Fall 2021 - NYC Metropolitan Area

Community Wide Sephardic Selihot in Fort Lee. From left to right: Aaron Levy, Brotherhood Central Council Member; Ethan Marcus, Brotherhood Managing Director; Rabbi Ilan Acoca, Haham of the Sephardic Congregation of Fort Lee; Marvin Marcus, Brotherhood Vice President; Ephraim Pizante, Community member

It’s been a busy summer for La Ermandad in our NYC Metro area community with exciting new programs going into the fall and winter. We hosted our first Sephardic Young Families Picnic in New Jersey, with over 20 young Turkish Jewish families enjoying delicious kosher Turkish food, new Sephardic children's books courtesy of PJ Library, and fun kids activities.

Senior Rabbi Joseph Dweck speaking with Community members after his public lecture

At the end of June we welcomed Senior Rabbi Joseph Dweck of the S&P Sephardic Community of the United Kingdom for an inspiring in person evening on “How do we live a Jewish Life in a Post-Religious World” at Congregation Magen David of Manhattan. Our Greek Jewish Block Party in partnership with our affiliate synagogue Kehila Kedosha Janina on the Lower East Side, was a huge hit with live music, kosher Greek Jewish classics like Borekas and Biscochos, kids’ activities, and more. 

Participants at the Sephardic Young Families Picnic in New Jersey

The Brotherhood also organized a special in-person Sephardic Selihot Program in partnership with the Sephardic Congregation of Fort Lee, bringing together our members from around the tri-state area for a wonderful evening of Sephardic singing and preparation for the High Holidays. This coincided with a special Ziara - a Sephardic tradition of making an annual trip to the cemetery around the holidays - for our members in the region to visit their loved ones. Next up into the Fall, we have more exciting programs set, including some Sephardic Young Professionals happy hours, community education lectures, young family programs, and of course, our National Sephardic Community Gala in December. Make sure to keep an eye out in our weekly E-Newsletter, La Boz Sefaradi - The Sephardic Voice, for all the exciting announcements to come!