Why it exists
A fuller Jewish story starts with the people who shape institutions
Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews make up about one in ten American Jews, yet their histories, traditions, and needs are often missing from Jewish classrooms, programs, and leadership. Many Jewish professionals want to change that but have never had the chance to study these communities in depth. The fellowship gives them that chance, and gives Sephardic and Mizrahi leaders a place to deepen their own knowledge, find each other, and step into leadership.
The fellowship is not only for Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews. Our Emerging Leaders cohorts are designed for Sephardic and Mizrahi young adults, ages 20 to 35. Our cohorts for educators, campus professionals, and social service providers are open to everyone who serves these communities, and many of those fellows come from Ashkenazi backgrounds.
The fellowship experience
A cohort from start to finish
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Opening: bring your story Each cohort begins by setting shared ground rules for curiosity and good faith. Fellows introduce themselves through a cultural asset: a family name, a holiday melody, a phrase in Arabic or Ladino, a recipe, or a story passed down. From the first session, fellows learn from one another as well as from their teachers. |
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Learning: history, thought, and community today Fellows study with scholars, rabbis, educators, and clinicians, moving from who Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews are, to how their traditions approach today's questions, to what that means for the fellow's own work. |
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Practice: skills for the work ahead Learning is paired with hands on practice: text study in pairs, writing and storytelling workshops, cooking with Sephardic home cooks, a day of volunteering, and in New York, a guided tour of the Bukharian Jewish community. |
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Closing: from learning to action The cohort closes with a session of reflection, where each fellow shares the project or change they will bring to their synagogue, school, agency, or campus. |
Curriculum
What fellows study
Who are Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews? History, definitions, and the journey from the Middle East and North Africa to the United States and Israel. |
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Sephardic thought and practice How the classic Sephardic rabbis approached Jewish law, text, and an inclusive vision of community. |
Belonging and inclusion Where Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews fit in conversations about diversity, and how institutions can reflect the whole Jewish people. |
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Antisemitism today The history of antisemitism in the Middle East and North Africa, and what a Sephardic response looks like now. |
Research and demographics What new studies tell us about Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in America today, and how to act on it. |
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Culture and heritage Names, holidays, music, piyyutim, food, and literature, and the revival of Mizrahi heritage in Israel. |
Teaching and pedagogy Bringing Sephardic and Mizrahi texts, literature, and stories into classrooms with the Sephardi and Mizrahi Education Toolkit. |
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Care and community needs Culturally responsive and trauma informed care, economic vulnerability, and serving families across generations. |
Leadership tools
What fellows leave with
- A personal leadership plan. Emerging Leaders fellows work with a professional coach, take strengths and emotional intelligence assessments, and map the people who can help them reach their goals.
- A plan for their institution. Fellows design a concrete change for the organization they serve, from a new lesson or program to a new way of welcoming Sephardic and Mizrahi families.
- Ready to use resources. Source sheets, readings, and JIMENA's education materials that fellows can bring straight into their work.
- A network that lasts. Peers across cities and fields who keep learning from and supporting one another after the program ends.
In their words
What fellows tell us
“This program has been fantastic for me on both a personal level and professional level. I wish that every teacher at my school would have done it.”
Jewish educator and curriculum writer, Jewish Educators cohort, 2024
“I feel more confident to speak up on behalf of the Jewish community … and in terms of having a better understanding of our history to combat misinformation.”
Fellow, Los Angeles Emerging Leaders cohort, 2024
“The distinction that most Sephardic communities are not Orthodox, even when their rituals may look similar, is incredibly important to my work introducing all kinds of folks to American Jewish life.”
Founder and executive director of a Jewish learning organization, Jewish Educators cohort, 2024
“As I say, I am a Sephardic Jewish man in an Ashkenazi world. So learning all these new things is great and wonderful.”
Fellow, New York Emerging Leaders cohort, 2025
