SEPHARDIC JOURNEYS Exhibition to Open 5/28 at Center for Jewish History

Sephardim represent a mosaic culture, with communities distinguishing themselves markedly in terms of artistic, culinary, linguistic and sacred traditions. "Sephardic Journeys," a new exhibit on display at The David Berg Rare Book Room at the Center for Jewish History showcases this rich diversity, and the Sephardic tradition of scholarship and culture shaped by migration.

People often think that Sephardic Jews come solely from the Iberian Peninsula. This exhibit -- organized by region -- considers the greater Sephardic Diaspora: Jews from Spain and Portugal prior to the Inquisition in 1492, as well as those from the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Objects featured in the exhibit include the first English translation of the Hebrew prayerbook in America (1766), a copy of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" in Ladino (1922), a first edition Hebrew/Latin/Italian dictionary dedicated to a Pope (1587) and an anti-Semitic tract by Paolo Medici after his conversion to Christianity (1752).

Join us to celebrate the opening on Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m. of "Sephardic Journeys," an exhibition composed of rare books and artifacts from across the Sephardic Diaspora, spanning the globe from Salonika and Shanghai to New York. Tickets: $36 | http://cjh.org/event/2661.

The evening will feature live music and reflections by:

- Marc Angel, Ph.D., Founder and Director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals and Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel: Th­e Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue

- Yamin Levy, Senior Rabbi at Great Neck's Iranian Jewish Center, Beth Hadassah, Founder of the Maimonides Heritage Center in Israel, and former Academic Director of Sephardic Studies at Yeshiva University

Sephardic refreshments and dessert will be served.

This exhibition is free and open to the public at the following times:

Sunday, 11:00am - 5:00pm

Monday and Wednesday, 9:30am - 8:00pm

Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30am - 5:00pm

Friday: 9:30am - 4:00pm

Details: http://cjh.org/p/42

Location: 15 West 16th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues) New York, New York 10011

Pictured: Rome'o i Zhuliyet, Salonika, 1922, Work of Shakespeare. In Ladino. Image courtesy of American Sephardi Federation at Center for Jewish History.