American Sephardi Federation

10/20/2026

Check out this recent article by ASF’s National Director of Education & Sephardi House, Ruben Shimonov, about our month-long Festival Sefarad NYC this past June.

https://www.yadmizrahmag.com/p/who-gets-to-be-swana-in-new-york

In the wake of New York Magazine’s “Habibi City” backlash, Festival Sephard NYC offers a refreshing portrait of New York’s Sephardic and Mizrahi communities.

10/06/2026

Join us tonight for this exciting free event at the Center for Jewish History.

"Illuminated Scriptures: Reading the Torah Through the Qur’an"
Tuesday, October 6th at 7:00 PM ET
Presented by the Center for Jewish History in partnership with the American Sephardi Federation

Hosted in-person at the Center for Jewish History - 15 West 16th St., New York
How can reading sacred texts side by side deepen our understanding of both traditions?

Join the Center for Jewish History and the American Sephardi Federation for a timely conversation marking the publication of ILLUMINATING SCRIPTURAL CONNECTIONS: A QUR'ANIC COMMENTARY ON THE TORAH, an ambitious new work by interfaith leaders and scholars Rick Sopher and Abdulla Galadari. Drawing on all fifty-four weekly Torah portions, the book places the Torah and the Qur'an in dialogue, illuminating shared narratives, prophetic traditions, ethical teachings, and theological questions while thoughtfully exploring where the two texts converge and diverge.

Sopher, a leading figure in Jewish-Muslim dialogue, and Galadari, a scholar of Qur'anic hermeneutics, invite readers to encounter these foundational scriptures not as isolated traditions but as texts that have long spoken to many of the same questions about faith, justice, prophecy, and human responsibility. Their collaboration demonstrates how close reading and rigorous scholarship can open new pathways for understanding across religious communities.

Moderated by Mehnaz M. Afridi, Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan University.

Learn more and register at programs.cjh.org/event/illuminated-2026-10-06.

09/30/2026

ASF is excited to partner once again with Qesher on the following virtual talks spanning the Greater Sephardi world:

October 8: Jewish Experience in Uruguay: https://www.qesher.com/jewish-uruguay/

October 11: The Jewish community of Ioannina: A Microcosm of Greek-speaking Jews: https://www.qesher.com/ioannina/

October 18: Turkish Jews: https://www.qesher.com/turkish-jews/

October 29: The Jews of Armenia: https://www.qesher.com/the-jews-of-armenia/

09/06/2026

ASF is excited to partner once again with Qesher on the following virtual talks spanning the Greater Sephardi world:

September 6: Jews of Panama: www.qesher.com/the-jews-of-panama/

September 10: Jews of Algeria: www.qesher.com/jews-of-algeria/

September 17: History of Ladino: www.qesher.com/ladino/

September 24: History of Moroccan Jews: www.qesher.com/moroccan-judaism/

September 29: Music of Moroccan Jews: www.qesher.com/musical-traditions-moroccan-jews/

08/06/2026

🎓 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔! 📣

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩! 🪬 ✡️ 🧿

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 for a one-of-a-kind yearlong fellowship exploring the rich history, cultures, and vitality of the Greater Sephardi world.

✨ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬.
✨ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐳𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐢 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐫𝐲.
✨ 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬.
✨ 𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐳𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐢 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠.

🏛️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥, 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 dedicated to immersing students in the heritage, intellectual traditions, and living cultures of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish communities.

📝 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 (𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐢𝐨):
🔗 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲.𝐜𝐜/𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞
🔗 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢.𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞

⏰ 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟐 • 𝟓:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌 𝐄𝐓

📲 𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲!

06/18/2026

🇺🇸🗽🕍 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵, 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗔 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰 𝗝𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮

In 1654, 23 Sephardic Jews arrived in New Amsterdam, laying the foundations of the first Jewish community in North America. From that humble beginning, American Jews have served, sacrificed, and contributed in every generation to the flourishing and defense of American liberty.

As we approach the Founding’s 250th Anniversary/372nd Anniversary of Jews in America, the ASF is hosting a symposium in New York City on 23 June at Shearith Israel: The Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue (America’s first Jewish congregation) to spotlight the enduring yet unheralded legacy of Jewish patriots, as well as illuminating how Judeo-Christian Covenantal teachings helped shape the vision of the Founding Fathers.

We seek to honor the role of Sephardic Jews in America’s story—both their direct contributions to the Revolution and the influence of Covenantal teachings on the Constitution—as well as to explore the Judeo-Christian intellectual, moral, and cultural roots of the Republic. Our event will bring together elected officials, scholars, community leaders, and the public in a space that fosters dialogue, recognition, and renewed understanding of the principles that unite all Americans. By recovering the stories of America’s first Jewish community and their devotion to liberty, the event will remind all Americans of how the values that forged the Republic continue to sustain it.

𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐄:
11:00AM - Walking & ASF Archive Tour
4:00PM - Synagogue Tour
5:00PM - Keynote, Presentations and Panel
6:45PM - Services in the Small Chapel
7:30PM - Presentation and Reception

Presented by the American Sephardi Federation in partnership with Congregation Shearith Israel, , , and .

