American Sephardi Federation

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Passover Lessons from Jewish Princes, A Mosque Wall's Torah Scrolls, and The Song of the Sea _In memory of __DAVID SASSOON_ [https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025/apr/16/david-sassoon-obituary]_, A”H, the son of “a Sephardic Jewish couple from Iraq who honeymooned in London in 1925 and never went back to Baghdad,” who embodied “meritocracy,” “attentiveness and inventiveness,....

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Try Inquisition Soup, An All-Star Had Gadya, & Montefiore in Morocco _Mazal tov to Dr. __SHARONA NAZARIAN_ [https://themedialine.org/headlines/first-iranian-american-woman-sworn-in-as-mayor-of-beverly-hills/] _on becoming the Mayor of Beverly Hills!_ _ Click __here_ [https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/192b97e0-4ba2-4b0a-b212-99842b27e817]_ to dedicate a future issue...

As we approach the joyous holiday of Pesaḥ, we invite you to read this timely and auspicious letter from our Executive Director. Mo’adim leSimḥa, everyone!

What Does the Oldest Haggadah Teach Us? - The American Sephardi Federation Dear Friends, In mid-1990s Afghanistan, persecuted Shi’a Muslims (Hazaras) discovered the oldest Jewish book in...

Join The Ḥabura and ASF this Thursday (March 27) at Cong Magen David Manhattan for an exciting learning event with guest speakers Professor Edward Breuer and Rabbi Joey Faur. Together, we will explore the Rambam’s view of prophecy.

Prophecy is a cornerstone of Judaism, but for a philosopher like Maimonides, it posed a serious challenge. How could one understand prophecy from a cognitive or even scientific point of view? In addressing this question, we will investigate the chapter of Maimonides' Guide to the Perplexed where he lays out his view, but hides it in plain sight in typically brilliant terms.

✅ RSVP for address: https://forms.gle/Cij3dPqMxqgCAwibA

Refreshments will be served.

Over the next several weeks, join Qesher and ASF as we explore the rich histories and cultures of the Jewish communities of the Greek Islands, Central Asia, Yemen, Turkey (Izmir), Curaçao, and Morocco. Learn more about each virtual talk below:

March 23: The Jews of the Greek Islands — Crete, Rhodes and Corfu: https://www.qesher.com/jews-greek-islands/

March 30: Bukharian Jews —www.qesher.com/bukharian-jews

April 1: Jews of Yemen — https://www.qesher.com/the-jews-of-yemen/

April 8: Izmir Jewish Heritage Project — https://www.qesher.com/izmir-heritage/

April 10: Jewish Izmir — https://www.qesher.com/jewish-izmir/

April 15: Jews of Curaçao — https://www.qesher.com/jewish-curacao/

April 24: Jews of Morocco — https://www.qesher.com/morrocan-judaism/

April 27: Music of the Jews of Morocco — https://www.qesher.com/musical-traditions-moroccan-jews/

The American Sephardi Federation is proud to partner with The Museum of Jewish Heritage in celebrating Nowruz this Sunday, 12-5pm! Join us for a lively celebration of Persian heritage and culture through a day-long festival that will feature music, art, dance, food, games, history, discussion and more! Free and open to the public. Register here: mjhnyc.org/events/spring-equinox-festival/

Tonight, March 11, at 7pm! Join us as we dive into the rich visual worlds of Hebrew, Arabic and Persian calligraphy. Through historical, spiritual, linguistic and artistic lenses, we will discover the connections between these languages. Bukharian Jewish educator, community builder and artist Ruben Shimonov (ASF’s National Director of Sephardi House & Education) will also take us on an exploratory journey of his own multilingual calligraphy—sharing the ways he has used his art to build interfaith bridges and celebrate the cultural diversity of the Greater Sephardi world. Participants will then have the opportunity to engage with these languages through a hands-on calligraphy workshop.

The evening will also feature wine and refreshments. $18 per person. Open to young professionals in their 20s and 30s. Please RSVP if you would like to attend: [email protected]

Join us in congratulating the 55 young leaders who have been serving as ASF Sephardi House Fellows on college campuses across the nation in 2024 and 2025! We are so proud of the dedication, passion, and leadership of our Fellows!

ASF responds to campus crisis with Sephardi House Fellowship - JNS.org Discover how the American Sephardi Federation’s Sephardi House Fellows are fighting antisemitism and advocating for Jewish life on campus...

🌳 🍇 🫒 🌴 Discover Tu BeShevat wisdom and customs within the the Greater Sephardi world!

The Surprising Sephardi Significance of Tu BeShvat - The American Sephardi Federation !חג שמח From your friends at The American Sephardi Federation In honor of Tu BeShvat, the...

Over the next couple of months, join Qesher and ASF as we explore the rich histories and cultures of the Jewish communities of Afghanistan, Iraq, Kurdistan, and Central Asia. Learn more about each virtual talk below:

February 9: Jews of Afghanistan — www.qesher.com/jews-of-afghanistan

February 25: Iraqi Jews — www.qesher.com/iraqi-jews

March 2: Jews of Kurdistan — www.qesher.com/iraqi-kurdistan

March 18: Jewish History of Florence — www.qesher.com/jewish-florence

March 23: Jews of the Greek Islands — www.qesher.com/jews-greek-islands

March 30: Bukharian Jews — www.qesher.com/bukharian-jews

The American Sephardi Federation with the Sephardic Foundation on Aging proudly present: Mazal Bueno: The 8th Annual New York Ladino Day!

