There is a tasty play between sweet and the mix of spices in these peras reyenados, stuffed pears, as well as the textures of the baked, softened pear with the crunchy nuts. It’s an easy, yet elegant dessert for Shabbat and holidays. Honey and dates are traditional foods for the Sephardic Rosh Hashanah seder, and this dessert also works well for Sukkot as stuffed foods symbolize an abundant harvest. Naturally sweet Bosc pears hold their shape well, so are a good choice for

Venice, Italy Over the years, Fern and I have traveled through Europe on vacation, and some of our strongest memories come from the times we've unexpectedly run into fellow Sepharadim along the way. This past June we were in Venice, Italy. On our visit, we made a point of walking through the Jewish Ghetto. Of the five synagogues still standing there, only two can currently be toured: the Turkish and Greek, and the larger Spanish and Portuguese. Our guide mentioned that she he

Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai z"L As we experienced the awesome day of Yom HaKippurim, we find ourselves living through a moment in which the very idea of Jewish national return has become the subject of intense debate. Antisemitism and anti-Zionism are increasingly intertwined in the public discourse, while Jews themselves are once again asking fundamental questions about Jewish identity, peoplehood, sovereignty, and the meaning of the Land of Israel. At such a moment, understanding

The author Madeleine Roer, watching a recording of her grandmother Stella Varon Tarica give her survivor testimony at the Jewish Museum of Rhodes My Nonnie, Stella Varon Tarica, was born in Rhodes and lived there until she was just 13 years old, when she and her family were deported to Auschwitz. After spending nearly a year there, she was liberated and reunited with her uncle, brother, and sister in the Belgian Congo. Eventually, Stella immigrated to the United States and se

Murray Perahia There are few honors more meaningful than watching one of our own rise to the very top of a field and never forget where he came from. This issue, we are proud to shine our alumni spotlight on Murray Perahia, one of the most celebrated classical pianists of our time — and a longtime member of our Sephardic Brotherhood family. From Our Community to the World Stage Murray Perahia was born in New York City in 1947 to parents who immigrated from Salonika, and it wa

Seahorse fountain La Kay Ancha in the heart of the historic Juderia (Jewish Quarter) of Rhodes Visiting the island of Rhodes has always given me a sense of longing. There’s something in the air, especially in the early hours before the sun rises, when a cool breeze moves through these empty, quiet streets. The place feels suspended in time, it seems. It’s hard to explain, but there’s a lingering absence that cannot be replaced, as I take a deep breath and begin my morning wal

The Historic Casino of Rhodes By 1945, Jews were a rare sight in Rhodes. The Shoah had come over the island like a rogue wave in the night. In just a few short days, a thousand years of Jewish life and memory were swept into the sea, much of it lost forever. But in January of 1949, a different kind of Jew came up from the Aegean and strolled up to Rhode’s Grand Hotel of Roses. Today, this hotel persists as a dreary casino, but back then “The Roses” was bustling with activity

The Skopje Holocaust Museum features a display of Macedonian Jews killed in the Holocaust. In this regard it resembles other such ones like the DC Holocaust Memorial or Yad Vashem. It’s the rest of the exhibits that distinguish it in depth. My favorite Holocaust museum in the world is located in Skopje, North Macedonia. This may seem an odd place for such an institution. Few people know of the rich Jewish history of the country, nor that 98% of the Jews in Macedonia were murd

Take advantage the bounty of beautiful tomatoes that are at their most juicy deliciousness during summer with salmorejo. Simpler and less ingredients than gazpacho, salmorejo is a chilled soup perfect for warm days and nights including made ahead for Shabbat. It is also one of those recipes that is a great way to use up old bread, like bread salad from Italy and fattoush salad from Lebanon. Salmorejo was first created in the 16th century when conquistadores brought tomato

Abudaraho, also known as bottarga, is a unique delicacy among the Jews of the Ottoman Empire Abudaraho, made from salted and cured fish roe, has a centuries-old history. Research on this delicacy reveals that abudaraho was produced by the Phoenicians more than 3,500 years ago. Ancient Egyptians were curing mullet roe (called al-butarikh by the Arabs) as early as the 10th century BCE in Egypt’s Nile Delta. The name abudaraho, one of many Sephardic spellings, was likely origi

Turkish Haroset In all honesty, I have never met a haroset I didn’t like, and there are probably nearly as many different haroset as there are Jews! I always have three or four at my Seder and sometimes a guest brings their own favorite. Haroset is that mixture at Passover Seders that is evocative of the mortar and bricks the Israelite slaves made and used to erect Pharoah’s warehouses and other buildings (although probably not the pyramids, but that’s another story). The

An original handwritten fragment of Maimonides’ Mishne Tora, held at Cambridge The Greek word mythos, from which we get ‘myth’, ultimately means ‘storytelling.’ It embodies a more emotional experience. Such impassioned retelling contrasts with logos, rational thought. Myths are stories that are accorded a higher significance by people’s belief in them, factual or not. The Jewish tradition is full of mythic stories, from the biblical to the contemporary, and the communal to th

Welcome from Eitan Danon, DC Chapter President, at the Inaugural DC Ladino Day Our newest Brotherhood chapter has been busy this fall and winter with some exciting programs. Our inaugural DC Ladino Day was a fantastic success! We held a joyful celebration in November of Sephardic language, culture, and community, bringing together more than 100 attendees for an unforgettable day of learning and connection. The program featured engaging presentations on the basics of Ladino, a

The cover from the 1917 Brotherhood Gala brochure (Courtesy of David Saffan) The common answer today is: Yes. Even the Brotherhood’s own website indicates that the organization was established as a “volunteer mutual aid and burial society.” But Ladino publications of the era tell a slightly different story. During the early twentieth century, economic challenges, political changes, and war compelled many Sephardic Jews to leave the Ottoman Empire. Between 1908 and 1924, a

The Ladino-speaking Jewish community of Rhodes was once a world of vibrant color and intimate tradition. Moving between pre-war La Juderia and the present, The Girl in the Oil Painting follows a mother’s fragmented memories and a son who slowly uncovers the trauma she never spoke aloud. Through family kitchens rich with familiar aromas, sea light over Mandraki Harbor, Shabbat songs, and recipes passed down like treasures, the book brings back to life a community whose world w

Benoun Torah Crown from the Kehila Grande of Rhodes For decades, artifacts and photographs related to the Jewish community of Rhodes have been carefully collected as part of a personal and communal mission to preserve its rich history for future generations. And despite the tragic deportation and murder of nearly all its Jews to Auschwitz, it is our role as their descendants to honor and remember their life stories, thus preserving the community’s legacy now and forever. Tha

Participants touring the Central Synagogue of Thessaloniki, Greece. What an incredible journey it has been! This summer, 21 members of...

Republished with permission from the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust Photograph of Rabbi Leon J. Pessah...

Next month, Stanford University Press will publish The Jews of Edirne: The End of Ottoman Europe and the Arrival of Borders . Written by...

We Sepharadim – and many other people around the world – love our feta. But few people know the long, fascinating history of feta. The...