sephardicnewsletter2010

SephardicNewsRabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary � Sephardic Council of Overseers

Y E S H I V A U N I V E R S I T Y

Volume XXXIV • No. 1 I N D E D I C A T I O N T O A H E R I T A G E Spring 2010

Sephardic Community Program n Jacob E. Safra Institute of Sephardic StudiesInstitute of Yemenite Studies n Dr. Joseph and Rachel Ades Sephardic Outreach Program

Yeshiva University has created a new chairin Sephardic studies through the generosityof Naumi Alcalay, a psychotherapist whochose to perpetuate the memory of herparents by funding a chair in their honor.Dr. Ronnie Perelis was appointed to the newChief Rabbi Dr. Isaac Abraham and Jelena(Rachel) Alcalay Chair in Sephardic Studies(Judeo Spanish) in August, 2009.

For Naumi Alcalay, who passed awayin 2006, honoring her parents’ legacy andsupporting Sephardic studies at YeshivaUniversity were top priorities. Her parents,she believed, would be thrilled to knowthat today’s students can learn about thehistory and culture of Jews from countriessuch as Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and theformer Yugoslavia. Ms. Alcalay’s father,Rabbi Dr. Isaac Abraham Alcalay, and hermother, Jelena Alcalay, dedicated their lives

to serving Sephardic Jewry in Europeand America.Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Rabbi Alcalay

attended the University of Vienna and theVienna Rabbinical Seminary (Hochshulefer Judische Wissenschaft). AppointedChief Rabbi of Serbia in 1910, RabbiAlcalay simultaneously served as anemissary of the Serbian government, visit-ing the United States in 1918 on behalf ofthe Serbian government. His article thatyear for the American Jewish Yearbookallowed American Jews, for the first time,to read about Jewish life in the Balkans.In 1923, Rabbi Alcalay founded and

became the first president of the Rabbi-nical Federation of Yugoslavia. The fol-lowing year, he became Yugoslavia’s ChiefRabbi. As rabbi and political statesman,Alcalay attended the first Sephardi Con-gress in 1925 and was elected vice presi-dent of the World Sephardi Federation.In 1932, King Alexander of Yugoslaviaappointed Rabbi Alcalay as Senator, andhe became the first Jew to join the coun-try’s parliament, serving for nine years.Equally devoted to scholarship and literarypursuits, he spoke six languages and servedas an editor for the Rabbinical Federation’sannual Jevrejski Almanah.Rabbi Alcalay fled German-occupied

Yugoslavia with his family in 1941, andafter a short period in Palestine, settled inthe United States where he continued to

Continued on page 2

Naumi Alcalay Honors Her Parents by EstablishingNew Chair in Sephardic StudiesTHE CHIEF RABBI DR. ISAAC ABRAHAM AND JELENA ALCALAY CHAIR IN SEPHARDIC STUDIES

(JUDEO-SPANISH) AT THE BERNARD REVEL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JEWISH STUDIES

Ronnie PerelisAppointed to theAlcalay Chair

Dr. Ronnie Perelis isthe newest addition toYeshiva University’sBernard Revel Grad-uate School of JewishStudies. He began hisappointment as theChief Rabbi Dr. IsaacAbraham and Jelena

(Rachel) Alcalay Assistant Professor ofSephardic Studies in the 2009 fall semester.Perelis is now teaching courses in Jewishhistory and Sephardic studies in bothYeshiva College and in the Bernard RevelGraduate School.Before completing his doctorate in the

Department of Spanish and Portuguese atNew York University in 2006, Perelis spentfive years studying in Israel at YeshivatHamivtar and Bar-Ilan University. Perelis’doctoral thesis, “Marrano Autobiographyin its Transatlantic Context: Exile, Explor-ation and Spiritual Discovery,” traces thelife stories of three crypto-Jews searchingfor religious freedom and enlightenmentin the 16th and 17th centuries. Perelis’intimacy with Spanish literature andculture deepen his examination of crypto-Judaism in Spain, Portugal and the NewWorld, opening up new avenues of explo-ration into the Jewish past. His researchand teaching examine the connectionsbetween Jewish and Hispanic culturefrom the Golden Age of Sephardic Jewry

Continued on page 2

Chief Rabbi Dr. Isaac Abraham and Jelena

(Rachel) Alcalay.

