Rhodes Jewish Historical Foundation

04/12/2026

Dear Friends, The Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel in Los Angeles invites the community to a Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) program on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at 10:30 AM. This free event, followed by a light lunch, will feature music, poetry, and storytelling, offering a shared moment of reflection and remembrance. Please RSVP at 310‑475‑7000.

03/29/2026

SAVE THE DATE!

Dear Friends, please join us on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 12 PM for the “Jewish Life in Rhodes” exhibit and luncheon at the Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel in Los Angeles, which will feature 100+ artifacts and photographs from Rhodesli families, including the recently acquired Benoun Torah Crown from the Kahal Grande of Rhodes. See flyer for details. RSVP by June 8th, email: [email protected]

We look forward to a meaningful gathering in celebration of our heritage!

02/18/2026

Dear Friends, please join Victor Raphael and Isaac Habib for a special screening of Rescuing Memory and a discussion on February 19th at 6pm at the Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Center.

02/13/2026

Dear Rhodeslis, I’m delighted to share my recently published article on the Benoun Torah Crown of the Kehila Grande of Rhodes, featured in the Sephardic Brotherhood’s magazine, La Djente. You can read it here: https://www.ladjente.com/post/treasures-of-the-island-of-rhodes-the-benoun-torah-crown-from-the-kehila-grande

01/21/2026

Dear Friends, we invite you to join the hybrid workshop, Echoes of Rhodes: Sephardic Written Culture in the Greek Mediterranean World, on January 27-29, 2026. For more info and to register via Zoom, directly contact Annett Martini: [email protected]

01/11/2026

“Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity & Human Rights” is the 2026 International Holocaust Remembrance Day theme. We dignify the victims and survivors by remembering and affirming their stories and the heritage that was nearly extinguished. Our work is not done as we continue to confront hatred, antisemitism, denial and distortion. Let us uphold the truth and ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust continue to guide future generations toward justice and humanity. https://rhodesjewishmuseum.org/history/holocaust/

11/18/2025

Kitchen tools such as the coffee grinder and “mortero” (mortar & pestle) were used to make finely ground coffee, grind nuts and spices, make matzah for meal & farfel, and rice flour for “soutlach.” To learn more about the customs & traditions of Jewish Rhodes, visit: https://rhodesjewishmuseum.org/la.../customs-traditions/

09/01/2025

Hi everyone, the 17th Rhodesli Jewish Calendar has now shipped!

The cover features the 1933 photo of young Rhodeslis in front of a "kabina" (bungalow) with a medieval wall design at Cova Beach near Puerta de la Mar. If you're interested in receiving the calendar, here's the link: https://rhodesjewishmuseum.org/rhodesli-jewish-calendar/

08/11/2025

The book “RHODES, CONGO, BRAZIL: A Sephardic Memory - Journeys of the Benatar and Hasson Families” (Paperback, 2025) by Claudio Benatar is now available on Amazon (link below).

Through a meticulous and heartfelt investigation, drawing on archives, photographs, oral testimonies, and period advertisements, the author brings to light the forgotten journeys of these pioneers, once subjects of the Ottoman Empire, driven into exile by history and guided by a spirit of trade and survival.

In retracing their paths, Claudio restores presence and dignity to lives that history has often overlooked. He pays tribute to those who left a Mediterranean island to shape an uncertain future elsewhere. And above all, he seeks to pass on to his own, to readers, to those still searching for their roots, the belief that every life is worth telling.

Through a meticulous and heartfelt investigation, drawing on archives, photographs, oral testimonies, and period advertisements, the author brings to light the forgotten journeys of these pioneers, once subjects of the Ottoman Empire, driven into exile by history and guided by a spirit of trad...

07/22/2025

Check out the Summer 2025 Edition of La Djente (The People)- the Sephardic Community magazine in America, which includes the "Jews of Rhodes" article by Carmen Cohen and the poem "La Dolor Despues de la Liberasion" by Isaac Habib, dedicated to the memory of the Jewish Martyrs of Rhodes and Kos.

The story of the Jewish community in Rhodes is a powerful testament to faith, loss, and resilience. After the tragedy of the Holocaust, the community not only survived but also rebuilt itself, keeping its heritage alive to this day.The Day After the WarIn 1944, Rhodes witnessed the mass deportation....

06/03/2025

Sharing this wonderful video by Art Benveniste in 1982 of the Los Angeles Sephardic women from Rhodes as they recreated the Bridal Shower known as “Banyo de Novia” – a custom before the wedding of the young brides.

BANYO DE NOVIA (No, I did not misspell it. That's how Banyo is spelled in LADINO) is a Bridal Shower. Sometime prior to the wedding the young ladies of Rhod...