Editors' Note
Dear readers of Sephardic Horizons,
This issue is dedicated to the memory of Sasson Somekh, an Iraqi Jew who carried his loyalty to the use of Arabic and Judeo-Arabic with him to his new home in Israel. As chair of Arabic Studies at Tel Aviv University, he managed to maintain his contacts with Arab intellectuals despite the conflict, was the director of the Israel Academic Center in Cairo for some years, and was a universally respected authority on Egyptian literature. In our early issues, we were privileged to publish three articles of his on “Arabic as a Jewish Language” (parts I, II and III), an interview with him, as well as a review of Baghdad, Yesterday, his follow-on volume to Life after Baghdad, and a review of his edited volume Mongrels or Marvels on the writings of the Egyptian Jacqueline Shohet Kahanoff. It is fitting that one of the themes of this issue is Jewish life in Egypt.
The fourth issue of Sephardic Horizons in 2019 presents two articles, an interview, two pieces in Judeo-Spanish, and several reviews reflecting different aspects of the rich heritage of the Sephardic Jews over an expanse of time.
Andrée Aelion Brooks is a recognized author and lecturer on Jewish history. After a career in journalism, Brooks has concentrated on unusual aspects of Jewish history, including the first comprehensive biography of Doña Gracia Nasi, the Renaissance banker, The Woman who Defied Kings, and also “Out of Spain,” a multi-media educational program on Sephardic history and culture for students in Jewish congregational and day schools. Her article for Sephardic Horizons is an adaptation of a public lecture about Sephardim in the Americas.
Rabbi Albert Gabbai has served as rabbi at Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadephia for over twenty years1. His very personal and insightful memoir about Jewish life in Egypt in the pre-Nasser years was part of a gathering of Egyptian Jews at New York’s Shearith Israel, on May 8, 2019.2 We thank Rabbi Gabbai and Congregation Shearith Israel, The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue for permission to reproduce this piece.
Sephardic Horizon’s Judith Roumani contributes an interview with another Sephardic luminary. David Serero, a young actor and baritone has been recognized and has received critical acclaim internationally. He has performed more than 2,000 concerts throughout the world, played in over 100 films, and recorded 20 albums. In 2019, Serero received the Morocco Day Distinguished Achievement Award and the Trophy of the Culture of Morocco. Ms. Roumani’s interview with this multitalented artist delves into many of the roles he has played including his portrayal of Shylock.
Hernán Rodríguez Fisse contributes an essay about Sephardic history in Cuba in Judeo-Spanish, and Sharope Blanco sends us her epic poem on the expulsion from Sepharad and subsequent vicissitudes, with the emphasis on the welcome Sephardim received in the Ottoman Empire. Our reviews present recent works in Jewish literature. Judith Roumani reviews a scholarly approach to Egyptian Jewish literature by Aimée Israel-Pelletier. This work links with Rabbi Gabbai’s memoir, discussed above. Victor Sasson’s heartening sequel to the Merchant of Venice is reviewed also by Judith Roumani. Sasson’s work connects with David Serero’s reinterpreted stagings of Shakespeare. Seth Kunin, renowned historian of conversos, discusses two books by Genie Milgrom on crypto-Judaism.
Variety in the realm of Sephardic studies thus is the keynote to this issue. We hope that you enjoy your reading.
Please keep in mind, as we inch toward the end of the year, that 2020 brings the 10th anniversary of this publication. In a special anniversary issue, we plan to bring you some excellent new writing in Sephardic studies and culture by some of our earliest contributors, whose loyalty to Sephardic Horizons we deeply appreciate!
At this juncture, we recognize and thank Altan Gabbay, Sephardic Horizon's webmaster. Not only does he keep the journal’s website up-to-date, but he also works meticulously alongside the editorial team to get each issue posted.
Judith Roumani, Editor, Sephardic Horizons
Annette B. Fromm, Associate Editor, Sephardic Horizons
1 Rabbi Albert Gabbai was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from Stand With Us Philadelphia.
2 The 2019 Year of Years event spotlighting the Egyptian Jews of the Shearith Israel community can be seen on-line in the video"Out of Egypt".