“The Voice” of the Seattle Sephardic community since 1970
La Boz
By Rabbi Hassan
Mention being Jewish and people will often respond with a statement about food--one of the core components of our Jewish peoplehood. I could write a list of these foods, but you know best the favorites you shared with your family; the amazing dishes your grandmother cooked. Reflecting on these foods should create a deep visceral reaction: You should be drooling right now. Food definitely plays a crucial role in our daily lives, but it is even more significant with each festival. During Pesah food is of the utmost significance. Another name for Pesah is ‘Hag HaMatzot,' ‘The Festival of Matza.' No other Jewish holiday is named for food. If you think about it, Passover really generates more conversations about food than any other Jewish festival, ranging from shopping to menu, from digesting to reflecting. Since food is always a major factor in our Jewish lives, how did Passover become the food holiday? I mentioned Hag HaMatzot, but the name most often used, Pesah, also refers to food. The night before the exodus from Egypt, each family took a lamb, slaughtered it, and placed its blood on the doorposts. Hashem then ‘passed over’ these homes, giving the festival the name ‘Passover’. However, Pesah refers to much more than the blood on the doorposts. The Torah is very specific with many details on the paschal lamb, the Korban Pesah(Exodus 12:3-4,8): 3]Speak to the entire community of Israel, saying, "On the tenth of this month, let each one take a lamb for each parental home, a lamb for each household. 4] But if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor who is nearest to his house shall take [one] according to the number of people, each one according to one's ability to eat, shall you be counted for the lamb. 8] And on this night, they shall eat the flesh, roasted over the fire, and matzah; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Let’s summarize these verses. The whole community takes part. Preparations must begin in advance. Sometimes it will be one family, intergenerational. Sometimes neighbors and friends should join you. Enjoy the food! (The last passage sounds to me like a good shwarma in a laffa wrap.) This is how the Jewish people were commanded to observe the first Pesah. That is the Korban Pesah. Does the blood on the doorpost play an active role in our observance of this yearly festival? No, it was significant at the time, but not recreated. We don’t bring the Pesah sacrifice anymore because we don’t have the Temple. But there are elements around it that are core to the celebration of the festival. It is everyone’s Pesah! It is time to start getting ready! Invite your family to join you! If you have space, invite friends and neighbors! Enjoy the food! The formula outlined in the Torah is simple. Connect with community, family, friends, and food, as part of our connection to Hashem. We might already do this occasionally, or maybe weekly, with our Shabbat celebrations, but Pesah is the real time to ensure all the factors are there to fulfill our Jewish destiny! Mesas de alegria!
By Rubissa Sharona Hassan
Purim Purim Lanu Pesah En La Manu
What are Meldados and why are they so important?
April/May 2023
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www.sbhseattle.org
Inside This Issue
President's Message.........................................4 "Pets" by Jerry Mezistrano..............................5 "High Holiday Bidding" in 1919 by Sol "Mo" Azose...9 Fruticas and the "Unorthodox" Podcast...10-13 Etan Baseri's Children's Book.......................15 Community Highlights.............................16-17 Tributes.....................................................19-21 Refuah Shelema.............................................18 Meldados..................................................22-23 Condolences...................................................23
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Volume XLIV No.2
nISAN/IYAR 5783
Dear Friends, In Ladino, a meldado is a commemorative date to mark the anniversary of a person's passing. It is derived from the Ladino word meldar, meaning “to read,” or “to study,” which relates to the practice of reading passages of Mishna on the anniversary of a person’s passing. The specific portions of Mishna read record ancient legal arguments and make no mention of death or the act of memorial. The reason they are studied at a meldado is because the words Mishna and neshama — which means “soul” — have the same letters which is deeply significant in Kabbalistic terms. During the first year of a person’s passing there are meldados done at the end of the first week - corte de siete or shiva in Hebrew, at the end of the first month - corte de mez or sheloshim in Hebrew. Additionally, our community has the custom of doing meldados on the 7th, 9th and 11th months, with the final meldado being on the 12th month for the anyo. One of the first task forces I was involved in when I became Rabbi at SBH was working on the meldado cards. Everyone recognized the central role the meldado played in connecting families with their departed loved ones and with the synagogue. The desire to make the meldado cards - the learning done during the meldado more meaningful for more members was critical to enhance the memorial service Now almost a decade later we have a new meldado committee. We are working to see how we can better serve our community to make the meldado service itself more meaningful for all those attending. It used to be common place to have meldados in the home. The learning of mishna and the berahot over food spiritually elevated the departed’s soul. Family and friends gathering together to remember loved ones was an important connector for our community. As time has passed, meldados have become a rushed event at the synagogue with far less meaning. The meldado committee has one overarching goal - to make meldados more meaningful. We hope to achieve this lofty goal by inviting family members to talk about their loved ones, to bring food to SBH to make berahot and for those who would like to bring the meldado back to your homes. If you have a meldado coming up, or if you would like to be more involved in this project, please reach out to me at rabbi@sbhseattle.org.
