Reclaiming Identity: Recent Episodes
Reclaiming Identity
We hope you enjoyed our interview with Danielle and Galeet Darsdashti. We wanted to be sure that you followed up with the full "Nightingale of Iran" podcast, so listen here to the first episode and continue listening through www.nightingaleofiran.com.
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Drora and Dalya talk to Michele Gordon about what it means to him to be part of the Jewish story and his travels to find out more about the greater Jewish world.
Michel Gordon is a Brazilian photographer who has traveled several times to Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, searching for Jewish heritage in those places. He published his first book about Jews in Islam in 2009 (in Brazil) and the last one in 2023 (in the Netherlands).
Between these works, he published a book about his perspective as a photographer in Tehran, in 2015. He is a graduate in Physics, with an MSc in Physical Oceanography and MA in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. As a hobby, he works ten hours a day in a bank, as a market and liquidity risk manager.
For more about Jewish Unity Through Diversity: https://www.unitytdiversity.com/
Donate to support this and other JUTD projects: http://tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate
About the Podcast:
Producer: Moshe Singer
Executive producers: Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Intro music by Vanessa Paloma
Drora is joined by Professor Yitzchak Sabban to discuss growing up in Libya, living in Israel and coming to the US.
For more about Jewish Unity Through Diversity: https://www.unitytdiversity.com/
Donate to support this and other JUTD projects: http://tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate
About the Podcast:
Producer: Moshe Singer
Executive producers: Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Intro music by Vanessa Paloma
Dalya and Drora speak with Sarah Sassoon, an author and educator about her Iraqi heritage and discovering her family history through her writing.
Sarah Sassoon is an Australian, Iraqi Jewish writer, poet and educator. She is the author of the award winning children’s picture book Shoham’s Bangle and online poetry chapbook This is Why We Don’t Look Back. She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and her work has appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Lilith, MER, Ruminate and elsewhere. Her forthcoming picture book This is Not a Cholent is forthcoming in 2024 with Kar-Ben Publishing.
Sarah’s writing follows her curiosity exploring her Iraqi Jewish history, the story of refugees and resilience, the rich, layered 2600-year-old culture of Babylonian Jews, with a special interest in Middle Eastern women’s experience.
Sarah currently lives in Jerusalem with her four boys and a Belgian Malinois she found at her local coffeeshop.
For more about Sarah and her writing: https://sarahsassoon.com/
For more about Jewish Unity Through Diversity: https://www.unitytdiversity.com/
Donate to support this and other JUTD projects: http://tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate
About the Podcast:
Producer: Moshe Singer
Executive producers: Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Intro music by Vanessa Paloma
Drora and Dalya speak with Danielle and Galeet Dardashti about growing up un-Persian, discovering their family's story and the personal impact of their new podcast, The Nightingale of Iran.
For more about Danielle and Galeet's podcast, The Nightingale of Iran: https://www.nightingaleofiran.com/
For more on Galeet's album, Monajat: https://www.galeetdardashti.com/monajat
Danielle Dardashti is an Emmy award-winning documentary writer/producer, a former on-air TV news reporter, and a storySLAM champion who has been featured on NPR’s Moth Radio Hour. She is the co-author of the Jewish Family Fun Book (Jewish Lights) and co-founder/Creative Director of live storytelling show Storyboom. Danielle leads corporate storytelling workshops all over the world.
Dr. Galeet Dardashti is a renowned musician and anthropologist of Middle Eastern Jewish culture. In her new release, Monajat, she sings and composes around samples of her famed Iranian grandfather - The Nightingale of Iran - with an acclaimed ensemble of musicians. She has held Assistant Professor positions at JTS and NYU and is currently a Fellow at University of Pennsylvania’s Katz Center.
For more about Jewish Unity Through Diversity: https://www.unitytdiversity.com/
Donate to support this and other JUTD projects: http://tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate
About the Podcast:
Producer: Moshe Singer
Executive producers: Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Intro music by Vanessa Paloma
Drora and Dalya speak with Dóra and Sebastian, co-founders of Qesher. We talk to them about where they grew up, how they got to starting their enlightening initiative and what they've learned along the way, about other Jewish communities and about themselves!
Dóra Koranyi is a psychologist and tour guide in the Jewish quarter of Budapest. After completing her studies in Israel, Dóra returned to Hungary where she worked actively in different Jewish organizations and also took an active role in a grassroots, egalitarian Jewish community.