S E PHARD I C N EWS 2 S P R I NG ED I T I ON

Ronnie Perelis Appointedcontinued from page 1

in medieval Spain to the path-breakingodyssey of the Sephardic Diasporathroughout the world.Prior to coming to Yeshiva, Perelis

taught at New York University, the Universityof Pennsylvania and Brandeis University.In the 2009 fall semester, Perelis offeredan undergraduate course exploring thevibrant cultural history of the Sephardim.This course, Convivencia and Conflict,introduced the students to the creativityand volatility of the Sephardic experience

in medieval Spain. In addition to thiscourse, Perelis also taught a graduatecourse, Marranos and Other Heretics:Varieties of Heresy in the Iberian World,which focused on the history and structureof the Inquisition and the spiritual resist-ance of those caught in its net.Perelis sees Sephardic history as a story

with global reach. The Sephardim werepart of a worldwide network connected byfamily ties, religious bonds, language andinternational commerce. The Sephardimcombined a deep faith in the religion oftheir fathers with an intense immersion inthe commercial and intellectual currents

of their day. In this sense, the history of theSephardim can serve as a compass for themodern Jew looking to navigate thedemands of tradition and the challengesof modernity.Perelis is excited about being part of

an institution that appreciates the uniquecontributions of the Sephardim andunderstands their potential to continuetheir leadership in all areas of Jewish life.He looks forward to working with thestudents of YU and the wider Sephardicand Jewish communities in developingdynamic programs to highlight the vitalityof Sephardic life, history and culture. n

New Chair in Sephardic Studiescontinued from page 1

serve as Chief Rabbi of Yugoslavia’s govern-ment-in-exile. In 1943, he was appointedto the prestigious position of Chief Rabbiof the Central Sephardic Jewish Com-munity of America, and proved to beinstrumental in unifying the Sephardiccommunities in the United States.In Yugoslavia, Rabbi Alcalay was the

revered teacher and mentor of the lateHakham Solomon Gaon, of blessedmemory, who later became the ChiefRabbi of Sephardic Jewry in the BritishCommonwealth, and eventually helpedto initiate Yeshiva University’s SephardicStudies Program.

As head of the New York Sephardiccommunity, Rabbi Alcalay inspired andstrengthened the effort to develop theSephardic Home for the Aged whichwould provide for the needs of the elderlyand serve as a cultural center for Sephardic

life in the greater New York area. RabbiAlcalay also helped neighborhood congre-gations join together, and promoted theuse of traditional liturgical melodies inthese synagogues.Rabbi Alcalay also helped establish

educational programs for Sephardic youthto connect with their heritage, assistedAmerican Sephardim with finding theirrelatives abroad, and continued to act onbehalf of Sephardim through his mem-bership on the boards of internationalJewish organizations such as the WorldJewish Congress, Joint DistributionCommittee and International B’nai BrithOrganization. By 1950, Rabbi Alcalaycould report 59 referrals over the courseof one month in which clients of thecommunity received assistance on every-thing from job placement to health care toresolving family disputes.When Rabbi Alcalay’s famous student,

The Hakham, Rabbi Dr. Solomon Gaonvisited Yeshiva University and agreed tooversee the development of a SephardicStudies Program, as suggested to him bythe late, revered Dr. Samuel Belkin, the

president of YU, he heartily endorsed theidea and became actively involved in pro-moting the establishment of the SephardicStudies Program. Rabbi Alcalay lecturedand participated in many events at YU.In 1968, Rabbi Alcalay retired as head of

the community and, with his wife, acceptedan offer from the Sephardic Home for theAged to take up residence and serve as itschaplain. He passed away in 1978 at theage of 97, leaving behind a lifetime ofunflagging communal service, scholarshipand religious commitment.Naumi Alcalay earned her master’s

degree in social work from ColumbiaUniversity and worked as a psychotherapistfor nearly 50 years. She belonged to thedistinguished group of Jews who providedtranscripts for the New York PublicLibrary-American Jewish Committee’s OralHistory Collection. Like her parents,Naumi Alcalay ensured that SephardicJewish life would be remembered forits vibrant past, and sustained for aprosperous future. n

Chief Rabbi Dr. Isaac Abraham Alcalay with

Dr. René Cassin (Nobel Laureate, President of

Alliance Israelite Universelle).

Jelena (Rachel) Alcalay

Chief Rabbi Dr. Isaac Abraham Alcalay


Sephardic Heritage Alliance, Inc (SHAI); Iranian American Jewish Federation of New York (IAJF); and 30 Years After (New YorkChapter) invited Yeshiva University assistant professor Dr. Daniel Tsadik to Great Neck to speak on the topic, “Secrets of JewishSurvival in Iran.” Tsadik’s presentation spanned millennia of history of Iranian Jewry. The original research, undertaken by Tsadik,addresses the question of how it came to be that Jews survived, and even flourished, during different epochs of history in the PersianEmpire, which later became Iran. Representatives and lay leaders from leading Iranian and Jewish organizations were present, aswell as many members of the Iranian community in Long Island. n

Professor Daniel Tsadik presents lecture at Beit Hadassah

Saeed Amerian, Raymond Hakimian, Rabbi Moshe Tessone, Mr. Nazarian, David Eshaghian (Chairman YU’s Sephardic Council of Overseers, SCO),

Lee Harounian, Unidentified, Dr. Daniel Tsadik, Michael Harounian, Ellie Cohanim Potter, Josephine Mairzadeh, Fred Ohebshalom, Ronen Khordi.