By Rabbi Benjamin Hassan
Pesah Food
The Ladino phrase at this time of year is Purim Purim Lanu Pesah En La Manu - Purim is already here, Pesah can’t be far behind. Well actually, Purim is already in our rearview mirror and our etchos de Pesah – our preparations for Passover are well underway. While many of us might be thinking about recipes and turning the kitchen over or getting everything done before going away for Pesah, there is so much richness in our liturgy at this time of year to prepare for too. Preparing for the Agadah – telling the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim – the going out of Egypt during the Seder, by chanting it in Hebrew, Ladino and English gives so much richness to our tradition. I think there is something in our DNA to be planners and yet at the same time enjoy the rush at the last minute. At this time of year I’m thinking how we can best have the most meaningful Pesah Seders. One sure plan for success is to start giving out the seder parts. Please note all the recordings are on the SBH website under the Hazzanut and Recordings Tab, learn from Rabbi Varon, Mo Azose and David Maimon. Additionally, in kal we have some great liturgy to prepare for between Pesah and Shavuot. On Friday nights we have Shir HaShirim – Song of Songs composed by King Solomon. A love story of God for the Jewish people told through a metaphor of a man’s love for a woman. Each chapter is also on the SBH website thanks to recordings by David Maimon. We also have Prikei Avot chanted in Ladino on Shabbat afternoons. On Shavuot we have a couple more Ladino opportunities. We have Ketubah de la Ley – which is ladino for a marriage contract between the Jewish People and God when we received the Torah at Shavuot. We have Megilat Rut which can be sung in Ladino or Hebrew or both. Finally, we have the Azharot at the end of Shavuot where we sing the 613 Mitzvot in rhyme. These are all the opportunities for participation in kal from the youngest boys through to the oldest men. If you’d like a part, please chat with me or with our beloved Gabbai, Larry Almo.
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Shabbat Tefilah Time moving to 9:00 am
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President's Message
Dear SBH Members, I’d like to begin by thanking you for your patience in receiving this past-due issue of La Boz. As my mom always says, “when you do something, do it right”, and the draft of La Boz in February was simply not ready. I made the decision to delay and give it and you, the reader, the Kavod and respect it deserves, and I’m so glad I did. In my previous La Boz article, I stated that “our plans are both ambitious and entirely achievable, and fall into four general categories: Spirituality, Fun, Food and Safety.” VP Jack Gottesman and I are thrilled to report that we are off to a great start in every category. Rabbi Hassan has been working hard on programming and enhancing our adult education. We’ve had several well attended and delicious Friday night dinners catered by Judy Maimon with outstanding guest speakers. In addition to all that he does for SBH (and that’s A LOT), Rabbi Hassan will be teaching Chumash and Navi to SHA fifth grade students for the remainder of the school year. Rubissa Sharona has been leading monthly Bat Mitzvah classes, and with the help of Lea Almo Lipman, launched a buddy initiative connecting the Bat Mitzvah girls with women role models in our community. Our Youth Director Aharona has organized and run numerous events, is working diligently to train and motivate our madrichim/counselors, and is finding creative ways to increase youth participation. There have been youth led Shabbat services, divrei Torah shared by boys and girls, and youth speakers at Seuda Shelishit. We’ve collaborated with our fellow community congregations and institutions through joint programming, supporting each others events, and being in regular communication to coordinate safety efforts. Our joint Fruticas with EB was truly fruitful, showcasing our youth and beautiful Turkish/Rhodes traditions and melodies, and was featured by Tablet Magazine on it’s ‘Unorthodox’ podcast. We conducted a long overdue risk assessment needed to apply for a Federal Security Grant, and have joined the CSS (Community Security Service) Synagogue Program to formally train our members in safety and security. We’ve had productive board meetings (with dinner catered by Judy), where we engaged in healthy dialogue, shared different points of view, and made important decisions. Jack and I are proud, impressed and humbled by the amount we’ve achieved in the past few months, and we can only attribute it to our incredible staff, board, volunteers, community partners, and most importantly to you, our members. We’ve been blown away by the support, words of encouragement, and positive feedback we’ve received over the past few months. As volunteers, it means everything to know that our hard work is making a positive impact and that it is so appreciated. That is not to say that the last few months have been easy. We’ve been faced with an abundance of day-to-day type of challenges, such as addressing security incidents, dealing with a leak and standing water (on a Friday afternoon, no less), and figuring out how to properly store the parochets taken down for the social hall painting. Yet all those issues seem inconsequential when facing the loss of our beloved Mrs. Rivka Katsman, mother of Eta Ghanooni, Mrs. Judy Harel, mother of Nisan and Rafi, Mrs. Ruth Schoenfeld, mother of Rob and Steve, Mrs. Diana Azose, wife of Dave, mother of Nis, Dorothy, and Mo, sister of Julia Jerusalmi and Rosie Maimon. Each of these special women left behind beautiful legacies and a gaping hole in the lives of their families and loved ones. There is nothing like the loss of a life to put things in perspective and remind us of our blessings, and how strongly our community unites in times of need. And of course, there have been happy and funny moments along the way. As the first female president of SBH, I am aware that while I do have a sizeable fan club, there are people who are less than thrilled, and that’s ok - I understand that having a female leader is a big change. Last month, I met a man from another synagogue and we were chatting about the community. He didn’t know who I was and said, “I was talking to some friends of mine the other day and they were complaining about the new President over at the Bikur Holim, did you know they have a woman President?” I laughed so hard I think I cried, and before getting more information out of him, I shrieked “it’s me! I’m the President of SBH!!!” The look on his face was priceless and I’m happy to share that he has since become one of my biggest fans. As we ride the rollercoaster of life together, I want to thank you again for being a present, devoted and active member of our community. One of my favorite sayings is ‘teamwork makes the dreamwork’, and I truly believe that together, we are unstoppable. With warmth and gratitude, wishing you Chag kasher ve’sameach, Pesach alegre. Your President, Miri Tilson miri.tilson@gmail.com
By Miri Tilson
You may have noticed in the April calendar that beginning with the First days of Pesah, Shabbat and Holiday morning services will move from 8:30 am to 9:00 am. We trialed this last year between Pesah and Labor Day and we wish to repeat that this year. We learned from last year that more people, both men and women were there in larger numbers for Nishmat and for Sefer, not to mention for the Sermon and Musaf. We can describe this phenomenon as more people came to Kal less late! It did not mean that we all arrived on time. Nevertheless, it was clear that many Shabbat attending members enjoyed the switch, while it was noted that our most devoted and committed members who arrive on time for services were unhappy with the change of routine. There are two conflicting values in halakhic literature. On the one hand we have the principle of zereezin makdeemin lemitzvot – we should endeavor to do mitzvot at the earliest opportunity, which would encourage us to have Tefilah every day as early as possible including Shabbat. On the other hand we have berov am hadrat melekh – in the multitude of the people lies the glory of the King – meaning that we delay certain things in order to have more people present. One example given in the Talmud is blowing the Shofar in Musaf rather than in Nishmat as more people will be present. With the time change to 9:00 am, I want to encourage all of us to take advantage of the later start to come earlier, indeed if possible to come from the beginning, but that we use this not as merely more time to sleep or relax but rather a more accessible time that will allow us to fill the synagogue. Time in Kal needs to have quantity as well as quality. We need to be present and active participants in the Tefilah and then we can all enjoy catching up at Kiddush.