Originally from Venezuela, Sebastian Mizrahi has lived most of his life between Israel and Europe. He studied Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and History and Tourism in Salamanca, Spain. Sebastian is currently based in Budapest, Hungary.
For more about Jewish Unity Through Diversity: www.unitytdiversity.com
Donate to this and other JUTD projects: http://tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate
About the Podcast:
Producer: Moshe Singer
Executive producers: Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Intro music by Vanessa Paloma
Drora speaks with Beejhy about arriving and growing up in Israel, becoming a wandering Jew, and finding her home in an Ethiopian-Israeli cafe in Harlem.
Beejhy is an Ethiopian-born and Israeli-raised chef and activist who has called Harlem home for the past 20 years. She's a proud Ethiopian, a proud Jew, and a proud black woman. She is also the founder of BINA, Beta Israel of North American Cultural Foundation. She now celebrates her vast heritage through the food and events at Tsion Cafe https://www.tsioncafe.com/
For more about Jewish Unity Through Diversity: www.unitytdiversity.com
Donate to support this and other JUTD projects: http://tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate
About the Podcast:
Producer: Moshe Singer
Executive producers: Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Intro music by Vanessa Paloma
Ethiopian Shabbat song https://youtu.be/D60G7Zd3jYo?si=NYEngyDFR75OQ79e
Roz Kohen was born and raised in İstanbul, Türkiye. She attended the Jewish Lycée, B'nai B'rith in the Galata region and graduated from the American College for Girls in İstanbul. She has a graduate degree in Library Science. She retired recently after working as manager of one of St. Louis County Library branches in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
Roz shares with us her life growing up in Istanbul, making her way to Israel and then the US, finding out along the way what it means to be "Sephardic."
Interviewer: Dr. Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy
Producer: Moshe Singer
Executive Producers: Dr. Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Musical attributions:
Vanessa Paloma - "Avrom Avinu" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
Vanessa Paloma - "Moses Salio De Misrayim" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
Samuel Torjman Thomas - Judeo-Muslim Soundscapes in Morocco: A Tradition of Musical Dialogue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_gLMmJEfko&list=PLe9MY0_QNmDr8hsh2cae_RXuw9vhWqRF7
Samuel Torjman Thomas - Uncommon Commonalities: Music and Piyyut as Dialogue https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lBlcpUPxZ0WpI0VqeAtfodBAojegWoQV/view?usp=sharing
Manashe Khaimov is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SAMi which focuses on the Leadership Development of under-served Jewish communities on college campuses and in their communities in North America. Manashe is a fourth-generation community organizer, serial entrepreneur, and social innovator who builds and consults organizations on Jewish diversity. Manashe is an Adjunct Professor in Jewish Studies, with a specialty in the History and Culture of the Central Asian Jews at Queens College. In his previous role as a Director of Community Engagement and Development at Queens College Hillel, he focused on creating Sepharadi and Mizrahi Leadership at five CUNY Hillel campuses. Manashe sat on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee at Hillel International and served as a facilitator of the Mizrahi and Sephardi Hillel Professionals resource group. In 2022 Manashe received “Person Of The Year 2020-2021” the highest award and recognition in the Bukharian Community in the USA and Canada.
He shares with us here his life growing up in Uzbekistan, adapting to life in the US and giving the next generation tools to build communities of Jewish heritage and pride.
Interviewer: Dr. Drora Arussy
Producer: Moshe Singer
Executive Producers: Dr. Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Musical attributions:
Vanessa Paloma - "Avrom Avinu" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
Vanessa Paloma - "Moses Salio De Misrayim" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
Samuel Torjman Thomas - Judeo-Muslim Soundscapes in Morocco: A Tradition of Musical Dialogue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_gLMmJEfko&list=PLe9MY0_QNmDr8hsh2cae_RXuw9vhWqRF7
Samuel Torjman Thomas - Uncommon Commonalities: Music and Piyyut as Dialogue https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lBlcpUPxZ0WpI0VqeAtfodBAojegWoQV/view?usp=sharing
Rachel Amado Bortnick is a Sephardic Jew, a Ladino speaker, born and raised in Izmir, Turkey. She came to the United States in 1958 on a scholarship from Lindenwood University in Missouri, from which she received a BA in Chemistry. Now, Rachel resides in Dallas, and is retired after teaching ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) for 35 years. For many years Rachel has been active in the preservation and promotion of Judeo-Spanish language and culture. In the San Francisco Bay Area she founded and was president of Los Amigos Sefaradis. She is featured in the documentary film, "Trees Cry for Rain: a Sephardic Journey," produced in 1988 by Bonnie Burt. In 1999 Rachel founded Ladinokomunita (https://ladinokomunita.groups.io/g/main) a Ladino correspondence group on the Internet, which now has over 1400 members from 38 countries. She has served as the president of the Dallas Jewish Historical Society, and as the secretary of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies.