Every four years, the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminarycelebrates the young men who have accepted the calling of therabbinate and mastered the scholarship necessary to receive rabbinic

ordination. We proudly salute ournew musmakhim (rabbinic graduates)as they join the more than 3,000RIETS rabbis, thousands of whomare serving in pulpits, schools,hospitals, outreach positions andJewish organizations in America,Israel and beyond. We wish themcontinued success and growth intheir holy endeavors and continuallywelcome them back to RIETS—

their spiritual home—for continuing education, inspiration andcontact with their mentors and rabbinic colleagues.This year, we honor the more than 180 musmakhim of the

classes of 5766–5770 (2006–2010). From the group of musmakhimreceiving ordination there will be a record high of 12 men who arefrom the Sephardic community. This represents the largest evernumber of Sephardic rabbis to be ordained at Yeshiva in a four-year period.Two special RIETS alumni have been selected as honorees

at this momentous event. One will be Rabbi Dr. Herbert C.Dobrinsky, vice president for University Affairs and co-founderof the Sephardic Studies Program at Yeshiva, who will receive theHarav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik (zt”l) Aluf Torah Award. Dr.Dobrinsky’s fellow graduate of the mid-1950’s, Rabbi MarvinBienenfeld, will receive the prestigious Eitz Hayim Award.In 1964, Dr. Dobrinsky, with the leadership of then University

President Dr. Samuel Belkin a”h and The Hakham Rabbi Dr.

Solomon Gaon a”h, and with the support of Ivan Salomon a”h,established the Sephardic Programs at YU with a vision that hasplayed a vital role in educating our Sephardic youth and nurturingtheir communities’ growth by assisting them to build properlyrun synagogues and educational institutions. Today, that visionhas yielded tremendous results and has won the respect andadmiration of Jewish religious and lay leaders and of countlessSephardim around the world.Indeed the Sephardic communities of America are indebted to

Dr. Dobrinsky, whose tireless efforts on behalf of Sephardiceducation and communal leadership continue. Rabbi Dobrinsky’sdoctoral research was in Sephardic minhagim and halakhah, andwas published originally in 1986, and then again in 1988 and 2001under the title “A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs.”This monumental work has become one of the most authoritativehousehold reference volumes for Sephardic minhagim and isused by educators at the high school and college level as a text-book and learning guide. The Sephardic Programs at YU stillbenefit from the leadership of Dr. Dobrinsky, who among hismany duties at YU, serves as special consultant to the SephardicPrograms and is integrally involved in its daily operations.Members of the Sephardic community and the Sephardic

Council of Overseers have been invited to participate in cele-brating the largest ever number of Sephardic rabbis to beordained in a four year period and to join in the tribute to therest of the 180 musmakhim and to honor Dr. Dobrinsky andRabbi Bienenfeld.The Chag HaSemikhah will take place Sunday, March 7

(21 Adar) at 11 a.m. The ceremony will take place in LamportAuditorium, Amsterdam Avenue and 186th Street. Please arriveearly to secure seating. n

Dr. Herbert C. Dobrinsky to be Honored at Chag HaSemikhah


There is a light at the end of the tunnel; however, that light isfurther away than most people realize. That was the generalmessage delivered by Dr. Nouriel Roubini, the renowned econo-

mist who, in 2006, accurately pre-dicted the current recession.Roubini, a Sephardic Jew of

Iranian (Mashadi) descent, was theguest lecturer at Yeshiva University’sAlexander Brody DistinguishedLecture in Economics, where herecently addressed a capacity crowdof students, staff and special guestsin Weissberg Commons at the WilfCampus of Yeshiva. Also presentwere nearly a dozen leaders from thePersian Jewish Community of Great

Neck, L.I., and Manhattan (see photo below).Roubini offered his outlook for the United States and global

economies and financial markets. “Everyone agrees this is theworst financial crisis since the Great Depression,” said Roubini,professor of economics and international business at the NewYork University Stern School of Business. “The consensus view— the optimists — believe the worst is over and that we willstart seeing positive growth in the second half of this year. Myviews are more bearish.”Citing consumer shock, limited income, and falling industrial

production and home sales, Roubini went on to declare thatthere are no clear signs that the recession has bottomed.“Unfortunately, my take is that things aren’t improving as quick-ly as the optimists say.”“While I do agree that the rate of contraction won’t be as

sharp as the last two quarters, we won’t reach positive growthby the end of the year,” said Roubini. Instead, he expects a“long, protracted and ugly global recession.”

