Bound volume of issues of the rare journal HaSefaradi – New York, post–World War II

Issues range from May–June 1945 to November 1954 (non-consecutive). Extremely rare.

The journal was distributed among Sephardic Jewish communities that had formed across the United States, especially in New York during the 1940s, where tens of thousands of Jews of Sephardic origin lived, from Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Syria, Lebanon, and other countries  preserving distinctive customs, traditions, and language. The main goal of the journal was to strengthen the sense of identity and belonging among Sephardic Jews and to unify the community around organized institutions. The issues included regular reports from JDC (Joint Distribution Committee) conferences concerning the difficult situation of Sephardic communities in Europe after the Nazi occupation, particularly in Greece and Yugoslavia. It also featured updates on the Joint’s activities within the Sephardic community, youth programs for Sephardic Jews in America, reports from Sephardic community conventions, assistance for registering immigrants who had arrived in the U.S. after the war, and coverage of settlement efforts in the Land of Israel and the arrival of war refugees. 

Articles highlighted the contributions of Sephardic Jews who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, for example, the December 1946 issue includes an extensive article about Lieutenant Colonel Eliechar, who fought in the U.S. Army. Pioneering for its time, the journal expressed a cultural and political effort to assert the Sephardic identity within the broader American Jewish public, which was largely dominated by Western (Ashkenazi) Zionist organizations. It remains a vital source for understanding the dynamics of Sephardic identity in America — the tension between cultural assimilation and tradition preservation — and the community’s efforts to influence Jewish and public opinion on behalf of their brethren abroad, and eventually in support of the Land of Israel.

Extremely rare. Not listed in the WorldCat global library catalog.

Issues bound in a new hard cover. Very good overall condition.