Rachel shares with us her life growing up in Izmir, coming to the US and "finding" and maintaining her Sephardi heritage through the preservation of Ladino.
Interviewer: Dr. Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy
Producer: Moshe Singer
Executive Producers: Dr. Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Musical attributions:
Vanessa Paloma - "Avrom Avinu" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
Vanessa Paloma - "Moses Salio De Misrayim" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
Samuel Torjman Thomas - Judeo-Muslim Soundscapes in Morocco: A Tradition of Musical Dialogue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_gLMmJEfko&list=PLe9MY0_QNmDr8hsh2cae_RXuw9vhWqRF7
Samuel Torjman Thomas - Uncommon Commonalities: Music and Piyyut as Dialogue https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lBlcpUPxZ0WpI0VqeAtfodBAojegWoQV/view?usp=sharing
Ruben Shimonov is a Jewish educator and community builder of Bukhara heritage. today he is the Director of the American Sephardi Federation's Sephardi House Fellows helping to bring Sephardi culture and education to college campuses across the United States. He is a lecturer and calligrapher who is in demand at venues across the globe. Ruben serves as the Director of the Sephardi-Mizrachi Q Network and the VP of Education and Community Engagement of the ASF Young Leadership Board.
He shares with us here his life growing up in different communities and the importance he sees in educating for culture and heritage.
Interviewer: Dr. Drora Arussy
Producer: Moshe Singer
Executive Producers: Dr. Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Meet the team behind the content, concepts, themes, and programs of the ASF IJE. Four of us sat down together to discuss why we are involved in this process, what it means to us as individuals, and what it means the the greater Jewish mosaic. Please share with us your thoughts and stories.
Avrom Ariev
Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
Drora Arussy
Yona Ohr
Producer: Avrom Ariev
Executive Producers: Dalya Arussy Di Veroli, Drora Arussy
Dalya speaks with Aaron Paz.
Aaron Paz is a visual artist and cultural entrepreneur. He made Aliyah from Samarkand, Uzbekistan in 2008 and lives in Jerusalem. He manages Shashmaqom, a platform for the dissemination of the culture of Central Asia. Throughout his work, he intertwines parts of his biography with collective memory and narrative and in so doing reveals cultural and historical unknowns and disproves conventions.
Producer and editor: Moshe Singer
Executive Producers: Drora Arussy and Dalya Arussy Di Veroli
ASF Institute of Jewish Experience
Dr. Mijal Bitton is a Torah teacher, thought leader, and spiritual entrepreneur.
As the Rosh Kehilla (communal leader) of the Downtown Minyan in New York City and Scholar-in-Residence at the Shalom Hartman Institute, she is committed to building vibrant and welcoming traditional Jewish life.
Mijal earned her doctorate from New York University where she is now directing the first national study of Sephardic Jews in the United States. She is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and was selected in 2018 for inclusion in “36 under 36” in the New York Jewish Week as a “Public Intellectual (with) Public Values”.
She lives in New York with her husband, Rabbi Sion Setton, and their two children.
Drora discusses with Mijal her background growing up in between South America and the United States, researching the Syrian Jewish community, and her new projects aimed at understanding the Sephardic diaspora.
To dedicate an episode drora@americansephardi.org.
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Yoni's new album, "Fragments," is a collection of original and traditional music surrounding my Iraqi-Jewish identity. With lyrics in Arabic, Hebrew, English, and Yiddish, the music utilizes Arabic modes and rhythms with an ensemble of traditional Arabic instruments to grapple with the fragmentation of ancestry and memory. This project offers visibility and recognition for the many unseen Middle Eastern Jews in America, while making room for listeners of all backgrounds to take something from my message of resilience and healing.