The lecture followed a dinner and awards ceremony for YU’seconomics students. “This was a tremendous thrill for ourstudents,” said Dr. Aaron Levine, the Samson and Halina BitenskyProfessor of Economics at YU who has organized the Brodylecture for more than 30 years.

“The lecture has always been a big event, but this one sur-passed all others in the size of the audience and in the enthusiasmof its reaction. Professor Roubini is both the acknowledged prophetof the current meltdown and the foremost guru on how toreverse the collapse.”Ending off his lecture on a somewhat optimistic note, he

believes the good news is that “we are going to avoid a near-depression” thanks to aggressive government policies. “I havebeen right until now, but it’s a very uncertain world and thingscan turn out better than I expect,” said Roubini, offering aglimmer of hope. n

Renowned Economist Nouriel Roubini Presents at YU’s Brody Lecture

Henry Rubin Esq. with Dr. Nouriel Roubini and YU student.

Henry Rubin Esq., Dr. and Mrs. Michael Khadavi, Ellie Cohanim Potter, Shahram Yaghoubzadeh, David Eshaghian (Chairman SCO), Nasser Mokhtarzadeh,

Eli Reinitz, Dr. Nouriel Roubini, Bob Kamali, Rabbi Moshe Tessone, Dr. Herbert C. Dobrinsky.


Beth Israel Congregation, the only OrthodoxJewish community in Omaha, Neb., recentlyhosted its first ever Sephardic Shabbaton. Theguest scholar in residence was Rabbi MosheTessone, director of the Sephardic Com-munity Program at YU and a YU facultymember.The Shabbat program was organized by

the community’s spiritual leader, RabbiJonathan Gross, who is a rabbinic graduateof RIETS (2006), and a student of HakhamEliyahu BenHaim, one of the Sephardicroshei yeshiva at YU. The event chairs wereDr. and Mrs. Guy Matalon, a Sephardicfamily who reside in Omaha and are activein the lay leadership of Omaha’s Orthodoxcommunity. Yeshiva’s Sephardic CommunityProgram was also very active in assistingwith the plans and preparations for thisShabbaton.

The Beth Israel community enjoyed anauthentic Sephardic Shabbat experiencewhich included interactive explanatorySephardic services that were led by RabbiTessone. During the services, Rabbi Tessoneintroduced melodies and customs frommiddle eastern Balkan and other Sephardiccommunities from all over the world.All three Shabbat meals were served in

the synagogue for the entire community. Thelavish Friday night kiddush, Shabbat lunch,and Seuda Shelishit featured exotic andmouthwatering Sephardic cuisine. Each ofthe meals was followed by the singing oftraditional Pizmonim and Shabbat songs.During this special Shabbat, Rabbi

Tessone presented a Torah sermon, alecture on “Contemporary SephardicCommunities,” and an interactive discussionon Judeo-Arabic and Judeo-Spanish liturgy.He also led a general question-and-answersession about Sephardic life.Thanks to the efforts of Rabbi Gross and

the Matalon family of Omaha, the BethIsrael community became more familiar withSephardic halakhot, minhagim and liturgicalmusic, while gaining an understanding ofthe development of contemporary Sephardiccommunities throughout North America.The Shabbat experience was one of the

community’s most successful and well-received events, and was in fact just one ofmany such programs at Beth Israel that aimsto educate its members on vital Jewish top-ics, to enrich the spiritual experience of theprayers and to connect the community tothe Jewish people as a whole. n

YU Sephardic Shabbaton in Omaha

Rabbi Jonathan Gross with Rabbi Moshe Tessone

Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi, Rabbi Yaakov Weiss, Josh Gurock, Rabbi Gross, Rabbi Tessone, Dr. Guy Matalon.

Hillel Yeshiva HighSchool Visit toYU Campuses

This past fall semester, HillelYeshiva High School of Deal inNew Jersey visited YeshivaUniversity for a day of campustours and activities. During thevisit, Hillel students sat in onTorah and general studies classesas they experienced the learningand excitement of campus life.

The visit included a group ofwomen who visited Stern Collegefor Women on the Beren Campusin Midtown Manhattan and agroup of men who toured YeshivaCollege on the Wilf Campus inWashington Heights.The trip was organized and

hosted by YU’s Admissions Officeand the Sephardic CommunityProgram. Students were greetedby Michael Kranzler, director ofUndergraduate Admissions, andby Rabbi Moshe Tessone. n


Our Students and Faculty in Action

Sephardic women from Stern College

visiting Wilf Campus for Selihot.

Sephardic faculty

and staff meeting

with Max Coslov

at YU.

Dr. Tsadik lecturing at Queens College.

Rabbi Tessone addressing

faculty members.

Students studying in the Sephardic Beit Midrash with Rabbi Eliyahu Ben-Haim.


