JIMENA Launches Sephardic Leadership Institute
SAN FRANCISCO — On July 12th, 2022 JIMENA launched the Sephardic Leadership Institute (SLI)—a hub for Sephardi and Mizrahi leaders to expand their networks, develop skills and capacities to strengthen their communities and institutions, and to share their knowledge and expertise within the Jewish world and beyond. Developed with the support of the Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund, the institute kicked off with the first of a seven-part leadership development series designed for leaders of Sephardi and Mizrahi communities.
Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews comprise the largest ethnically diverse group of Jewish Americans, but are often on the margins of mainstream American Jewish communal life. Furthermore, Sephardi and Mizrahi leaders lack a centralized communal infrastructure, making it difficult to engage intra-community building opportunities.
The institute aims to serve as a hub for training, networking, and leadership development for Sephardi and Mizrahi Jewish professionals and lay leaders, including administrators, rabbis, activists, educators, nonprofit professionals, social entrepreneurs, board members, and volunteers. SLI’s formation was informed by phase one of the Sephardic Jewish American Research Study to build an understanding of Sephardic communal leaders’ needs and priorities.
Committees within the institute will share their particular knowledge, expertise and recommendations with the larger Jewish communal world in an effort to help increase the knowledge, capacities, and cultural responsiveness of Jewish institutions to become more inclusive and representative of Sephardi, Mizrahi, and diverse Jewish communities. Each committee member will be published in a forthcoming journal of the institute, and many are eager to share their knowledge and expertise through trainings, consultations, lectures, and partnership.
“In the preliminary research conducted by the institute, we learned that 100% of Sephardic leaders surveyed recognized the need for a significant investment in Sephardic communal leadership infrastructure and community engagement models. Our diverse Sephardi and Mizrahi communities are filled with brilliant, thoughtful leaders who have so much knowledge and creativity to contribute towards building inclusive and welcoming Jewish communities that are grounded in traditional Jewish values,” JIMENA’s Executive Director Sarah Levin said.
“We look forward to building an institute that first and foremost can help support and meet the needs of our leaders and community groups while simultaneously serving as a hub for partnership, networking, rich-content, trainings, and deep knowledge for the larger Jewish communal ecosystem,” Levin added.
From July to December this year, Sephardic and Mizrahi leaders are welcome to attend seven virtual sessions run by established leaders with years of experience in their fields. These facilitators will dive into particular challenges and opportunities facing Sephardi and Mizrahi communal leaders, empowering participants with specific tools to uplift themselves and their communities, while simultaneously connected with their peers.
“We’re thrilled to offer this first-of-its-kind program for Sephardi and Mizrahi leaders,” Levin said. “As Jewish communities begin to recognize the beautiful diversity of the Jewish world, alumni from the Sephardic Leadership Institute will be ready to lead.”
The Sephardic Leadership Institute is also proud to house the first national cohort of the Sephardic Leaders Fellowship and is currently entering the second phase of the first ever demographic study of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jewish Americans.
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More Statements
Upholding Our Heritage in the Face of Continuing Threats
Dear Friends and Members of the Jimena Community, As Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews, we are all too familiar with attempts to erase our existence– from the Inquisition, to dhimmitude (the second-class status Jews held under Islamic rule for hundreds of years), to the mass expulsions of our communities in the mid-20th century– our history has, unfortunately, been colored by antisemitic threats and violence as an ethnic minority of the Middle East and North Africa. These efforts to erase our existence continue as we continue to bear witness to nearly daily direct attacks on Israel. As we watch the Islamic Republic of Iran and their proxies launch hundreds of rockets and drones, we understand these events are not isolated, but a continuation of the threat to Jewish life in the Middle East. Israel symbolizes not only the preservation of our rich and cherished history but also the triumph of reclaiming indigenous land. It stands as a beacon of strength and hope for all indigenous peoples of the MENA region who have faced subjugation and oppression under imperialism. We extend our hand in solidarity with the people of Iran, who know all too well the terror imposed by the Islamic Republic regime occupying their land. We understand that the regime’s actions do not reflect their own aspirations for freedom, liberty, and peace. This conflict is with the Islamic Republic, not the Iranian people, and we look forward to the day when they, along with us and the entire Middle East, are liberated from the regime’s despotism and chaos. In the face of threats by tyrannical rulers today, we stand steadfast in our identity as Jews, as Jews whose diasporic experience heralds from the Middle East and North Africa, and as Jews who support the existence of Jewish life in our ancestral homeland. Just as before, we will triumph over those who wish to destroy us, and we will continue to advocate for peaceful coexistence for all peoples in the region, so we may live our lives free from persecution, antisemitism, and hate. The People of Israel Live, today, tomorrow, and forever. Am Israel Chai. -The JIMENA team.
A Brief Guide to IHRA Definition of Antisemitism
An Introduction of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Definition of Antisemitism
IHRA Definition of Antisemitism
Antisemitic crimes remain the most prevalent religious-based hate crime in both the United States and California. They are increasing, now comprising 62% of all religious-based hate crimes in California, even though the Jewish community represents only 2% of the population. This is an increase of 24% from the previous year. Source Despite the scale of this issue, only about a quarter of the people in our nation are aware that antisemitism exists. Furthermore, a third of these individuals feel that antisemitism isn’t regarded as seriously as other forms of hate, despite its deadly consequences. Source Definition To counter antisemitism, it is essential to understand its definition. Consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s working definition of antisemitism, crafted by an apolitical group of world scholars, policy experts, and researchers: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, as well as Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” Included are twelve examples, such as promoting negative or conspiratorial allegations about Jews, denying the Holocaust, and depriving the Jewish people of their right to self-determination—e.g., by asserting that the State of Israel is a racist endeavor. Source Endorsements The IHRA provides the most authoritative and internationally accepted definition of antisemitism. It has been championed and embraced by: - The United Nations Secretary-General, - The Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (consisting of 34 member countries, including the US), - The European Parliament, - The U.S. Department of State - The White House in its May 2023 National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, and - The California State Board of Education in its Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. The IHRA definition has been adopted in over 40 nations and by various representative religious bodies, including the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and the Global Imams Council. Three hundred and two members of the U.S. House of Representatives utilized the IHRA definition in the Never Again Education Act. This was co-sponsored by 45 Representatives from California, including Jackie Speier, Ro Khanna, Ted Lieu, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Anna Eshoo, and Adam Schiff.