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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A Salonican granddaughter on ‘Family Papers’
By Makena Mezistrano As its former inhabitants will tell you, my own grandparents included, there is no place like Thessaloniki — though my grandparents never
Reflections from a first-time Ladino speaker
By Anna Jacoby The first time I heard Ladino was at Ezra Bessaroth, a Sephardic synagogue founded by immigrants from the island of Rhodes like
Ladino Day 2019 gives Sephardic customs new life
Ladino Day 2019 celebrated Sephardic life cycle customs “de la fasha asta la mortaja" ("from the cradle to the grave").
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 >
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
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.
Sephardic Ballads Collection
A collection of over 140 audio recordings gathered by Dr. Rina Benmayor in Seattle and Los Angeles during the 1970s.
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 >
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
Reading Ladino in the 21st century
How to use Mirador to view the Sephardic Studies Digital Collection.
“Hidden manuscripts, come out!”: Seattle Sephardic Legacies highlights Ladino literature
Hosted on June 2, 2019, the Seattle Sephardic Legacies event showcased Ladino artifacts that made their way from the Ottoman Empire to Seattle.
Love in the Ladino press: A 100 year-old story
“Is it possible that a Jew who doesn’t speak Jewish (Yiddish) and doesn’t look Jewish can nevertheless have a Jewish soul?”
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 |