India #1 – Jewish Heritage Around the World Part II series with CWB scholar Avi Ben-Hur and guest speakers

“This series is co-sponsored by Rodef Shalom Congregation.
Jewish Heritage Around the World:

Classrooms Without Borders is excited to embark on our second Jewish Heritage Series. The communities covered include Britain, Turkey, Argentina, France, India and more. We will have two sessions per community. The opening session will consist of an historical survey by an expert on the topic. The second session will engage in a dialogue with members of the community. Due to time differences, it is possible that some of the timing for the “dialogue” sessions will change, but generally speaking the series will be running on Tuesdays from 2 PM to 3:15 PM Eastern Time. The sessions will take place on the dates below.

Upcoming Sessions:
The Jews of Argentina– May 4th & June 1st
The largest Jewish community of Latin America and the 3rd largest in the Americas, the population peaked at close to 350,000 in the late 1970s. Jews have been in Argentina since the 17th century and have been involved in and witness to some of the major historical junctions of this young country. The community suffered the worst post WWII attack of any Jewish community in the world when the main community center in Buenos Aires was bombed by Hezbollah in 1994. Jewish life in Argentina is robustly pluralistic with strong Reform, Conservative and Orthodox communities including rabbinic seminaries, schools and camps. And yet, assimilation is on the rise and the population is decreasing.

Joining us on May 4 were our esteemed guest speakers, Dr. Judith Freidenberg and Dr. Emmanuel Kahan.

Emmanuel Kahan holds a PhD in History from the National University of La Plata. He is a Researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina. He is also a Professor with the History Department at the National University of La Plata and teaches postgraduate courses at several other universities in Argentina. He published many books and articles about the Jewish experience in Argentina and is a member of the Latin American Jewish Studies Association

Judith Freidenberg holds a PhD in Anthropology from City University of New York. She taught at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York and at the University of Maryland, where she is now Professor Emerita. She published extensively on migration and health. Two books deal with the Jewish experience in rural Argentina, and appear in Spanish and English. She is also a member of the Latin American Jewish Studies Association.

Joining us on June 1st are our esteemed guest speakers: Dr. Marisa Braylan, Mirta Kupferminc, Micaela Bursztein, Karina Gorenstein and Federico Nemetsky!
Dr. Marisa Braylan

Dr. Marisa Braylan is a lawyer from University of Buenos Aires (UBA), specialized in Public International Law (1995). Pedagogical Training of the Teaching Career in that Faculty. Visiting professor at the Faculty of Communication Sciences, Political Science and Sociology of the UBA. Director of the Center for Social Studies (CES) of the DAIA (Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations). She led the research group on “Comparative international law. Denial of the Holocaust in Argentina ”, program of Institutional Accreditation of Research Projects in Law (DeCyT) carried out jointly by DAIA and UBA. Diploma in migration and refugee protection- Faculty of Law-UBA. Diploma in Discrimination and Right to Equality – Faculty of Law-UBA. Invited professor of Special Didactics of Law, professor of Legal Sciences of the Faculty of Law of the UBA.

Mirta Kupferminc
Photo by: Alejandro Meter
Mirta Kupferminc: Lecturer, mentor of other artists and teacher, she lives and works in Buenos Aires. Exhibiting since 1977, she has had more than 100 solo and group shows in Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, Uruguay, China Switzerland, Spain, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong , Germany, Israel, Poland, France, Hungary, England, United States. Her works can be found in International Collections and Museums. Received local and international printmaking awards, Example: Great Honor Prize (2012) in Argentina, First Prize Sivori Museum, Argentina (2018) Silver Medal Taiwan Biennale (2006) Honor Mention Taipei Biennale (1999)Third Prize at 7th Koichi Biennale (2008).

In 2013 she was the first international fellow at LABA House of Study: a laboratory for Jewish Art and Culture at the 14th St Y NYC.and is also the founding LABA-BA director in Buenos Aires. And also directs Grafia Insurgente Association.

