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Buyrun a la Djente - Welcome to the People
La Djente is the national magazine of the Sephardic Community in America dedicated to representing the voices, ideas, activities, and interest of Sepharadim.
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For Sale: A Piece of Sephardic and Romaniote History in Crete
Exterior of the outer courtyard wall of the Etz Hayyim Synagogue of Chania, Crete (Courtesy David Ben Ivgi) Tucked down one of Chania’s...
Kayla Kurin
Jul 223 min read


Bivas - the Ladino High School Club of America, organizes 4th Sephardic Student Shabbaton in Orlando, Florida
Students and staff at the Spring 2025 Bivas Youth Shabbaton in Orlando, Florida Bivas – the Ladino High School Club of America, held its...
Ethan Marcus
Jul 202 min read


Jewish Community of Athens dedicates new memorial “Wall of Names” Monument, identifies 1,029 victims of the Shoah from Athens
New memorial plaques at the Beth Shalom Synagogue of Athens, Greece listing the names of the Jews of Athens who were deported by the Nazi...
Magazine Staff
Jul 201 min read


Uno De Los Muestros - Highlighting One of Our Own: 105 Years Young, Dr. Henry Nahoum - Felisitasiones!
Dr. Henry Nahoum Born in September 1919, Dr. Henry I. Nahoum has been a member of the Sephardic Brotherhood since birth and is today the...
Magazine Staff
Jul 203 min read
Summer 2025
Read up on all our articles, essays, Ladino comics, and more from our Most Recent Magazine Issue.


First-Ever Sephardic Rabbinic Conference to Convene in NYC, Uniting Global Sephardic Leaders to Chart the Future of Sephardic Education
New York, NY – AUGUST 10-11, 2025 – A historic milestone for Sephardic Jewry is set to unfold this summer as over 50 leading Sephardic...
Magazine Staff
Aug 62 min read


What Unifies the Jewish People? Thoughts for Tisha BeAv
Elias Canetti, a Sephardic Jew who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1981, offers some interesting observations about Jews in his...
Rabbi Marc D. Angel
Jul 183 min read


Sharing the Vision - Torah Thoughts for Passover
Early in the Agada, we read of the gathering in B’nei B’rak of Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah, Rabbi Akiva and...
Rabbi Marc D. Angel
Apr 13 min read


A Great Mind of Sephardic Torah - Don Isaac Abravanael
An artistic rendering of Don Isaac Abravanel Don Isaac Abravanel (b. 1437; d. 1508) is remembered as a great rabbi and commentator among...
Rabbi David Gingold Altchek
Apr 14 min read


El Otobus i la Vieja
Está konseja la sentí por primera vez en una konferensia del istoriador Henry Abramson ke uza meter shakás en sus diskorsos. Se puede...
Aaron Shapiro
Jul 202 min read


La dolor después de la liberasión
Un anyo ya pasó Kuando en Yom Hashoah La Komunita Sefaradi Aki en Cape Town Tuvo el honor en komemorar Los ochenta anyos de la...
Isaac Habib
Jul 202 min read


Rekuerdo de un enverano
Kuando la persona entra en edad, su espirito se bola verso evenimyentos pasados komo un filmo de nostaljia en kolor ke mos akodra oras de...
Filiba De Silva
Jul 203 min read


La Novia del Muerto - Romanso Sensasional
Author Elia R. Karmona Kompuesto por Elia R. Karmona Direktor del Djugetón Ideado por Yitshak Rafael Mizrahi Trezladado a letras Latinas...
Miriam Sherman
Jul 202 min read
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The Jews of Edirne: The End of Ottoman Europe and the Arrival of Borders
Next month, Stanford University Press will publish The Jews of Edirne: The End of Ottoman Europe and the Arrival of Borders . Written by...
Jacob Daniels
Jul 203 min read


Marinated Feta Spices Up an Ancient Favorite
We Sepharadim – and many other people around the world – love our feta. But few people know the long, fascinating history of feta. The...
Susan Barocas
Jul 203 min read


