvan, 5333 (1573), and he is buried in the ancient cemetery of Safed.
Hakham David composed a number of works that include halakhic responsa, commentaries on Maimonides and the Biblical Song of Songs, and a book of Kabbala that explains the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. His book, Metzudat David, explores the reasons for the commandments, and in the following passage treating the commandment to honor one's mother and father, RaDBa”Z explains that there is no worse character attribute than being ungrateful to one’s parents:
The reason behind the commandment to honor parents is understandable at the intellectual level, since they bring us into the world and raise us, go hungry to feed us, go naked to clothe us and meet all our needs until we mature. It is therefore appropriate not to be ungrateful, there being no worse attribute. Our sages, of blessed memory, said that a person has three partners, and equated the honor and reverence due to them with those pertaining to the Holy one, blessed be He. The importance of this obligation is established in the Ten Commandments. It comes with a reward, since it says “so that you may fare well and have a long life”.
During the pandemic, Nani decided to do a resurrection project of a very old language called Ladino, a Jewish-Spanish dialect from the middle ages that her grandmother used to speak. One of her 1st and best memories is of her and her grandmother together in the kitchen, speaking Ladino & singing songs about aubergine recipes.
Nani represented the NL at the EU Music Festival VN, performed at the Kennedy Center USA, Jodhpur RIFF festival IN, Jazzahead DE, North Sea Jazz NL, Roccella Jazz IT, TEDx NL & hosted 3 WOMEX panels. The Dutch NPO network released a mini documentary about her musical work in 2018. Nani also composed music for BBC4 and NPO documentaries. Nani is a professor at the London Performing Academy of Music, she chairs of the Amsterdam Artist Collective and founded Why DIY Music and Nova Productions.
The National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH) in partnership The American Sephardi Federation present a special edition of Sephardi Culinary History with scholar and chef Hélène Jawhara Piñer.
Wednesday, June 30th @ 10AM PDT ◊ 1PM EDT ◊ 6PM London ◊ 8PM Jerusalem ◊ 9PM Dubai
Sephardi is a meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated book of recipes grounded in the history of the Jews of Spain’s golden age. In this program, author, chef, and historian, Hélène Jawhara Piñer will cook up something delicious from her new book (release date: June 15, 2021) while she shares with us how she came to write the book, and how she became a chef with a PhD who specializes in the history of medieval Spanish Jews.
About the speaker:
Hélène Jawhara Piñer is a PhD in Medieval History and the History of Food. She was awarded the American Sephardi Federation’s Broome and Allen Fellowship in 2018 in recognition of her impressive academic accomplishments and service of the Sephardic community. Her research interests are the medieval culinary history of Spain through inter and multiculturalism with a special focus on the Jewish culinary heritage written in Arabic. From Barcelona, Santa Barbara, Bar-Ilan University in Israel and beyond, Piñer has given lectures on subjects such as Reflections on the Jewish heritage according to the Kitab al-tabih, “Jewish cuisine in old cookbooks of the Iberian Peninsula”, “Jews and Muslims at the Table” and much more.
Jewish Life in the Arab World: A New Chapter? / La Vida Judia en el Nuevo Mundo Árabe
The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience and Rabbi Arthur Schneier Program for International Affairs at Yeshiva University present a discussion with Rabbi Elie Abadie, MD, the Jewish Council of the Emirates' Senior Rabbi, Rabbi of the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities, and the Founding Chair of the ASF's Council of Sephardic Sages).
In English: Tuesday, July 6th @ 9AM PDT ◊ 12PM EDT ◊ 5PM London ◊ 7PM Jerusalem ◊ 8PM Dubai
In Spanish: Wednesday, July 7th @ 9AM PDT ◊ 12PM EDT ◊ 5PM London ◊ 7PM Jerusalem ◊ 8PM Dubai
Rabbi Abadie will discuss his personal journey and the significance of creating a rabbinic community on the Arabian Peninsula. The discussion will be introduce by Dr. Ronnie Perelis, Yeshiva University's Chief Rabbi Dr. Isaac Abraham and Jelena (Rachel) Alcalay Associate Professor of Sephardic Studies, and held in English (6 July) and en Español (7 Julio).
