What made this gathering distinct was not only its geographic breadth, but the shared spirit: religious leaders grounded in tradition, intellectually open, proudly Zionist, and unafraid to engage with the complexities of the modern world
September 10, 2025 13:01
Something rare and perhaps historic happened this August. Around 50 Sephardic rabbis from across the globe gathered in New York City for the inaugural Sephardic Rabbinic Conference, a two-day summit on the future of Jewish education.
Participants arrived from six countries and over 25 cities – across the United States, from London, Lisbon, Jerusalem, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City – representing the Syrian, Moroccan, Persian, Turkish, Iraqi, Yemenite, and Spanish & Portuguese traditions. That such a wide range of perspectives came together from afar speaks volumes about the deep desire to reclaim and rebuild an authentic Sephardic presence that transcends borders and customs.
As Rabbi Yosef Bitton, formerly Chief Rabbi of Uruguay and now a rabbi in one of the largest Persian communities in New York, put it, “There is so much more that unites us than the small differences that divide us.”
What made this gathering distinct was not only its geographic breadth, but the shared spirit among its participants: a cohort of religious leaders grounded in tradition, intellectually open, proudly Zionist, and unafraid to engage with the complexities of the modern world.
More than a nostalgic reunion, it was a declaration that the classical Sephardic tradition still has something vital to impart to the Jewish world. And that if we are serious about strengthening Jewish continuity and identity, we require leaders and institutions that reflect the depth and wisdom of this tradition.
The rabbis spoke of the need to renew our youth’s relationship with the core pillars of Jewish life: familiarity with Tanakh/Bible, our national inheritance and cultural lifeblood; fluency in Hebrew, our living national language through early childhood immersive programmes; and feeling at home in the synagogue, not as a social venue, but as the centre of their communal life, a place that feels relevant and meaningful. These are the birthright of every member of the Jewish people.
The conference revisited some of the classical modes of Sephardic pedagogy rooted in language, structure, and soul. Disciplines such as grammar and logic, reading and memory, precise language, and even musical learning where melody becomes a tool for retention and reverence. Though less common in today’s curricula, these timeless classical methods cultivate students who are literate, thoughtful, and religiously connected; and can better shape a mindset of service, not entitlement; of giving, not just taking.
Let me be clear – this was not a romantic call to return to the courts of al-Andalus or the study halls of Aleppo. These young and dynamic rabbis were fully aware of the world we inhabit, one shaped by AI, social media, and constant digital noise. In this environment, renewing the habits of disciplined reading and textual engagement is how we reclaim our identity as the People of the Book. They believe in embracing the best that modernity has to offer, without sacrificing what gives Jewish life its durability, meaning, and dignity. Our challenge is not how to retreat from technology, but how to navigate it responsibly with thoughtfulness and moderation.
Too often, the public face of Sephardic Judaism is dominated by firebrand rhetoric or shallow messaging, expressions imported from Charedi circles rather than grown from within. At the same time, Sephardism is at odds with progressive movements that have opted out of the halachic enterprise altogether. Neither of these models reflect the classical Sephardic tradition – one that is deeply rooted but not rigid, responsive but not reactionary.
Both this tradition and this Rabbinic forum are proudly Zionist. Across generations, Sephardic communities have expressed an unconditional love for the State of Israel, even while holding diverse political and religious views. There is no confusion around the miracle and privilege of Jewish sovereignty, or our admiration for those who risk their lives to defend it. That clarity, too, is part of the message this conference seeks to elevate.
British Jewry has long been a historic bastion of this Sephardic approach, with institutions such as the Montefiore College and the S&P Sephardi Community (both of which supported this initiative).
In his keynote address, Rabbi Joseph Dweck described the conference as “unprecedented for Sephardi rabbis worldwide. A chance to unite around the classical Sephardi ethos, rooted in the teachings of Maimonides and the great sages of the East and West.” The conference, he said, “underscored the strength of shared vision and the promise of advancing a pragmatic, humanistic, and scholarly Sephardi voice within the Jewish world”.
This middle path is needed now more than ever. We live in a time of extremes. On one side: apathy, assimilation, and moral confusion. On the other: black-and-white thinking and imposed dogma. But our tradition has long offered a third way: fidelity to tradition without fundamentalism, intellectual openness without dilution, and national commitment that rejects sectarianism.
In the months ahead, we hope to form working groups that will be focused on curriculum development, yeshivah planning, campus engagement, and more. Further gatherings are already being discussed.
My hope is that this conference sparks a new era of unified Sephardic leadership, one that helps shape a more principled and compassionate, intellectually vibrant, and spiritually confident Jewish future.
Avi Garson is Director of the Menachem Begin Scholars Program at the Tikvah Fund, co-founder of The Habura, and one of the organisers of the Sephardic Rabbinic Conference
To get more from opinion, click here to sign up for our free Editor's Picks newsletter.