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Pets
Everyone needs to take an active role
It’s clear to me that a key part of successfully moving forward is for us to preserve and nurture the kahal environment and for each of us to more actively find and play an increasingly active role. This means that we each find our own way of being more present and involved in this aspect of community life - to be in kahal more, to know more, to say more and to take a more active role as a sentidor – a responder, and even as a cantador – a leader. While we are strong in many ways in this area, to continue this position and to avoid losing more connection to our heritage and to each other, concerted individual and communal action is necessary. Furthermore, in this case, quantity enhances quality- the more people who attend the better (this is huge all by itself - just “be there”) and the more who actively participate, then the greater is the beauty of the song and the strengthening of community. For prayers, we also believe that quantity increases their efficacy. Our Rabbis say, “Berov Am Hadrat Melech”- “the glory of the King is enhanced in the multitudes of people." Let’s come to kahal more, let’s pay more attention, let’s be less distracted and let’s more fully and vocally participate in the services. Let’s take care to fully participate in responsive prayers, in unison - even answering Amen (for Kaddish, for blessings, etc.) and other responses. Let’s not be distracted during the services. Kahal serves many functions - social, religious, providing personal and communal fulfillment. We seem to be doing the social part just fine - and it’s a very important part of “who we are” - the issue is one of finding the right balance. The effort requires some concentration on our part and mutual respect and honor for each person and for the Kehila as a whole. The resulting benefits are clearly worth it in both spiritual and communal ways, including significantly contributing to improving our community’s song; enabling us to be worthy custodians of our tradition, transmitting our song from generation to generation. Tizku LeMitzvot, Si Quiere El Dio, we’ll merit the health, good fortune and wisdom to treasure our legacy and transmit it intact (and maybe, even slightly improve it). Saludozos.
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By Jerry Mezistrano
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By Al Maimon
The other day…I was thinking about how my daughter and my two grandchildren (Talia and Judah), plus possibly their puppy dog (Sophie) are planning on visiting us in Palm Desert. I welcome the family, but not so much the dog. I guess many people consider the dog part of the family so when traveling the animal must be included. Can you imagine what destruction a frisky dog can do to your home? Now that I think about it, probably less damage than my grandson. As I recall the last time Judah visited, he left his marks all over our abode. Every mirror and window had his handprints embossed on them, not to mention the scars on the walls from his hot wheel’s cars. A four-year boy is extremely inquisitive and feels compelled to touch everything. Well, here are two examples of his mischief. After a day of chasing him about, I collapsed into bed. I was expecting some well-deserved peaceful slumber. Not to be. At two o’clock in the morning I was awoken to the blaring sound of my clock radio. Judah apparently had pushed all the buttons on the radio and reset it. Then, there was the shower fiasco. Judah had messed with the handles. The knobs were set for a nice, warm entry. Imagine my shock, and I mean shock, when a blast of cold water gushed upon me. I apologized later for the obscenities that I shouted out. Okay, I admit, I did take the lord's name in vain. Getting back to this pet thing. When my kids were young, we went through a whole gambit of critters. First, there was Clyde the turtle. Clyde had been missing for weeks. Not that my kids would know. The novelty of a pet turtle had worn off quickly, and my children, who promised to take care of the reptile, found Clyde expired in a dark closet. Then, there was Molly the hamster. Did you know hamsters are nocturnal? Molly chose to run on her wheel in the early hours of the morning. The sound of that spinning wheel kept the entire family awake. Thus, Molly was moved from room to room until she found herself sleeping in the garage. Molly succumbed to either carbon monoxide poisoning, cold temperature, or possibly (but doubtful) old age. Then, we mustn’t forget Stan. My two daughters attended the Stanwood Fair where they proceeded to come home with a goldfish, appropriately, they named him Stan. Fast forward to a few months later when I get a phone call from my wife Rosa. I can hear my two daughters in the background crying. I ask Rosa, "Why are the girls crying?" She says, "They are upset because Stan has died." My god! Stan died!? I had totally forgotten about the goldfish and I thought my friend Stan had passed away. My faced turned flush. I found myself on the verge of fainting. “My god what happened?!” I say. “I think the kids overfed him and I found him floating on top of the water this morning,” she informs me. “What is she talking about?” I ask myself. It took me a moment to realize she was talking about Stan the fish. What a relief. Finally, our last pet was a shi-tzu dog we named Seiko (because she was a ‘watch dog’). Seiko and I were never that close. In fact, she was only friendly to me when I gave her treats. Maybe Seiko could sense my disappointment in the kind of breed she was. I wanted a manly dog and not a lap dog. To compensate I renamed her Buckshot. Neither name seem to matter because she never responded when I called her. Seiko was with us for ten years and I must admit when she passed, I did shed a tear. She had become a member of the family. Now I know what you are thinking…If I had to choose between my grandson Judah visiting or Sophie the labradoodle, of course I would choose my grandson. Afterall, he is my heir, my namesake, my sweet boy who I adore. I would pick Judah every time, but I must admit after a couple of days with “Judah the Terror,” I might question myself that I had made the right decision. Please send questions and comments to jerrymezistrano@gmail.com.
