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.
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.
By making a historic Sephardic songbook available online, graduate fellow Ke Guo hopes to pass on a rich legacy of Sephardic music — and to further our understanding of how Sephardic music has changed over time.
Countering misperceptions, grad fellow Abby Massarano explains that Jews in the 6th century CE embraced visual art, and shows what we can learn about these communities from their depictions of the key story of Abraham's Binding of Isaac.
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.
Israeli musician Joshua Aaron creates worship music that blends Jewish and Christian themes and styles.
The 2015 album/documentary Junun showcases the work of Israeli musician Shye Ben Tzur, who blends musical traditions in unique ways.
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."