President Joel with YU’s Sephardic Students

Rabbi Yosef Yanetz (Shoel U’Maishiv, Sephardic BeitMidrash and a RIETS Kollel Elyon Fellow) Dr. Abadie,Max Coslov, Dr. Dobrinsky.

Dr. Barry Eichler, dean ofYeshiva College, and MaxCoslov, program directorfor the Edmond J. SafraPhilanthropic Foundation.

YU PresidentRichard Joel andDr. Elie Abadiewith students.

President Joel, Max Coslov, Dr. Dobrinsky, and

Dr. Abadie with YU students.

YU Sephardic student

Mathew Williams.

YU Students Eveline Mordehaiand Raquel Amram

President Joel in conference with

Sephardic students at YU.

Dr. Dobrinsky andMax Coslov inPresident Joel’s office.

YU Students Eveline Mordehaiand Raquel Amram.


YU STUDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY

Caron Kuessous

Caron Kuessous, a 2009 graduate of YU’sAzrieli Graduate School for Jewish Edu-cation and Administration, has become a

valuable asset in theJewish educationalcommunity at large,particularly in herwork withinSephardic circlesand with specialneeds children.After earning

bachelor’s degrees and then a master’s degree,Kuessous became a Stern College alumnaand embarked upon her lifelong dream,the pursuit of a doctorate. She eventuallyearned her EdD at the Azrieli GraduateSchool for Jewish Education at YeshivaUniversity. Her dissertation focuses on astudy of Orthodox Jewish girls and isentitled, “Eating Attitudes, Behaviors, andBody Image of Orthodox Jewish Girls inGrades 3 through 8.”Kuessous’ career has spanned both

special education and general educationclassrooms, and she has taught both at themiddle school and high school level.Currently, she also uses her talents in theeducational field as a mentor and an edu-cational consultant for teachers in schoolsin the Brooklyn area. Among the teachersshe has trained and mentored are those whoserve in schools such as Ateret Torah, ShaareTorah, Chush, Mikdash Melech, Lev BaisYaakov and more. Additionally, as a graduateprofessor, Kuessous is involved in graduate-level training of both Ashkenazic andSephardic students who are aspiring tobecome special education teachers.Kuessous also functions as a private

remedial therapist who firmly believes inmeeting the needs of each of her individualstudents, whether adult English languagelearners or students with dyslexia, byteaching with a multisensory approach.Indeed, Kuessous’ accomplishments

have been remarkable in a relatively shortperiod of time, and she has higher aspira-tions for her future work in the field ofJewish education, with young Sephardiceducators. We wish her much success foryears to come. n

Jacob Sasson

Rabbi Jacob Sasson is currently in hissecond year as a member of the Bella andHarry Wexner Kollel Elyon at Yeshiva

University, aprogram that offersrabbinic alumni ofthe Rabbi IsaacElchanan Theo-logical Seminary(RIETS) anopportunity toextend their learn-

ing and rabbinic training to an even higherlevel upon completion of their rabbinicordination. Rabbi Sasson is of Syriandescent, and hails from a family of rabbisfrom the Aleppo community of Syria.Rabbi Sasson holds a BS in applied

mathmatics from Columbia UniversitySchool of Engineering and receivedrabbinic ordination from RIETS in 2008.Additionally, he has spent time studying inIsrael at Yeshivat Shaalvim and Yeshivat Mirin Jerusalem. Rabbi Sasson attempts tobridge the gap between Sephardic andAshkenazic Talmudic learning styles byfocusing both on conceptual Talmudicanalysis known as lamdut, in the style of theLithuanian yeshivot, while simultaneouslykeeping an emphasis on the practicalhalakhic application of Talmud, in thetradition which is true to the authenticSephardic method of learning.More recently he has served as a Shoel

U’Meishiv (Talmudic mentor) in the BeitMidrash Program at Yeshiva Universityand has given shiurim (Torah lectures) atCongregation Keter Torah in Teaneck, NJand at Columbia University.Rabbi Sasson is a faithful contributor

to Beit Yitzchak, the annual Torah journalof RIETS, and served as co-editor of the2004 edition. Accordingly, he is currentlyco-editing the 2009 Kol Tzvi, the KollelElyon’s annual Torah journal. Rabbi Sassonhopes and plans to continue to impact theJewish community in the future throughhis continued efforts as a teacher ofTalmud, both by interacting with students inthe beit midrash environment, and throughhis extensive writing on Torah-relatedtopics. n

Joel With Sephardic Studentscontinued from page 7

YU Sephardic student

Daniel Sultan.

Max Coslov visiting YU campusMax Coslov visiting YU campus.

YU student Jonathan

Cohen speaks with

students in President

Joel’s conference room

YU student Jonathan

Cohen speaks with

students in President

Joel’s conference room.