Yoni Avi Battat is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer specializing in contemporary and traditional Jewish music from Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He maintains an active performance schedule across the country, playing violin, viola, and oud (middle-eastern lute) in collaborative and interdisciplinary projects spanning a wide range of styles. Yoni has performed across the United States, Canada, Israel, Portugal, and Italy with a variety of artists and ensembles such as Earth, Wind and Fire, Yair Dalal, Shai Tsabari, Nava Tehila, VSNY, and Di Gasn Trio. Most recently, he’s been touring nationally as an actor and violinist with the Tony Award-winning musical, “The Band’s Visit.” In 2015, Yoni founded his own Yiddish-Jazz band called Two Shekel Swing, which has since released their debut album “Pocket Change,” performed in Toronto’s Jewish Music Week, and opened for Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird, amongst other public appearances. Yoni works as a song leader, facilitating musical prayer in Jewish communities, and is a fellow with Hadar’s Rising Song Institute. Yoni studied classical viola at Brandeis University (B.A.) and Boston University (M.M), and traditional Middle-Eastern musical traditions in Jerusalem. www.yonibattat.com
When Sharona's son was born she knew that she wanted to ensure that he was exposed to her heritage. She left Israel to a life in the US, but did not leave Israel or her Yemenite roots behind - they were and are a source of pride for her. She talks to us about the warmth and knowledge with which she grew up with her parents who themselves were born in Yemen. She talks about the pride in being a part of the Jewish and Israeli mosaic. Furthermore, Sharona has created a community in Philadelphia where one can share their Israeli pride within the Jewish community.
Attributions:
-Liora Itzhak - Seret Varod https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PSWsjbwzzo
-Lamenters - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLUOmbrzNUk
-Vanessa Paloma - AVRAM AVINU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
-VANESSA PALOMA - MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
Professor Jean-Claude Lasry and his wife Arielle discuss with their five children the important role the Moroccan heritage has played in their lives and each shares their connection to this heritage.
Professor Jean-Claude Lasry is an academic and prolific writer on the Sephardic community. A leader of the Montréal Sephardic community during its formative years, one of his foremost accomplishments was his role in establishing the École Maïmonide, Canada’s first Jewish school with French-language instruction.
Lasry arrived in Montreal in 1957 as a member of the third Moroccan Jewish family to settle in the city following Morocco’s independence and increasingly difficult conditions for Jews. Lasry became intrigued by issues of social integration and reception of the new wave of immigrants, both from the established anglophone Ashkenazi Jewish community and the surrounding French community. These topics served as both the focus of much of his future research and as motivation for his community involvement.
Eytan, Arielle, Karene, Yohan and Aurelie join him here to share their stories and growing up Moroccan in Montreal.
Attributions:
-
Vanessa Paloma - AVRAM AVINU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
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Samuel Torjman, Thomas - Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco - a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
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VANESSA PALOMA - MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
- Leah Avraham performance
Hazzan Joshua Daniels and Miriam Daniels were each born in Bombay. Ariella is their Torontonian-born daughter. Each had unique experiences, and each shares their stories of different ages and stages in life while reflecting on how they fit into the greater Jewish world. There are stories of prejudice and pride and reclaiming identity. Joshua can be a cantor for prayers in nearly every rite, from Ashkenazi to Bene Israel to Baghdadi. Miriam has found her place within the Jewish community and shares the long history of the Bene Israel of India. Ariella is very involved in integrating Jewish diversity. They, as a family, have found the beauty in the Jewish mosaic and share it with us and wherever they can.
Attributions:
- Vaness Paloma - AVRAM AVINU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
- VANESSA PALOMA - MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
- Samuel Torjman, Thomas - Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco - a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
- Liora Itzhak - Mala Mala (In Hindi)
Together wtih E'eleh BeTamar, the organization representing Jewish Yemenites in Israel, ASF Institute of Jewish Experience brought together millennials of mixed backgrounds to speak about their time growing up in Israel and how they are now successful, despite the prejudice they experienced. An opera singer, an activist, a musicologist, and a silversmith came together with our own Dalya Arussy Di Veroli at the Yemenite Jewry and Jewish Communities of Israel Heritage Center in Rehovot, Israel. This group spoke openly about the prejudice they endured growing up, and how they turned around that negativity to create a positive reflection on their heritage.
Attributions:
- Samuel Torjman, Thomas - Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco - a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
- Zion Golan - Iyuni Lak
- Leah Avraham performance
- Zion Golan - Ya Rachman El Rachmin
- VANESSA PALOMA - MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
- VANESSA PALOMA - AVRAM AVINU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
Ellie Rudee is a proud Ashkenazi from Seattle - so why is she on our show? Well, first we don’t discriminate. But more to the point, she talks here about growing up in Seattle but only realizing the rich mosaic of Jewish life once she moved to Israel. Her journalism and food tours allows her to share the rich texture of Jewish food and society with the greater Jewish world. Here she talks about her journey.
