The Sephardic Leadership Institute aims to share the knowledge, expertise, and recommendations of Sephardic and Mizrahi thought-leaders with a broad cross-section of Jewish communal and lay leadership in North America. The Institute will help increase the knowledge, capacities, and cultural responsiveness of Jewish institutions to become more adept at integrating and representing Sephardic heritage, modalities, worldviews, spirituality, pedagogies, programs, and families. As elements of Classical Sephardic Judaism are grounded in values of inclusivity, adaptability, and acceptance, we hope that that the institute will provide concrete tools and recommendations to help the larger Jewish world become more inclusive, equitable, and welcoming not only to Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews, but to diverse Jews of all backgrounds and observances including Ashkenazi Jews, Jews of Color, Jews by choice, immigrants, etc.
Our goal is to see Jewish day schools, community centers, synagogues, camps, libraries, and communal organizations do more than just have one-off programs that celebrate Sephardi Jews as an addition to regular Jewish programming. We aim to serve as a hub for Jewish institutions seeking deep knowledge, partnership, rich content, recommendations, trainings, and connections to diverse Sephardic experts.
The Sephardic Leadership Institute is comprised of subcommittees of Sephardic and Mizrahi rabbis, educators, artists, scholars, women-leaders and activists who are committed to furthering the goals of the institute. Each esteemed committee member will be published in a forthcoming journal of the institute and many are eager to share their knowledge and expertise through trainings, consultations, lectures, and partnership.
Subcommittees have not been finalized yet and names will be added upon confirmation.