American Jewry’s blind spot regarding Mizrahi Jews The erasure of an entire segment of our people is unforgivable on moral grounds, and on a practical level does not make for an honest, realistic debate. Nave Dromi July 6, 2020
We need a Jewish reorientation towards the East We must remember that the Jewish world is centered in the East, where the Jewish people began, and where today, in Israel, our peoplehood is maintained and continues to blossom. Hen Mazzig Aug. 12, 2019
Putting Jewish refugees from Arab countries on the global agenda Unfortunately, this history—the forced exodus of Jews who, along with their descendants, constitute the majority of Jews in Israel—is barely studied, mostly ignored and seemingly of little interest to the general population and even to Diaspora Jewry. Ashley Perry Nov. 20, 2018
From Berlin to . . . Babylon? Baghdad is a part of my soul from which I’ve been largely cut off. Just as we can’t be afraid that Jews are returning to Berlin, as a historical correction, let us now change focus to Babylon, where organized Judaism once blossomed. Orit Arfa April 16, 2018
How the Holocaust became part of Israel’s mixed Jewish identity Today, it is rare to find Israeli Jews in their 20s and younger who don’t share ancestors from both the Ashkenazi and Sephardic worlds. Israelis are so intermarried that the memory of the Holocaust has become part of the collective historical memory of the entire Jewish population of Israel. Harold Rhode April 12, 2018
Pesach signifies the joining of the Jewish people The debate over what to eat or not eat (the “kitniyot” debate) can serve to divide us, but that would be missing the point of the holiday. Ashley Perry March 26, 2018
Transparency is desperately needed in the case of missing Israeli children Time is running out as babies stolen in the country’s nascent years hit their 60s and 70s. Reut Rory Cohen March 6, 2018
Give Sephardi voices a seat at the global Jewish table It is rare that a week passes without a new initiative in the Jewish world to promote pluralism and diversity. However, what is almost always missing, with very few exceptions, is a voice from outside the Ashkenazi world. Ashley Perry Jan. 30, 2018
The Sephardi perspective While deciding on the title for this blog, we were keenly aware of the use of terminology and its sometimes confusing and divisive role. How are non-Ashkenazi Jews to be referred to? We encompass such a variety of backgrounds, cultures, languages and traditions, it is almost impossible to find a word that encapsulates all these disparate groups. Ashley Perry Jan. 23, 2018
