For millennia, Jewish communities flourished across the Middle East and North Africa. What became of these communities after the establishment of the State of Israel, and what was it like to leave the countries they had long called home?
Join JewishGen and the Sephardic Heritage Project for a program exploring the history of Jews in Arab lands and Iran. Sarina Roffé, JewishGen Sephardic Research Chair, will offer an overview of these communities and their histories. Then a panel of people who fled or were exiled from their homelands will share personal experiences from Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Libya.
About the Speaker:
Sarina Roffé is a journalist and professional genealogist, editor of the journal DOROT, and founder of the Sephardic Heritage Project. She is the author of ten books, including several family histories and Branching Out From Sepharad (Sephardic Heritage Project, 2017). She is Co-chair of the Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative and Chair of the JewishGen Sephardic Research Division. Sarina presents often at IAJGS and Dahan Center conferences. Sarina holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Maryland, an MA in Jewish Studies from Touro College, and an MBA from Empire College with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management.