The Rediscovery of Izmir’s Rabbinic Library: A Testament to Sephardic Legacy
Newly catalogued archives of the Jewish Community of Izmir, Turkey On December 17, 2024, an invaluable treasure of Jewish heritage was...
Dina Eliezer
Jul 204 min read


The Jewish Community of Rhodes after World War II: From Destruction to Revival
Interior of the Kahal Shalom Synagogue of Rhodes The story of the Jewish community in Rhodes is a powerful testament to faith, loss, and...
Carmen Cohen
Jul 203 min read


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: This past week marked the Meldado of Rabbi Bension Meir Hai Uziel, the first Sephardic Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel. Rabbi Bension Mair Hai Uziel was born in Jerusalem to a storied long line of Sephardic Hahamim dating back centuries. An extraordinary Torah scholar and native #Ladino speaker, Rabbi Uziel embodies everything that we as Sepharadim should aspire to be. Swipe now to learn more about the life and legacy of this extraordinary man!
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Sfardic #Sfardi #Sefardi #Sepharadi #Ladino #JudeoSpanish #BensionUziel #RabbiUziel #RabbiOuziel
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Sfardic #Sfardi #Sefardi #Sepharadi #Ladino #JudeoSpanish #BensionUziel #RabbiUziel #RabbiOuziel


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: Happy #laborday! Did you know that Sephardic Jews have had a long and proud history in the American Labor movement, including many founding members of the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood? In honor of Labor Day, we’re highlighting the stories of a few individuals who have helped advocate for Labor rights in the United States over the years.
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sepharadi #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Sefardi #Ladino #Jews #JewsinLabor #Jewish #JewishUnions #JewishUnion
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sepharadi #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Sefardi #Ladino #Jews #JewsinLabor #Jewish #JewishUnions #JewishUnion


Join the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America for the International Sephardic Community Gala celebrating our collective Sephardic identity, culture, and community. The evening will feature delicious kosher Sephardic food, live Sephardic and Mediterranean music, special Sephardic guests of honor, dancing, and a whole lot more.
The evening will be hosted at the beautiful Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, and includes complimentary access to one of the Museum’s featured exhibits. The evening will also celebrate the 110th Anniversary of the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood, and bring together participants from our communities throughout the United States and around the world.
The evening will be hosted at the beautiful Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, and includes complimentary access to one of the Museum’s featured exhibits. The evening will also celebrate the 110th Anniversary of the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood, and bring together participants from our communities throughout the United States and around the world.


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: The Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America is born! On August 26 1947, the Sephardic Brotherhood of America, the American Sephardic Alliance, and the Centro Judio Sefaradi consolidated into the largest Sephardic Communal organization in the country. But this process was fraught with challenges, and even required a new Law to be signed by the Governor of New York. Swipe to learn more!
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#Sephardic #Sefaradi #Sephardi #Sfardi #Sfaradi #Sepharadi #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Ladino #JudeoSpanish #Judezmo #Spanyolit #Jewish #JewishNewYork #JewishHistory #NewYorkHistory #LaVara #LaAmerika
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#Sephardic #Sefaradi #Sephardi #Sfardi #Sfaradi #Sepharadi #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Ladino #JudeoSpanish #Judezmo #Spanyolit #Jewish #JewishNewYork #JewishHistory #NewYorkHistory #LaVara #LaAmerika


For the first time ever, more than 40 #Sephardic Rabbis from 20 cities across six countries came together in New York City for a historic Sephardic Rabbinic Conference. An initiative made possible by a coalition of incredible partners, including the Sephardic Brotherhood of America, the Habura, the American Sephardi Federation, and many others.