Micaela Bursztein

Micaela is the Manager of Project Evaluation for JDC in Latin America

Micaela was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She graduated from the ORT High School and went on to complete her BA in Political Science at Universidad de Buenos Aires. In 2007 she traveled to Israel with Taglit-Birthright Israel. The trip was transformative for her, and solidified her commitment to working in the Jewish community. Prior to coming to JDC Micaela spent seven years in the Finance and Resource Development department of Chabad Lubavitch Argentina. She has worked for JDC since 2017, and is also currently pursuing a master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration at Universidad de San Andrés.

Karina Gorenstein

Educational Training
• GRADUATE IN EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT-­ UNTREF (Licenciada en Gestión
Educativa. Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero)
• TEACHER FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION -­ ISFD 7 CABA. (PROFESORA PARA LA
ENSEÑANZA PRIMARIA. INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE N7)
• SPECIALIZED TEACHER IN ADOLESCENT AND ADULT EDUCATION. PROFESORA
ESPECIALIZADA EN EDUCACIÓN DE ADOLESCENTES Y ADULTOS ISFD N1
AVELLANEDA
Professional Experience
• GENERAL DIRECTOR in AGNON Y MELAMED –AMIA -­ Teacher Training Institutes
(since February 2018)
• PROJECT CORDINATOR in TEACHERS ACCOMPANYING SCHOOL TRAJECTORS.
Dir. Of Elementary Education. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION City of Buenos Aires. (since
February 2017)
• DIRECTOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION OF THE NATION. Ministry of Education and
Sports of the Nation. January 2016-­January 2017)
• Teacher in presencial and distance courses at the National and International level / Teacher
Training Programs / Institutional advice / Content writing /
Scholarships and Prizes
• FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP for School Directors. Held in Columbus-­OHIO USA 2013
• YAD VASHEM SCHOLARSHIP -­ “The teaching of the Shoah and the dilemmas of its
transmission” -­ Held in Jerusalem-­ January 2020
• TEAMWORK AWARD Ministry of Modernization of the Government of the City of Buenos
Aires year 2013.
• INNOVATION AWARD Ministry of Modernization of the Government of the City of Buenos
Aires year 2014

Federico Nemetsky

Son of a father from Tucumám, a small City in the north with a small Jewish Community, and a mother from Campana, an even smaller town near Buenos Aires with a tiny Community, Federico has been living all his life related with Judaism and working with the Jewish Communities around Argentina.

Currently, he is working on his PhD in Cultural Diversity and finishing a master degree with a specialization in Jewish Studies. He is the Director of Studies of the Agnon and Melamed Institutes (Jewish Teachers training institutes) and the Coordinator of the postgraduate course “”Jewish History and its Teaching””.

He is a lecturer both for Jewish and non-Jewish audiences and institutions in a wide variety of topics mainly related with Jewish culture and geo-political analysis of the Middle East.

Federico is and active participant of local Jewish political scene and takes part in different Zionist and Jewish organizations, like being a member of the Board of the KKL in Argentina.

Past sessions:
The Jews of Britain – January 19th & February 2nd
From the earliest known accusation of “blood libel” (William of Norwich – 1144) to the “falling out” of British Jewry and the Labor Party, the history of the Jews in Britain has known its ups and downs. In addition to tracing the trajectory of the Jewish presence in the British Isles, we plan to unpack the key issues facing British Jewry today, as expressed by the British Jews we shall be meeting.

On January 19th: We welcomed Prof. David Mendelsson to our program

Prof. David Mendelsson is a senior lecturer at Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School (RIS), teaching History of the Modern State of Israel and The Arab-Israeli Conflict: From Its Origins to the Present. He is also the most recent past director of the Year in Israel program at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. Prof. Mendelsson holds doctoral and master’s degrees from the Department of Contemporary Jewry at Hebrew University.

