Six Sephardi Cities in Morocco, Macedonia’s Sephardi Heritage, and How to Make Moroccan Couscous

Sephardi World Weekly February 23, 2018 5 min read

23 February 2018

In Memory of Sara (née Berenson) Stone, A”H, a Woman of Valor, whose service on behalf of the Jewish community and people of all backgrounds spanned over eighty years


23 February 2018

In Memory of Sara (née Berenson) Stone, A”H, a Woman of Valor, whose service on behalf of the Jewish community and people of all backgrounds spanned over eighty years


Jump to: Feature ◊ Upcoming Events ◊ Donate ◊ Archive


Jump to: Feature ◊ Upcoming Events ◊ Donate ◊ Archive

6 Moroccan Cities Where Jewish Culture Flourishes” 
By Laura Stampler

Laura Stampler visited six Moroccan cities and sites  ̶  Casablanca, Fez, Volubilis, Chefchaouen, Marrakesh, and Essaouira  ̶  in search of vestiges of Jewish life. What did she find? “Remnants of Jewish culture,” together with, “Israeli tour groups openly speaking Hebrew outside restored synagogues and Jewish cemeteries.”



Raphy Elmaleh, a Diarna research adviser and tour guide extraordinaire, Chefhaouen, Morocco, 2012
(Photo courtesy of Ben Ragsdale/Diarna Geo-Museum of North African and Middle Eastern Jewish Life


6 Moroccan Cities Where Jewish Culture Flourishes” 
By Laura Stampler

Laura Stampler visited six Moroccan cities and sites  ̶  Casablanca, Fez, Volubilis, Chefchaouen, Marrakesh, and Essaouira  ̶  in search of vestiges of Jewish life. What did she find? “Remnants of Jewish culture,” together with, “Israeli tour groups openly speaking Hebrew outside restored synagogues and Jewish cemeteries.”

Raphy Elmaleh, a Diarna research adviser and tour guide extraordinaire, Chefhaouen, Morocco, 2012
(Photo courtesy of Ben Ragsdale/Diarna Geo-Museum of North African and Middle Eastern Jewish Life
Feature of the Week: “Moroccan Couscous
 


Chef Mourad Lahlou 
(Photo courtesy of William Sonoma)
 
Couscous was brought to Israel by North African Jews and is now a popular dish all across Israel. It’s also widely sold in the United States. Looking for a tasty alternative to brown rice or whole wheat bread? Chef Mourad Lahlou shows how to make Moroccan couscous. 


Sarah Aroeste performing at ASF’s American Sephardi Music Festival,
Center for Jewish History, 27 August 2017 
(Photo courtesy of Chrystie Sherman


Honoring Macedonia’s Sephardic Jewish Heritage.” 
By Josh Bloom, Jewschool.

An interview with Ladino Musician Sarah Aroeste, whose family comes from the Macedonian city of Monastir and who, in August, will be leading a tour of Jewish Macedonia, “While the Jewish community remains a modest 225 people, essentially all located in the country’s capital of Skopje… they have opened a brand new synagogue/community center and a state-of-the-art Holocaust museum. The Jews might be small in number, but their commitment to rebuilding Jewish life and sharing their history with their countrymen is inspiring.”



Sarah Aroeste performing at ASF’s American Sephardi Music Festival,
Center for Jewish History, 27 August 2017 
(Photo courtesy of Chrystie Sherman
Honoring Macedonia’s Sephardic Jewish Heritage.” 
By Josh Bloom, Jewschool.

An interview with Ladino Musician Sarah Aroeste, whose family comes from the Macedonian city of Monastir and who, in August, will be leading a tour of Jewish Macedonia, “While the Jewish community remains a modest 225 people, essentially all located in the country’s capital of Skopje… they have opened a brand new synagogue/community center and a state-of-the-art Holocaust museum. The Jews might be small in number, but their commitment to rebuilding Jewish life and sharing their history with their countrymen is inspiring.”

The 21st NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival

5-15 March 2018
Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York, NY 10011

 
The American Sephardi Federation’s NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival showcases contemporary voices steeped in the history, traditions, and rich mosaic culture of Greater Sephardic communities. The ten-day Festival features premiere film screenings, intriguing stories, evocative documentaries, Q&As with filmmakers, as well as special honorees and guests. This year’s ten-day festival has film entries focused on Iraqi, Syrian, Mexican, Egyptian, Israeli, French, Tunisian, Ethiopian, and Greek communities. Each night of the Festival is a different themed program honoring the rich and diverse communities ASF represents.

