Mazal tov/Mabrouk to the individuals, synagogues, and organizations who participated in the Kaddish InitiativeShabbat in remembrance of and solidarity with the Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, who, even before the global pandemic, were are not allowed to travel to, no less say Kaddish (the mourners’ prayer) or an Azkara (a memorial prayer) in, many of the the cemeteries in which their ancestors are buried. The ASF was proud to once again support this initiative founded by our friend Sass Peress, an Iraqi-Jewish Canadian, who worked with Iraqi Muslims in Baghdad’s Sadr City to document and preserve the gravestones in the last extant Jewish cemetery.
Continuing our 30 November commemorations, the ASF Institute of Jewish Experience will be hosting a special session on the next generation of Jews from Arab lands and what this heritage means to them at the State of Israel’s start-studded live event from Jerusalem. Registration complimentary but required: here.
Click here to dedicate a future issue in honor or memory of a loved one.
Thank you to Sephardi World Weekly Patrons Professor Rifka Cook, Maria Gabriela Borrego Medina, and Distinguished ASF Vice President Gwen Zuares! Become a Patron today!
Sephardic Culinary History with Chef Hélène Jawhara-Piñer Join us Today, 29 November at 10:00AM EST for a Hanukkah Special: Challah Candles and Bimuelos (Two-Ways)
Donate Now Your generous contribution will support Chef Jawhara Piñer’s forthcoming academic publication and accompanying recipe book, as well as the ASF Institute of Jewish Experience!
The kingdom of Morocco is implementing a program in its public primary schools for teaching Jewish history and culture. It’s part of the Kingdom's larger commitment, “to preserving the cultural heritage of religious communities in the country.” Malcolm Hoenlein (Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations) and Jason Guberman (Executive Director of the American Sephardi Federation) celebrated the move as, “‘the latest assertive action by King Mohammed VI to perpetuate the Judeo Moroccan legacy as an integral part of the Moroccan identity.’”
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI talking with Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, and her father, the Senior Royal Councillor and President of Association Essaouira-Mogador André Azoulay, 15 January 2020
(Photo courtesy of Bayt Dakira)
Advance the podcast to 14:22 for BBC World Service journalist Sophia Smith Galer's exceptional report on Moroccan Jewry, including an exploration of the King of Morocco’s recent decision to include Judeo-Moroccan history and culture in the new Arabic-language primary school curriculum. Interviewees include: Association Mimouna Vice President Laziza Dalil, ASF Executive Director Jason Guberman, and Dr. Vanessa Paloma Duncan-Elbaz, an ASF Broome & Allen Fellow and the 1st recipient of the ASF-Association Mimouna’s Florence Amzallag Tatistcheff, A”H Award. Also featured is the incomparable music of Haim Botbul.
The heroic life of Doña Gracia Nasi (1510–1569) has been turned into a “graphic history” by an Italian weekly. Entitled, “The Wandering Jewess,” the four-part comic series explores how Nasi, even as she fled the inquisition and fled across the Mediterranean, “financed the publication of the Ferrara Bible in Ladino, promoted the publication of texts for crypto-Jews and helped to reeducate Jews who had been forcibly converted to Christianity.” Gianluca Piredda, the series’ writer, views Nasi as a proto-modern example of female empowerment, “‘It’s precisely her ability to face adversity that fascinated me. Today we would say that she was a resilient woman, an example of feminism before its time, strong and courageous.’”
Gianluca Piredda, author of The Wandering Jewess
(Photo courtesy of The Times of Israel)
Our Story: The Jews of Sepharad; Celebrations and Stories By Lea-Nora Kordova Annette and Eugene Labovitz
Celebrations and Stories, a special publication of the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education with the American Sephardi Federation, is an essential work that enhances the teaching of Sephardi history, traditions, and cultures.
The life cycle and calendar sections are designed to horizontally connect to the teaching of customs and ceremonies from the Spanish & Portuguese, Syrian, Judeo-Spanish, and Moroccan traditions. Other sections include translations of classic texts and poetry, tales of our history’s heroes, and classroom activities.
Caught in the Crack: Encounters With the Jewish- Muslims of Turkey
A Spiritual Travelogue By Reuven Alpert
Caught in the Crack is a search for the Messiah in time and space. Beyond that, Caught in the Crack has some disturbing things to say concerning would-be Messiahs: Bar Kochba, Shabbetai Zevi, Jacob Frank, as well as the entire phenomenon of Messianism.
Reuven Alpert describes himself as a “spiritual anthropologist.” He has devoted several years to exploring exotic Jewish communities around the globe. He studied Talmudic law and Jewish philosophy in yeshivot and universities in the United States and Israel. This is the story of a sect, the Dönmeh, of some 25,000 souls who for over three hundred years have lived a double identity of Jewish Muslims. It is also the story of intense longing for the Messiah, of the apocalypse, of deep disappointment, and of faith beyond faith.
