Maimonides in Times of Crisis
The American Sephardi Federation, Maimonides Heritage Center, Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals, and Yeshiva University Museum present:
Maimonides in Times of Crisis
The ASF is proud to host two renowned Sephardic spiritual leaders and scholars—Rabbi Dr. Marc Angel and Rabbi Yamin Levy—for a timely conversation about the Rambam’s intellectual legacy in contemporary times.
They will discuss insights from their books “The Mysticism of Andalusia: Exploring HaRambam’s Mystical Tradition” and “Maimonides, Spinoza and Us: Toward an Intellectually Vibrant Judaism.”
Join us for this fascinating discussion, moderated by the founder of ASF’s Sephardi House, Joshua Benaim
Monday, 27 November at 6:30PM EST
@The Center for Jewish History
The talk will be followed by refreshments, book signing (books will be available for purchase), and a viewing of Yeshiva University Museum’s exhibition on Maimonides.
Rabbi Yamin Levy is a practiced educator, rabbi, author, and academic administrator. Rabbi Levy has devoted his career to teaching and preserving Sephardic culture, law and philosophical worldview. He is the senior Rabbi of Beth Hadassah Synagogue, the Iranian Jewish Center in Kings Point NY and the founder and director of the Maimonides Heritage Center based in Tiveria, Israel and New York. He authored four books the most recent of which is titled “The Mysticism of Andalusia: Exploring HaRambam’s Mystical Tradition.” He edited two books and published numerous articles in Jewish Law, Biblical Exegesis and Sephardic Philosophy and Jewish Mysticism.
Rabbi Dr. Marc Angel is Founder and Director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals, fostering an intellectually vibrant, compassionate and inclusive Orthodox Judaism. Rabbi Angel is Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel, the historic Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of New York City. Author and editor of nearly 40 books and hundreds of articles, he has won acclaim for his studies in Jewish history and thought. Among his recent books are “Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality: The Inner Life of Jews of the Ottoman Empire” (2006) and “Maimonides, Spinoza and Us: Toward an Intellectually Vibrant Judaism”, (2009)—both of which won Finalist Awards from the National Jewish Book Council. He has served as officer and board member of numerous communal organizations, including the American Sephardi Federation, Jewish National Fund, HealthCare Chaplaincy, and UJA-Federation of New York; and is past president of the Rabbinical Council of America. He is the co-founder of the International Rabbinic Fellowship. He earned his B.A., M.S. Ph.D. and Rabbinic Ordination from Yeshiva University. He also has an M.A. degree in English literature from City College of New York.
Joshua Benaim is a leading real estate investor and entrepreneur and the visionary founder of the ASF’s Sephardi House Fellowship. He is the founder and CEO of Aria, an award-winning real estate company on a mission to humanize the experience of living in our great cities. An operatic baritone who has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera and throughout the United States, Benaim lives in New York City with his wife and three children.