Montreal Convocation HonorsRabbi Howard Joseph of theSpanish and Portuguese Synagogue

A “YU in Canada” convocation and dinner was held in Montrealin June, 2009, with almost 600 in attendance including Canada’srabbinate and members of the broader Jewish community. Theevent, which drew the largest turnout of any YU program heldin Canada to date, was held at Congregation Shaar Hashamayimin Westmount.Among the three notable Jewish community leaders that were

honored was YU rabbinic alumnus Rabbi Howard S. Joseph ’61Y,’64R, ’64BR, leader of the prestigious Spanish and PortugueseSynagogue Shearith Israel in Montreal.Rabbi Joseph, longtime rabbi of the Spanish and Portuguese

Synagogue, began to lead his synagogue, the oldest in Canada, in1970, establishing it as a major foothold of Modern Orthodoxyand building its membership from 300 to 900 families.The other two honorees were the Honorable Justice Morris J.

Fish, a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada; and theHonorable Yoine J. Goldstein, Senator for Quebec (Rigaud).Mo Lidsky ’06Y, national director of Canadian Friends of

Yeshiva University (CFYU) who organized the event with Dr.Herbert C. Dobrinsky, vice president for university affairs, paidtribute to the event’s co-chairs—Samuel E. Aberman, MortonBrownstein, C.M., and Renée Lieberman—as well as CFYUpresident Robert Eli Rubenstein and chairman Samuel Z. Eltes.“The caliber of leadership that this special convocation anddinner had was unprecedented, and the success of the eveningwas due in great measure to their dedicated efforts,” said Lidsky.“Thanks to each of them, this event was a historic occasion thatwill renew and strengthen the long-standing relationshipbetween the Montreal community and Yeshiva University.”Dr. Herbert C. Dobrinsky reported that the occasion raised

just over $1 million, most of which will be used for scholarshipsfor Canadian students. Of the more than 200 Canadians whoare enrolled in Yeshiva’s undergraduate programs, approximately92 percent receive significant scholarships from YU.“Yeshiva University’s Torah Umadda education is crucial to the

Jewish communities of Canada,” stressed Dobrinsky. “There isnothing close to our caliber of higher education in Canada. It istherefore our responsibility to enable young Canadian men andwomen to study at our New York campuses.” n

Sephardic Students From WestCoast Visit YU

During the spring 2009 semester, Rabbi Daniel Bouskila, spiritualleader of Sephardic Congregation Tifereth Israel in Los Angeles,led a group of his high school students on a visit to YU.This trip was sponsored by the Tifereth Israel community

and involved the participation of 22 students, one of whom hasalready been accepted for admission in the fall 2010 semesterand is very excited about studying at Yeshiva later this year.Trip organizers included Rabbi Daniel Bouskila ’89Y, ’94R;

Yossi Malka, the Hebrew school principal; and MelissaThompson, administrative assistant to the rabbi. n


Rabbi Bouskila with his students in front of Furst Hall.

Rabbi Daniel Bouskila, Rabbi Tessone, Rabbi Chaim Bronstein, Dr. Dobrinsky

with students from Los Angeles visiting YU.

Dr. Dobrinsky addressing students from West Coast at YU.

Supreme Court of Canada Justice Morris J. Fish (honorary degree recipient),

YU President Richard Joel, Senator Yoine J. Goldstein (honorary degree

recipient), Rabbi Howard S. Joseph (honorary degree recipient), Dr. Bernard

Shapiro (former Principal of McGill University), Dr. Herbert C. Dobrinsky.


WURZWEILER SCHOOL OFSOCIAL WORK

Master of Social WorkDana AyalAndrey L. DavydovMargo HananRuthie E. IsraeliShlomo KabakovAyelet Mashiach

Certificate in JewishCommunal ServiceAndrey L. Davydov

FERKAUF GRADUATE SCHOOL OFPSYCHOLOGY

Doctor of PhilosophyShiphra BakhchiDavid A. Maroof

AZRIELI GRADUATE SCHOOL OFJEWISH EDUCATION ANDADMINISTRATION

Master of ScienceMoshe M. Tessone

Doctor of EducationCaron Kuessous

ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGEOF MEDICINE

Doctor of MedicineArash Mozayan Isfahani

BENJAMIN N. CARDOZOSCHOOL OF LAW

Master of LawsAlain D. BensimonElise BensimonShay Moyal

Juris DoctorMichael E. GindiMichelle E. HaddadAkiva RomanoffDavid Soofian

STERN COLLEGE FOR WOMEN

Associate in ArtsTalia Mazal AbadieMazal Tov AbenaimSarah AbeseraAgnes Nathalie AbitolMerry AbitbolDinah Rachel Afrah