RSVP:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/faith-freedom-and-the-founding

06/16/2026

We are offering 3 walking tours as part of our monthlong Festival Sefarad NYC! All the info can be found at FestivalSefarad.com

*please note: due to inclement weather, the June 12 tour has been rescheduled to this Friday, June 19.

06/08/2026

The 27th New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival has come to a successful close, bringing together audiences from across New York City and beyond for a lively week of cinema, conversations, and cultural exchange.

However, Festival Sefarad NYC is far from over! Our monthlong, citywide celebration of the Greater Sephardi world continues with a diverse lineup of programs throughout June. Below, we highlight just a sampling of the exciting events taking place over the next week. To explore the full Festival Sefarad schedule, please visit FestivalSefarad.com. We look forward to celebrating with you throughout the month!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝: 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 (June 8, 6:30pm at Commonpoint Sam Field Center)
Join us for an inspiring journey into the rich history and culture of Bukharian Jews with author Dahlia Abraham-Klein and educator Ruben Shimonov. Through family stories, cultural treasures, archival discoveries, and women's voices, they will take the audience on a voyage spanning many centuries and lands. A Q&A moderated by author Yaffa Borukhova will follow. Each ticket includes a copy of Abraham-Klein’s The Stateless Central Asian Merchant, and guests will enjoy a selection of kosher Bukharian appetizers.
https://festivalsefarad.com/event/the-stories-our-mothers-carried-memory-women-and-bukharian-jewish-history/

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐲 (June 9, 5:30pm at Tribeca Synagogue)
In 2016, collector Leonard Milberg made a remarkable discovery: priceless 400-year-old manuscripts by Luis de Carvajal—the earliest known Jewish writings from the Americas—were being auctioned as mere “replicas.” Recognizing their significance, he helped secure their return to Mexico. Join us in exploring this extraordinary story of perseverance and recovery. The evening will also feature Gabriela Riveros, author of a new book on the life and legacy of Carvajal. Hors d'oeuvres and drinks will be served.
https://festivalsefarad.com/event/carvajal-day/

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐳𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐢 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐞 (June 11, 7pm at Cong Magen David Manhattan)
Don’t miss this special, in-person conversation with London-based Ciara Shalome—the influential content creator whose engaging videos have introduced hundreds of thousands of viewers to Mizrahi Jewish history, cultures, and identity. The exclusive discussion will explore the power of storytelling, the importance of preserving oral history, and the growing visibility of Jewish voices from North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Sephardic appetizers will be served.
https://festivalsefarad.com/event/the-mizrahi-story-with-ciara-shalome/

𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐀𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫 (June 12, 11am with Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy)
Step back in time and explore the streets of Lower Manhattan through the lens of the city’s earliest Jewish settlers. This guided walking tour will uncover the Sephardic roots of Jewish life in colonial New Amsterdam and trace the foundations of Jewish New York.
https://festivalsefarad.com/event/festival-sefarad-colonial-jewish-new-amsterdam-walking-tour/

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗝𝗲𝘄𝘀: 𝗔 𝗠𝗶𝘇𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗶/𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 (June 15, 7:30pm at City Winery NYC)
Join us at The Loft @ City Winery NYC for a comedy show not to be missed! Showcasing Jewish comedians from across the Sephardic and Mizrahi world, the evening will celebrate heritage, identity, and storytelling through the powerful and resilient medium humor. Featuring performers seen at the New York Comedy Festival, on Adult Swim and HBO, and across Instagram and TikTok, the lineup includes Natan Badalov, Isaac Gartenberg, Olga Namer, Two Jews, and Ami Kozak. Enjoy a night of global Jewish humor with heat, heritage, and nonstop laughs.
https://festivalsefarad.com/event/spicy-jews/

06/04/2026

Festival Sefarad NYC is in full swing! Below is a sampling of the exciting events we have planned over the next week. Register for these events—and many others taking place throughout the month of June—at FestivalSefarad.com

June 5 – Moroccan Homestyle Shabbat Dinner, in partnership with

June 5 – Baghdadi Indian Shabbat (featuring services, an exhibition, and a community dinner), in partnership with

June 7 – U.S. premiere of “Burial on Hold”, followed by a Q&A with director . Morrocan light refreshments will be served. In partnership with .association and

June 8 – An evening with author exploring Bukharian Jewish culture through memory, history and women’s voices. Ticket includes a copy of Dahlia’s latest book “The Stateless Central Asian Merchant”, as well as Bukharian appetizers. In partnership with and

June 9 – An exploration of the earliest known Jewish manuscripts from the Americas, by crypto-Jewish writer Luis de Carvajal. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. In partnership with and

June 11 – The Mizrahi Story Live with , in partnership with . Sephardic appetizers will be served.

We are so grateful to all of our partner organizations, as well as to for their critical support. We look forward to seeing you throughout our monthlong festival!

06/04/2026

An unforgettable evening celebrating excellence in culture, arts, literature, music, and community leadership.

We were honored to recognize extraordinary individuals whose achievements continue to inspire and enrich our communities. Thank you to all our honorees, guests, supporters, and partners for making this special celebration possible.