Lesson Plans
See AllExplore classroom-ready materials that help educators bring Jewish diversity, heritage, and inclusion into their lessons. These programs provide practical tools to address antisemitism and foster cultural understanding
Before You Teach
See AllDeepen your understanding of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews before bringing their histories, cultures, and experiences into the classroom. Explore key terms, historical overviews, country-specific resources, and introductions to Jewish languages and traditions, alongside tools for reflecting on how these communities are represented in your school or curriculum. Whether you are new to the subject or expanding your knowledge, these resources help you move beyond generalizations and lay the groundwork for thoughtful, accurate teaching that reflects the diversity of Jewish life.
Who Are Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews?
Start here. A clear introduction to who Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews are, where their communities come from, and why the terms are defined in more than one way. From the study Sephardic & Mizrahi Jews in the USA: Identities, Experiencs, and Communities.
Sephardic and Mizrahi Education Toolkit
A compendium of recommendations, strategies, and resources to help educators learn about Sephardi and Mizrahi heritage and shape inclusive school environments.
Sephardi and Mizrahi History: A Teacher’s Guide
A chronological guide from the rise of Islam through the twentieth century, with suggested readings, videos and lectures for each period.
Cultural Heritage Explainers
See AllShort, printable guides to Sephardic and Mizrahi holidays, customs, and ideas, written for teachers, students, and families. Each explainer includes background, key terms, discussion questions, and classroom tips for public schools, Jewish schools, and home, plus links to videos, books, and primary sources.
Holidays and Festivals
Thirteen guides to the Jewish year as Sephardic and Mizrahi families celebrate it, from the Rosh Hashanah seder to Mimouna and Nowruz.
Lifecycle and Customs
Births, bar and bat mitzvahs, henna, weddings, mourning, food, and dress: the traditions that mark life’s milestones.
Language, Learning, and Thought
Languages, music, poetry, philosophy, science, medicine, and the scholars, poets, and women who shaped Sephardic and Mizrahi life.
Teach by Country
See AllBring the story of a specific Jewish community into your classroom. JIMENA's country pages trace Jewish life in ten countries of the Middle East and North Africa, from ancient times to today. Each one brings together a history written for students, a timeline, the laws that shaped Jewish life, recipes, music, photos, oral histories, recommended books, and discussion questions. Use them to start a lesson, support a research project, or build a heritage month unit.
Jewish Communities of the Middle East and North Africa
The Jews of Algeria
From Roman era communities and refugees from Spain to French citizenship, its loss under Vichy, and the departure of about 140,000 Jews in 1961 and 1962. Strong for units on colonialism, World War II in North Africa, and Andalusian music.
The Jews of Egypt
More than 2,500 years of Jewish life, from Alexandria to the Cairo of Maimonides, and the forced departure of a community of about 75,000 to 80,000 after 1948, 1956, and 1967.
The Jews of Iran
More than 2,500 years of Jewish life in Persia, from Cyrus the Great and Queen Esther to the 1979 revolution. A natural fit for Purim and Nowruz lessons.
Primary Sources for the Classroom
See AllBring the histories, cultures, and perspectives of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews into your teaching. Explore lesson plans, primary sources, curricula, cultural guides, and professional development opportunities curated by JIMENA for educators in Jewish and general educational settings. Whether preparing a single lesson or shaping a broader curriculum, these resources help you deepen students’ understanding of Jewish life, challenge stereotypes and antisemitism, and make Sephardic and Mizrahi experiences an integral part of how Jewish history and identity are taught. (test)
JIMENA Oral History Collection
Video testimonies from Jews born in Morocco, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Iran and across the region, telling in their own words about home, departure and rebuilding their lives.
Voices from the Archive: Iraqi Jewish Life in Documents
Photographs, school records, petitions and citizenship papers from the Iraqi Jewish Archive, made searchable with English translations, including the 1951 register of Baghdadi Jews whose Iraqi nationality was withdrawn.
The Cairo Genizah
Letters, contracts, poems and everyday records from a thousand years of Jewish life in Egypt and the Mediterranean, digitized by Cambridge University Library.
Professional Development & Training
See AllBuild the knowledge and confidence to teach Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish histories, address antisemitism, and create more inclusive learning environments. JIMENA offers tailored workshops, trainings, and consultations for teachers, school leaders, university faculty, and museum and Holocaust educators. Grounded in scholarship, firsthand testimony, and classroom practice, our programs provide practical strategies and ready-to-use resources to challenge misconceptions about Jewish identity, integrate overlooked histories into curricula, and strengthen belonging for Jewish students of every background.
Professional Development for Educators
Workshops, trainings, and consultations that help teachers and school leaders address antisemitism and teach the full diversity of the Jewish people.
The Farhud and Holocaust Era Education
A 60 to 120 minute training for Holocaust centers, museum educators, and curriculum developers on the Farhud and Jewish experiences in the Middle East and North Africa.
Book a Speaker
Bring a former refugee, scholar, or cultural ambassador from JIMENA’s Speakers Bureau to your classroom, school, or conference.
Teaching Calendar
See AllBring Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish history, culture, and traditions into your classroom throughout the year. JIMENA’s Teaching Calendar highlights Jewish holidays, historical milestones, commemorations, and cultural observances, offering educators meaningful opportunities to explore the diversity of Jewish experiences. Use these dates to inspire lessons, classroom discussions, and activities that deepen students’ understanding of Jewish heritage and identity.
Rosh Hashanah (September or October)
A curated guide that blends ritual traditions, historical context, and cultural recipes from Sephardic and Mizrahi communities for Rosh Hashanah. Use it to enrich celebrations and classroom lessons alike.
Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15)
Explore Jewish life in medieval Spain, the expulsion of 1492, and the Sephardic communities that carried Spanish language and culture around the world.
Day of Remembrance for Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries and Iran (November 30th)
Mark the day that remembers the more than 850,000 Jews who left or were forced out of Arab countries and Iran, and teach the history of their displacement.
Research & Thought Leadership
See AllExplore research, publications, and expert insights that enrich the teaching of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish history, identity, and contemporary experiences. JIMENA’s research and thought leadership resources provide educators with historical context, scholarly perspectives, and evidence-based knowledge to deepen classroom discussions, challenge misconceptions, and foster a more inclusive understanding of Jewish history and diversity.
Distinctions
JIMENA’s online quarterly journal featuring Sephardic and Mizrahi scholars, researchers, artists, and activists.
National Demographic Study of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews
The first national study of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the United States, commissioned by JIMENA and led by Dr. Mijal Bitton at New York University.
Recommendations for Change
Practical recommendations from the national study for educators, community leaders, funders, and policymakers.