Claudia Esther AmzallagIlona AranovBryna Meira AzizollahoffJohanna BaloulVanessa Jaclyn BarcessatRaquel Lynn BeharMyriam CamhiAlexie Castiel-CohenAndrea ChetritGeraldine Ivonne DayanRachel-Alia ElbazMelissa ElfersiKimia EshaghzadehClara Ginette GhighiSina HadadClaudia HararyMichelle Rachel HassanRebecca HazanEsther Naomie KadochMiryam KashanianEsther Meira LevyOdelia LevySharon MadebGavriella Rut MahpourValeria MalkaAlexie MelloulPeninit RoditiJudith Elana SasonMalka SassonSara Devorah ShamouilianAmy ShamsievRachel Laura ShandalovLael Adina Siman-TovAnais ToledanoIlana TordjmanIlanit ZafranyLeah ZarabiMichelle Dana Zeitouni-Zohar

Bachelor of ArtsAgnes Nathalie AbitbolMerry AbitbolDinah Rachel AfrahClaudia Esther AmzallagAriella Esther AzarafIlanit AzfranyJohanna BaloulEsther Reyna BaruhMyriam CamhiRachel-Alia ElbazJacqueline ElkaimKimia EshaghzadehClaudia HararyMichelle Rachel HassanRebecca HazanEsther Naomie KadochMiryam KashanianEsther Meira Levy

Odelia LevySharon MadebPeninit RoditiJudith Elana SasonMalka SassonSara Devorah ShamouilianLael Adina Siman-TovLeah ZarabiMichelle Dana Zeitouni-Zohar

JAMES STRIAR SCHOOLOF GENERAL JEWISH STUDIES/MECHINAH PROGRAM

Associate in ArtsYahya D. AzeroualJeremy BodkhSimon J. DahanCharles A. KattanNavaz NourollahTal OvadiaIsaac A. SoussanEmmanuel P. Touboul

ISAAC BREUER COLLEGE OFHEBRAIC STUDIES

Associate in ArtsReuben AbitbolEliran DayanSteven EbraniDror FoldJosua M. HassanJoseph A. HedayaArshia HourizadehJonathan IllouzErrel Khordipour

YESHIVA COLLEGE

Bachelor of ArtsYaacov S. AmarAvraham AmsalemAharon Z. AraziMark A. AzizianSimon D. ChamamaDaniel M. DouekSaul J. HaimoffMichael M. HararyJoshua M. HassanCharles A. KattanDavid KhaskiErrel KhordipourNavaz NourollahYaakov Y. SabghirSaman Y. SaghianSion SettonMousa Shamouilian

Yosef SharbatEphraim T. ShoshaniEzra C. Sutton

SY SYMS SCHOOL OF BUSINESSWILF CAMPUS

Bachelor of ScienceReuben AbitbolYahya D. AzeroualMichael J. BengioDavid Jonathan BittonJeremy BodokhRuben R. BrakaSimon J. DahanDavid DayanEliran DayanAaron EbraniSteven EbraniTony GhermezianJoseph A. HedayaSamuel E. HouriArshia HourizadehJonathan IllouzMeyer E. LaniadoYaniv N. MoradiHarold I. NaonDavid OhanaTal OvadiaMichael I. PerezLeonid RuvinovBenyamin A. Segan-KohanimIsaac. A. SoussanAbe S. SuttonDavid TordjmanEmmanuel P. Touboul

SY SYMS SCHOOL OF BUSINESSISRAEL HENRY BEREN CAMPUS

Bachelor of ScienceTalia Mazal AbadieMazal Tov AbenaimSarah AbeseraIlona AronovRaquel Lynn BeharAlexie Castiel-CohenAndrea ChetritGeraldine Ivonne DayanSina HadadValerie MalkaAlexie MelloulAmy ShamsievMiryam Sara ShushanAnais ToledanoIlana Tordjman

Yeshiva University Sephardic Graduates 2009

JAMES STRIAR SCHOOL OFGENERAL JEWISH STUDIES/MECHINAH PROGRAM

Dr. Isidor Margolis MemorialAward for Excellence in BibleJonathan Illouz

Dean Pinkhos ChurginMemorial Award forExcellence in Jewish HistoryReuben AbitbolJoshua Hassan

Blanche Attas ZuckermanMemorial Award for Excellencein Sephardic StudiesReuben Abitbol

YESHIVA PROGRAM/MAZERSCHOOL OF TALMUDIC STUDIES

The Rabbi Judah FeinermanMemorial AwardYosef Sharbat

The Yechezkel and ChannahLiepziger Memorial AwardDavid J. Bitton

YESHIVA COLLEGE

Langfan Family ConstitutionalOratorical Prize (Third Place)Tal Ovadia

Malka Fishhaut MemorialAward for Excellence inJewish StudiesEzra Sutton

SY SYMS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Joseph Herbst Award forExcellence in AccountingJonathan Illouz