On February 2: We welcomed these esteemed guests:

Michael Wegier – Board of Deputies of British Jews: Interim Chief Executive

Michael Wegier has worked in Jewish Education and Strategic Planning in the UK, Israel, and the United States. Previous positions include Director of Melitz Educational Centers in Jerusalem, Director of Jewish Education at the Baltimore JCC and Chief Executive of UJIA in the UK. Michael has also provided Strategic Plannng services to the Jewish Agency and World ORT and other global Jewish organisations. Michael has an MA in Contemporary Jewry from the Hebrew University and is a graduate of the Mandel Jerusalem Fellows. In March, Michael will begin a new role as Interim Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Joanne Greenaway – London School of Jewish Studies: Chief Executive

Joanne joined LSJS, the London School of Jewish Studies, in January 2019 as Chief Executive. LSJS delivers inspiring education programmes which transmit a love of learning and achieve excellence in teaching to transform the Jewish community through teacher training degrees and innovative, accessible adult education. Joanne was previously at the United Synagogue where she was Get Case Director within the London Beth Din, focussing on difficult cases of Get refusal, as well as the Deputy Legal Director of the US. Prior to this she studied languages at Cambridge University before qualifying as a lawyer and working in private practice for 12 years, in the field of international arbitration and public international law. Joanne is a graduate of the the Chief Rabbi’s Ma’ayan programme, the JLC Gamechangers Senior Leadership programme and the LSJS Susi Bradfield Educational Leadership programme. She has worked as a consultant for schools and communities across Europe.

Mark Gardner – Community Security Trust: Chief Executive

Mark is Chief Executive of CST, having previously been Director of Communications and Research. He joined CST in 1989, and is a leading commentator and writer on contemporary antisemitism. Mark has represented British and European Jews in numerous fora, for example giving the keynote speech at the 2015 European Union Colloquium on antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate; and giving evidence in British, Israeli and German parliamentary hearings on antisemitism.

Mark was awarded a Police Commendation for his role in helping lead Scotland Yard’s cross-London response to the 1999 neo-Nazi nail bomb campaign. He also played a prominent role in the April 2018 ill-fated Jewish community leadership meeting with (then) Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn MP.

Claudia Mendoza – Jewish Leadership Council: Co-CEO

Claudia is the Interim Co CEO of the Jewish Leadership Council and manages the External Affairs Team. Claudia sets the strategy and priorities for the team and leads on the JLC’s policy positions. She has worked for various think tanks as a Research Analyst, focusing on the Middle East with a special interest in Iran and the transitioning Arab states.

Claudia has a BSc in Biochemistry from University College London and an MA in Middle East Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She is an alumna of the Adam Science Foundation Leadership Programme.

Turkey and its Jews – February 16th & March 2nd
There has been a continuous Jewish presence in Asia Minor (Turkey of today) going back at least 2300 years. The past 600 years of Jewish life in Turkey has taken place within an Islamic milieu. In the Ottoman empire, which lasted for more than 400 years, the Jews were considered to be the “most loyal” subjects and it was that empire that gave Sephardic Jews a “safe harbor” in the wake of the Spanish and Portuguese expulsions. Once a flourishing large community, Turkish Jewry are on the eve of their disappearance. We aim to illuminate the source of Turkey’s positive engagement with its Jews as well as grappling with the question of community continuity in the 21st century.

Joining us on February 16 was Professor Louis Fishman:

Louis Fishman is an associate professor in the history department at Brooklyn College, City University of New York. He is the author of the book, Jews and Palestinians in the late Ottoman Era, 1908-1914: Claiming the Homeland (Edinburgh University Press, January 2020). His academic work focuses on late Ottoman Palestine, the Jews of the Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In addition to his academic expertise, he has written tens of newspaper articles and provided political analysis for numerous international media outlets on Turkish, Israeli, and Palestinian affairs. Since 2013 he is a regular contributor for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. He divides his time between New York, Istanbul and Tel Aviv, all three cities which he considers home.

Here is the link to Professor Fishman’s book:
https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-jews-and-palestinians-in-the-late-ottoman-era-1908-1914.html

Also available on Amazon

Joining us on March 2 is Nisya Isman Allovi, Karen Gerson Şarhon, Lisya Behar and Nesi Altaras:

Nisya Isman Allovi has been the Director since 2002 and Curator of The Quincentennial Foundation Museum Of Turkish Jews. Born in Istanbul, graduated from the International Relations Faculty and Cultural Heritage and Tourism, she has attended advanced curatorial seminars at AEJM (Association of European Jewish Museums) and in the Federal Republic of Germany. She has conducted presentations in various countries about “”Jews Of Turkey””. Married with two children, Nisya is an active member of the Istanbul Jewish community.
Museum link: www.muze500.com

Karen Gerson Şarhon born in Istanbul in 1958. Has a BA in English Language and Literature, an MA in Social Psychology and an MA in Applied Linguistics. Wrote both her MA theses on the Judeo-Spanish language.
At the end of 2003, she founded the Sephardic Culture Research Center, where she has been working as its coordinator ever since. The Sephardic Center of Istanbul continues its work on the preservation and documentation of all aspects of the Sephardic culture. Karen heads many projects in the Center. The Centropa Oral History Project, the Maftirim Project, The Ladino Database Project, the Judeo-Spanish – Turkish – Judeo-Spanish dictionary project are the ones that have been finished. She has edited all the books and CDs the Center has published, which include a book of caricatures in Judeo-Spanish, 4 books of anecdotes and stories of Matilda Koen-Sarano, 16 small novels in Judeo-Spanish called “”Romansikos en Judeo-Espanyol”” from the archives of the Alliance Israelite Universelle, the Judeo-Spanish – Turkish dictionary and a number of CDs in Sephardic music. She is also the chief editor of the only monthly newspaper in the world that is entirely in Ladino, El Amaneser and also of the Judeo-Spanish page(s) of the weekly Şalom newspaper. In 2011, she was awarded the medal of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres de la République Française by the Ministry of Culture of France for her contribution to the world culture and her efforts in the preservation of Judeo-Spanish, an endangered language. Karen has many articles on the Sephardic Culture published mainly in 3 languages: Turkish, English and Ladino. She has also taken part in many TV programs, documentaries, etc. on Judeo-Spanish and the Sephardic music and culture.

She has Ladino lessons on YouTube and currently at: www.sephardicbrotherhood/ladino 101

Karen is also the founder, singer and presenter of the group Los Pasharos Sefaradis, the most authentic group in Turkish Sephardic music. Has 9 albums published by this group.

Lisya Behar was born in İstanbul. Volunteering in the Jewish Community since childhood, Lisya has been president of the local Jewish Youth Team, helped build a homecare system for the elderly, and is one of the co-founders of Limmud Turkey. She is currently the CEO of the Alef Jewish Community Center İstanbul

Nesi Altaras is an MA student in Political Science at McGill University from Istanbul, Turkey. A member of the shrinking Jewish community of Turkey, Nesi is a writer and editor for the online Jewish publication Avlaremoz and his current research is on the migration of Jews from Kurdistan in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. His previous work was on the failed peace and reconciliation processes in Turkey on the Kurdish question. His interest is in minorities in both the contemporary Middle East and in late Ottoman history as well as identity in Turkey.

The Jews of India – March 16th & 23rd
What? There are Indian Jews? The answer emphatically is yes, and there is a variety of different types of Indian Jews. One of the questions we will grapple with is when did Jews first arrive in the Indian sub-continent. What kinds of traditions emerged with this community and what kind of relationship did Indian Jews have with their co-religionists around the world, if any? Another question relates to the fact that historically, Indian Jews never experienced antisemitism. This being the case, why did most Indian Jews emigrate to Israel in the 1950s?

Joining us on March 16 was Dr. Maisie Meyer

Dr. Meyer was born in Calcutta (Kolkata) and grew up in a colonial setting. The subject she chose to research reflects her personal autobiography. It gives her a deeper understanding of Baghdadi Jews, their emulation of a British lifestyle and their desire to appear as British as possible within the parameters of their faith. She is a double graduate in English and Humanities, both with honours, and obtained an MA degree in International History. The British Academy awarded her a scholarship to do a PhD which she was awarded from the London School of Economics in 1994. She pioneered the research of the Baghdadi Jewish Community of Shanghai. Her publications From the Rivers of Babylon to the Whangpoo: A Century of Sephardi Jewish Life in Shanghai (Lanham M.D.2003) and Shanghai’s Baghdadi Jews: A Compilation of Biographical Memories (Hong Kong 2013) have been widely acclaimed.

Joining us on March 23 was Nissim J. Pingle and Ralphy Jhirad

Nissim J. Pingle works for the JDC, India office as the Director for the EPJCC (Evelyn Peters Jewish Community Center). As a longtime member and somebody who has benefited immensely from the activities of AJDC and JCC, he sees this role as an opportunity to give back. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations and growth of the JCC programs as well as developing and implementing programs that help in community building and/or Jewish learning. A Physics graduate from the Mumbai University, he has worked as an Operations Manager for a Call Center and a General Manager for a chain of Fitness Centers. He lives in Navi Mumbai with his wife, parents and 2 sons. When he is not glued to a computer or TV screen, he spends time playing with his kids, quizzing, and trying hard not be the worst player in Table Tennis!

Ralphy Jhirad is the Trustees of the Bene Israel Heritage Museum and Genealogical Research Centre. Ralphy is the authority on the Jewish Heritage of India and is faculty on the same subject in the Guides Training Course of the Government of India, Department of Tourism. He is a member of the Jewish Community in India and is dedicated to the preservation of their culture. He published following books, BOMBAY : Exploring The Urban Jewish Heritage by Shaul Sapir, Siyon se Sahyadri Tak by Sheba Jeremiah Nagaokar, The Jews of Pakistan by Yoel Reuben, Of Muse and Memories by Rebecca Yehezkielm, The Demographic and Socio Economic Characteristics of Jews in India by Ralphy Jhirad and Lily Ezekiel. He has curated and organized following Exhibitions: Contribution of David Sassoon and family towards the development of Bombay and Jewish Landmarks in Mumbai. He has developed following itineraries for Tours of Jewish Heritage in India: Tour of Jewish Heritage in Mumbai, Sassoon Landmarks of Mumbai, Tour of Jewish Arrival in Raigad and their original traditions, India a Jewish Perspective, Tour of the Jews of Kerala, Tour of the Jewish Community of Ahmedabad. Ralphy organized the first ever visit of the Chief Rabbi of the United Synagogues. A few photos from this visit are enclosed for reference. He has assisted several Authors, Full Bright Scholars, Film Makers and Museum Curators during their research in India. He has travelled to various centers of India where Jewish Heritage is predominant and assisted Thousands of Jewish Travelers to either discover their own Jewish Roots in India or learn about the incredible Jewish Perspective in India. Refer Website visitjewishindia.com for more details on various tour options including incredible India and it’s Jewish Heritage.

French Jewry – April 6th & April 20th
The great medieval commentator Rashi, Baron Rothschild, Alfred Dreyfuss, Leon Blum, Simone Weil, Emanuel Levinas are just a few famous French (Jewish) names that come to mind when thinking about the contribution of French Jewry. The first Jews in Europe to be offered emancipation, in recent years French Jewry has found itself facing the worst antisemitic attacks in Europe. How this came to be are just some of the subjects we will engage in with this dynamic community.

Joining us on April 6 was:

Philippe Boukara Philippe Boukara was born in Paris in 1957. He is an historian, specialised in Contemporary French Jewry. He is a coordinator of Adult Education in the Shoah Memorial in Paris, and he has been teaching in various academic institutions. He is involved in Jewish-Christian dialogues ans is the honorary chair of Dorvador, the Conservative Congregation in Eastern Paris. He publishes regularly in the French Jewish press.

Joining us on April 20 is:

Yonathan Arfi is vice-president of CRIF and chairman of CRIF’s commission for international affairs. He has been a member of the Executive Board of the CRIF for the last 14 years and has worked closely with former and current presidents of CRIF, Richard Prasquier, Roger Cukierman and Francis Kalifat.
Yonathan Arfi was born in 1980 in Toulouse and raised in Paris, where he graduated from HEC business school in 2003. He is the CEO of Optimal Gestion, the financial consulting firm he founded in 2007 in Paris.He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Alliance Israélite Universelle (www.aiu.org – main Jewish organization in the field of education in France) and Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (www.ose-france.org – main Jewish social welfare organization in France).
Yonathan Arfi was also the chairman of the French Union of Jewish Students from 2003 to 2005. He founded in 2005 CoExist (www.coexist.fr), the leading program in France against racial, religious andcultural prejudices among French pupils and has been working on the issue of anti-Semitism since 2000.

Masha Ugryumova is 27 years old and was born and grew up in Tcheliabinsk, Russia.

She moved to France at the age of 18 to study Communication at La Sorbonne University.

Today she lives in Paris and works for international organisation for Jewish youth Hilel Campus France as the Head of Communication.

Thanks to her job, she’s directly concerned by today’s challenges and struggles that Jewish youth of France have to face and looks for the solutions how to deal with that.

Elie Touitou
Born and raised in Paris, in a Zionist and traditionalist Jewish Family, Elie is a Lawyer specialized in Digital and Business Law. In 2016, during his studies at Sorbonne Law School, he founded the association Alliance, in a double reference to Vladimir Jabotinsky’s Beitar and to René Cassin’s Alliance Universelle Israélite (Kol Israel Haverim).

First acting as a local organization inside the University, the association grew fast and is now a federation of five local association gathering +500 students across the major Parisian campuses. Alliance aims to organize Jewish life on campus, provide Jewish and Zionist students with the intellectual means necessary to be able to defend their convictions by organizing formation, lectures, workshops, debates and journeys and also to fight antisemitism, in all its forms, on French Campuses.

The Association developed close bounds with Zionist and/or Israeli organizations with which it works on a daily basis.

Delphine Gamburg: Director of Communication at the Embassy of Israel in France

Delphine Gamburg was born in France and emigrated to Israel in 1995. After working for the Israeli Ministry of Integration between 1996-1998, she joined the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She worked there as a lawyer until 2005, then held various positions in the Department of International Development Cooperation, and to the Department of Strategic Affairs until her departure to the United States in 2015 where she was the cultural attaché at the Embassy of Israel in Washington DC.

She is currently in charge of the Public Communication Department at the Embassy of Israel in France. Delphine has a Bachelor of Laws, a Masters of International Relations, and a PhD in American foreign policy in the Middle East. She is married and has 3 children

KAREN REB RUDEL

Born and raised in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Karen grew up with the aspiration to be a comedian, a musician, or both… She groomed these crafts from a young age by making everyone around her laugh and beginning a lifetime romance with the flute at the age of 9. She went on to study drama at Temple University in Philadelphia and played in a series of bands.

From the age of 30 until she got married, Karen was back and forth between Paris and Philadelphia, working on musical projects and touring (including being the flautist and singer in a Reggae band in Paris). One day her parents came to visit her and Karen, having learned a lot about Paris, was showing them around when her mother exclaimed, “Karen, you would make a great tour guide!”

That was the light bulb moment, and as the French say, voila!

Paris has been Karen’s stomping ground for over 20 years, and her company is in a unique position to give you the historical background and underground cultural scoops that most walking tours leave out.

Avi Ben-Hur

A Brooklyn native, Avi moved to Israel in 1983. Currently, he is on the faculty of the University of Haifa Tourism School, an examiner for the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, and the Director of Education of Classrooms Without Borders.

An eclectic Israeli educator specializing in Land of Israel studies, the history of Jerusalem, the Arab-Israeli conflict and Holocaust studies, Avi’s expertise is in integrating ideas and knowledge from various disciplines into a comprehensive and coherent narrative.”