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We had a wonderful afternoon together at the Mother Daughter Lunch & Learn! Chesed was the theme and all the girls had great ideas on how to incorporate chesed into their daily lives and our community. We look forward to learning again together soon! - Rubissa Sharona and Lea Lipman ❤️
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Bat Mitzvah Mother/Daughter Program
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We had a fantastic Bat mitzvah girls event, hosted by Rubissa Sharona and Lea Lipman. Rubissa shared wonderful words of Torah on the mitzvah of happiness and simcha. The girls enjoyed lunch, connected with each other and joined together to continue to create happiness, connections and simcha in our community. - Rubissa Sharona and Lea Lipman ❤️
april/may 2023
It has been over ten years since I attended services at SBH on Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur. I was pleasantly surprised at the active bidding for the mitsvot and the amount that they were being purchased for. I remember well the times that the Gabbai would have a difficult time getting any bids and he would end up buying it himself. Ike Azose has a son living in New York who likes to track down old Ladino newspapers and look for any news from Seattle. The main Ladino newspaper was called LA AMERIKA and featured articles printed in Ladino in block Hebrew letters and Rashi script which almost all Sepharadim could read. It was the primary newspaper for the many new Sephardic immigrants coming to America. A gentleman in Seattle, Sabetai Naon, acted as a reporter and would send news from Seattle in Ladino to LA AMERIKA. Ike sent me an article in Ladino that was for a fund raising affair. My translation of the article is below. As some background: in 1914, the two Sephardic communities in Seattle decided to split and SBH needed a new Sefer Torah, which would cost $315.00. Forty two members of the congregation stepped forward and contributed in amounts ranging from $1.00 to $100.00. Of course, given inflation the donations were probably significant at that time, but I know you will laugh when you see the amounts. SBH has come a long way from the days of one, two, and five dollar donations. Today, a new Sefer Torah costs in the range of $30,000. The generosity of those members who donated this last holiday season is a testament to those earlier member’s faith that the SBH would survive and grow 100 years and beyond. -Sol “Mo” Azose ***Seattle, May 12, 1919*** "List of donors in dolares" (dollars) Yom Tov Ben Shushen $100.00 David Rodrigue $40.00 Rabbenu Raphel Levi $25.00 Rabbenu Shelomo Azuz $15.00. Shelomo Calvo, Yacov Halfon $10.00 Yosef Caston, Yosef Calderon, Marco Romey, Moshe Moshcatel, Marco Shelomo Calvo, Shemuel Yosef Morhaime, Menahem Altabet, David Levi, Shelomo Condiotti. Nissim Alea Amira, Ueda Uziel, Nissim Elia Ben Ezra, David Ben Ezra, Nissim Dejaen, Beyatali Ben Shushen, Yaacov Eshkenazi, Yeuda Avraham, Ben Shushen, Shemuel Avravah Eskenazi, Jek Policar, Avraham Funes, Yeshua Policar $5.00. Nisim YishakAzus $4. Chilibon Amira, Sabetai Naon, Avraham Adatto, Avraham Elkia Ben Ezra, Avraham Cordova, Yeuda Avvraham Amon, Yishak Akrish, Shemuel Yitshak Eskenazi $3.00 Shelomo Avraham Altabet, Moshe Uziel, Avraham Barokas, Yosef Haleva $2.00 Yishak Natan, Meir Eskenazi $1.00 Total $345.00 The Rabbi Shelomo Azuz also participated in working together with the Bikur Holm committee to realize the goal of the total sum. The Sinyor Refael Haim Levi began the campaign that took place on the last day of Pesah. He was the first donor of $25 dolares and the members of Bikur Holim did not hesitate to do all that was possible to raise the necessary sum of $315.00 for the purchase of the new Sefer Torah. One of the donors, the Sinyor David Rodrique, in addition to his donation, gave $40.00 for the purchase of books and donated another $50.00 to purchase two closets to house the books. Sinyor Behor Chiprut volunteered to deliver the books and install the cabinets as his donation. The Bikur Holim committee thanked all donors who generously demonstrated to all the Sepharadim of America as their appreciation to all those donors of the books published on the list requested by the Bikur Holim. "
High Holiday Bidding
Youth Fruticas Event: Making Centerpieces!
Fruticas Dinner with EB
By Sol "Mo" Azose
We had an incredible Fruticas event together with Congregation Ezra Bessaroth! We are so proud of all our youth who led our unique Ladino Fruticas service! Special thank you to Danny Jassen for coordinating the Fruticas parts for the children! Our youth made the most adorable and delicious fruit centerpieces- with much gratitude to our youth Director Aharona Gans, Cynthia Gamel, Shella Alcabez, Donna Amira, Laura Haleva, our amazing teen volunteers and the entire youth committee! The Seder and dinner catered by Dalia Amon was absolutely delicious! We enjoyed enlightening words from Rabbi Hassan and Rabbi Benchlouch. Thank you to SBH President Miri Tilson and EB President Jeff Solam! Looking forward to more great times together!
