Sephardi Voices

30/03/2026

May this holiday season bring loved ones home and restore peace to our families everywhere.

Sephardi Voices gives voice to the one million Jews who were uprooted from their homes, neighborhoods, and ancestry in North Africa, the Middle East, and Iran.

18/03/2026

Please join us this evening for an engaging talk by Henry A. Green, Ph.D., founder of Sephardi Voices. Zoom details are provided below.

We look forward to your participation!

Title: The Untold Expulsion of Sephardi Jews from Arab Lands: Preserving Jewish Memory

Presented by: Henry A. Green, Ph.D.

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Time: 8:00 pm ET

Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83672257388?pwd=7EezkVK8agq6B0TKBeJcKoCrZaATr0.1

Meeting ID: 836 7225 7388
Passcode: 686787

29/12/2025

Today we mourn the loss of Victor Mashaal, an extraordinary man who was kind, generous and deeply loved. We are grateful to have his interview as part of the Sephardi Voices Collection. His legacy will continue.
https://sephardivoices.com/victor-mashaal-2/

21/12/2025

December Newsletter 2025


I’m proud to share the news that Sephardi Voices has achieved two of its primary goals. In September, I was invited by Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC) to provide the historical background for the displacement of nearly one million Jews from Arab countries and Iran to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The session was very successful and broadcast around the world https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVfK-D_J7wQ. The voice of this forgotten exodus is framed in a broader human rights context and is now part of the United Nations agenda.

The second goal was the deposit of the entire Sephardi Voices’ Collection into the National Library of Israel (NLI) in Jerusalem. For the first time, the collection is now available online via the National Library of Israel website and accessible without cost to researchers, educators, and the public worldwide.

On Nov 30, 2025, Sephardi Voices and the National Library of Israel (NLI) hosted The Other Refugees - The Untold Story of Sephardi/Mizrahi Jews, a special event marking the departure and expulsion of Jews from Arab countries and Iran. It was a memorable day at the NLI, celebrating the addition of the Sephardi Voices testimonies archive to the National Library of Israel collection, as well as tours of the library, a special exhibition of ancient Sephardic manuscripts, and a packed house for a symposium commemorating Yom Haplitim.

The program included our Israeli Director, Tamar Morad, moderating a discussion with three refugees who are part of the digital archive collection: Edy Cohen (Lebanon), Edwin Shuker (Iraq), and Levana Zamir (Egypt). It was the #1 event for Yom HaPlitim in Israel.

The event received significant attention (https://www.jns.org/jewish-refugees-from-arab-lands-and-iran-tell-their-stories/), and we hope this will serve as the foundation for a more fully established Yom Haplitim commemoration in Israel and the Diaspora.

Continued in the comments.

15/12/2025

This Hanukah, let us rekindle the flames in memory of the souls lost and hold in our hearts the families forever changed by this unimaginable loss.

As we light each candle, may their light be a source of love, resilience, and unity—reminding us that even in the darkest moments, our shared humanity shines through.

In that spirit of remembrance and compassion, we invite you to turn light into action by making a donation to Sephardi Voices, supporting the preservation of stories, culture, and community.

May the celebration of Hanukah bring peace and shine a light on the untold Sephardi story.

13/12/2025

Event Recap: Yom HaPlitim at the National Library of Israel

Thank you to our subscribers, donors, and everyone who joined us in honoring stories that must never be forgotten.

On November 30, the National Library of Israel (NLI) and Sephardi Voices hosted “The Other Refugees: The Untold Stories of Sephardi–Mizrahi Jews” in honor of Yom HaPlitim, the day marking the departure and expulsion of Jews from Arab countries and Iran.

Hundreds gathered to recognize a powerful yet often overlooked chapter of Jewish history: the displacement of nearly one million Jews from the Middle East and North Africa after 1947. Through testimony, music, and a full-day exhibition, these experiences were brought to light with dignity and depth.

Highlights included moving piyyutim by Rabbi David Menachem and the historic inclusion of the Sephardi Voices archive, nearly 450 oral testimonies, photographs, and documents, into NLI’s permanent collections. For the first time, this archive is now accessible online through the NLI website, ensuring these stories are preserved and shared for generations.

