Announcing 23 New ASF Sephardi House Fellows
The ASF Welcomes 23 New Sephardi House Fellows as Our National Movement Expands to 60 Campuses!
The American Sephardi Federation is proud to welcome Cohort 7 of our flagship Sephardi House Fellowship. This year’s dynamic group of 23 student leaders represent universities across the country, from CUNY to George Washington University and UPenn to UT Austin. At a time when Jewish students continue to face antisemitism and polarization, Sephardi House is a vital source of strength, unity, and pride.
Founded in 2020, Sephardi House is a national movement that enlightens, empowers, and enriches Jewish college students through immersion in the vibrant history, values, and vision of the Greater Sephardi world. By elevating historically underrepresented Sephardic and Mizrahi voices while engaging students of all Jewish backgrounds, Sephardi House brings fresh perspectives on Jewish education, belonging, and community-building to campuses coast-to-coast.
At the heart of this movement is the year-long Sephardi House Fellowship, which blends immersive learning with leadership development. Fellows benefit from individualized mentorship, dynamic educational sessions, access to the ASF’s rich resources, two Shabbaton leadership summits, and opportunities to design their own campus programs that fortify Jewish student life with the warmth, vibrancy, and depth of the Sephardic spirit.
“We are especially excited to bring the new Fellows together this weekend in New York City for our autumn Shabbaton Leadership Summit! Against the backdrop of one of the world’s great centers of Jewish life, this gathering will offer a wonderful opportunity for students to forge lasting friendships, deepen their connections to Sephardic heritage, and experience firsthand the extraordinary vibrancy of diverse Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish communities,” said Ruben Shimonov, the ASF’s National Director of Sephardi House & Education.
The newest Fellows join a growing network of more than 160 Sephardi House Fellows and alumni who are helping shape Jewish life on campus, in the Jewish community, and beyond. Since its launch, Sephardi House has engaged over 6,000 students through more than 250 Fellow-led programs, establishing a presence on 60 campuses nationwide. Through partnerships with campus institutions and student organizations, Sephardi House has helped bring Greater Sephardic traditions, perspectives, and experiences into the heart of Jewish campus life. Our student leaders have also emerged as influential voices confronting antisemitism and advocating for Jewish communities.
“Some foundations were skeptical when we first launched Sephardi House. They thought we were too scholarly and too cultural. Yet, in the wake of October 7th, our Sephardi House Fellows were amongst the first and finest champions of the Jewish people in Congress, the courts, the D.C. marches, and appearing in major media. The return on investment has been off-the-charts,” said Jason Guberman, the American Sephardi Federation’s Executive Director.
Sephardi House was founded by Joshua Benaim—an award-winning entrepreneur, Harvard Business School alumnus, author, and opera singer—who together with the ASF’s Jason Guberman and Ruben Shimonov pioneered the program to overcome reductive narratives with deep knowledge, inspiration, and resilience derived from classic Sephardic teachings. As Benaim emphasizes: “The wisdom and warmth of the Sephardic tradition has much to offer to humanity.”
Join us in welcoming and supporting these Sephardic students! Please make a contribution today to sponsor a student, session, or school event!
Raphy Amsellem, ’28, Cornell University
Ovadia Roei Aghelian, ’29, Queens College
Eliana Ashurov, ’29, Stevens Institute of Technology
Kayla Baron, ’29, Queens College
Saar Cohen, ’30, James Madison University (JMU)
Sammy Cohen, ’29, University of Pennsylvania
Zachary Crystal, ’29, George Washington University
Josh Ebrani, ’29, Wharton/University of Pennsylvania
Simone Hull, ’29, Muhlenberg College
Hannah Kaffee, ’29, University of Texas at Austin
Ashton Kahen, ’29, Baruch College
Daniel Kohanim, ’28, Baruch College
Liona Kohansieh, ’30, Queens College
Emily Levy, ’27, Brandeis University
Asher Livian, ’29, Boston University
Abraham Nabavian, ’30, University of Maryland College Park
Jade Nabavian, ’29, Cornell University
Samantha Ryba, ’30, Binghamton University
Bobbi Salama, ’29, Cornell University
Yuval Saportas, ’29, American University
Tehila Bendaat, ’28, Lafayette College
Eitan Yehoshua, ’27, Baruch College
Please support our groundbreaking work on campuses by donating today!
For more information about the ASF’s Sephardi House Fellowship,read student reflections:How Sephardi House Became My Sephardi Home and Finding a Sephardic Jewish Community Changed My World, as well as visit: www.sephardi.house