Sephardim

This week in Jewish history: Nobel prize winners, biochemists, and the Baba Sali

A highly abridged weekly version of Dust & Stars – Today in Jewish History.

Baba Baruch, heir of Baba Sali, speaks to prime minister Yitzhak Shamir during traditional ceremonies in Netivot, 1988.
A supporter of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds up a portrait of him in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026.

Maduro has claimed Jewish ancestry, here is what is known - explainer

 Shas spiritual leader and former Sephardic chief rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, seen during a weekly lecture at the Yazdim synagogue in Jerusalem, June 07, 2025; illustrative.

Ex-Sephardi chief rabbi slams Tel Aviv rabbi as 'heretic' after he calls for haredi IDF enlistment

The Musaf prayer for Rosh Hashanah in a page of the rare 15th century Lisbon Mahzor now at the National Library of Israel.

Two-thirds of a 15th-century Portuguese High Holiday prayer book were lost to history. Until now.


Roman Abramovich’s use of Portuguese law for Sephardic Jews seeking citizenship draws scrutiny

The Porto organization told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that it is now witnessing “an antisemitic wave” on social media following the debate about Abramovich.

 Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich walks past the High Court in London on November 16, 2011.

Chelsea owner Abramovich gets Portuguese citizenship

Thousands of Israeli Jews have been granted Portuguese citizenship since the law was passed in 2015.

Roman Abramovich

Dozens of diplomats attend Jewish Refugee Day event

An event on Wednesday was held at the Babylonian Jewish Heritage Center in Or-Yehuda marking Jewish Refugee Day from Arab countries and Iran.

Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll speaks at an event marking Jewish Refugee Day from Arab countries and Iran at the Babylonian Jewish Heritage Center in Or-Yehuda on December 8, 2021.

Sephardic Heritage International highlights Israel, Gulf states cooperation

SHIN-DC is a cultural diplomacy non-profit that focuses on celebrating Sephardic and underrepresented Jewish cultural heritages worldwide, and will host an event for Hanukkah.

MUSLIMS AND JEWS celebrate Hanukkah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in December.

Learning about Middle Eastern and North African Jews can help solve Jewish challenges - opinion

There has been little or no attempt at formalizing a curriculum to educate students of all ages on the heritage and history of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Jews.

Children of a family that immigrated to Israel from Libya in 1950.

Sephardic New Yorkers say Spain is breaking promise of citizenship

In 2015, Spain ruled that descendants of Jews who were expelled from Spain more than 500 years ago, would receive Spanish citizenship.

A Spanish flag flutters in the air as the capital of Spain is seen from the observatory deck of Madrid's city hall August 7, 2013.

Why has Spain’s Jewish citizenship law's acceptance rate plummeted?

The sudden shift is driven by a fear of fraud and is the product of what some experts say are retroactively implemented bureaucratic standards for applications.

Spain flag

Yitzhak Yosef has no business being chief rabbi of Israel - opinion

Change system and criteria for choosing next chief rabbis long before the next vote in 2023

SEPHARDI CHIEF RABBI Yitzhak Yosef speaks at a Shas Party election rally at the Yazdim Synagogue in Jerusalem last year.

This duo has run a radio show on Sephardi Jewish culture for 35 years

Practically since they debuted, the pair have unwittingly become the guiding lights of Judeo-Spanish not only within Spain but across the Jewish world.

Viviana Rajel Barnatán, left, and Matilde Gini de Barnatán in the headquarters of the Spanish National Radio's overseas service in Madrid.

Memories of my Sephardi grandparents from Greece, Morocco and Brooklyn

Greek songs and stories, a book from Morocco, and one ruby-eyed snake ring.

Ladino speakers from opposite edges of the Mediterranean, Russell's maternal grandparents passed down a rich and curiosity-sparking cultural inheritance.