Sephardic Studies at the University of Washington

Sephardic Studies at the University of Washington The Sephardic Studies Program of the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies is a world-renowned program for the study of Ladino and Sephardic culture.

About the Sephardic Studies Program

As home to one of the largest and most vibrant Sephardic communities in the United States, Seattle offers an ideal environment in which to preserve the legacy of the Sephardic Jewish experience. Partnering with community leaders, the Sephardic Studies Program of the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Washington aims to establish a world-renow

ned program for the study, teaching, and perpetuation of Sephardic culture and the Ladino language. The University of Washington is uniquely situated to serve not only as a center for the study of the Sephardic experience by students and scholars, but also a multifaceted resource center for Sephardic Jews in the community and worldwide. The Sephardic Studies Program has already energized student, faculty, and community involvement in Sephardic history and culture through innovative research opportunities, new courses, and public lectures. Our three mutually enriching areas of focus are research, teaching, and community engagement. The director of the Sephardic Studies Program is Dr. Devin E. Naar, the Isaac Alhadeff Professor in Sephardic Studies and associate professor of history and Jewish Studies. Makena Mezistrano, Assistant Director, Sephardic Studies Program

The opinions expressed in articles shared on our page reflect the views of the individual writer only and not those of the Sephardic Studies Program.

It’s the early 1900’s in Craiova, Romania. The High Holy Days (Yamim Noraim) are approaching and members of Rabbi Reuven...
09/10/2026

It’s the early 1900’s in Craiova, Romania. The High Holy Days (Yamim Noraim) are approaching and members of Rabbi Reuven Eliyahu Israel’s congregation complain that they don't understand the prayers in Hebrew. Rabbi Israel decides to translate these prayers into a “free” (meaning more up-to-date) style of that his congregants speak. The result? “Traduksyon livre de las Poezias Ebraikas de Rosh Ashana i Kippur” a publication still used today especially by Jewish communities hailing from the island of Rhodes. Read more and see digital copies in our collection: https://jewishstudies.washington.edu/sephardic-studies/high-holidays-in-ladino/

Quiz time! Which institution houses more copies of published Ladino books? The U.S. Library of Congress or the UW’s Seph...
09/03/2026

Quiz time! Which institution houses more copies of published Ladino books? The U.S. Library of Congress or the UW’s Sephardic Studies Program? Drop your answer in the comments below. ⬇

🐞 🐞🐞 Ready for more ? Today’s Ladino term is 𝑔𝑢𝑧𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑘𝑜 𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑙 which translates into English as ladybug but literally m...
08/17/2026

🐞 🐞🐞 Ready for more ? Today’s Ladino term is 𝑔𝑢𝑧𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑘𝑜 𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑙 which translates into English as ladybug but literally means little worm or bug of luck. The Ladino term is likely derived from Turkish,𝑢𝑔̆𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑜̈𝑐𝑒𝑔̆𝑖, as bug of luck. We wish you lots of luck today and hope you see a 𝑔𝑢𝑧𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑘𝑜 𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑙!

"Ticha be’ave mos asentamos en bacho atomar tanid. La mama se veste de preto por honor de loz djidios Ke foueron masakra...
07/23/2026

"Ticha be’ave mos asentamos en bacho atomar tanid. La mama se veste de preto por honor de loz djidios Ke foueron masakrados a esta dato…"

Today is Tisha B'Av, a Jewish fast day that commemorates the destruction of the temple and has long been associated with other tragedies in Jewish history. Read Ty Alhadeff's essay on its particular resonance for Sephardic Jews: "The 9th of Av is also the infamous date attributed to the expulsion from Spain in 1492. In Seattle, it is also tragically associated with the German deportation of the Jews of Rhodes who spent their final Tisha Be-Av onboard small cargo boats headed to the Haidari concentration camp in Athens from which they were sent to their deaths at Auschwitz."

https://jewishstudies.washington.edu/sephardic-studies/tisha-av-sephardic-seattle-ladino-journey-old-world-new/

Congregation Ezra Bessaroth will be hosting their annual Rhodes/Cos memorial this Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 10:30 AM. See...
07/20/2026

Congregation Ezra Bessaroth will be hosting their annual Rhodes/Cos memorial this Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 10:30 AM. See more information below and register at tinyurl.com/RhodesMemorial2026.

RHODES/COS MEMORIAL – SUN, JULY 26
Join us for an online commemorative program, “In the Footsteps of the Jews of Greece – From Ancient Times to the Present.” The event includes a Hashkavah memorial, honoring the Sephardic communities of Rhodes, Cos, and the wider region destroyed in the Holocaust. The featured speaker, historian Anastasios Karababas, is a French‑Greek educator and researcher specializing in Holocaust studies. Sunday, July 26, 2026 – 10:30 AM PDT Register at tinyurl.com/RhodesMemorial2026. Sponsored by Harley & Lela Franco, Congregation Ezra Bessaroth and the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America.

Did you know our Studies digital collection houses many kinds of official documents? Ranging from passports and identi...
07/09/2026

Did you know our Studies digital collection houses many kinds of official documents? Ranging from passports and identity cards from the Ottoman Empire, Greece, and Turkey to immigration documents from the United States. One artifact at a time, our digital collection is helping preserve the historically significant lives of Sephardic Jews of the Mediterranean world. Explore the collection today:
https://content.lib.washington.edu/sephardicweb/index.html

In today’s installment of we’re looking at the word “kismet”. Of Turkish origin, kismet translates into English as luc...
06/30/2026

In today’s installment of we’re looking at the word “kismet”. Of Turkish origin, kismet translates into English as luck or destiny. No kismet needed to grow your Ladino vocabulary–kismet is also part of the English lexicon, too! (There is even a 1965 Elvis Presley song with that title). Explore our digital classroom today: https://jewishstudies.washington.edu/learning-ladino/

Address

Sephardic Studies, Samuel & Althea Stroum Center For Jewish Studies Henry M Jackson School Of International Studies University Of
Seattle, WA
98195

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Sephardic Studies at the University of Washington posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to Sephardic Studies at the University of Washington:

Shortcuts

Share