Ellie "Foodie" Rudee is a culinary journalist and tour guide based in Jerusalem. Born and raised in Seattle, Ellie often writes about the intersections of the culinary arts and culture, history, and Jewish identity. She has met with and written about Jewish communities globally, from the Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan, to the Jewish community of Havana, Cuba. Ellie's articles have been published widely, including in Forbes, USA Today, Jerusalem Post, Jewish News Syndicate, and countless other news outlets around the world. She is the founder and organizer of Jerusalem Cooking Club, a social, skill-sharing club for young Jerusalemite foodies, as well as the food retreat, "Jerusalem Mix: Exploring Israeli Cuisine.” She loves to cook, travel, and write (not at the same time, but... challenge accepted!) and host people at her apartment for food-centered events.
Attributions:
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Tair Haim - Mitbashelet Leat | תאיר חיים - מתבשלת לאט https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znDLEamEF8U
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AVRAM AVINU- Vanessa Paloma Canta Ladino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
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Samuel Torjman, Thomas - Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco - a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
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אייל גולן יפה שלי Eyal Golan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdT8_v1SUJY
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VANESSA PALOMA - MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
Aviel is descended of Jews of Moroccan and Tunisian heritage. Gabriella is descended of Jews of Yemenite and Syrian heritage. With all this rich cultural and customs background, they did not feel that richness growing up. There was almost a superficial nature to the way the customs were maintained in their families. Here the young couple (joined by their infant son) talk about the struggles and beauty that they found upon internalizing this diverse heritage.
Gavriella Bigio Dahan and Aviel Dahan have two kids and live in Jerusalem. Gavriella is American-Israeli and works in the Jewish Agency's Financial Resource Development Department as a donor missions manager and is active in her local Jerusalem community. Aviel Dahan is Israeli and leads a non-profit to prevent sexual harassment called Bystander Israel and is active in social entrepreneurship.
Gail, Sasha, and Esther Joseph were all born in Mumbai to a family with ancient Jewish roots, better known as the Bene Israel community. Here they speak with Drora about their the importance of maintaining their Indian Jewish traditions while in small Jewish communities in the US and Mumbai.
Gail and Esther Joseph (sisters) were born and brought up in India. Both their parents were Indian Jews. They were raised in a traditional Indian Jewish home. The synagogue was close to home and they attended there Shabbat services every Friday.
Gail moved to the United States in 2015 and is currently working at a cancer research company in North Carolina. She got married in 2017 and the wedding was officiated by a Reformed Rabbi. Gail and her husband have a one-year-old who is being raised Jewish as well.
Esther resides in Mumbai and is currently setting up her Kosher Culinary business specializing in traditional Indian Jewish cuisines. She also wants to introduce Kosher food to the Non-Jewish community in India.
Sasha Joseph is Esther and Gail’s niece. Though the age gap between Sasha and Gail is just 5 years. Sasha is an Indian immigrant born in Mumbai, currently living in Oakland, California. She is all about creating radically welcoming spaces and has dedicated her professional life to promoting the diversity of Jewish life into every experience she creates.
Living as a Jewish immigrant in Oklahoma sparked her passion for social justice. She currently works with Dimensions Educational Consulting as their program coordinator for Jewish Women of color Resilience Circle.
Brothers Evyatar and David Said are musicians with a strong connection to their Yemenite heritage. Having a close relationship with their grandmother throughout their childhood, they feel a responsibility to reclaim the Yemenite pride and heritage. Here they discuss prejudice and pride with Drora.
By day Evyatar is a data analyst for a medical company. But in the evenings he is a performer, dancer, choreographer, event planner, and musician with a focus on Yemenite culture. He uses music and dance to relay messages of belonging and past.
David is a student of classical music who shares the responsibility of reclaiming their Yemenite heritage and sharing it with the world.
Dr. Isaac Amon is the Director of Research and Project Development at Jewish Heritage Alliance. Here he spoke with Drora and Dalya about his deep interest in the Sephardi story while still maintaining a strong connection to the Ashkenazi half of his family heritage.
