Dear all,

it has been a while since you have heard from me. I hope you are all doing well and enjoying this unusual hot weather in the crazy month of April! I certainly are......

Here is an upcoming Turkish Jewish program series, including a German Turkish movie, co-sponsored by the German Consulate in New York and an amazing cooking event:

Location: The JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St. (Program room assignments will be available at the JCC Customer Service Desk, in the lobby of the Samuel Priest Rose Building.)


Jews under the Ottoman Empire and Early Republican Turkey

For centuries, the Jews of North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Europe lived under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, many of them fleeing persecution in their native countries?most notably, Spanish Jews who found a safe heaven in 1492 following the expulsion. Life for Jews in the Ottoman Empire rivaled that of the Golden Age of Spain and Turkish cities such as Istanbul, Izmir and Salonica became centers of Sephardic Jewry. Teaching this survey will be Devrim Umit, originally from Ankara, a PhD in History from Columbia University, where she specialized in late Ottoman and modern Middle Eastern history.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 times on Mondays
7:00 PM
May 11 - Jun 22 (except: May 25)
$90 JCC Member/$110.00 Non-Member
JLSOTT00S9

For more information, or to register, please call[masked].


The Jews of Turkey: A Panel Discussion

Dina Danon, a doctoral candidate at Stanford University whose dissertation focuses on the Jews of Izmir, the community of her paternal ancestors, will lead a discussion about Turkish Jewry with Brigitte Sion, born in Switzerland to Sephardic parents and now assistant professor/faculty in Religious Studies and Journalism at NYU and a contributor and translation editor of the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Jews from the Islamic World; Daisy Sadaka Braverman, a Turkish Jew, linguist, teacher of Ladino, singer of Turkish-Jewish songs; and a representative of the Turkish community in New York. Music and fabulous desserts will contribute to the richness of the evening!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed, May 27
7:00 PM
$10 JCC Member/$15 Non-Member
JJLTUR00S9

For more information, or to register, please call[masked].

My Father the Turk (Mein Vater, der Turke)
Directed by Marcus Vetter and Ariane Riecker (89 min, Germany, 2006)

This real-life drama follows German filmmaker Vetter as he sets off to a small Turkish town to visit the father he has never known. Combining footage of contemporary Turkey and 1960?s Germany, Vetter paints a complex portrait of how one man?s actions changed the course of an entire family with a profound story about the power of memories and the cost of forgiveness. Co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Germany in New York.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tue, Jun 2
7:30 PM
$8 JCC Member/$10 Non-Member
EFFMFT00S9

For more information, or to register, please call[masked].

Celebrating the Turkish Jewish Musical Tradition

The diversity of Turkish culture is reflected in its rich musical traditions as well as in its cuisine, both of which will be enjoyed during this afternoon. We are privileged to present a world renowned musician from Turkey, Ahmet Erdogdular, whose classical singing style is based on the techniques of the masters of Ottoman music. He will present songs composed by the 18th century Ottoman Jewish composer Tanburi Izak and interpret the singing style of Izak Algazi, a cantor in an Istanbul synagogue during the late Ottoman Empire, who was also a master of classical songs. Mr. Erdogdular will be joined by Upper West Sider Daisy Sadaka Braverman, an expert Turkish-American linguist, actress/director, and singer, who will present songs in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), a language she teaches and one that is unique to Sephardic Jews, especially those of Greece and Turkey. The afternoon will include Turkish refreshments! Co-sponsored by The Turkish Cultural Center. See the Jewish Ideas & Issues section for details of other programs in our Jews of Turkey series including a panel discussion on The Jews of Turkey; a six session course on Jews under the Ottoman Empire; and Turkish-Jewish Cooking with Jennifer Abadi. See the Film section of our website for a screening of My Father, the Turk, on Tuesday night, June 2 at 7:30 pm.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun, May 31
3:00 PM
$20 JCCMember/$25 Non-Member
ACFTUR00S9

For more information, or to register, please call[masked].

Turkish-Jewish Cooking with Jennifer Abadi

Turkish cuisine has been influenced by that of neighboring countries such as Syria, Greece, Iran, Iraq and Russia; and the Ottoman Empire was so vast that there was a constant exchange of spices and foods from the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeastern Europe. After 1492, when the Empire welcomed Jews fleeing the Inquisition in Spain, their Sephardic food and culture was added to the Turkish culinary mix. Jennifer Abadi, Middle Eastern food expert and author of A Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Recipes from Grandma Fritzie?s Kitchen, will tell you all about the cuisine of Turkish Jews as she prepares some of their favorite dishes for your tasting pleasure!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thu, Jun 4
7:00 PM
$30 JCC Member/$35 Non-Member
JJLFIS00S9

For more information, or to register, please call[masked].

I hope I will see some of you at the events. Bis bald,
Steffi

Flier