Festival Sefarad Continues with America250 Symposium and Tony Award Winner Ari’el Stachel’s Jewish Journey
Yemen, Israel, America: A Jewish Journey with Tony Award Winner Ari’el Stachel
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary—the 372nd anniversary of American Jewish life—the ASF, with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, presents “Faith, Freedom, and the Founding” on Tuesday, 23 June, a symposium spotlighting the enduring yet often unheralded legacy of Jewish patriots and illuminating how Hebraic principles helped shape the Founders’ vision.
“Faith, Freedom, and the Founding” will explore the role of Sephardic Jews in America from their service and sacrifices in the Revolution to the influence of Judeo-Christian Covenantal teachings on the Declaration and Constitution.
The day begins at 11:30AM with the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy’s “Sephardic Jews in America: A Walking Tour & Special Visit to The CJH,” featuring an exclusive look at the ASF’s National Sephardic Library & Archives.
At 4PM, Shearith Israel’s Shamash, Rev. Zachariah Edinger, will lead a tour of New York’s historic Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue. Rabbi Emeritus Marc Angel, Ph.D., author of Remnant of Israel: A Portrait of America’s First Jewish Congregation, will then deliver the keynote address. The program will feature presentations by Columbia University Professor Clémence Boulouque, Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian of Philadelphia’s Mikveh Israel, and Robert Nicholson, Editor-at-Large of Providence Magazine, as well as “From Heritage to Hope: Jewish and Latino Communities in the American Experience,” a panel chaired by Jesse Rojo of the Moral Hearts Alliance. Services in the Colonial-era Small Chapel will be held at 6:45 PM, followed by a presentation and light reception.
By recovering the stories of America’s first Jewish community and their devotion to liberty, “Faith, Freedom, and the Founding” will remind all Americans of how the values that forged the Republic continue to sustain it.
On Thursday, 25 June Festival Sefarad will return to the Museum of Jewish Heritage for a one-night-only engagement: “Yemen, Israel, America: A Jewish Journey with Tony Award Winner Ari’el Stachel.”
Drawing from his family’s story, Stachel shares a deeply personal theatrical performance exploring identity, belonging, ancestry, and the many paths of the Jewish diaspora.
Following the performance, guests are invited to continue the evening with a Yemenite cultural celebration featuring traditional music, dancing, and cuisine. Together, participants will experience the vibrant traditions of one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities, whose rich heritage has traveled across continents and generations.
Part performance and part celebration, this unique event invites audiences not only to hear a story, but to become part of one—an unforgettable evening honoring the resilience, diversity, and joy of Jewish life.
“Just as Jewish peoplehood is a mosaic, not a monolith, so too are our events,” says Jason Guberman, Executive Director of the American Sephardi Federation. “From the premiere screenings, unparalleled performances, and extraordinary Pomegranate Award Honorees of the New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival to sold-out Shabbat dinners and comedy shows, tours and talks, Festival Sefarad is a movable feast with something for everyone.”
Festival Sefarad, featuring over 30 Greater Sephardi intellectual, cultural, and communal events across the city is presented in partnership with 60 organizations, made possible by the support of the UJA-Federation of New York, and is dedicated to Ike, Molly, and Steven Elias.
Learn more at: https://www.FestivalSefarad.com/program/
Press Contact:
Anna Vasquez
American Sephardi Federation
www.americansephardi.org
email us: info@americansephardi.org
Jason Guberman
American Sephardi Federation
+1 857-288-8075
email us here
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