|
“New Sefer Of The Ben Ish Chai Printed From Manuscript Found In Saddam Hussein’s Intelligence Offices” By David Steger, matzav.com Rabbi Yosef Hayyim of Baghdad (1835-1909), popularly known as Ben Ish Hai (“Son of a Living Man”), is the author of numerous works that remain popular in traditional Sephardi circles. Amazingly, some of R’ Hayyim’s writings, previously unknown, were discovered by American troops, “in a flooded basement of Iraq’s intelligence headquarters after Saddam Hussein’s downfall in 2003.” Those writings were recently published in two volumes as Birkat HaReyach (“Blessing of the Fragrance”).
Note: ASF regrets that this article does not use the correct, Sephardi transliteration of Hebrew. |
 Water-damaged Jewish manuscripts rescued from the flooded offices of Saddam Hussein’s secret security services (Photo courtesy of Harold Rhode/The Jerusalem Post)
|
By David Steger, matzav.com
Note: ASF regrets that this article does not use the correct, Sephardi transliteration of Hebrew.
Water-damaged Jewish manuscripts rescued from the flooded offices of Saddam Hussein’s secret security services (Photo courtesy of Harold Rhode/The Jerusalem Post)
 Restored Rambam (Maimonides) Synagogue, Cairo, Egypt (Photo courtesy of Diarna Geo-Museum of North African and Middle Eastern Jewish Life) |
|
“Egypt’s Jewish community diminished to 6 women after death of Lucy Saul” By Egypt Independent In order to viscerally appreciate the end of Jewish life in Middle Eastern countries (outside of Israel), consider the Jews of Egypt. 80,000 Jews used to live in the country. Last week, seven elderly Jewish women remained. Then, on Friday, community member Lucy Saul passed away. After Lucy’s passing, the “leader” of the Egyptian Jewish community, Magda Tania, released the following message: “I will miss you Lucy. We have become just six women.” |
Restored Rambam (Maimonides) Synagogue, Cairo, Egypt (Photo courtesy of Diarna Geo-Museum of North African and Middle Eastern Jewish Life)
By Egypt Independent
In order to viscerally appreciate the end of Jewish life in Middle Eastern countries (outside of Israel), consider the Jews of Egypt. 80,000 Jews used to live in the country. Last week, seven elderly Jewish women remained. Then, on Friday, community member Lucy Saul passed away. After Lucy’s passing, the “leader” of the Egyptian Jewish community, Magda Tania, released the following message: “I will miss you Lucy. We have become just six women.”
|
“Mystery surrounds mistake-filled 300-year-old prayer book found in UK” By Jenni Frazer, The Times of Israel Dr. Aron Sterk, a scholar of Spanish and Portuguese Jews in England, recently discovered an English-language translation of a Spanish-language siddur, or prayer book, at the Manchester library. While the English translation dates back to the 18th century, Sterk believes the original Spanish text is from the period when Converso Jews secretly lived in the country.
|
 The first page of the English translation signed by Moses Gaster (Photo courtesy of The Times of Israel) |
By Jenni Frazer, The Times of Israel
The first page of the English translation signed by Moses Gaster (Photo courtesy of The Times of Israel)
Screening: The Last Jews Of Baghdad: End of an Exile, Beginning of a Journey
Southhampton Jewish Film Festival
7:30PM on August 9th
Southampton Arts Center
25 Jobs Lane
Southampton, NY 11968
The Last Jews Of Baghdad provides a historical and personal view of the persecution, torture, escape, and flight of over 160,000 Jews from Iraq between the years 1940 and 2003. Carole Basri, born to Iraqi Jewish parents and Vice President of the American Sephardi Federation, presents an amazing account of Jewish life in Iraq based on first hand accounts. Ms. Basri will be on hand to discuss her film and the history of Iraqi Jews. This will be a very special evening and a rare opportunity to meet the filmmaker. The Last Jews Of Baghdad premièred at ASF’s NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival.
Please click here to purchase tickets
(General Admission $15; Students under 21 $7.50)
Reservations Suggested
The Converso Project
IAJGS International Jewish Genealogical Conference
7:30PM on August 9th
Sheraton Seattle Hotel
1400 6th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Join the Society for Crypto Judaic Studies and Genie Milgrom, genealogist and author of My 15 Grandmothers, to formally unveil ‘The Converso Project’ at the annual conference of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies in Seattle, WA. The project will give the public access to the various sources of genealogical information of conversos, those forcibly converted to Catholicism during the Inquisition.
Please click here for more information
Portugal, The Last Hope: Sousa Mendes’ Visas for Freedom
April 7th through September 9th
Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York City
The American Sephardi Federation, Portuguese Consulate of New York, the Sousa Mendes Foundation, and the Municipality of Almeida, Portugal proudly present a new exhibition in the Leon Levy Gallery honoring Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the courageous and creative Portuguese diplomat who saved Salvador Dali, the authors of Curious George, and thousands of other Holocaust refugees.
Please click here for additional information and viewing hours
|
Copyright © 2016 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’s Sephardi House is located at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th St., New York, New York, 10011). www.AmericanSephardi.org | info@Sephardi.House | (212) 548-4486 |
Copyright © 2016 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’s Sephardi House is located at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th St., New York, New York, 10011).
www.AmericanSephardi.org | info@Sephardi.House | (212) 548-4486
unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences