We celebrate the rich heritage of India’s Jewish community through personal stories and cultural memory in Paushali Lass and Ann Samson's book “Tasting Faith: Jews of India - Unveiling Stories, Sharing Recipes, and Preserving their Vibrant Legacy”. Told through the life of Ann Samson, an Indian-born Jew in Canada, the book explores the vibrant cultural and culinary traditions of Indian Jews, their migration journeys, and deep connection to Israel. Ann’s story reflects the broader Jewish diaspora experience - balancing multiple identities while staying rooted in faith and tradition. At its heart, Tasting Faith shows how food serves as a bridge between cultures and generations. With recipes and reflections, it honors Jewish resilience and highlights the often-overlooked role of Middle Eastern Jews, especially Baghdadi Jews, in shaping India’s culture and economy. Alongside Ann’s narrative, author Paushali Lass shares her perspective as an Indian deeply connected to Jewish history and Zionism. The book challenges Eurocentric views of Jewish identity and celebrates the unique story of Indian Jews, for whom Aliyah was a return, not an escape. This is a tribute to a remarkable community - resilient, proud, and deeply tied to both India and Israel. About the authors: Paushali Lass is an intercultural educator, writer and international speaker of Indian origin, based in Germany. With a deep connection to Israel, Paushali’s work bridges Jewish and Christian communities, as well as cultures with a focus on education and faith-based initiatives. Passionate about culinary culture, Paushali likes to conduct culinary workshops that explore the intersection of food and culture. Ann Samson, born in November 1941, grew up immersed in India's rich Jewish heritage, blending Bene Israel and Baghdadi traditions. After moving to Toronto in 1966, she became a respected educator and school principal. To this day she continues to learn and spread the history of Indian Jews. To purchase the book https://a.co/d/gbTXKel Register to stay updated with our programs - and please help support our programs by donating today https://www.unitytdiversity.com/contact-donations (for sponsorship opportunities reach out to info@unitytdiversity.com.

In the context of Middle Eastern Jewry in modern times, seldom is there mention (beyond the cursory) of the Jews of Lebanon. And if at all acknowledged, Lebanese Jews are usually identified mainly in the context of Maronite-Zionist relations (during and immediately following the Mandate period), or within larger themes dealing with the destruction of European Jewry, the establishment of the State of Israel, and the prevalent narratives about the expulsions of Jews from Arab lands post-1948. The purpose of my presentation is to remedy this lacuna of neglect, revealing the Jews of Lebanon as a longstanding Lebanese community, similar to and at the same time distinct from other Lebanese communities, and likewise similar to and distinct from neighboring Jews of “Arab lands.” About the speaker: Franck Salameh is an historian and multilingual translator, biographer, memoirist, and professor of Near Eastern Studies at Boston College. He is also Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of the Middle East and Africa. His academic and public work centers primarily on Levantine minorities and the history of ideas and political thought in the Modern Middle East, with a special focus on Arabism, Zionism, Islamism, as well as Francophonie and the history of France and French missionaries in the East. His most recent books are "The Other Middle East" (Yale, 2017), and "Lebanon's Jewish Community" (Palgrave, 2019). Among his current book projects is a "biography of Franco-Lebanese relations" tracing a millennium-long story of emotional attachments and betrayals between the Maronite Church and France. Please support this and other programs by donating: tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate

An obsessive genealogist and descendant of one of the most prominent Jewish families since the American Revolution, Blanche Moses firmly believed her maternal ancestors were Sephardic grandees. Yet she found herself at a dead end when it came to her grandmother's maternal line. Using family heirlooms to unlock the mystery of Moses's ancestors, "Once We Were Slaves" overturns the reclusive heiress's assumptions about her family history to reveal that her grandmother and great-uncle, Sarah and Isaac Brandon, actually began their lives as poor Christian slaves in Barbados. Tracing the siblings' extraordinary journey throughout the Atlantic World, Leibman examines artifacts they left behind in Barbados, Suriname, London, Philadelphia, and, finally, New York, to show how Sarah and Isaac were able to transform themselves and their lives, becoming free, wealthy, Jewish, and - at times - white. About the speaker: Laura Arnold Leibman is the Leonard J. Milberg ’53 Professor in American Jewish Studies at Princeton University. Her work focuses on religion and the daily lives of women and children in early America and uses everyday objects to help bring their stories back to life. She is President of the Association for Jewish Studies, and the author of The Art of the Jewish Family: A History of Women in Early New York in Five Objects which won three National Jewish Book Awards. Her earlier book "Messianism, Secrecy, & Mysticism: A New Interpretation of Early American Jewish Life" won a Jordan Schnitzer Book Award and a National Jewish Book Award. Her most recent monograph, "Once We Were Slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multiracial Jewish Family" was a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award and the Saul Viener Book Prize. She is currently working on a book about Jews and textiles during the long nineteenth century. Please support this and other programs by donating or sponsoring a program: tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate

Study of religious texts and praxis of commandments is central to Jewish life. Yet traditionally, the involvement of women in these realms was limited, In recent years, attempts have been within traditional Judaism to offer wider horizons for women's participation in these areas. However, those doing so were not aware of the riches of Sephardic rabbinic culture. Prof. Zohar has collected surprising sources from the teachings of Sephardic hakhamim (rabbis) from the 18th to the 20th centuries, that illuminate unexpected teachings of these sages with regard to women’s participation in Jewish life. About the speaker: Zvi Zohar is Chauncey Stillman Professor of Sephardic Law and Ethics (emeritus) at Bar Ilan University, where he taught in the Faculty of Law and in the Faculty of Jewish Studies. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Kogod Research Center for Contemporary Jewish Thought of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, with which he has been associated for over 45 years. Zvi is interested in all aspects of Jewish life and thought, especially in modern times. His research focuses on The Culture and Creativity of Sephardic-Oriental Rabbis in Modern Times, and on The Sociology, Anthropology and Historical Development of Halakha (Jewish Law) from ancient times to the present. He has written and edited 14 books, has published more than 110 scholarly articles in Hebrew, English, French, and German, and serves on the editorial boards of Pe'amim and of Tziyyonut Datit. His most recent full length book in English, Rabbinic Creativity in the Modern Middle East, was published in 2013 by the Hartman Institute’s Kogod Library of Judaic Studies in conjunction with Bloomington Academic Press. Please support this and other programs by donating tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate

Drora Arussy interviews Dr. Chef Hélène Jawhara Piñer about Sephardic history and food from her latest cookbook "Matzah and Flour. Recipes from the History of the Sephardic Jews" (December 2024) . For a copy of Chef Helene's cookbook, signed available as well, go to https://www.academicstudiespress.com/author/helene-jawhara-pinyer/ - 25% off with promo code Passover 25, https://a.co/d/g0UMT4W, or your local bookstore. You may see Dr. Helene making some recipes on our YouTube channel in these programs: Harissa from Andalusia https://youtu.be/PH-uIhn-owg?si=clM6bgu_84jWWsIw, Crown (starting at 45:31) https://youtu.be/-zzaqeJq7Zk?si=ipf5AHxRskn780aA, Moufletta https://youtu.be/eHuFSz8x7_U?si=Amq76TxqCJW5pTSo Follow and message Chef Helene on Instagram helenejawharapiner About Hélène: Hélène Jawhara Piñer is a PhD in Medieval History and the History of Food. She teaches medieval history at two French universities, Bordeaux-Montaigne and Tours. She has been awarded by the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies and the David Gitlitz Emerging Scholar Prize for her accomplishment and engagement in Sephardic History research. She has been awarded a Visiting Research Fellowship by the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies (SIMS) at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries to conduct research on her proposed topic: “From Persecution to Plate: Uncovering the Culinary Practices of Sephardic Jews through Inquisition Trials” (April -May 2024). Dr. Jawhara-Piñer is the author of various books that are published with Academic Studies Press/Cherry Orchard Books. The first one is a historical cookbook entitled "Sephardi: Cooking the History. Recipes of the Jews of Spain and the Diaspora from the 13th Century to Today" (2021) whose foreword is written by the late David Gitlitz (University of Rhode Island). It has also been translated in Spanish "Sefardí: Cocinar la historia". This book has been awarded by the Gourmand World Awards as “the Best Jewish Cuisine Book” in 2021. The second is an academic book entitled "Jews, Food and Spain: The Oldest Medieval Spanish Cookbook and the Sephardic Culinary Heritage" [December 2022] whose foreword is written by Paul Freedman (University of Yale). This book was finalist of the Jewish Book Awards in the “Sephardic Culture” category, in 2023. Her latest cookbook is "Matzah and Flour. Recipes from the History of the Sephardic Jews" (December 2024) which was presented at The Streicker Center of NYC in March 2025. Please support this and other programs by donating today: tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate

Description The 1413–1414 Disputation of Tortosa was a pivotal event in the history of Iberian Jews, marking a significant escalation in their persecution. Organized by Pope Benedict XIII, it was framed as a theological debate between Jewish scholars and Christian theologians, led by Gerónimo de Santa Fe, a Jewish convert to Christianity. Jewish participants, including prominent rabbis, were coerced into attending and denied the ability to refute Christian arguments openly. The debate centered on interpretations of Jewish texts, particularly the Talmud, which Christians sought to use to validate Christian doctrine. About the speaker: Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Pereira is the director of adult education at the Chabad of Virginia, Richmond. He can be reached at shlomo@chabadofva.org. Rabbi Pereira was a Professor of Economics and has Rabbinical ordination. He is the author or co-author of "Jewish Ethics from Portugal" and other books. He is widely published and lectures around the world on history of Jews from the Iberian Peninsula and the Sephardic World. In collaboration with J-RVA Jewish Studies Center, A project of Chabad of VA, Genie Milgrom, and Reconectar. Please support our activities and programs. Suggested minimum donation $10 tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate

In this two part series we will explore the distinct but intertwined stories of Iberian Conversos who secretly practiced Judaism and openly-practicing Sephardic Jews who came to the Americas and created distinct religious cultures. We will look at primary sources to go deeper into the complexities of this fascinating history. Ronnie Perelis is the Chief Rabbi Dr. Isaac Abraham and Jelena (Rachel) Alcalay Associate Professor of Sephardic Studies at Yeshiva University and the Director of the Rabbi Arthur Schneier Program for International Affairs. His research investigates connections between Iberian and Jewish culture during the medieval and early modern periods. His essays on Sephardic history analyze the dynamics of religious transformation within the context of the crypto-Jewish experience. His book, "Narratives from the Sephardic Atlantic: Blood and Faith" (Indiana University Press) explores family and identity in the Sephardic Atlantic world. Currently he is working on a critical edition, English translation and historical study of the rediscovered manuscripts of Luis de Carvajal, a Sixteenth century Mexican Crypto-Jewish thinker. Carvajal’s manuscripts were stolen from the Mexican National Archives in 1932 and only resurfaced in 2016. This project, undertaken in collaboration with Jesús de Prado Plumed, will offer readers the first opportunity to delve deeply into the spiritual world of a remarkable early modern religious thinker and it will provide a window into the inner dynamics of crypto-Jewish life in the Americas. In collaboration with Genie Milgrom, and Reconectar. Please support our activities and programs tinyurl.com/JUniTDiDonate