The Producer's of Tablet Magazine's "Unorthodox" Podcast join us at Fruticas to film a podcast about Seattle Sephardic Life
Exploring Sephardic life—and food—on a trip Across the JEW.S.A. When the crew of Unorthodox—which, according to God and iTunes is the universe’s leading Jewish podcast—decided to go out on a journey Across the JEW.S.A., one of our guiding principles was this: Don’t be Ashkenormative. The word, in case you’re not familiar, describes a state of mind in which one assumes that Ashkenazi Jewish life and culture is basically the norm for all American Jewish life and culture—which, hallelujah, isn’t the case. We wanted to shine a light—or a microphone—on our Sephardic brothers and sisters. And so, naturally, we packed our bags and flew to Seattle, where Sephardic Jews had settled in the early 1900s and which is now home to the third-largest Sephardic Jewish community in the country, accounting for 5,000 out of the Emerald City’s 70,000 Jews. The first Sephardic Jews came to Seattle in 1902, when Jacob Policar and Solomon Calvo arrived from the Turkish island of Marmara, then part of the Ottoman Empire. They soon met Nissim Alhadeff, who arrived from the Greek island of Rhodes, also then under Ottoman control. Today, many of Seattle’s Sephardic Jews trace their roots to either Turkey or Rhodes, with the two main Orthodox synagogues, Sephardic Bikur Holim and Ezra Bessaroth, reflecting this dual heritage. There’s a reason why Seattle appealed to Jews used to living by the water: Puget Sound may not boast similar climate to that of the Mediterranean, but trade, fishing, and the other practices that come with life on the shoreline were as common in the Pacific Northwest as they were in the Middle East. By the 1920s, Seattle’s Sephardic population grew to support dozens of shops in and around Pike Place. While many of those shops have shut down or moved elsewhere, you can still find Sephardi-owned stores like Three Girls Bakery, Pure Food Fish Market, and Sweetie’s Candy dotted around Pike Place. After doing our part to accept as many samples as possible from the Pike Place food stalls, we spent the evening in Seward Park, which is home to the bulk of Seattle’s Sephardi Jews, joining Las Frutikas, a Tu B’Shevat Seder. Plenty of Jews all over the world hold a Seder for the New Year of the Trees, but it’s especially common and important in many Sephardic communities. This was a sold-out event—the first in-person event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic—and the first time the city’s two Sephardic shuls had combined their Frutikas Seders in decades. The event was introduced by Jeffrey Solam, the president of Ezra Bessaroth (lovingly referred to as “Ezzie Bezzie” by some of its members), and by Miri Azose Tilson, new board president of Sephardic Bikur Holim, and the first female president in the synagogue’s history. Then, all of a sudden, there were dozens of kids on stage, reading blessings over the Tu B’Shevat meal in English, Hebrew, and Ladino, in front of hundreds of people packed around tables full of dates, pomegranates, and biscochos. We met a cross section of the Sephardic community that night: the 90-year-old former leader of Ezzie Bezzie’s Ladies Auxiliary baking group, kids speaking Ladino in public for their first time, grandparents seated next to their grandkids, a rabbi emeritus next to his old synagogue president, a teacher, a picture-book writer working to make Sephardi stories mainstream, and so many others. The community is impossibly vibrant, and inextricably interwoven. You’ll hear some of what they had to say in this installment of Across the JEW.S.A. They were frank about the questions facing their community—questions faced, in some way or another, by Jewish communities all over the country. When should divisions—between synagogues, between Ashkenazi and Sephardic, between Jew and gentile—be ignored, and when should they be maintained? How do you encourage a younger generation to learn how to make traditional foods that, while delicious, are really quite hard to do right, and easier to buy from a store? How can you preserve a language, Ladino, that so few people speak at home anymore, especially when learning Hebrew seems equally, if not more, important? Of course, there’s a lot you won’t hear. Thirty-six hours may be too little time to uncover every corner of a community, but it’s certainly way too much time for a podcast episode. For one thing, Lea Almo Lipman served us some amazing Sephardic food, for which we and our stomachs are incredibly indebted. More broadly, there’s a whole other story to be told on the preservation of Ladino—and another on the preservation of Ladino just through hip-hop. There’s a story about the Sephardic studies program at the University of Washington, one of very few such programs in the world. Some of that particular story has been told in Tablet; some has yet to be told. It’s a complicated story, one with “Safeway genizahs” of centuries-old family documents only recently translated by an expert professor, but also one in which many of the people we spoke to have felt it necessary to distance themselves from that professor and that program. Getting into all that will take another 36 hours in Seattle, if not longer. Perhaps most importantly of all, though, you will hear us eat some very good smoked salmon, and learn a Ladino phrase with roughly the same meaning as “oy vey.” Lord knows we can never have enough phrases like that at our disposal. .
The Flavor of Jewish Seattle
This is a reprint of an article written by Tabby Rafael and published in the Jewish Journal on April 8, 2022.
It was an absolute joy to meet the amazing producers Stephanie Butnick, Courtney Hazlett and Robert Scaramuccia who flew in from all areas of the country to attend our joint Fruticas event with EB - and film this podcast episode! Thank you to Tablet Magazine, Stephanie, Courtney and Robert for showcasing our beautiful Seattle Sephardic community. We would also like to extend a special thank you to Rina Raphael. Rina’s connection to Seattle was instrumental in helping this podcast happen! Enjoy the podcast!
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Community Life in Pictures
april/May 2023
Rina Raphael heard about our Fruiticas event from Lea Almo Lipman during a recent visit to Seattle. Inspired by what Lea and the community had planned for Tu BiShvat, Rina contacted the producers of "Unorthodox,” the no. 1 Jewish podcast in America, for their series “Across the Jew-S.A.” Producers Courtney Hazlett (Rina’s former TODAY Show colleague), Stephanie Butnick, and Robert Scaramuccia loved the idea! Rina previously lived in Seattle while she was in high school attending Northwest Yeshiva High School and is a treasured friend of Lea Lipman. Rina contacted Lea to connect her with the podcast producers and those of us at SBH and EB were all thrilled! Rina is the daughter of Esther and Dr. David A”H Raphael. She is the sister of Abe Raphael, Nechama Raphael, and Miriam Raphael. The Raphael family lived in Seattle in the late 1970s and were members of SBH. Their children attended Seattle Hebrew Academy. The Raphael family returned to Seward Park in 1998. SBH has a great love and fondness for the time the Raphaels lived in Seattle and enjoy it when the Raphael family comes to visit us! Dr. David Raphael, of blessed memory, was a physician as well as a Sephardic historian and filmmaker. He wrote several books about Sephardic Jewry and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, including “The Alhambra Decree.” He also produced and directed the 1978 Ladino musical documentary “Song of the Sephardi,” which features Rabbi Maimon A”H and our Sephardic community. You can watch “Song of the Sephardi” in its entirety on YouTube or view clips on both Instagram and Tiktok under the handle @songofthesephardi. Rina lives in Los Angeles with her husband Eric Spiegelman. She is a journalist who specializes in health, wellness, tech, and women’s issues. She was a senior producer at NBC News’ TODAY and a features contributor for Fast Company magazine. She currently writes for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal, among other publications. Rina recently wrote the book "The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self Care,” which examines the explosion of the wellness industry: how it stems from legitimate complaints, how seductive marketing targets hopeful consumers–and why women are opening up their wallets like never before. It can be found wherever books are sold. SBH has much gratitude for Rina and the Raphael family!