Dr. Amon graduated summa cum laude with Highest Honors in Medieval History, with a focus on the Iberian Inquisition, before earning a J. D., LL.M in alternative dispute resolution and a J.S.D. (PhD in Law) in comparative law, criminal procedure, and legal history, all from Washington University in St. Louis.
In law school, he was awarded the Dagen-Legomsky Public Interest Fellowship to work at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague and served as a research assistant to the Special Adviser on Crimes Against Humanity to the Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court. With a background in international and comparative history and law, he studied at Utrecht University, Hebrew University, and the Sorbonne; lectured on criminal procedure, the Inquisition, and Sephardic history in the United States and Canada to professional and lay audiences; and served as an Adjunct Professor of Law to visiting students, lawyers, and judges. Most recently, he has been published in law review and professional journals.
A first generation American, Dr. Isaac Amon's paternal ancestors originated in 15th century Spain before leaving the Iberian Peninsula due to the Expulsion of 1492. Over the centuries, following their arrival in the Ottoman Empire, they served as Chief Rabbis, diplomats, and physicians to the Sultans.
Dr. Isaac Amon is the Director of Research and Project Development at Jewish Heritage Alliance. Here he spoke with Drora and Dalya about his deep interest in the Sephardi story while still maintaining a strong connection to the Ashkenazi half of his family heritage.
Dr. Amon graduated summa cum laude with Highest Honors in Medieval History, with a focus on the Iberian Inquisition, before earning a J. D., LL.M in alternative dispute resolution and a J.S.D. (PhD in Law) in comparative law, criminal procedure, and legal history, all from Washington University in St. Louis.
In law school, he was awarded the Dagen-Legomsky Public Interest Fellowship to work at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague and served as a research assistant to the Special Adviser on Crimes Against Humanity to the Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court. With a background in international and comparative history and law, he studied at Utrecht University, Hebrew University, and the Sorbonne; lectured on criminal procedure, the Inquisition, and Sephardic history in the United States and Canada to professional and lay audiences; and served as an Adjunct Professor of Law to visiting students, lawyers, and judges. Most recently, he has been published in law review and professional journals.
A first generation American, Dr. Isaac Amon's paternal ancestors originated in 15th century Spain before leaving the Iberian Peninsula due to the Expulsion of 1492. Over the centuries, following their arrival in the Ottoman Empire, they served as Chief Rabbis, diplomats, and physicians to the Sultans.
Three Bene Israel community members in their 20s moved from Mumbai to Israel to become part of the greater Jewish story. Here they speak with Dalya about their trials and successes in maintaining their 2,000 year old past while integrating into Israeli society.
Aviva Jacob is originally from Mumbai, India. She made Aliyah to Israel and currently lives in Jerusalem. She works as a secretary at a mental health clinic.
Ronel Jacob is 26 years old and was born and raised in Mumbai, India. Currently, he resides in Herzliya and is pursuing an MA in Government from Reichman University. He completed his undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering from Mumbai University. Thereafter, he worked for ELAL airlines as a security officer for 2 years in Mumbai before deciding to draft to the IDF.
He is a former lone soldier who served as a Sergeant in the Paratroopers Brigade.
Eliana Sasson Phansapurkar is 28 years from Mumbai, India. She has been in Israel approximately 6 years and works in social media marketing
Mother and daughter of Yemenite heritage share their return to spirituality and the Yemenite heritage.
Geula Vardi is an artist In the past she worked for Ofra Haza, designing her performing clothing, and did some paintings inspired by her music. She also developed a program showcasing the culture and heritage of the Yemenitepeople, including their rich folklore traditions and the culture of Yemen. One of her drawings was provided as a gesture of peace to the Foreign Minister of Yemen at the United Nations.
Shiri Sher is an author of spiritual children’s books, aimed at helping young children understand Judaism’s intricacies – one of these was illustrated by her mother. Both mother and daughter are educators at their core and believe that their deep spirituality is based in their connection to their Sephardi Heritage.
https://world-of-art.wixsite.com/world-of-art/about
https://www.instagram.com/authorshirisher/?hl=en
https://www.amazon.com/Shiri-Sher/e/B07WNF78H9%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Daniel Hakim was born in Adelaide, Australia to a mother from Alexandria and a father from Cairo. Here he talks with us about growing up in an Ashkenazi environment and coming back to his roots to ensure that his children share his pride in his Egyptian Jewish heritage.