Temple of Aaron Congregation of St. Paul Minnesota is collecting stories of global Jewish experiences: “On a postcard from your city/state/country, please share with us what it is like to be Jewish where you live. Story ideas could include: how you celebrate Jewish holidays/Shabbat, what the Jewish community is like, what it means to you to be Jewish, how you honor your heritage/culture in the community in which you live.
These postcards and your stories may be included in a virtual and [pending] in-person exhibition in partnership with the Sabes & St. Paul JCCs in 2021. Thank you for sharing your stories!”
Mail the postcard to:
Jorie Bernhardt
Temple of Aaron Congregation
616 Mississippi River Blvd. S
St. Paul, MN 55116 USA
For questions, or to send information/pictures electronically: joriebernhardt@templeofaaron.org
Sephardic Culinary History with Chef Hélène Jawhara-Piñer
Episode Four: Hanukkah Special
Challah Candles and Bimuelos
(Two-Ways)
Sephardi Culinary History is a new show that combines chef and scholar Hélène Jawhara-Piñer’s fascination with food studies and flair for creating delicious cuisine. Join along as she cooks Sephardic history!
Your generous contribution will support Chef Jawhara Piñer’s forthcoming academic publication and accompanying recipe book, as well as the ASF Institute of Jewish Experience!
ASF Broome & Allen Fellow Hélène Jawhara-Piñer earned her Ph.D in History, Medieval History, and the History of Food from the University of Tours, France.
Chef Hélène’s primary research interest is the medieval culinary history of Spain through interculturality with a special focus on the Sephardic culinary heritage written in Arabic. A member of the IEHCA (Institute of European History and Cultures of Food), the CESR (Centre for Advanced Studies in the Renaissance), and the CoReMa Project (Cooking Recipes of the Middle Ages), Chef Hélène has lectured at Bar-Ilan University (in collaboration with the Stali Institute and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC): “El patrimonio culinario judío de la Península Ibérica a través de un manuscrito del siglo XIII. Ejemplos de la pervivencia de recetas en la cocina de los sefardíes de España y de Marruecos,” 2018), as well as at conference of the Association Diwan (“Reflections on the Jewish heritage according to the Kitāb al-ṭabīẖ,” 2015), IEHCA of Tours (“Jews and Muslims at the Table: Between coexistence and differentiation: state of affairs and reflections on the culinary practices of Jews and Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula and in Sicily from the 12th to the 15th century,” 2017), and Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies (“The hidden Jewish culinary heritage of the Iberian Peninsula through a manuscript of the 13th century. Examples of the provenance of some recipes in Venezuelan and Colombian cuisine,” 2017).
A 30 November to Remember Monday, 30 November at 11:00AM EST
Sign-up Now! (Live Broadcast on website and Channel 24)
Join us on Monday for an international pogram honoring the Middle Eastern and North African Jewish experience featuring many of Israel’s top artists (Sarit Hadad, Shiri Maimon, Amir Benayun, Subliminal) live from Jerusalem!
As part of the program, the ASF Institute of Jewish Experience will be hosting a special English-language session on the next generation of Jews from Arab lands and what this heritage means them. Registration is complimentary but required.
The ASF Institute of Jewish Experience presents:
A Virtual Tour of the Bukharian Community Center/Synagogue in Queens, NY
Discover how the largest Bukharian Jewish Community outside of Israel ends it up in Queens. What is community like today?
What are the impact and footprints they are leaving in USA society?
Manashe Khaimov is an Adjunct Professor in Jewish Studies, with a specialty in History and Culture of the Bukharian Jews at Queens College. Manashe was born in a city along the Silk Road, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where his ancestors lived for over 2000 years, which makes Manashe’s Jewish identity simultaneously Bukharian, Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian speaking.
He is a fourth generation community organizer, informal Jewish educator, and a lifelong learner who brings his passion working with Jewish community. He is founding director and social innovator of the Bukharian Jewish Union, the founder of AskBobo.org, the only Bukharian online dictionary and the founder of The Jewish Silk Road Tours ™ walking tours in NYC. Manashe researched and produced several documentaries about Bukharian Jewish community as part of the Bukharian Lens project: The Untold Story of Bukharian Jews; The Untold Story of Bukharian Jews and Ashkenazi Jews Who Were Evacuated During WWII to Central Asia; Bukharian Roots. Manashe launched MEROS: Center for Bukharian Jewish Research & Identity at Queens College Hillel.