Dean’s Award for ScholasticAchievement in AccountReuben Abitbol

Dean’s Award for ScholasticAchievement in FinanceSimon DahanGeraldine Dayan

Mildred SchlessbergAccounting SocietyAlumni Award for Servicein AccountingJonathan Illouz

STERN COLLEGE FOR WOMEN

Jacob Bluttal Award forExcellence in BehavioralSciencesRebecca Hazan

Mathematics DepartmentAward for Excellence inMathematicsSara Kotlicky Shamouilian

The Dean David MirskyMemorial Award for Excellencein WritingMichelle Hassan

Marcia Pearlstein MemorialAward for Excellence inHebraic StudiesJacqueline Elkaim

The Fannie and AsherScharfstein MemorialAward for the Best Paperon Gemilat HesedMaayan Elyashiv

Constance SchwartzappelMemorial Award for Excellencein Early Childhood EducationEsti Levy

Gloria Schrenzel SheerMemorial Award forExcellence in Jewish StudiesLael Siman-Tov

Awards and Honors

Between Foreigners and Shi’is:Nineteenth-Century Iranand its Jewish Minority

BY DANIEL TSADIK

Dr. Daniel Tsadik’s Between Foreigners and Shi‘is: Nine-teenth-Century Iran and its Jewish Minority traces thereligious, social and political life of Iranian Jewry in 19th

century Iran,specifically duringNasir al-Din Shah’sreign (1848–1896).Tsadik, assistant profes-sor in Sephardic andIranian studies at YU’sBernard Revel GraduateSchool, and a historianspecializing in thehistory of modern Iran,Shi‘te Islam, and Iran’sreligious minorities,

supports his brilliant analysis using rare archival and pri-mary sources.in Arabic, Persian, Judeo-Persian, Hebrewand European languages. The first comprehensive schol-arly work of its kind, this highly acclaimed book providesan excellent perspective on the life of Iranian Jewry duringa major turning point in Iranian history, when Europe wasincreasingly intervening in the Middle East.Tsadik, a Fulbright scholar who received his PhD in history

from Yale University, begins by discussing Shi‘ite laws thatpertain to Muslims in their daily relations with Jews, inareas of life such as cleanliness, inheritance, intermarriageand so on, and demonstrates the Jews’ subordinate legal,social and political status in the early 19th century. He thendepicts and analyzes the transformations in the Jews’ lives,largely caused by foreign—both Jewish and non-Jewish—intervention on the Jews’ behalf during the latter part ofthat century. A student of Iran and Shi‘te Islam, Tsadikalso illustrates how the case study of the Jewish minorityilluminates broader processes sweeping over Iran andShi‘te Iranian society at large.This book is enjoyable, intriguing and informative,

making it appealing to scholars, students and laymenalike. It is bound to sharpen our understanding of therise of Shi‘te clerics to power in recent decades, as wellas of Iranian society’s attitudes toward Jews and Judaismin modern times.

Stanford University Press, 2007

SEPHARDIC BOOK REVIEW

SEPHARD I C N EWS 11 S P R I NG ED I T I ON

NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGEPAIDYESHIVA UNIVERSITY

URGENT APPEAL FOR SCHOLARSHIP AID FORIMMIGRANT AND NORTH AMERICAN SEPHARDIC STUDENTS

Many foreign Sephardic students from Canada, France, Morroco, Syria, Iran, Turkey,Bukhara and elsewhere are eager to enter Yeshiva University. We are launching an urgent scholarship

appeal for these foreign students to raise the necessary funds to accommodate them.The cost for tuition, dormitory and the minimum food plan, plus fees, is $42,474 per student.

Please complete and detach this form and send it with your tax deductible scholarship gift made out to:Yeshiva University Sephardic Student Scholarship Fund

c/o Dr. Herbert C. Dobrinsky, Yeshiva University500 West 185th Street, New York, NY 10033-3201

NAME __________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________

CITY ____________________________________________________________________

STATE ______________________________________________ ZIP__________________

TELEPHONE ______________________________________________________________

CELLULAR ________________________________________________________________

CONTRIBUTION

Please indicate the amount of your scholarship gift forSephardic students at Yeshiva University:

One Year Full Expendable Scholarship: � $42,474

Personal Endowed Scholarship: � $50,000

Partial Scholarships:

� $26,000 � $7,500 � $1,000 � Other

� $18,000 � $5,200 � $501 ___________

� $10,000 � $2,600 � $101

Contributions of $50,000 or more will establish a personal endowed scholarship inyour name that will be listed in all appropriate University publications in perpetuity.

JACOB E. SAFRA INSTITUTE OF SEPHARDIC STUDIESSEPHARDIC COMMUNITY PROGRAM500 West 185th Street, BH 312New York, NY 10033-3201www.yu.edu

sephardicnewsletter2010

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