Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela's travel writing shows that Jews in medieval Iraq and Kurdistan lived in (relative) peace and freedom, countering narratives of universal misery and oppression, grad fellow Jeffrey Haines writes.
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."
You’ve probably heard of Christopher Columbus, but have you heard of the Sephardic astronomer who helped him chart his course across the seas?
For student Nesi Altaras, studying Ladino isn't only about learning the language of his family: it means reversing an assimilationist agenda against Turkish Jews that began in the 20th century — and continues today.
Grad fellow Canan Bolel explains the unfortunate parallels between responses to 19th-century cholera outbreaks in Ottoman Izmir (present-day Turkey) — especially for Jewish communities— and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Student Victor Alejandro Castillo shares the importance of Ladino for those of "converso" (converted Jewish) descent.
Student Abby Massarano explains why changing her name was an important step in connecting with her Sephardic heritage.
Looking at how Sephardic Jews in Seattle recalled massacres of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey shows why it's important to go beyond "good guys" and "bad guys" in interpreting history, writes graduate fellow Oya Rose Aktaş.