Manashe is a member of the 3rd cohort of UJA-Federation of NY Ruskay Fellows. Manashe is a recipient of the NY Jewish Week “36 Under 36”, and TimesLedger Newspaper’s “Queens Impact Award.” He is an alumnus of the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship for International Jewish Leaders. Manashe earned a BA from Baruch College and MSW from Hunter College in Community Organizing, Planning, & Development. Manashe has presented on the history of the Bukharian Jews at numerous communities all around the United States and beyond including in Canada, Uzbekistan, Limmud South Africa (2018), Limmud FSU Vienna (2020), and presented at eFestival Limmud North America (2020).
A Virtual Tour of the Bukharian Jewish Heritage Museum
We will look at fascinating artifacts and traditional clothing from the Bukharian Jewish Heritage Museum. We will discuss their importance and the differences that they contain from the local community in Uzbekistan.
Manashe Khaimov is an Adjunct Professor in Jewish Studies, with a specialty in History and Culture of the Bukharian Jews at Queens College. Manashe was born in a city along the Silk Road, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where his ancestors lived for over 2000 years, which makes Manashe’s Jewish identity simultaneously Bukharian, Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian speaking.
The Souiri sense of resilience compelled the Association Essaouira-Mogador’s team to mobilize in the belief that the show must go on!
We proudly announce that this year’s Festival des Andalousies-Atlantiques will be virtual with the Festival’s original dynamic and world-class artists.
Even better, we are now free of borders, barriers, constraints, or tickets! 13-16 December 2020
Watch YouTube Live Here! (Stay tuned for more details)
This yearly rendezvous is generously provided for and open to the thousands of music-lovers, Muslims and Jews, who migrate every year to Essaouira for a musical fall season like no other. For nearly 20 years this autumn of light has been rooted in the emotion of our shared music, the richness of our mixed heritage, and the ever-renewed promises of a great Moroccan history that Jews and Muslims alike have been sharing for more than 20 years, in the fabled architectural wonders of Dar Souiri, Bayt Dakira, and El Minzeh.
Still in the making, the program for this festival includes an exhilarating selection of vintage concerts from previous editions: concerts that have established, beyond oceans, the cultural, spiritual, and artistic diversity at the heart of age-old modernity that Essaouira has chosen to embody.
The selections will also echo our morning symposiums, the expected and sought-after highlights of the Festival, during which violins, lutes, voices, and darboukas have often illustrated the moving and daring debates to the delight of all participants.
We invite you to follow our social media for details on the evolution of the programming and the dates of broadcasts that will be available on our Facebook and Instagram accounts starting 9 November 2020.
Though we will miss the live audience experience this year, the Essaouira Festival des Andalousies-Atlantiques will come back even stronger in 2021, as we are already working on the 18th edition to make it the occasion to meet again in joy and music.
In the meantime, rest in good health and let us support and appreciate culture.
Writing Between Tongues:
An Exploration of Hebrew and Arabic Calligraphy
In this interactive session and virtual gallery tour, we will dive into the rich visual worlds of Arabic and Hebrew calligraphy.
Through historical, spiritual, linguistic and artistic lenses, we will discover the parallels between both languages. Educator, community organizer, and artist Ruben Shimonov will take us on an exploratory journey of his multilingual calligraphy and the ways he has used his art to enrich Muslim-Jewish interfaith communities.
We will end the session with a live calligraphy demonstration.
(No supplies necessary, but if you’d like, feel free to bring whatever writing utensils and paper you have at home to follow along)
Born in Uzbekistan, raised in Seattle, and currently based in New York City, Ruben Shimonov is a Jewish educator, community builder, social entrepreneur and artist with a passion for Jewish diversity and pluralism. He previously served as Director of Community Engagement & Education at Queens College Hillel—where he had, within his vast portfolio, the unique role of cultivating Sephardic & Mizrahi student life on campus. Currently, he is the Founding Executive Director of the Sephardic Mizrahi Q Network—a grassroots movement building a supportive, vibrant and much-needed community for LGBTQ+ Sephardic & Mizrahi Jews. He also serves as Vice-President of Education & Community Engagement on the Young Leadership Board of the American Sephardi Federation, as well as Director of Educational Experiences & Programming for the Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee. Within both organizations, Ruben has used his artistry in Arabic, Hebrew & Persian calligraphy to enhance Muslim-Jewish dialogue and relationship building. In 2018, Ruben was listed among The Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” young Jewish community leaders and changemakers. He has lectured extensively on the histories and cultures of various Sephardic & Mizrahi communities. Among his speaking engagements, he has been invited to present at Limmud Seattle, NY and U.K. He is also an alumnus of the COJECO Blueprint and Nahum Goldmann Fellowships for his work in Jewish social innovation.
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
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.
“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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The American Sephardi Federation is located at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York, New York, 10011).
