From Harif UK - Preserving the history and culture of Jews from the Middle East & North Africa:
Sephardi Jews, with their diverse roots spanning the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and the Middle East, bring rich traditions and practices to the observance of Tisha B’Ab, the fast day in the Jewish calendar which commemorates tragedies in Jewish history...
Rabbi Daniel Bouskila will be explaining the background to a Moroccan Kina, or lamentation, while Dayan Daniel Kada will talk about how Syrian Jews observe this solemn day. We also hope to hear how Yemenite Jews mark Tisha B’Ab.
Listeners will be able to share their specific memories of Tisha b’Ab, the food eaten before and after the fast and folk customs.
Good news: Stephanie is expanding ESCAPE FROM TEHRAN, into a full length play, from its current One Act format, and it will be showcased as part of the PLAYGROUND SHOWCASE, in November, 2024, in preparation for a full run, in the Bay Area, in June, 2025.
The 7 October Hamas massacre was the most recent in a long line of pogroms to afflict Middle Eastern and North African Jews in modern times. This month we commemorate the 83rd anniversary of the Farhud massacre of June 1941, which claimed the lives of at least 180 Jews in Iraq.
Michelle Huberman, creative director of Harif, will share a visual presentation detailing some of the massacres and murderous riots suffered by MENA Jews over the last 100 years.
IMPORTANT: Please note that no registration is required but for security reasons, only participants identified by name (ie not 'Ipad' or "Wonderwoman') will be admitted. The event will be live-streamed to the Harif Facebook page and recorded.
The Greek Jewish Festival in NYC is today, which means making my annual guess at how many delicious borekas I can eat there without my wheat intolerance kicking the daylights out of me. Woohoo! 😀 Check out the festival if you're in the area!
Had a similar problem this past week at a conference. How much wheat is too much? The way I feel today, I definitely passed the boundary at some point in the last cay or two. Might have been the wagyu burger. Should have dumped the bun.
East of the River celebrates the release of its new album Ija Mia on AVIE records.
The album braids together the rich vocal and instrumental music of the Sephardic diaspora with the soundscapes of its people, from North Africa through the Ottoman Empire. Nina Stern and Daphna Mor are joined by acclaimed Armenian-American oud player and composer Ara Dinkjian, Silk Road Ensemble founding member Shane Shanahan, Palestinian multi-instrumentalist Zafer Tawil, and innovative Israeli bass player Tal Mashiach.
This Moroccan Passover Apricot Cake Is Lighter Than Air
With flavors of almond, orange blossom and citrus.
By Joanna Nissim | March 31, 2024
“Pellebe” is a Judeo-Arabic word used by the Jews of Morocco, who mainly hail from Spain. As well as for Passover, this popular cake is often made for birthdays and other celebrations throughout the year. It is often layered up with the orange marmalade called ma’azumor and sometimes also topped with meringue, making it extra decadent! Some start or finish the Yom Kippur fast with a slice of the cake and a coffee that has sweet egg cream added — and any leftovers are, of course, served as a breakfast cake, I see no better way to start the day!"
April marks the one-year anniversary of Savor's official launch!
To celebrate, we are now making FREE to everyone our digital portal!! In the portal, you have access to ALL Savor songs along with matching recipes and cooking videos recorded by an array of world-class female chefs. We are so proud of the work we have done this year and we are equally proud to share it with you in this way...
Welcome to the Savor Digital Portal, where you can listen to all of the music and lyrics from Savor paired with recipes and cooking videos with our roster of female chefs who each promotes and preserves Sephardic culture in her work.
Sunday, April 7
How to Make a Moroccan Passover Feast
A flavor-packed seder meal awaits you in this hour-long cooking class.
A moist lamb tagine slow-cooked with saffron, apricots and much more. A soothing North African fava bean soup. A bright citrus and fennel salad. Rich charoset truffles. You can easily cook this Moroccan Passover feast!
In this hour-long class, Rachel Emquies Sheff and Sharon Gomperts — AKA the Sephardic Spice Girls — will teach you how to incorporate centuries-old Moroccan-Jewish techniques and flavors into your seder meal this year.
In addition to the live instruction on Zoom, all registrants will receive recipes and a recording of the class.