Editor's Note
Sephardic Horizons is entering its second year, and we bring you a selection of studies covering the Sephardic world from Turkey to Rhodes, to Israel, Egypt, North Africa, and New York.
We are privileged to publish the second of Sasson Somekh’s three articles, this one covering the Judeo-Arabic of the Cairo Geniza. An article by Gloria DeVidas Kirchheimer tells us about a return to her ancestral home of Izmir (Smyrna), and the second part of Leon Taranto’s broad family history details the vicissitudes of the Crespin, Capouya and Bonomo families from Rhodes and Izmir, and how a saving remnant arrived in America in the early years of the twentieth century. We are also very pleased to present Nina Lichtenstein’s study of Sephardic women’s fiction from North Africa (Tunisia and Algeria) and the silent exodus of Maghrebian Jews, and a new poetic voice in Ronda Angel Arking’s “Claiming Angels.” Another Ladino/Judeo-Spanish tale by the storyteller Rivka Abiry, “Tanto Va el Kantariko,” and book reviews by Yael Halevi-Wise and Albert Garih, complete this issue.
Our thanks to Elisa Septimus once again for formatting and proofreading, and to our webmaster Elliott Blufer, as well as to all our anonymous evaluators of articles submitted (we have a ‘double-blind system’ whereby evaluators are not aware of the author’s name and authors do not know who the evaluator is), our book reviewers, and authors. All your intellectual contributions to Sephardic Horizons are greatly appreciated.
Sephardic Horizons is affiliated with the Jewish Institute of Pitigliano, which now has a non-profit status. Therefore all contributions to keep the journal running are tax-deductible, and all donations are used solely for Sephardic Horizons. We do not charge for subscriptions, but if you appreciate the caliber of Sephardic Horizons, please do consider a donation (of any amount) to help cover our expenses. For further details, please see our ‘Donate’ page.
With best wishes and hoping you enjoy our new offerings,
Judith Roumani
Editor, Sephardic Horizons