Sephardic StudiesResearch, Teaching & Community
The Program has energized student, faculty, and community involvement in Sephardic history and culture through innovative research opportunities, courses, and lectures. Learn more >
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Listen to Hazzan Isaac Azose sing a popular Ladino song with an Ottoman melody
With Ladino lyrics drawn from the Sephardic Studies Digital Collection, UW Ph.D. student Ke Guo and Hazzan Isaac Azose preserve the Ottoman tune to "El Dyo Alto."
From the Collection: Medjlis umumi, Jewish elections in the Ottoman Empire
When a Jewish election committee officially appointed Haim Nahum as chief rabbi of the Ottoman Empire, it changed the way Ottoman Jews navigated citizenship, self-governance, and religious authority.
VIDEO | 8th Annual Ladino Day: Revolutionizing Ladino, from the Printing Press to the Smartphone
The 8th Annual Ladino Day at the University of Washington highlighted technological developments that have shaped Ladino over time. Featuring Rachel Amado Bortnick, Carlos Yebra López, and Devin E. Naar.
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Sephardic Studies Digital Collection at UW Libraries
View digital versions of original Ladino books and other documents composed in Ladino, Ottoman Turkish, Hebrew and French, and listen to audio of classic Sephardic ballads and folk songs. Learn more >
Learning Ladino
Explore digital resources to begin your Ladino language journey, and read reflections from students and faculty who have studied the language at the University of Washington and beyond. Learn more >
International Ladino Day
International Ladino Day is an annual program celebrating the Sephardic language Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) through the performance of stories and songs and through short lectures. Learn more about International Ladino Day >
Digital Projects
Bailar a la Turka: 78 rpm Records in Seattle Sepharadi Households
Using artifacts from the Sephardic Studies Digital Collection and other archives, Dr. Maureen Jackson investigates Turkish music as enjoyed by Seattle Sepharadim.
Sephardic Life Cycle Customs
Explore the diverse origins of Sephardic life cycle customs and trace their dynamic evolutions from the Ottoman Empire to the United States.
A Sephardic Lighthouse Museum Exhibit
Enter the world of Albert D. Levy (1896-1963), one of the leading Sephardic thinkers of 20th century, and explore writings, photographs, and documents.
Support Sephardic Studies
Make a gift to support Sephardic Studies at the University of Washington and its wide range of projects and programming. Learn more >
Contribute Artifacts
Do you have an old wedding photo from Izmir, immigration documents from Istanbul, or a Ladino book from Salonica? Consider preserving and sharing your artifact with the Sephardic Studies Digital Collection. Learn more >
In the News
The UW Sephardic Studies Program has captured the attention of local media, national news outlets, and international venues from the UW Daily to The Jerusalem Post and Spanish radio. See recent stories >
Sephardic Treasures
From the Collection: Medjlis umumi, Jewish elections in the Ottoman Empire
When a Jewish election committee officially appointed Haim Nahum as chief rabbi of the Ottoman Empire, it changed the way Ottoman Jews navigated citizenship, self-governance, and religious authority.
Between Rhodes and Seattle: Three generations of Sephardic women in family letters
Ladino letters written and dictated by women between Rhodes and Seattle offer a rare insight into the concerns and aspirations of Sephardic women in the early twentieth century.
From the Collection: Magen David, a defense of Sephardic Hebrew
In late nineteenth-century Vienna, one Sephardic Jew battled for "authentic" Hebrew pronunciation -- in Ladino.
Student Research
Both graduate and undergraduate students engage in a wide range of original research projects in Sephardic Studies through coursework, independent studies, senior theses, master’s theses, and Ph.D. dissertations. Read More >
Events
The Sephardic Studies Program hosts a variety of events exploring Sephardic culture and history and the Ladino language. View events by year >
Dr. Devin Naar, Sephardic Studies Program Chair & Isaac Alhadeff Professor of Sephardic Studies
Dr. Devin E. Naar is the Isaac Alhadeff Professor in Sephardic Studies, Associate Professor of History, and faculty at the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. Born and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Naar graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis and received his Ph.D. in History at Stanford University. His forthcoming book with Stanford University Press, Jewish Salonica: Between the Ottoman Empire and Modern Greece, based on his prize-winning dissertation, explores the impact of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of modern Greece during the 19th and 20th centuries on the Jews of Salonica (Thessaloniki).
In recognition of the contributions he has already made to the study of Sephardic history, Dr. Naar was recently elected to the Academic Advisory Council of the Center for Jewish History in New York. He is the only assistant professor to receive this prestigious post, where he will represent the American Sephardic Federation.
Read more about Professor Naar at his Jewish Studies faculty page.
Sephardic Studies Founders’ Circle
Our program is deeply grateful for the support of the Sephardic Studies Founders’ Circle:
| Ike Alhadeff Foundation | Eli & Rebecca Almo | Joel & Maureen Benoliel |
| Harley & Lela Franco | Richard & Barrie Galanti | Marty & Sharon Lott |