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: On Aug. 18, 1917, a massive fire roared through the Mediterranean port city of SaloniKa, Greece, then home to the largest and most dynamic Ladino-speaking Sephardic Jewish community in the world. With an estimated Sephardic Jewish population of over 70,000, this Sephardic Metropolis burned, with nearly two-thirds of the city consumed in ash. Nearly 53,000 Sephardic Jews were left completely homeless.
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sepharadi #Sefardi #Sfardi #Sefaradi #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Salonika #Thessaloniki #Salonica #Saloniki #Saloniko #Selanik #Ladino
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sepharadi #Sefardi #Sfardi #Sefaradi #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Salonika #Thessaloniki #Salonica #Saloniki #Saloniko #Selanik #Ladino


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: This week marks the Meldado, the annual memorial of the passing of Rabbi Yaakov Huli (1689-1732), one of the greatest Sephardic Torah scholars of the 18th century. A descendent of generations of Sephardic Rabbis dating back to Spain, Rabbi Huli was the author of the revolutionary Torah commentary, Me’am Lo’ez, the first Jewish commentary written in the vernacular language of a local Jewish population since the time of the Talmud! Swipe to learn more
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#Sephardic #Sefardi #Sephardi #Sfardi #Sepharadi #Sefaradi #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Ladino #JudeoSpanish #Haham #Rabbi #Torah #TorahCommentary #Halakha #Halacha #Judaism #Rabbis #JewishLaw
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#Sephardic #Sefardi #Sephardi #Sfardi #Sepharadi #Sefaradi #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Ladino #JudeoSpanish #Haham #Rabbi #Torah #TorahCommentary #Halakha #Halacha #Judaism #Rabbis #JewishLaw


Link in Bio! Our Summer 2025 edition is now out! La Djente - The People is the magazine of the Sephardic Community in America. As the only print and digital publication featuring original Ladino language content in North America, the quarterly magazine features articles in both English and Ladino on Sephardic culture, identity and food, Torah insights, current events, and community essays.
La Djente, meaning The People in Ladino, celebrates the diverse perspectives of Sephardic thought leaders around the world, from New York to Seattle, Istanbul to Salonika, Mexico City to Cape Town, Jerusalem to London, and beyond.
This Summer edition is dedicated in memory of the Jews of Rhodes and Kos who perished in July 1944 in the Holocaust, and features special stories on the Jews of Rhodes, their history, survival, and rebuilding of a community.
La Djente, meaning The People in Ladino, celebrates the diverse perspectives of Sephardic thought leaders around the world, from New York to Seattle, Istanbul to Salonika, Mexico City to Cape Town, Jerusalem to London, and beyond.
This Summer edition is dedicated in memory of the Jews of Rhodes and Kos who perished in July 1944 in the Holocaust, and features special stories on the Jews of Rhodes, their history, survival, and rebuilding of a community.


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: On July 23, 1944, over 1,600 Jews were deported by the Nazis from the islands of Rhodes and Kos. The Jewish community was arrested and deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where 1,522 were slaughtered. In what became known as “the longest journey,” the Jews of Rhodes spent nine days on a cargo boat to Athens, followed by 13 days in cattle wagons to Auschwitz.
Of the more than 1,600 members of this once vibrant community, only 151 survived the horrors of Auschwitz. Today, we stop and remember the men, women, and children, families, synagogues, schools, rabbis, and Sephardic life that once defined this vibrant community.
Ke Sus Almas Repozen en Gan Eden - May their Souls Rest in the Garden of Eden
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#Rhodes #JewsofRhodes #Rhodeslis #IslandofRhodes #Sephardic #Sepharadi #Sephardi #Sepharadim #Holocaust #HolocaustinGreece #GreekJews #JewsofGreece
Of the more than 1,600 members of this once vibrant community, only 151 survived the horrors of Auschwitz. Today, we stop and remember the men, women, and children, families, synagogues, schools, rabbis, and Sephardic life that once defined this vibrant community.
Ke Sus Almas Repozen en Gan Eden - May their Souls Rest in the Garden of Eden
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#Rhodes #JewsofRhodes #Rhodeslis #IslandofRhodes #Sephardic #Sepharadi #Sephardi #Sepharadim #Holocaust #HolocaustinGreece #GreekJews #JewsofGreece


