S&P Central Newsletter – Sept 2013

RECENT EVENTS

Jerusalem
August 26 — «A Choral Arbit in the Spanish & Portuguese Tradition» was held at the Hovevei Tsion Synagogue. Tefila was led by Hazzan Daniel Halfon along with the Kolot HaEsnoga Singers and a D’var Torah was given by Rabbi Natan Lopes Cardozo.

Porto
August 26 — The Jewish community of Porto marked the 90th anniversary of its establishment and its beautiful synagogue building with a celebration led by Rabbi David Litvak, community members, and friends from London. The Porto community was re-established in the 1930s through the courage of a Portuguese captain and returnee to Judaism, Artur Carlos de Barros Basto. You can read some of his story here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artur_Carlos_de_Barros_Basto
Newport
August 18 – The annual reading of the George Washington Letter “To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport” was held. Rabbi Albert Gabbai of Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia read the Moses Seixas letter and Bernard Gewirz of Washington D.C. read the George Washington letter. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan delivered the keynote address. Click here to learn more about this famous letter: http://www.tourosynagogue.org/index.php/history-learning/gw-letter
UPCOMING EVENTS

New York
September 18 – Congregation Shearith Israel will hold a festive evening of traditional Greek Jewish food, and art, along with music provided by the Meraklides Band. The event is sponsored by the Shearith Israel League in collaboration with the American Friends of the Jewish Museum of Greece. For more information, please click here:
http://www.shearithisrael.org/content/greek-sephardic-evening
NEWS

London
As mentioned in the last edition, Rabbi Joseph Dweck was named Senior Rabbi of the Spanish & Portuguese Community in London.
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/107512/facebook-rabbi-voted-sephardi-leader

New York
Also as earlier mentioned, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik was named Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue in New York. In addition, Rabbi Richard Hidary was named Distinguished Rabbinic Fellow at the congregation.
http://shearithisrael.org/content/synagogue-announces-hiring-renowned-rabbi-creates-chair-distinguished-rabbinic-fellow-1

Philadelphia
Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia welcomes Rabbinic Intern Raif Melhado for the coming year. Raif is a third-year rabbinical student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. He is also an enthusiast of Western Sephardic minhagim and founder of www.ketershemtob.com.
NEW WEBSITES

Manchester
The S&P congregation in Manchester, Sha’are Tephila, has launched a new website which can be seen here: www.moorlane.org.
Information about the congregation can also be found on this page of the S&P website:
http://www.sandpcentral.org/#!moor-lane

Jerusalem
The S&P congregation in Jerusalem, Sha’are Ratzon, has re-launched their website which can be seen here: www.sandpjerusalem.org.
Information about the congregation can also be found on this page of the S&P website:
http://www.sandpcentral.org/#!istanbuli

S&P APPS (YES, REALLY!)

Happily, two excellent efforts have recently been undertaken to create apps of S&P prayers/melodies:

Rabbi Jonathan Cohen of Bevis Marks Synagogue in London has created a free app which so far contains the prayers for Birkat Hamazon (Grace after Meals) and several other blessings. It is available for free on Google Play. For details and to download, please click here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.davidfassy.spbirkon&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5kYXZpZGZhc3N5LnNwYmlya29uIl0

Rene Samson, a former hazzan of the Amsterdam S&P community, has created a free app containing weekday Mincha and Arbit as well as Tefilat Haderech, and the short Birkat Hamazon based on the Portuguese nusach of Amsterdam. Content was provided by the Amsterdam community’s current hazzan, Nachshon Rodrigues Pereira, and Daniel Zecharja Baruch. The app is still in testing and so feedback is welcome. You can find it there:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.neepie.tefilot
S&P CDs

The London S&P community has kindly made available recordings from two of their CDs here on the following websites:
http://www.sephardicentre.org/
http://www.1951.sephardicentre.org/
RECIPES
Istanbul-born, Paris-based chef Sibel Pinto has kindly shared the following recipe called, «Kashkarikas – Zucchini Peels in Olive Oil and Lemon Sauce,» which you may enjoy trying. For the full directions, please go to this page here:
http://www.sandpcentral.org/#!food
And for more about Sibel and Mediterranean cuisine, you can go to her site here:
www.sibelpinto.com

Do you have a recipe you would like featured? Please let us know! Just send a note on the contact page. Thanks!
ARTICLES OF POTENTIAL INTEREST
«Ancient Jewish cemetery to be restored in France,» Times of Israel, Aug. 23, 2013
«Ancient Synagogues at Toledo,» The Occident and American Jewish Advocate, June 1846
Shana Toba! Much Anos!
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where can I find S&P communities around the world?
Right here on this list we’ve compiled. Please note it’s a work in progress. If you see something that is missing or incorrect, please do write and let us know:
http://www.sandpcentral.org/#!communities

How can I learn more about S&P minhag and melodies?
Happily, a number of the S&P communities have built websites filled with an abundance of readings, recordings, and commentary. You can find those sites here on these two pages:
http://www.sandpcentral.org/#!minhag
http://www.sandpcentral.org/#!melodies

Where can I purchase S&P prayers books, birkat hamazon books, etc?There are a number of versions in various translations offered by several communities. You can learn what is available and how to contact the communities here on this page: http://www.sandpcentral.org/#!texts

Where can I join discussions of S&P traditions with others online?
Facebook features several excellent discussion groups. Please see a list of them here:
http://www.sandpcentral.org/#!discuss

I’m interested in the food! Where can I find some good S&P and other Sephardic recipes?
For excellent Greek, Turkish, Moroccan, Italian and other recipes, please see the excellent websites here on this page:
http://www.sandpcentral.org/#!food

I’d like to find others to form an S&P minyan in my area. Do you have a suggestion?
Yes! Do you live in Nome, Alaska? No worries. Please send us your name and location, and we’ll let you know if we hear from others in your area.