Danny is a two-time world karate silver medalist and holds a 7th degree blackbelt from Japan. He is the founder and chairman of Budo for Peace and Chairman of Israel Life Saving Federation. Danny is also a board member of Maccabi World Union, the Alliance of Middle East Peace, Kids Kicking Cancer, and the Azrieli Foundation.
Richard Sassoon is an Iraqi-American of Jewish heritage who graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and Fordham University Law School with a J.D. with an LL.M. in European Business Law from Madrid’s Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Here he tells the story of his Iraqi roots amongst his Ashkenazi community in New York.
Thank you, Richard, for joining us.
Programs like Reclaiming Identity are made possible by patrons like you. Please consider becoming a member today of the Jewish Sephardic Pillars Society at InstituteofJewishExperience.org.
For sponsorship opportunities or to share your story (or interview someone you know) please reach out to drora@americansephardi.org.
Music for this episode:
- – AVRAM AVINU- Vanessa Paloma Canta Ladino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
- VANESSA PALOMA – MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
- Thomas, Samuel Torjman
- Samuel Torjman, Thomas – Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco – a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
- Julius H – Big Apple – Jazzy Piano and bass music. (Pixabay)
- Palle1958 – Russian inspired – positive (Pixabay)
- Dar Golan – Chic Magnet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0FFQHQ4neo (Please see license agreement as attached.)
Ashley Perry is a proud Sephardi Jew and advocate for educating towards understanding of the Jews of MENA and the greater Sephardi world. he is a former senior Israeli government advisor and international campaign and communication strategist. Here Ashley discusses his own journey as part of the Sephardi world and his passion for bringing to light the rich heritage of the greater Sephardi world.
Please consider joining ASF Institute of Jewish Experience by becoming a member today InstituteofJewishExperience.org. Sponsorship and donation opportunities are also available to ensure continued and expanded programming and educational resources. Join the movement today.
Music for this episode:
- AVRAM AVINU- Vanessa Paloma Canta Ladino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
- VANESSA PALOMA – MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
- Thomas, Samuel Torjman
- Samuel Torjman, Thomas – Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco – a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
- JuliusH – Flamenco Guitar duo – flamenco – Spanish Guitar Music (Pixabay)
- Ahmad Music – Endless Ocean (Taranta) Ahmadmousavipour (Pixabay)
- Daniel Halfon – Ki Eshemera Shabbat – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaJGKjtTfTA
- Leah Avraham performance
- Daniel Halfon – Nakdishakh (Amsterdam) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrPu5dF-ZoI
Rabbi Dr. Eli Abadie was born in Lebanon, raised in Mexico, educated in New York, and now lives in Dubai. His story is one of migration and pride around the world.
Thank you Rabbi Abadie for sharing your story with us here.
Programs like Reclaiming Identity are made possible through sponsors like you. Please consider becoming a member today of the ASF Institute of Jewish Experience: InstituteofJewishExperience.org.
For sponsorship opportunities and to share your story, or that of someone you know, please reach out to drora@americansephardi.org.
Music for this episode:
- AVRAM AVINU- Vanessa Paloma Canta Ladino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
- VANESSA PALOMA – MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
- Samuel Torjman, Thomas – Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco – a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
- Ahmad Music – bella ciao Guitar Ahmadmousavipour (Pixabay)
- Thomas, Samuel Torjman
- Julius H – Mexican huapango banda (Pixabay)
- Andrewfai – Mexico guitars country music (Pixabay)
- Zion Golan – Ana Yamani
- Zion Golan – Ya Rachman El Rachmin
- Daniel Halfon – Nakdishakh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrPu5dF-ZoI
- Zakharvalaha – Country fiddle wave (Pixabay)
Yael Grafy is an Israeli CEO of the Crossroads of Civilizations Museum in Dubai. Being half Yemenite and half Tunisian she talks about growing up knowing little about her background and coming to understand her rich heritage while living in an Arab country.
Special thanks to Yael Grafy for sharing your story with us.
If you would like to participate as a sponsor or to share your story please reach out to drora@americansephardi.org.
Programs like this exist because of members and sponsors like you. Please consider becoming a member or donating today: InstituteofJewishExperience.org.
- AVRAM AVINU- Vanessa Paloma Canta Ladino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
- VANESSA PALOMA – MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
- Thomas, Samuel Torjman
- Samuel Torjman, Thomas – Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco – a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
- Leah Avraham performance
- Zion Golan – lyuni Lak
- Zion Golan – Ana Yamani
- Zion Golan – Ya Rachman El Rachmin
Rabbi Albert Gabbi was born in Cairo along with his nine siblings. They had a very full Jewish life there with thriving synagogues, schools, and community. Things changed in 1948, then again in 1967 when he was imprisoned along with his brothers for three years. But this was only the beginning of his story. Here he shares his road to becoming a rabbi in Philadelphia and the pride in his Jewish Sephardi heritage.