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: This week marks the birth of the famous American Sephardic Poet, author, and Jewish advocate Emma Lazarus. Born in New York to a large and historic Sephardic family in 1849, Lazarus ancestors originally emigrated from Portugal after the Inquisition, and were among the first 23 Jews to arrive in what was then New Amsterdam in 1654.
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#emmalazarus #thenewcolassus #givemeyourtiredyourpoor #givemeyourtired #sephardic #sephardi #sepharadi #sfardi #sefardi #sefardic #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Sfardim #Sefardim
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#emmalazarus #thenewcolassus #givemeyourtiredyourpoor #givemeyourtired #sephardic #sephardi #sepharadi #sfardi #sefardi #sefardic #Sephardim #Sepharadim #Sfardim #Sefardim


Our Young Professionals Tour of Jewish Italy is off to an amazing start! We kicked off the tour by visiting the gorgeous sites of Florence, including the Great Synagogue, the Duomo, and the Ponte Vecchio, and we savored delicious Florentine Jewish food. Yesterday we visited Pisa and Livorno and learned about the storied Jewish presence of these historic communities. We even prayed at the grave of the famous Rabbi Eliyahu Benamozegh in the Livorno Jewish cemetery! We have a great group of participants and soon we’ll be off to our next stop in Rome!


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: This week marks 82 years since the Black Sabbath, where 9,000 Jewish men in #Salonika were forced to assemble in a public square and were humiliated in the hot sun and publicly dehumanized in 1942. Some 2,000 Jewish men were arrested that day and were sent to forced labor camps against their will. Today, we take a moment to remember them and La Madre de Yisrael, Salonika, once a Sephardic metropolis of 50,000 strong. Swipe to learn more.
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#Sephardic #Salonika #Salonica #Thessaloniki #Sephardi #Sfardi #Sefardi #Holocaust #Shoah #Greece #Sepharadim #Sephardim
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#Sephardic #Salonika #Salonica #Thessaloniki #Sephardi #Sfardi #Sefardi #Holocaust #Shoah #Greece #Sepharadim #Sephardim


Mazel bueno and endless bendisyon to the 35 incredible Sephardic Brotherhood Scholars!
On June 8th in New York, we gathered for the 81st annual Irving Barocas z”l Memorial Scholarship Awards.
Each student was recognized for their academic excellence—from Stanford, University of Chicago, Brandeis and more—and for their deep commitment to community and heritage.
After the ceremony, we celebrated the Sephardic way—with a delicious breakfast of burekas, biscochos, and huevos haminados, plus live music by two of this year’s scholars..
#Sephardic #JudeoSpanish #jewish #jewishlife #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #ladino
On June 8th in New York, we gathered for the 81st annual Irving Barocas z”l Memorial Scholarship Awards.
Each student was recognized for their academic excellence—from Stanford, University of Chicago, Brandeis and more—and for their deep commitment to community and heritage.
After the ceremony, we celebrated the Sephardic way—with a delicious breakfast of burekas, biscochos, and huevos haminados, plus live music by two of this year’s scholars..
#Sephardic #JudeoSpanish #jewish #jewishlife #jewishcommunity #jewishculture #ladino


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: Happy 4th of July! In honor of American independence, we’re highlighting the important contributions made by Sepharadim in creating the United States and in the American Revolution. Swipe right to learn more!
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sfardi #sephardicjew #sephardiccommunity #americanrevolution #july4th #independenceday #JewishAmericans #AmericanJews
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sfardi #sephardicjew #sephardiccommunity #americanrevolution #july4th #independenceday #JewishAmericans #AmericanJews


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: On June 26, 1967, after 475 years, Spain granted Jews and Protestants the right of public worship for the first time since Ferdinand and Isabella proclaimed Catholicism as Spain’s only religion. Soon after, the first new synagogue of Madrid in nearly 600 years was dedicated, marking a new chapter in the Spanish capital’s Jewish history.
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sefardi #Sfardi #Ladino #SpanishExplusion #SpanishJews #SpanishJewry #Inquisition
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sefardi #Sfardi #Ladino #SpanishExplusion #SpanishJews #SpanishJewry #Inquisition


