At the Crossroads of Sephardic, Mizrahi, Russian-Speaking Worlds

At the Crossroads of Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian-Speaking Worlds: A Three-Part Learning and Cultural Series on the Greater Sephardic Communities of the Former Soviet Union

By popular demand, the American Sephardi Federation’s Young Sephardi Scholars Series, in partnership with ASF Young Leaders, is excited to bring back Ruben Shimonov’s 3-part learning and cultural series on the Russian-speaking Jewish (RSJ) communities of the Greater Sephardic world. The cultures and histories of Bukharian, Georgian, and Kavkazi (Mountain) Jews are situated at the fascinating, yet lesser known, intersection of Sephardic, Mizrahi and RSJ life. This interactive lecture series will provide a unique opportunity to explore the multilayered and rich stories of the three communities.

The dates of the series are:
2/19 (Kavkazi Jews)
3/26 (Bukharian Jews)
4/16 (Georgian Jews)

All sessions will begin at 6:30 PM in the Kovno Room at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, NY, NY 10011).

Light dinner reflecting the cuisine of Bukharian, Georgian, and Kavkazi Jewish communities will be served.

Registration: $18 per session or $36 for all 3.

Please note: Space is limited and tickets will not be sold at the door. Once sold out, the event will be closed.

Generously co-sponsored by JDC Entwine. This project was created as part of the COJECO BluePrint Fellowship, supported by COJECO and Genesis Philanthropy Group.
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Biography:

Ruben Shimonov is a Jewish educator, community builder, and social innovator based in New York City. His hybrid identity as an immigrant, Bukharian, Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian-speaking Jew continuously informs his commitment to the cultural and global diversity of the Jewish people. Ruben has previously brought this passion to his work at Queens College Hillel as Director of Cross-Community Engagement and Education, where he had the unique role of cultivating Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish student life on campus. Ruben is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Sephardic-Mizrahi Q Network, a grassroots organization that works to build a vibrant and supportive community for LGBTQ Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews. He also serves as Vice-President of Education and Community Engagement on the American Sephardic Federation’s Young Leadership Board, as well as the Director of Educational Experiences and Programming for the Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee of New York. Ruben was recently named among The Jewish Week’s ’36 Under 36′ emerging Jewish communal leaders and social entrepreneurs. He is also a 2018 ASF Broome & Allen Fellow, as well as a 2018 COJECO Blueprint Fellow. Among his speaking engagements, Ruben was recently invited to present at Limmud Festival in the United Kingdom, one of the largest annual Jewish learning conferences in the world.