Spain: Sephardic symposium, Cordoba, June 3-7

Casa de Sefarad and Casa de la Memoria (House of Sepharad, House of Memories) in Cordoba will sponsor the second international symposium - "Sefarad: Memory, Identiy and Diaspora" - from Wednesday-Sunday, June 3-7, in Cordoba, Spain.

The cultural organization focuses on Judeo-Spanish (Sephardic) culture, history and tradition, and through its unique collection in Spain an cultural activities, aims to rediscover and make known the extensive and rich legacy of the Sephardic tradition.

Among its assets is an extensive library, a document center and sound archive of Sephardic music. Themes cover the full range of relevant Sephardic topics, in addition to the history of Al-Andalus, diasporas, migrations, and the Mediterranean world.

Conference partners include: Center for Research on the Jews of Morocco, France; University of Cordoba, Spain; Moshe David Gaon Center for Ladino, Ben Gurion University, Israel; Hebrew Studies Department, University of Paris, France; Sephardic Ottoman Center of Istanbul, Turkey; Permanences du Judaïsme Marocain of París, France; Zohar, Israeli association for preservation and study of Jewish Morocco, Israel; Vidas Largas Association and the JEAA (Judéo-Espagnol à Auschwitz), France; and Jacky Kadoch, Jewish Community of Marrakech-Essaouira, Morocco.

Casa de Sefarad is located in Cordoba. For more information, see its website or email. Information about this conference was not yet on the website (as of today), so readers with an interest in this event, should send an email for more details.

The conference opens at 5pm, Wednesday, June 3 with Professor Emeritus Haim Vidal Sephiha speaking on "Shoah and the Sephardim."

Programs on other days include: -Professeur Ephraim Riveline: "Contribution of the Sephardic Oriental narrative to Israeli literature." -Arrik Delouya: Sociologist, researcher, writer, "Moroccan Judaism, Memory and Identity." - Tamar Alexander: Book presentation, "The word of the hour is gold" (Refrains in Haketia). - Eliezar Papo: "Humor as therapy - the Hagada of the Partisans." - Sebastián de la Obra: "Diasporas: A complex memory." - Sephardic music concerts, dinners. - Karen Sarhon: "Istanbul: Identity and Diaspora." - Roundtable and debates, with participating organizations. - Presentation on the Inquisition in Cordoba.

The conference ends Sunday with a tour of Seville before airport return.

Presenters include: - Haim Vidal Sephiha: Author; Professor emeritus, The Sorbonne. Founder of Vidas Largas and JEAA. (Judéo-Espagnol à Auschwitz). - Tamar Alexander: Author; Director, Moshe David Gaon Center for Ladino Culture, Ben Gurion University, Israel. - Ephraim Riveline: Professor; director, Jewish Studies and Hebrew Department, University of Paris, France; director, Revista de Estudios Judíos y Hebraicos; member, Association des Permanences du Judaïsme Marocain. - Eliezer Papo: Author; Professor of Hebrew Literature, Ben Gurion University; vice-president, Moshe David Gaon Center for Ladino Culture. - Karen Sarhon: Researcher; information center director, Turco-Ottoman Sephardic Culture; editor, "El Amaneser" (Judeo-Espanol), Istanbul; member, "Los Pasharos Sefaradies," Sephardic musical group. - Arrik Delouya: Sociologist; author, bibliographies on Jewish Moroccan literature; president, Association des Permanences du Judaïsme Marocain en París; founder, Association pour la Preservation, Diffusion et la Rayonnement du Judaïsme Marocain Zohar (Israel). - Sebastián de la Obra: Historian; director, library and documentation center of La Casa de Sefarad; director, archive and documenation service of the Andalucia Parliament; founder, "Aljama," Sephardic musical group.

For travel details and accommodations, see the Casa de la Sefarad website or send an email (link above).