Sunday, 2 February 2:00-4:00PM EST at tribeca_synagogue

Sephardic Hors D’oeuvres to follow the program

Purchase tickets here: www.asfny.org

Curated by Jane Mushabac and Bryan Kirschen

Co-sponsors: Foundation for the Advancement of Sephardic Studies and Culture, Cliff Russo, The Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America, americanladinoleague, and Shearith Israel League Foundation

Featuring:
- Rachel Amado Bortnick, “Tales from Ladinokomunita,” the groundbreaking worldwide online correspondence circle which she founded and directs.
- Broadway star Julie Benko narrates “Mazal Bueno: A Portrait in Song of the Spanish Jews” featuring all Ladino songs sung by the 6 singers of the GRAMMY-nominated Western Wind Vocal Ensemble with 3 guest instrumentalists. The author of Mazal Bueno, Jane Mushabac, wrote it on commission for the original 1992 NPR broadcast on the quincentennial of the Alhambra Decree/Edict of Expulsion.

Join us for our annual NY Ladino Day! https://americansephardi.org/event/mazal-bueno-the-8th-annual-new-york-ladino-day/

The ALL is proud to be a co-sponsor of the 8th annual New York Ladino Day taking place on Sunday, February 2! This year's program will feature our co-director Rachel Bortnick, who will share “Tales from Ladinokomunita," as well as a performance of "Mazal Bueno: A Portrait in Song of the Spanish Jews," written by Jane Mushabac and narrated by Broadway star Julie Benko. Presented by the American Sephardi Federation. More details and registration are available at this link:
https://americansephardi.org/event/mazal-bueno-the-8th-annual-new-york-ladino-day/

Reminder, today at 3:30pm ET! “Jewish History in Afghanistan” https://tickets.museumofthebible.org/visit/events/sacred-words-speaker-jan-virtual

Join us for a continuation of The Afghan Liturgical Quire Speaker Series, as we explore Afghanistan's ancient Jewish community. Nestled on the Silk Roads, the Jews of Afghanistan lived in this mountainous land for as many as 2,700 years. Throughout its history, this small community's livelihood was based on long-distance trade. Unusual domestic patterns developed to allow for long periods of time when men were away and women maintained households on their own. Influenced by the many peoples who surrounded them, Afghan Jews preserved their own distinct traditions and way of life.

This discussion will feature ASF Board Member Osnat Gad, an Afghan Jewish community leader who has worked to preserve Jewish holy sites in Kabul and Herat, Dr. Sara Koplik, author of A Political and Economic History of the Jews of Afghanistan (Brill, 2015), and Jason Guberman, Executive Director of the American Sephardi Federation.

https://www.museumofthebible.org/events/alq-speaker-series

The Afghan Liturgical Quire Speaker Series | Museum of the Bible The Education Department invites you to explore the oldest Hebrew codex in the world, the Afghan Liturgical Quire, in this special speaker series with museum curators, leading scholars, and influential leaders in the Afghan Jewish community.

The ASF wishes a Ḥag Ḥanukkah Sameaḥ to our Constituents, Friends, and Partners! In honor of the holiday, we are sharing excerpts from “The Feast of Lights”, by American Sephardi author and activist Emma Lazarus (1849-1887) — most commonly remembered for her poem “The New Colossus”, enshrined in the base of the Statue of Liberty.

“Kindle the taper like the steadfast star
Ablaze on evening’s forehead o’er the earth,
And add each night a lustre till afar
An eightfold splendor shine above thy hearth.
...
Still ours the dance, the feast, the glorious Psalm,
The mystic lights of emblem, and the Word.
...
Sound the brass trumpet and the harsh-tongued horn,
Chant hymns of victory till the heart take fire,
The Maccabean spirit leap new-born!”

Mazal tov to our 2023-24 and 2024-25 Sephardi House Fellows! The ASF’s Sephardi House Fellowship is a unique learning, community-building, and leadership development experience that infuses the wisdom, warmth, and creativity of the Sephardic spirit into Jewish student life—while also advancing Jewish unity and pride on campus.

Launched in 2020, Sephardi House is the only yearlong, national program dedicated to immersing college students in the multifaceted history, cultures, heritage, and intellectual tradition of the Greater Sephardi world. Fellows partake in group learning sessions and mentorship opportunities, gather for in-person Shabbaton summits, and connect to the ASF’s broader resources and community. They are also empowered to create meaningful and innovative Jewish campus programming by engaging their peers in an exploration of the often-overlooked richness and vibrancy of the Greater Sephardi world.

Over the past two years, at a time when supporting Jewish college students has been more crucial than ever, we have welcomed a select group of 55 Fellows from schools across the country. In turn, the Fellows have hosted over 100 campus programs that have engaged thousands of their peers.

Join us in congratulating these exceptional young leaders! As 2024 and Hanukkah draw to a close, light a flame for vibrant Jewish campus life by supporting the ASF’s impactful Sephardi House initiative! Make your tax-deductible gift today!

https://tinyurl.com/support-sephardi-house

Tonight is Ḥag HaBanot / ‘Eid al-Banāt (translation: Festival of the Daughters) — a festive day with origins in North African Jewish communities. Occurring during ‏Ḥanukkah, on the new moon of the month of Tevet, it’s a time to honor and celebrate the women of our communities and throughout our history — including the heroines of the Ḥanukkah story.

As a tribute to this festival, our National Director of Sephardi House & Education, Ruben Shimonov, created the following piece that combines the names of the holiday in Hebrew and Arabic: חַג הַבָּנוֹת | عيد البنات

A must-read during Hanukkah!

A Shockingly Timely 70+ Year Old Article - The American Sephardi Federation Dear Friends, “Our beautiful Festival of Lights—Hanukah—comes to us this year at a time of...