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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Reproduction in the 19th-century Ottoman Empire: The story of the “bloodstained” Jewish midwives
Concern over a shrinking population led Ottoman authorities to undermine reproductive autonomy in the 19th century, writes grad fellow Büşra Demirkol, starting with outlawing abortion and exiling two "bloody" Jewish midwives.
Uncovering the history of Seattle’s first settlers from the Ottoman Empire
Using census data from the early 20th century, grad fellow Oya Rose Aktaş sketches a portrait Seattle's very first residents from the Ottoman Empire, from 1890-1910.
From the Collection: Albert Levy’s Ladino Passover poem made an ancient Jewish ritual relevant
Read a translation of Albert Levy's poem about bedikat hamets, the Jewish ritual that involves cleaning one's home for Passover.
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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
Seattle Sephardic Legacies
Trace the journeys of eleven Sephardic families with roots in the Ottoman Empire who came to Seattle in the early twentieth century.
Bailar a la Turka: 78 rpm Records in Seattle Sepharadi Households
Maureen Jackson investigates Turkish music in Sephardic Seattle with artifacts, audio, and more.
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 >
Request a Translation
We can connect you with qualified translators for documents in Ladino (including those written in soletreo), Greek, Ottoman Turkish, French, and more. 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: Albert Levy’s Ladino Passover poem made an ancient Jewish ritual relevant
Read a translation of Albert Levy's poem about bedikat hamets, the Jewish ritual that involves cleaning one's home for Passover.
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.
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 |