“Registration is now open for this year’s Sephardic Birthright Trip! For 10 days, you'll be able to travel around the country with amazing people with Sephardic, Greek, and Turkish backgrounds, all while exploring everything Israel has to offer. You’ll be able to ride camels in the desert, raft down the Jordan River, explore the Old City in Jerusalem, and a whole lot more. The trip is totally FREE and anyone between the ages of 18 and 28 who hasn't been on a Birthright Israel trip before is eligible. Even if you’ve been to Israel before on a non-birthright trip, you may still be eligible. The trip will follow all related COVID-19 Health Guidance as required by the US Centers for Disease Control and the Israel Ministry of Health.”
You can sign up now at sephardicbrotherhood.com/birthright. Registration takes less than 10 minutes and no final commitment is necessary. When registering, make sure to write “Sephardic Israel” as your “referred by” group and Amazing Israel as your trip provider.
Jews lived in the Middle East, and particularly Iran, even before the advent of Islam. Iran has a long history with varying dynasties, dynastic changes, and evolving borders and Jews have been there continuously throughout these changes. Throughout the ascent of Islam in its different forms, Jews were integrated at times more and at times less economically. There were times of intellectual and spiritual growth as well as suppression and persecution. All this will be addressed and discussed in a historical context.
The course is divided into seven units:
1. The Ancient Period – the settlement of the Jews in Iran, Acaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanian times
2. 7th to 9th Centuries – The emergence of Islam, Islam and the Jews, Dhimma, and Jewish religious streams
3. 13th to 18th centuries – Mongols, Jewish Persian poets, Safavid times
4. Mid-18th century to 19th century – Invasion, dynasties, and persecutions
5. The latter part of the 19th century – Interactions with World Jewry, legal status and conversions
6. Early 20th century – Modernization and education, constitution revolution, Zionism
7. The 20th century – Pahlavi dynasty, Revolution, Mashadis, and Migration
Dr. Daniel Tsadik
Dr. Daniel Tsadik, a former professor of Sephardic and Iranian Studies at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, has been awarded The Prime Minister’s Prize (Israel) in 2020 for the Encouragement and Empowerment of Jewish Communities in Arab Countries and Iran for The Jews of Iran and Rabbinic Literature: New Perspectives, published by Mosad Ha-Rav Kook.
Tsadik researches the modern history of Iran, Shi'ah Islam, and Iran's religious minorities. A Fulbright scholar, he earned his Ph.D from the History Department at Yale University.
Dr. David Yeroushalmy
Born in Tehran, David Yeroushalmy completed his primary and part of his secondary education at the Alliance Israelite school in Tehran. He immigrated to Israel in 1961 and upon completing his secondary education he enrolled in the Department of Middle Eastern History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Completing his B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies and in Political Science, he served in the Israeli Army as an officer. He pursued his doctoral studies at Colombia University New York, in the Department of Middle East Languages and Cultures. He specialized in Persian and Hebrew languages and literatures. D. Yeroushalmy was appointed lecturer in the Department of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel-Aviv University, where he has been teaching Persian language and Iranian history and culture. His Book entitled The Judeo-Persian Poet Emrani and His Book of Treasure, was published by E.J. Brill Publishers, Leiden, in 1995. Dr. Yeroushalmy's current research focuses on the communal and cultural history of Iranian Jewry in the course of the nineteen-century.
Ms. Lerone Edalati
Lerone Edalati is a member of the Mashadi community of New York. In addition to her role as Associate Director of Donor Relations at ISEF, she researches and records the history and current practices of the Mashadi Jews. She holds a BA from NYU in Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies, and an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from The Graduate Center, CUNY. She is a Broome & Allen Fellow at the American Sephardi Federation and is currently gathering oral histories of Iranian Jews in NY.
Dr. Hilda Nissimi
Dr. Hilda Nissimi is the chair of the Generatl History Department at Bar Ilan University. Her most current research focuses on the formation adn change of identity layers in crypto-religious communities, with a particular focus on Mashadi Jews. Her book, The Crypto-Jewish Mashadis, was published in 1985 and remains the main text on the study of that population. She has written numerous articles on identity and forced conversions.
This course is made possible with the support of The Shazar Center, Israel.
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 Keremprovides 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.
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
“We have to unite our energies together. All Jews, together…. If we are united, all Sephardim and also Ashkenazim, together... we will see the light!”
~Enrico Macias
The ASF Institute of Jewish Experienceis uniquely dedicated to ensuring that today’s Jews know our history; appreciate the beauty, depth, diversity, and vitality of the Jewish experience; and have a sense of pride in Jewish contributions to civilization. Donate Now!
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