Bivas – the Ladino High School Club of America hosts first National Shabbaton in Orlando

24 Sephardic high school kids gather from across the United States

Bivas – the Ladino High School Club of America, held its first National High School Shabbaton from April 4-7 in Orlando, Florida. More than two dozen Sephardic high school students gathered for an incredible three-day weekend led by Sephardic Community Educators Rabbi Yosef Kassorla (Boca Raton, FL), Rubissa Sharona Hassan (Seattle, WA), Brotherhood Managing Director Ethan Marcus (New York), and Brotherhood Youth leader Miriam Raphael Klein (Boca Raton, FL).

Students joined from Sephardic communities in Philadelphia, New York, Seattle, Atlanta, and South Florida, meeting one another for the first time in-person and getting the chance to experience a unique Ladino-speaking weekend. Students first arrived Thursday night, where they had the chance to settle in, meet one another, and learn about the standards and practices for the weekend. Friday morning, students started off the day with morning Shaharit services, followed by breakfast. Students then participated in a special Sephardic baking session, where they learned how to bake traditional Sephardic Borekitas and delicious stuffed Grape leaves (Dolmas/Yapraks). In the afternoon, students had the opportunity for some bonding activities, kayaking together on a beautiful local river in Orlando and getting the chance to explore Disney Springs. 

Friday night, Rabbi Yosef Kassorla helped teach and lead students in a traditional Sephardic Kabbalat Shabbat Tefillah, followed by an incredible Shabbat dinner with traditional foods including Moussaka, fasouliya (string beans), and more. Rabbi Yosef led the students in Sephardic pizmonim (traditional Shabbat songs) along with classic Ladino songs like Kuando El Rey Nimrod and La Vida Dor Por El Raki. After a group led Tefillah Shabbat morning, which included Torah Q&As with Rubissa Sharona Hassan and renditions of Ein Kelohenu in Ladino, students broke out into session groups led by Rabbi Yosef and Rubissa Sharona, discussing questions like “What does your Sephardic identity mean to you?” and learning about Sephardic history, traditions, and great Torah commentators like the Me’am Loez. Shabbat afternoon, students had the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful day out with basketball and soccer courts Everyone joined back together for afternoon and evening Sephardic services along with Seudah Shelishit, the traditional third meal of Shabbat. Rabbi Yosef and Rubissa Sharona also taught the students some of our special Passover songs in Ladino, including Un Kavretiko (Had Gadya), Kien Su Piense (Who Knows One).

 After a beautiful group Avadalah to close out Shabbat, students had the chance to have some downtime and had the special opportunity to receive traditional Sephardic temporary henna tattoos from one of our own high schoolers all the way from Rochester, NY! To wrap up the weekend on Sunday, students spent the day exploring all the awesome rides at the Universal Orlando theme park.

By the end of the weekend, students were using their Ladino phrases actively, with a Ke Haber? (What’s Up?) question always receiving an enthusiastic response of Todo Bueno! (All Good!) and Mashallah poo poo poo!

Si Kere El Dio – Our next Bivas Shabbaton will be Fall 2024 in Seattle, WA – and if you would like to get your teen involved, learn more at bivas.org or reach out to Miriam Raphael Klein at miriam@bivas.org.

Quotes from High School Student Participants:

“Thank you so much for the amazing experience and all the new people and connections I was able to make. It was awesome. I really appreciate all of the effort that went into getting peple from all across the county to congregate together in one incredible space.” – Shimy M. Philadelphia, PA.

“Thank you so much fro such an amazing Shabbaton! Cannot wait for the next one!” – Sara M. Seattle, WA

“My daughter said to me after she arrived home from the Bivas Shabbaton: ‘Mom, I had such a blast – they made religion fun and meaningful. They were not pushy and only showed love and I am just so grateful to have gone.’” – Bivas Parent, Boca Raton, FL

Special Thank you to our Shabbaton Sponsors and in-kind contributors!

Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation

Sephardi Federation of Palm Beach County

Boca Raton Synagogue

Young Israel of Hollywood

Sephardic Adventure Camp

Temple Moses

Aaron Klein

Jacob Kohenak

Sarah Aroeste

Robert Altabet

About Bivas

Bivas - the Ladino High School Club of America is the first of its kind national Sephardic youth movement dedicated to building the next generation of Sephardic leaders in America. The program welcomes Jewish teens in grades 9-12 throughout the United States from all backgrounds, with the goal of empowering them to connect with Sephardic Judaism in a holistic way. Through cultural engagement, Ladino language infusion, the study of Sephardic customs and traditions, Sephardic Torah, and connecting with other teens from throughout country, we are looking to cultivate a desire for and capacity to lead meaningful Sephardic Jewish lives in the 21st century.

The program has both national and local components, with a national teen youth board, National Sephardic Shabbatonim throughout the United States, weekly online learning and planning sessions with Sephardic community educators, and local Ladino Clubs in participating High Schools. Students are invited to start their own local Ladino Clubs in their High Schools, organize Sephardic cultural celebrations and learning opportunities with support of our professionals team, and become active leaders in the American Sephardic Community.