In Their Own Words - Reflections from This Year's Award Recipients: Geddy Moss

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 forced to convert their religion or face persecution. Many gave in, and sadly, many faced death, but my ancestors were among those who fled and carried their faith into the shadows. These people, known as Marranos, practiced their Judaism in secret, eventually finding a new home in Greece. They carried with them a culture that refuses to be extinguished, and a culture that has brought us all here today across the Atlantic Ocean in the great city of New York.

Growing up, my connection to this history was rather quiet. I didn’t speak Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish language that these men and women carried with them. I didn’t even know where my ancestors came from; I just knew I was Jewish. My lack of expression wasn't from not having pride, but simply a lack of exposure. However, speaking with my grandmother over the

past few months has helped me bridge this gap between my personal experiences with Judaism and the roots they are built from. One story she shared stuck out to me. It was of her

grandmother, Anna Koen Dassa, who arrived in the United States illiterate, but possessed a

profound literacy of Sephardic culture and experience, and she was symbolic of the enduring

nature of Judaism in the face of adversity.

Hearing these anecdotes, I felt a shift in perspective. I realized the quiet nature of my expression of my Sephardic heritage mirrored the resilience of my Marrano ancestors. They have shown me that I do not need to be loud to be devoted; I simply need to endure. They kept their culture close even under the immense pressure of religious persecution. This realization has filled me with a strong sense of pride in the ability of my ancestors to continually adapt to the world around them without losing their Ladino language and rich Sephardic culture. To me, the Sephardic Brotherhood is a manifestation of that adaptability. It was the safety net that allowed my family to find community and belonging when they emigrated from Greece, and now, it has offered me an opportunity to appreciate my family, continue their traditions, and honor their past.

Although I will never meet the millions of Sephardic brothers and sisters that came before me, I take great pride in the resilience, courage, and adaptability of my ancestors. As I pursue an education in Music Technology and Business, I hope to carry those same traits with me as I explore my rich Sephardic heritage through music and revive the lost art of

Judeo-Spanish music with contemporary styles and equipment.

To be Sephardic, like to be a musician, is to be adaptable with the ebb and flow of life and sound. I am proud to carry this adaptability onward, using the technology of the present to honor my heritage of the past.

The Scholarship Program is only possible with the Support of Community members like you. Please consider making a donation today or endowing a named Scholarship in Honor or in Memory of a Loved one - a beautiful way to permanently honor their legacy in the Sephardic Community.

Interested in endowing a named scholarship fund in honor or in memory of a loved one? Email our Managing Director at ethan@sephardicbrotherhood.com or call 718-685-0080