This landmark event affirmed that Sephardi–Mizrahi history is an essential part of the Jewish story and the global cultural record.

📖 Read more: https://www.jns.org/jewish-refugees-from-arab-lands-and-iran-tell-their-stories/

13/12/2025

Sunday Salon: The Forgotten Exodus – Sephardi Voices

🗓️January 11
⏰10:30 AM
📍Adult Reading Room, The Hub Library

Join us for a compelling Sunday Salon featuring Professor Henry Green, who will present The Forgotten Exodus: Sephardi Voices. Through powerful life stories, Professor Green sheds light on the experiences of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews displaced from Arab lands and Iran during the 20th century—voices often missing from the mainstream Jewish narrative.

Professor Green is a distinguished scholar of Jewish history and culture at the University of Miami, founding director of the Jewish Museum of Florida, and founder and executive director of Sephardi Voices, the largest digital archive preserving the stories of Jews expelled from Arab lands and Iran. His work has been featured internationally at the United Nations, museums, and academic institutions.

Sponsored by: Sunday Salon & the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami

RSVP: Etta Gold at [email protected]

We hope you’ll join us for this important and enlightening conversation.

18/11/2025

Sephardi Voices was honored to join AJC Miami & Broward (.miami) the Greater Miami Jewish Federation () and Israel in Miami () for a powerful commemoration of Yom HaPlitim, Jewish Refugee Day

Yom HaPlitim marks the stories of nearly one million Jews expelled from North Africa, the Middle East, and Iran following the establishment of the State of Israel.

Sunday’s program brought these histories to life through survivor testimonials, a moving video presentation, and a photo exhibition capturing exile, memory, and resilience.

Hosted by Dr. Henry Green, Sephardi Voices Founding Director and AJC Project Interchange alum, the event was made possible in partnership with AJC and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. We extend special thanks to Scott Kaplan for his leadership in organizing the evening.

We were grateful for a video greeting from Mayor Daniella Levine Cava () and deeply moved by remarks from Israeli Deputy Consul General Ayellet Black, who shared her own family’s refugee story.

AJC Miami and Broward President Susan Greene Pallot welcomed attendees, highlighting meaningful AJC connections, including testimonies from AJC Regional Board Members Daniela Zanzuri and Moises Eskinazi.

Event Highlights:
Jimmy Benaudis—shared his family’s journey from Morocco to France.

Daniela Zanzuri Beiner—offered her own testimony and interviewed her cousin, Dalia Zanzuri, born in Tripoli, Libya.

Moises Eskinazi—reflected on his family’s roots in Turkey and Latin America.

It was a truly meaningful evening of remembrance, storytelling, and honoring voices that must never be forgotten.

23/09/2025

Shana Tova!

Miami mayor, Daniel Levine Cava, with Sephardi Voices Executive Director, Henry Green, and Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, Israel Consul General of Miami, 2024.

Thank you () for your continuous support of

“Shanah Tovah to all who celebrate -this season is one of reflection and renewal. May this new year bring the safe return of all hostages still held by Hamas, and may it be a time of healing, reconciliation, and lasting peace.”

22/09/2025

By giving voice to the richness of the Sephardi legacy, we are enhancing Jewish life for generations to come.

“Tizku Leshanim Rabbot” - May you merit abundant years!

07/09/2025

Henry Green, Executive Director of Sephardi Voices, will be speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva Switzerland on the Jewish Refugees in the Middle East.

Please join us for the live international broadcast on Monday September 8 at 11am EST, with the Youtube link below.

https://m.youtube.com/bnaibrithinternational/live

28/02/2025

Report of Iraqi Jewish community loss of assets post their displacement.
Produced by JJAC.

Link to Syrian Site:

The Forgotten Refugees of Iraq Jewish settlement in Mesopotamia dates back to 586 BCE, following the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Over centuries, Babylonian Jews played a central role in Judaism, From a community of over 135,000. By the early 1970s, nearly all Iraqi Jews had fled, m...