Schedule at a Glance
 

 

Passes & Tickets

SINGLE SCREENING: $10/$15 (VIP Seating) 
CLOSING NIGHT FILM AND AFTER PARTY: $25
MEXICAN FILM & AFTER PARTY: $25
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FILM & HAPPY HOUR: $25
SYRIAN FILM & AFTER PARTY: $30

Reserve a FESTIVAL PASS: (includes Opening Night, Closing Night, All Screenings, and All After Parties) $100/$150  (VIP Seating) $85 for ASF Pomegranate Card Members

or

FILM PASS: (includes Film Screenings on 7, 10, 11, 13, and 14 March) $50/$80 (VIP Seating) $35 for ASF Pomegranate Card Members

For additional information: www.nysephardifilmfestival.org

Email us here to discuss sponsorship and advertising opportunities

ASF Young Sephardi Scholars Series Presents:
At the Intersection of Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian-Speaking: A Three-Part Learning and Cultural Series on the Greater Sephardic Communities of the Former Soviet Union 

26 February – Kavkazi (Mountain Jews)
20 March – Bukharian Jews
24 April – Georgian Jews

ASF’s Sephardi Scholars Center
Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
 

The American Sephardi Federation’s Young Sephardi Scholars Series, in partnership with COJECO BluePrint Fellowship, is excited to host a three-part learning and cultural series about the Russian-speaking Jewish (RSJ) communities of the Greater Sephardic world. The cultures and histories of Bukharian, Georgian, and Kavkazi (Mountain) Jews are situated at the fascinating, yet lesser known, intersection of RSJ, Sephardic, and Mizrahi life. Led by Ruben Shimonov, this interactive multimedia learning series will provide a unique opportunity to explore the rich and multilayered stories of the three communities. 

Ruben Shimonov, 2018 American Sephardi Federation Broome & Allen Fellow, was born in Uzbekistan and grew up in the vibrant Greek and Turkish Sephardic community of Seattle. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Near Eastern Studies, and Jewish Studies from the University of Washington. As a Bukharian Jew—whose own multilayered identity lies at the intersection of Mizrahi, Sephardic, and RSJ—Ruben roots his work as an educator, social innovator, and community builder in a deep passion for the diverse cultural mosaic of the Jewish people. This has informed his active leadership and community organizing endeavors within organizations such as the American Sephardi Federation (where he is the Young Leadership Board’s VP of Education and Community Engagement), JDC Entwine, Moishe House, and OneTable. He has also brought this passion to his work at Queens College Hillel for the past four years—most recently as Director of Cross-Community Engagement and Education—where he had the unique role of engaging, empowering, and creating meaningful Jewish experiences for Sephardic and Mizrahi students. Ruben is currently pursuing Master’s degrees in both Public Administration/Nonprofit Management and Judaic Studies at New York University. Ruben was recently named a COJECO Blueprint Fellow and is working on community projects that highlight the intersectional identities of Russian-speaking Greater Sephardic Jews. He is also the founder of the Sephardic-Mizrahi LGBTQ Shabbat Dinner Series and annual retreats, which provide a one-of-a-kind platform for LGBTQ Jews from Sephardic and Mizrahi backgrounds to build a vibrant and supportive community.
 
We look forward to having you join us!

Please click here to make a reservation
Light dinner reflecting the cuisine of Bukharian, Georgian, and Kavkazi Jews will be served

Nosotros: Strengthening Bonds Between Jewish and Latino Communities

Extended through April
in ASF’s Leon Levy 
Gallery
Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
 

The Philos Project and American Sephardi Federation cordially invite you to “Nosotros,” an art exhibit featuring the work of two renowned Latino artists, Angel Urrely (Cuba) and Carlos Ayala (Puerto Rico)–as a symbolic recognition and “step forward” to improving Jewish-Latino relations.  We thank the Dominican artist, Juan Bravo, for exhibiting his pieces for the exhibit’s Opening Night. Each piece reflects the shared roots of Jewish and Latino communities and expresses hope for a more positive future from the perspective of each respective artist.

Each artist has displayed their works in hundreds of exhibits in both the US and Latin America, having many of them included in some of the most coveted collections in the world. We are very excited to bring them and their works to celebrate the importance of uniting us (or Nosotros), the Jewish and Latino communities, and having this art displayed in a very powerful way at the American Sephardi Federation at the Center for Jewish History.
 
Artists:
 
Angel Urrely is to the point. This son of Cuba does not beat around the bush. At least not for what the brush comes to reveal—his theory is clear and sharp. Each frame creates a specific, assertive and brutal connection. The reading of his work is—from the perspective of the viewer—very simple, to the point that if you assume an interpretation of what you are reading, believe me: Urrely is addressing exactly what you are thinking. Urrely has something to tell you and will let you know one way or another.
 
Carlos Ayala presents himself as the “Benjamin” of the tribes, the youngest of them all. This son of Puerto Rico presupposes that his youth may seem an obstacle to you, so he shows you his clutched fists from the introduction. This young man is fierce. Carlos shows us the deepest pains experienced by man, and brings them to an entertained, distracted and ill-bred public. He does not sit down to dream on the Caribbean coast and wait for boats loaded with promises. He does not have the time for it, but rather wants to remind you that even at the best moments pain is present. And at any moment it can befall us.
 
We look forward to having you join us!

Please click here for additional information and viewing hours

 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 or phone (917) 606-8266 to learn about giving opportunities in honor, or memory of loved ones


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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) 548-4486


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Copyright © 2018 American Sephardi Federation, All rights reserved.

Thank you for opting (on our websites, at an event, or by email) to receive American Sephardi Federation Programming Updates and Publications. We apologize if this message was sent in error.

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) 548-4486


unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences 
 

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