Congratulations to the 29 recipients who were honored as Sephardic Brotherhood Scholars on June 9, 2024! Celebrating its 80th year, the Scholarship and Education Committee held our annual Irving Barocas z"L Memorial Scholarship Awards Ceremony in New York, bringing together parents, grandparents, and students from our membership throughout the United States. Each student’s achievements were highlighted and speeches were given by the top awardees. This year’s scholarship cohort was particularly impressive, with high levels of academic achievement representing a diverse set of undergraduate and graduate programs, including Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and Brandeis University.
Recipients also exhibited excellent extracurricular and community engagement, and wrote essays about their commitment to their Sephardic identity and the importance of a vibrant Sephardic Community for a new generation of our members. In one of the recipients acceptance speeches, one of our top awardees expressed his gratitude for the honor, and explained how the Sephardic Brotherhood has given him the chance to explore a new, personal narrative:
“This shared experience has strengthened my connection with my Sephardic grandfather, who unfortunately just recently passed away. It has shown me that my Sephardic Judaism allows me to make connections with others no matter where I am, giving me a sense of stability, regardless of whatever may be occurring in my life.
We were able to enjoy a delicious Sephardic breakfast (burekas, biscochos, huevos haminados), with special words of Torah and a live Ladino musical performance from one of our Graduate Student Scholarship Recipients Lily Henley, who is obtaining her PhD in ethnomusicology with a focus on Ladino. Special thank you to our entire Scholarship & Education Committee for making this event possible. To our members, please make sure you, your children, or grandchildren apply for a scholarship next year, so we may continue to honor “los muestros” (our own) for their wonderful accomplishments. Mazal Tov!
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