Pre- Pesah Event at EB
Our joint Pre-Pesah event with Ezra Bessaroth youth was so much fun! Our youth enjoyed baking matzah with Rabbi Emlen, and creating a special art project! Thank you to author Etan Basseri for a captivating book reading of his new book “A Persian Passover,” available now on Amazon! Special thank you to SBH and EB Youth Committees for bringing our communities together- we so enjoy sharing happy times!
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Vibrant Children's Picture Book Explores Passover in 1950's Iran
It finally happened. I finally found a Jewish children’s picture book that depicts dark-haired and dark-skinned Middle Eastern-looking townspeople, rather than bakers, merchants and passerby who all look like Tevye the Milkman. Don’t believe me? The baker wears a bright red fez and has a big handlebar mustache. The book is titled, “A Persian Passover” (Kalaniot Books, 2022) and is written by Etan Basseri, a Seattle-based Senior Product Manager at Microsoft, and illustrated by internationally-acclaimed artist Rashin Kheiriyeh. “I felt there was a gap in Jewish children’s literature, especially with stories that portrayed the old country as the Pale of Settlement,” Basseri told the Journal. “But we know that Jews come from many places, and each ‘old country’ has a rich history and culture that can help young people build their own unique sense of Jewish identity.” Basseri’s father, who left Iran in 1969 to pursue higher education in the United States, raised him and his American-born siblings with a love and appreciation for Persian culture. His father met his mother, who is Ashkenazi, as college students in the San Francisco Bay Area. “Growing up, I had many cousins and a few Persian friends. But the biggest Persian influence was my dad,” Basseri said. “His passion is the arts: food, music, poetry. He would set you up with a Khoresht-e Loobia Sabz (Persian green bean stew), a hot cup of tea, blast some music from [pop singer] Morteza on his tape player and read you some Hafez.” Basseri’s father also showed the children the charming 1995 Iranian film, “The White Balloon.” “That film gave me a small sense of contemporary life in Iran, which was important because I have never visited. The film was also the inspiration for my book,” Basseri said. “A Persian Passover” tells the story of a little boy named Ezra and his sister, Roza, who help their family prepare for Passover in 1950s Iran by doing what thousands of Persian Jews have done for centuries: bringing flour to the local synagogue to be baked into matzah in a communal wood-burning oven. But when a crisis occurs with the matzah, the siblings learn the sacred importance of community, kind neighbors and even kinder hospitality. Ezra and Roza were inspired by Basseri’s own young son and daughter. “A Persian Passover” is Basseri’s first venture as an author. A coherent, beautiful and easy-to-read children’s book, it is sorely needed in the Jewish “kid lit” space. “I learned by doing,” admits Basseri. “I tried to emulate one of my favorite children’s authors, William Steig (“Shrek,” “CDB”), and I started with a basic plot outline, then wrote a draft and shared it with my wife, Sonya, who teaches kindergarten.” Basseri also received guidance about the historical accuracy of the story from his cousin, Dr. Jaleh Pirnazar, a well-known scholar who has been teaching at the Department of Near Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley since 1980. One of the most striking aspects of “A Persian Passover” are the deliciously vibrant and colorful illustrations by award-winning artist Rashin Kheiriyeh, who was born and raised in Iran. Based in Washington, D.C., Kheiriyeh received a Ph.D in illustration and an MFA in graphic design from Alzahra University in Tehran, and has published over eighty books. She has also created illustrations for The New York Times and was named a 2017 Maurice Sendak Fellow. Kheiriyeh has lived in the U.S. since 2011. “It has been a long time that I wanted to create a picture book about an Iranian-Jewish family and I am so glad that I got this chance to introduce some parts of Persian culture in this book,” said Kheiriyeh. “I have noticed that so many people in the U.S. don’t know that we have Jewish populations in Iran who lived happily there for many years.” Basseri believes Kheiriyeh’s talent and unique background elevate the book. “Rashin is an incredible artist, period. She used mixed media to create a collage effect, and this gives the book a rich, tactile sense that brings it to life in a very unique way,” said Basseri. “As someone who grew up in Iran, she was able to bring a level of authenticity and richness that others would not have been able to do. Many of the details, including the Jewish content, are based on archival photography from midcentury Iran.” Basseri and Kheiriyeh met through Lili Rosenstreich, publisher at Kalaniot Books. The Pennsylvania-based publishing company emphasizes a “rich mosaic of Jewish culture,” according to Rosenstreich. In Fall 2022, Kalaniot will release a children’s Sukkot book titled, “The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda”, by Shoshana Nambil. The book focuses on the Abayudaya Jewish community in eastern Uganda. “Although I grew up with predominantly Ashkenazi Jewish traditions, I have an uncle who was born in Iran,” said Rosenstreich. “I was struck by the beautiful and varied Mizrahi customs that he brought to our celebrations — especially at Passover.” “A Persian Passover” marked one of the first times I’ve read a Jewish children’s book in which I actually saw myself. In addition to the Persian-looking characters and the distinctly Persian architecture of various spaces, Kheiriyeh also drew signs written in Persian on the walls and alleyways of the fictional town; Ezra and Roya’s family even sits on a large Persian rug and enjoys the Passover seder on the floor, just as I recall from my childhood in Iran. The book also includes a glossary, a short description about the history of Persian Jewry, and a recipe for halleq (Persian spiced charoset). The book marked one of the few instances that I read a Passover children’s book to my young kids and they gleefully cried, “We do that, too!” For our family, that’s an invaluable experience. “I hope that the loving relationship between Ezra and Roza is a model for siblings, and that the hospitality they show to their neighbor is a positive example for how we all can welcome others into our homes. That’s what community is all about,” said Basseri. Basseri grew up in a traditional home and attended Jewish day school, Jewish day camp and overnight camp. He has served on the boards of Jewish Family Service of Greater Seattle and Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation. “Persian Jews celebrate Passover in many of the same ways as the rest of the Jewish community, with a few interesting differences. You don’t have to be Persian to enjoy some of those traditions, either.” Basseri is currently working on another children’s picture book that will be “set in the Sephardic old country.” In addition to his work demands, family commitments and writing pursuits, this year, as with every year, Basseri is responsible for a particularly vital aspect of the Persian Passover seder: He’s the one in charge of the charoset. For more information on “A Persian Passover,” visit kalaniotbooks.com/books/.
