Editor's Note, Volume 15, Issue 3, Fall 2025

Dear Readers of Sephardic Horizons,

We close 2025 with a varied group of articles that address a number of different topics we hope you will find of interest, as well as a bumper crop of reviews. Leah Bonnin brings to light the circuitous history of an early translation of the Hebrew Bible into proto Castilian. This intriguing story opens a chapter in the lives of the Jews of fifteenth century Spain prior to the expulsions. Thanks to Sephardic Horizons editor, Judith Roumani, who painstakingly translated this contribution.

We also congratulate Dr. Roumani for the recent publication of the Italian translation of her recent book, Jews in Southern Tuscany during the Holocaust, which she presented both in Italy and Jerusalem.

Rivka Epstein’s exploration of a number of traditions and customs practiced in Mexico and South America serves as potential evidence of the presence of Crypto-Jews in these areas. The descendants of individuals and families who left the Iberian Peninsula for the safety of colonial Americas continued to maintain vestiges of hidden religious life often without being aware of their lost identity.

It seems inevitable that the expanding digital world will touch all of our lives. Shai Cohen writes about his work not only to preserve, but perhaps more importantly, to present Ladino in a way that it can effectively be taught and kept alive using Artificial Intelligence. His article also references other efforts to use AI in language preservation. His work at the University of Miami has wide-reaching impact.

In the two final articles, reflections by Judy Belsky and Leonard Stein bring together memories of Sephardic life in the past. Belsky’s is a tale of the life of her grandmother and her family in Turkey. Like so many other Sephardim, however, they leave for new lives in America to join the community in Seattle. Stein’s thoughts about a poem written in the past breathes life into both of his grandmothers, while recalling Sephardic proverbs.

The growth of scholarship addressing the non-Ashkenazi world is reflected in the large number of reviews in this issue. Represented are works from voices from whom we’ve heard before, who continue to contribute to this rich knowledge base. This rich selection of reviews also reflects the growing number of scholars, both established and recently new to the field, who venture to share their objective thoughts about these new works. Among the topics found in this collection are histories of Ottoman Jews, Jewish experiences in North Africa, and Crypto-Jews. Literature is another subject addressed in several of the new books reviewed here. In tandem with the article about AI is a review of another approach to teaching Ladino with the Internet.

We mark the passing of Yehuda Hatsvi (Z"L). His articles appeared in many publications such as Aki Yerushalayim and El Amaneser; he was one of the moderators of Ladinokomunita, as well as a contributor to Sephardic Horizons. We send condolences to his family.

Thanks to the many contributors to this issue of the journal, the authors and reviewers. Volume 16, Issue 1 is in the early stages of being assembled for release sometime in 2026.

We hope you find this new issue stimulating; we welcome your feedback. You can write to us at sephar@sephardichorizons.org.

I would like to express my thanks to Judith Roumani, journal editor, and Altan Gabbay, webmaster, for all of their work on Volume 15, Issue 3.

Annette B. Fromm
Associate Editor of Sephardic Horizons