Thank you Rabbi Gabbai for participating.
Our programs, like Reclaiming Identity, only exist due to donations from people like you. Please consider becoming a member today of the ASF Institute of Jewish Experience at InstituteofJewishExperience.org.
For sponsorship opportunities or to share your story or that of a family member, please reach out to drora@americansephardi.org.
Music for this episode:
- AVRAM AVINU- Vanessa Paloma Canta Ladino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
- VANESSA PALOMA – MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
- JuliusH – Southern Gospel Piano Blues (Pixabay)
- Samuel Torjman Thomas – Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco – a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
- Umm Khultum – Seret El Hob
- Umm Khulum – You are my lifetime
- Daniel Halfon – Ki Eshemera Shabbat – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaJGKjtTfTA
- Dar Golan – Royalty Free French Music – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpdk091aNns&t=55s (Please see license agreement as attached.)
- Nesrality – Alexander’s Ragtime Band, 1911, by Irving Berlin, live recorded piano music (Pixabay)
- Julius H – Big Apple – Jazzy Piano and bass music. (Pixabay)
- Julius H – Hava Nagila orchestra clarinet. (Pixabay)
- Daniel Halfon – Nakdishakh (Amsterdam) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrPu5dF-ZoI
Dr. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah, Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Groningen, here interviews Myriam Levain, founder of InTun on Instagram. Myriam has reconnected with Tunisia the country, the people, and the Jewish heritage.
Thank you Sasha and Myriam for your participation.
Programs like Reclaiming Identity are available due to patrons and sponsors. Please consider becoming a member today and sponsoring a program on InstituteofJewishExperience.org.
Music for this episode:
- – AVRAM AVINU- Vanessa Paloma Canta Ladino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
- VANESSA PALOMA – MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
- Thomas, Samuel Torjman
- Samuel Torjman, Thomas – Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco – a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
- Leah Avraham performance
- Julius H – Der Schwan – The Swan – Le Cygne – Le Carnaval des Animaux – Camille Saint Saens 1886 – Concert Grant Piano (Pixabay)
- Umm Khultum – Seret El Hob
- Dar Golan – Chic Magnet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0FFQHQ4neo
Dr. Alon Tam, an expert in Egyptian Jewry and of Egyptian descent himself interviews sisters Colette and Gigi Winston. All were raised by strong, elegant, sophisticated and educated Jews from Cairo who then raised families in Israel and the US.
Thank you Colette, Gigi, and Alon, for sharing your stories.
If you would like to participate in an interview and/or sponsor an interview please reach out to drora@americansephardi.org.
Programs like this are run through donations from our generous patrons. Please consider becoming a member or donating today InstituteofJewishExperience.org.
Music in this episode:
- Umm Khultum – Seret El Hob
- Umm Khulum – You are my lifetime
- AVRAM AVINU- Vanessa Paloma Canta Ladino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqizmoj9n74&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=2
- VANESSA PALOMA – MOSES SALIO DE MISRAYIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1qeR-NV30&list=PLGhpKVCbiejTOe6Y1QYxiPWwg2mZt2R4w&index=1
- Dar Golan – Royalty Free French Music – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpdk091aNns&t=55s (Please see license agreement as attached.)
- Dar Golan – Chic Magnet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0FFQHQ4neo (Please see license agreement as attached.)
- Nesrality – Alexander’s Ragtime Band, 1911, by Irving Berlin, live recorded piano music (Pixabay)
- Samuel Torjman, Thomas – Judeo-Muslim soundscapes in Morocco – a Tradition of Musical Dialogue
- Ahmad Music – bella ciao Guitar Ahmadmousavipour (Pixabay)
Sisters Colette and Gigi Wilson were raised by a mother and grandmother from Cairo. They discuss with Dr. Tam, himself a descendant of Jews from Cairo as well as a scholar of Egyptian Jewry, the legacy that they cherish. The elegance, foods, education and Jewish pride are shared as well as the stories of what it was like being raised in the US and Israel by Egyptian Jews.
Opening music features Vanessa Paloma and background music from Umm Kulthum.