pril/May
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This is a reprint of an article from the Jewish Journal about Etan Basseri's children’s book. Etan and Sonya are SBH members, he was previously on the SBH board and is a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Fellowship. The Article was written by Tabby Refael and published on April 8, 2022.
Community Highlights
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Lucia De Funis Chana Gonzalez Ellen Kotkin Rob Schoenfeld
Tree of Life Leaves There are Gold Leaves available to honor an occasion such as an anniversary or birthday. These are $250 each and will be placed in the Sanctuary on the Tree of Life.
"Uncle" Mo Azose reading Sefer on his 83rd Bar Mitzvah Anniversary on Thursday, March 9th!
Our congregation would like to wish a speedy recovery to the following members:
Refuah Shelema
Humash In Memory of Diana Azose Maynard & Miriam Goldmeier Prayer Book In Memory of Diana Azose Lilly De Jaen Chai Fund In Memory Of David Benveniste Jonathan & Stacie Stutz Rita Calderon Helene Behar Irving Calvo Youth Fund In Honor Of 70th Anniversary of shipping out to Korean War Mordo De Jaen Good Health To Victor Amira Ralph & Esther Maimon Bennett De Jaen Mordo De Jaen In Memory Of Diana Azose Mordo De Jaen Ralph & Esther Maimon Sema Calvo Ralph & Esther Maimon Sultana De Jaen Mordo De Jaen Judy Harel Ralph & Esther Maimon Isaac Maimon Ralph & Esther Maimon General Fund In Honor Of Diane Aboulafia & Peter Shapira, best wishes on new address Lilly De Jaen Avichai Almoslino & Malka Phelan on their marriage Michelle Almoslino Marilyn Stalcup Victor & Regina Amira’s Anniversary Kathie Barokas Jack Cordova Rachelle Mezistrano Pearl Barokas' Important Birthday Sol "Mo" Azose Becky Benaroya’s Special Birthday Karen Adatto and family Wendy Bensussen & John Le For on their Anniversary Leonard & Louise Berman Miriam & Elie Levy, Mazal Tov on new Grandson Sandy & Lesley Piha Miri Tilson, Congratulations on becoming the first woman president of SBH, Kadima. Leonard & Louise Berman Jack Schaloum, Thank you for your hard work and dedication as SBH President. Leonard & Louise Berman Benjay & Miri Tilson on their 16th Wedding Anniversary Ben & Lea Lipman Best of luck to the new slate of officers and the historic first female President of SBH Sol "Mo" Azose The Morning Minyan Sol "Mo" Azose Good Health To Al Benoliel Leonard & Louise Berman Rita Calderon Stan Handaly & Pamela Goral Cheri Cohen Leonard & Louise Berman Lynne Coveny Jack Cordova Ralph Maimon Leonard & Louise Berman Lilly De Jaen Ruben Owen & Marcia Overbeck Robert Metz Rachel Vaillancourt Norm Sadis Stan Handaly & Pamela Goral Rob Schoenfeld Lilly De Jaen In Memory Of Elie D. Aboulafia David & Audrey Aboulafia Diane Aboulafia & Peter Shapiro Velma Almo Ben & Lea Lipman Sabatie & Sarah Altaras Stan & Janine Bensussen Estraya Almoslino Michelle Almoslino Marilyn Stalcup Jack & Vickie Altaras Stan & Janine Bensussen Yakov A. Arshinov Bella Arshinov Diana Azose Karen Adatto & family Dave & Sandra Altaras David & Terry Azose Sol "Mo" Azose Roz & Alan Bornstein Jack Cordova Jason & Laura Haleva Jonathan & Stacie Stutz & Karen Halfon Rachel Vaillancourt Seattle Sephardic Brotherhood Eliza Azose Sol "Mo" Azose Leo Azose Sol “Mo” Azose Morgan A. Barokas Kathie Barokas Rachel Bayar Sol “Mo” Azose Tom & Louise Bensussen Stan & Janine Bensussen Ed & Estelle Bensussen Stan & Janine Bensussen Michael Bensussen Stan & Janine Bensussen Dave Benveniste Irv & Mimi Condiotty Judy & Dennis Schneider Esther Bertram Irv & Luann Bertram Abby Calvo Jon Calvo Manney Chiprut Berman Leonard & Louise Berman Elisa Blumenzweig Sara Blumenzweig Jacques Blumenzweig Sara Blumenzweig Rita Calderon Sol "Mo" Azose David & Terry Azose Jack Cordova Reyna & Steve Gustav Stan Handaly & Pamela Goral Elie & Miriam Levy Peggy & Al Maimon Michelle Mezistrano Shirley Sidis & Al Hirsch Seattle Sephardic Brotherhood Callie Calvo Jack & Sue Barokas Rose Calvo Roz & Alan Bornstein Carlie Varon Caraco Mordo De Jaen & family Louise Azose Chiprut Leonard & Louise Berman Yaffa Cohen Sara Blumenzweig Lily Cordova Jack Cordova Victoria Cordova Seattle Sephardic Brotherhood Julie DeLeon Leonard & Louise Berman Jack Cordova Sultana De Jaen Lilly De Jaen Jack Eskenazi Stan Handaly & Pamela Goral Hava Goral Stan Handaly & Pamela Goral Pierre Goral Stan Handaly & Pamela Goral Judy Greenburg Larry & Janet Jassen Zeana Greenburg Larry & Janet Jassen Jacob Haleva Marcia Overbeck & Ruben Owen Judy Harel Jerry