The Jewish Community of Thessaloniki has achieved a major milestone in preserving the history of Greek Jewry through the creation of the Yosephus (Iosipos) Digital Repository, one of the most ambitious archival digitization projects ever undertaken by a Jewish community in Greece. The initiative makes an extraordinary collection of historical materials freely accessible to researchers, educators, descendants, and the general public through its online platform at repository.jc

Rabbi Yonatan Gilbert After an extensive two-year search process, Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation (SBH) has announced the selection of Rabbi Yonatan Gilbert as its new rabbi. The congregation formally approved Rabbi Gilbert's appointment in a unanimous vote of the membership on May 19, marking the culmination of a thorough search led by the synagogue’s Rabbinic Search Committee. SBH President Jack Gottesman, who also chaired the search committee, expressed enthusiasm about

Congratulations to the 35 recipients who were honored as Sephardic Brotherhood Scholars on May 31! Celebrating its 82nd 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

Portugal’s President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has promulgated changes to the Portuguese nationality law approved by the Portuguese Parliament, including the closure of the special naturalization route for descendants of Jews of Portuguese origin. The parliamentary measure appears in: Assembleia da República – Proposta de Lei n.º 1/XVII/1. According to reports citing Decreto da Assembleia da República n.º 48/XVII, the law will only enter into force following publication in th

Kuando éramos chikitikos i muestra madre mos meldava la Torá, mos kontava i otras istoryas kuando le demandávamos kozas ke non teniyan reponsas en el Livriko santo. I mos plaziya muy muncho la de las estreyas. « Maná », demandava mi ermaniko, en saltando sovre sus piernas: de ké ay estreyas en los syelos ? La Maná tomava un ayre misteryozo ke mos yevava al payiz de los kuentos, i empesava : « Al empesijo de todos los tyempos, el Dyó kriyo el Sol i la Luna, i los kazó, del miz

Geddy Moss - Recipient of the Delicia & Abraham Nathan Memorial Scholarship Award Reflections from some of this year’s Award Recipients - Several students were asked to share a few words about themselves and the importance of their Sephardic identities at this year’s award’s ceremony. Below you can find a few speeches from some of our student recipients. The history of my family, like many of us, dates back to the Spanish Inquisition. In 1492, thousands of Sephardic Jews were

Dr. Richard A. Freund z”L Dr. Richard A. Freund (z”l) was not only a distinguished scholar and internationally respected archaeologist — for the Jewish community of Rhodes, he was something much more personal: a true friend. He understood, deeply and sincerely, the importance of preserving the island’s Jewish history, and he devoted himself to bringing its stories back to life. As Professor of Jewish History and Director of the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at

Participants at our Spring public event, the Golden Age of the Jews of Al-Andalus, at the Embassy of Spain Our newest Brotherhood chapter has been busy this Spring with some exciting programs. In the Winter, we launched a four week Ladino 101 course for the local chapter co-taught by myself (Eitan Danon) and my colleague Aaron Shapiro. This small group met every two weeks or so to learn some of the basics of language, vocab, syntax, grammar, and gets a chance to snack on some

Al Benoliel - The Rabbi Ascher Murciano Memorial Scholarship Award Recipient Several students were asked to share a few words about themselves and the importance of their Sephardic identities at this year’s award’s ceremony. Below you can find a few speeches from some of our student recipients Thank you so much for these scholarship awards and for the opportunity to share a few words. First, a little bit about my background. I grew up in the Sephardic community in Seattle, Wa

Los Muevos Ladineros Meeting in Seattle Seattle’s Sephardic community has been bustling with activity this Spring, hosting a wide array of educational programs, cultural events, and Sephardic activities. At Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, Rabbi David Benchlouch has been leading enriching classes on Sephardic traditions and Torah concepts. One of the most exciting new programs is the Sephardic Pizmonim Party, where young boys and girls learn traditional Sephardic melodies in Hebr

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

A photo of a young Rhodian Jewish boy of the Angel family, wearing the Star of David on the lapel of his coat. The Nazi menace decimated European Jewry, and its tentacles of hatred and violence reached even to North Africa and the Middle East. Jews of all backgrounds were victimized, and many stories about murdered family members remain as the heritage of Jews throughout the world. In our family-whose roots were in the Sephardic community of the Island of Rhodes-we also have

This past Spring, Sephardic life in the NYC Metropolitan Area thrived through vibrant celebrations, meaningful connections, and cherished communal traditions. For the first time ever, Brotherhood members and friends proudly marched in New York City's Greek Independence Day Parade on Fifth Avenue. Joining thousands of participants and spectators, we celebrated the history, resilience, and contributions of the Greek community while honoring the deep historical ties between Gree

Participants marching for their first Greek Independence Parade on behalf of the Greek Jewish Community of New York In a historic and proud moment for our community, the Greek Jewish Community of New York, led by Kehila Kedosha Janina, marched for the first time ever in the Greek Independence Day Parade on Fifth Avenue. As we celebrate the 205th anniversary of Greek independence, our participation highlights the rich and enduring legacy of Greek Jewry and our deep connection

Los musafires Un ombre telefoneó a su madre a informarle ke venía a su sivdad de vijita, a ver si se pudieran enkontrar para komer un día. "Atyó" disho la mamá, "siguro. I te kedas en kaza i te apronto el sofá para ke durmas ayí." "Ama mamá," respondió el ombre, "me va a akompanyar mi mujer. Los dos no puedemos durmir en el sofá." "No te merekíes," disho la mamá, "vos desho mi kamareta, i yo me echo en el sofá del salón." Más tadre, el ombre telefoneó de muevo, "mamá, ivamos

The Holocaust Memorial of Rhodes, located in the courtyard of the old Jewish neighborhood (La Djuderia) As editor of La Djente, it is especially meaningful to introduce this issue dedicated to the Sephardic Jewish community of Rhodes, a community whose story feels deeply personal to me, even four generations later. Jewish Rhodes first existed to me as a far away dream. A word in Ladino about the kehila. A recipe of bourikitas my grandmother made without measurements. Stories

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