To Rise Together in the New Year

“Ombre mortal, porke duermes? Es tiempo ke roges i te konyores.”

Mortal human, why do you sleep? It is time to rise and plead your case!

With these stirring words, generations of Sephardic Jews have begun the famous Selihah Ben Adam, Lekha Nirdam. Recited during the month of Elul and in the days leading to Yom Kippur, its message reaches across the centuries: Wake up. Reflect. Remember who you are and consider who you still have the power to become.

As we enter a new Jewish year, I find myself wondering what the future holds for our Sephardic community. Will our children and grandchildren know our melodies, speak our languages, and understand the customs carried by our families from generation to generation? Will they inherit strong synagogues, institutions, and communities in which they can feel deeply at home?

This past year offered powerful reminders of what is possible when we come together. At the Sephardic Rabbinic Conference, rabbis, scholars, educators, and communal leaders from across the Sephardic world gathered with a remarkable sense of camaraderie and common purpose. Although they represented many different communities and traditions, they shared a commitment to strengthening Sephardic life and ensuring that our voice continues to be heard.

I felt that same power during our recent tour of Jewish Greece. Standing in places where Sephardic and Romaniote Jewish life once flourished, we were reminded that a community is much more than a collection of individuals. It is a web of memory, responsibility, friendship, and shared experience. When we travel together, pray together, learn together, and care for one another, history becomes more than something we read about, it becomes part of who we are.

That sense of connection is especially important today. We live in a world of phones, laptops, Zoom meetings, and constant digital communication, yet many people feel increasingly isolated and alone. Technology can bring us together across great distances, but it cannot replace the feeling of belonging to a living community. We need opportunities to gather, celebrate, learn, and support one another now more than ever.

At a time of rising antisemitism, we must also redouble our commitment to Sephardic pride. One of the strongest ways to confront hatred is to live openly and confidently as our full selves: in our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and public life. We should never feel that we must hide or diminish our Jewish identity, our Sephardic heritage, or the traditions that make our community unique.

The Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America is working every day to build that future through education, scholarships, youth and young-adult programs, cultural initiatives, communal gatherings, and assistance for those in need. None of this work happens without the participation and generosity of our members and friends.

As the new year begins, we invite you to stand with us. Attend a program, volunteer, become a member, or consider making a donation or establishing a legacy gift. Every act of support helps our community grow stronger and ensures that our Sephardic traditions will continue to inspire generations yet to come.

May this be a year in which we rise together—with pride, purpose, and hope.

Tizku LeShanim Raboth - Anyada Buena I Dulse

Ethan