Adatto Simon & Amy Amiel David & Terry Azose Bettie Baroh & Richard Panick Leonard & Louise Berman Sally Halfon Rachel Buckman Janice Halfon Stan Handaly & Pamela Goral Elie & Miriam Levy Ben & Lea Lipman Joe & Michelle Mezistrano Lea & David Polaner Yonatan & Chana Shefa, Flo & Danny Kaweblum, Rosalyn Tilson, Natalie Mizrahi, Ester Blaut, The Gamoran Family & Gwen Davis Rachel Vaillancourt Seattle Sephardic Brotherhood Henrietta Hasson Tillie Amon Dr. Isaac Hassan Rabbi & Rubissa Hassan Mollie Hecht Michelle Almoslino Vic Hofman Sara Blumenzweig and family David Israel Aimee Johnston Rachel Vaillancourt Charles Jassen Larry & Janet Jassen Shirley Jassen Larry & Janet Jassen Regina Jean Israel Marcia Overbeck & Ruben Owen Rivkah Katsman Lilly De Jaen Ben & Lea Lipman Albert J. Maimon Jerry Adatto Beverly Mezistrano Rachelle Mezistrano Sophie Morhaime Stan & Esther Morhaime Stanley Handaly & Pamela Goral Julie Morris Victor Halela David M. Muscatel Moe & Cindy Muscatel Masia Peretz Leonard & Louise Berman Aron Policar Lilly De Jaen Rick Richardson Susan Richardson Esther Scharhon Julia Jerusalmi Ruth Schoenfeld Simon & Amy Amiel Stan Handaly & Pamela Goral Elie & Miriam Levy Ben & Lea Lipman Sally Maimon Seattle Sephardic Brotherhood Irene Simons Stan & Janine Bensussen Rodney Simons Stan & Janine Bensussen Beckie Stalcup Michelle Almoslino Marilyn Stalcup Hans Wehl Stan Handaly & Pamela Goral Carlos Vasquez Lilly De Jaen
Tributes:
May Meldados
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*April Meldados were mailed separately to all SBH members. If you need a copy, please contact the SBH Office.
La Boz - Volume XLIV No. 2 April/May NISAN/IYAR 5783 La Boz is published for the benefit and education of the membership of Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation. Non-members who wish to subscribe to La Boz may do so by sending an $18.00 donation annually to the Synagogue to cover publication and mailing cost. Articles being submitted for publication for the June, 2023 issue of La Boz should be submitted no later than April 30, 2023. All articles and questions should be submitted to La Boz, Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation, 6500 52nd Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118 (e-mail info@sbhseattle.org or phone 206-723-3028 ext. 2). Articles submitted are the opinion of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of La Boz or Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation. Acknowledgment of life cycle events is consistent with Halachic principles. La Boz is a publication of Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission from Sephardic Bikur Holim.
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Religious Staff Rabbi - Benjamin Hassan Rabbi Emeritus - Simon Benzaquen Hazzan - Rabbi Frank Varon Gabbai - Larry Almo Officers President - Miri Tilson 1st Vice President - Jack Gottesman 2nd Vice President - David Benezra Treasurer - Steve Altchech Secretary - Cynthia Gamel Grand Trustee - Jack Schaloum Board of Trustees Jack Azose Louise Chiprut Berman Robert Gladstein Laura Haleva Marci Hanan Nisan Harel Lea Lipman Ben Varon Youth Director - Aharona Gans Caretaker - Yehuda Gonzalez Office Manager - Laura Van Klaveren Telephone: 206-723-3028 Email: info@sbhseattle.org Website: www.sbhseattle.org
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Meldados
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Enjoy this 2-minute highlight video of the SBH 2022 Purim Shpiel variety show “Shushan Night Live!” The full shpiel is on our YouTube channel - Sephardic Bikur Holim! Please join us over there and like and subscribe! May the joy of Purim last all year long!
In Lea Lipman and Jack Gottesman's "After the Shpiel" Purim video, they announced a special GIVEAWAY of a special prize to one fan who "liked" their video across social media! In this video, Lea announces the WINNER!!!!!! Click on the video to see who WON!
A Purim Extravangza!
After the wildly successful 2022 SBH Purim Shpiel "Shushan Night Live", life has changed a lot for Purim Shpiel Stars Lea Lipman and Jack Gottesman! Jack and Lea share updates, one year AFTER THE SHPIEL (and announce the giveaway of a special prize)!!
A special thanks to Robert Gladstein for an epic and delicious Purim Break Fast, Bouncy House, Carnival, Caricatures, a fun and fantastic evening!
Purim Shpiel Fun! Just scan the QR codes with your phone to watch the videos!
Congratulations to the giveaway winners featured in the above video!