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: This week marks the birthday of the famed Sephardic Jewish philanthropist, community leader, politician, and intellectual Dona Grasia Nasi, who helped usher in a new golden age of Sephardic Judaism in the Ottoman Empire. Swipe to learn more!
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#Sephardic #Sfardi #Sefardi #Sephardi #converso #CryptoJews #inquisition #SpanishExpulsion #donagraça
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#Sephardic #Sfardi #Sefardi #Sephardi #converso #CryptoJews #inquisition #SpanishExpulsion #donagraça


Congratulations to the 35 recipients who were honored as Sephardic Brotherhood Scholars on Sunday June 8, 2025! Celebrating its 81th year, the Scholarship and Education Committee held our annual Irving Barocas z”L Memorial Scholarship Awards Ceremony in New York, bringing together parents, grandparents, and students from our membership throughout the United States. Each student’s achievements were highlighted and speeches were given by the top awardees. This year’s scholarship cohort was particularly impressive, with high levels of academic achievement representing a diverse set of undergraduate and graduate programs, including Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and Brandeis University.
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sephardim #Ladino #Sepharadi #Sefardi #Sfardi
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sephardim #Ladino #Sepharadi #Sefardi #Sfardi


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: On June 9, 1944, 81 years ago at 3:14am, two torpedoes hit and eventually sank the steamship Tánaïs, carrying the entirety of the Jewish Community of Crete. In a blink of an eye, this more than 2,000 year old Romaniote Community of the island swiftly came to an end.
May their memories forever be a blessing.
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#thisweekinsephardichistory #Romaniote #GreekJews #GreekJew #Holocaust #Crete #Shoah #Tanais
May their memories forever be a blessing.
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#thisweekinsephardichistory #Romaniote #GreekJews #GreekJew #Holocaust #Crete #Shoah #Tanais


#ThisWeekinSephardicHistory: Sepharadim have a long and proud history serving in America’s Armed Forces since the time of the American Revolution. On Memorial Day, we stop and thank them for all they have done and sacrificed in service to the United States.
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sephardim #Ladino #JudeoSpanish #memorialday #Veterans #Sepharadim #Jewishveterans #memorial #memorialdayusa
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#Sephardic #Sephardi #Sephardim #Ladino #JudeoSpanish #memorialday #Veterans #Sepharadim #Jewishveterans #memorial #memorialdayusa


Link in bio for more info! Congratulations to the 34 students who were selected as this year National Sephardic Scholars award recipients! Celebrating its 81th year, the Scholarship and Education Committee will be holding our annual Irving Barocas z”L Memorial Scholarship Awards Ceremony in New York, bringing together parents, grandparents, and students from our membership throughout the United States. Each student’s achievements will be highlighted and speeches will be given by the top awardees.
This year’s scholarship cohort was particularly impressive, with high levels of academic achievement representing a diverse set of undergraduate and graduate programs, including Stanford University, the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, and Brandeis University.
This year’s scholarship cohort was particularly impressive, with high levels of academic achievement representing a diverse set of undergraduate and graduate programs, including Stanford University, the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, and Brandeis University.


We are horrified by the murder of two Israeli Embassy staffers @israelinusa, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, in Washington, D.C. This despicable act, driven by antisemitic hatred, took the lives of two dedicated public servants and a young couple full of promise.
This attack is a painful reminder of the growing threat of antisemitism, something that cannot be tolerated in American society under any circumstances.
Min HaShamayim Tenuhamu - may their families only know comfort at this extraordinarily difficult time, and may their memories forever be a blessing.
This attack is a painful reminder of the growing threat of antisemitism, something that cannot be tolerated in American society under any circumstances.
Min HaShamayim Tenuhamu - may their families only know comfort at this extraordinarily difficult time, and may their memories forever be a blessing.
