Join us on the third night of Chanukah to mark the Departure and Expulsion of Jews from the Arab Countries and Iran.
November 30 is the official memorial in Israel to mark the departure and expulsion of more than 850,000 Jews from Arab countries and Iran in the 20th century.
This year JW3 is hosting the official commemoration in partnership with Harif, the UK Association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, and Sephardi Voices UK to mark the 65th anniversary of the post-1956 Suez Expulsion from Egypt, which produced some 25,000 Jewish refugees.
We will be joined by Hen Mazzig, Sephardi activist and Senior Fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute who will be in conversation with Viviane Bowell, author of the memoir, To Egypt with Love. We are delighted to be joined by Senior Rabbi of the S&P Sephardi Community, Rabbi Joseph Dweck, a senior Israeli diplomat and a number of community representatives.
We are delighted to be screening a short film of testimonies from Egyptian Jews commissioned for the occasion by Sephardi Voices UK and to be joined by poet Yvonne Green who will be sharing a special poem for the ceremony.
There will be a special Chanukiah lighting and the event will be followed by a light reception and a chance to connect with community.
Harif
Harif (www. Harif.org) is a volunteer-run, UK charity founded in 2005 to raise awareness of the history and culture of MENA Jews. It has arranged and participated in hundreds of events, nationally and internationally, and its online programme of ‘Lockdown Lectures’ attracts a global audience. This year will be the ninth that Harif has marked the Exodus of Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries and Iran.
Sephardi Voices UK
Sephardi Voices UK (sephardivoices.org.uk) have recorded and captured the experiences of Jews from the Middle East North Africa and Iran who settled in the UK. They have carried out over 100 interviews.
The S&P Sephardi Community
The S&P Sephardi Community (sephardi.co.uk) – originally founded as The Spanish and Portuguese Jews’ Congregation of London – was founded in 1657 as a consequence of the famous petition to Cromwell in 1656. The community is comprised of Synagogues in Bevis Marks, Lauderdale Road and Wembley as well as many sister and affiliated Synagogues. They have a wide range of programming and activities open to all.
