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Sephardic studies hopes
for boost from film festival
Sarah Stein is banking on a film festival to make Sephardic studies a household name.
Sephardic studies - the study of Sephardic Jews, who originated in the Iberian Peninsula and, after the expulsion of 1492, settled in the Ottoman Empire, Western Europe, in the Dutch Empire and in the Americas - is already thriving on the UW campus, but it’s a pastiche collection. Stein, who joined the faculty in November, wants to bring all the Sephardic scholars together to create an environment that will be nationally recognized. She hopes the film festival, which gets under way Sunday as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of UW’s Jewish studies program, will jump start that effort.
Sarah Stein
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“This is a wonderful opportunity to display Sephardic culture,” Stein, a professor in history and in the Jackson School of International Studies, said. “It’s a really understudied culture and I think film seems like a fun, engaging and educational way to get the message out there.”
Sunday’s film, “Expulsion and Memory: Descendants of the Hidden Jews,” is a documentary account of the Jewish expulsion from Spain and the experience of the so-called “hidden Jews.” The film will be followed by a presentation from Joan Ullman, a UW history professor. The first event in the series will run from 2 to 4 p.m. in 220 Kane. All events associated with the film festival are free and open to the public.
Other films in the series include:
Stein said malevolence isn’t to blame for the general lack of understanding of Sephardic culture. Rather, she said it’s understudied because there aren’t a lot of Sephardic Jews in the United States.
“More than 90 percent of American Jews are Ashkenazi, which means their origins go back to Eastern Europe.”
But the response to a Sephardic film series has been positive so far, according to Stein.
“Seattle has a really strong Sephardic community and everybody is really excited and has been really supportive,” she said. “I’ve been delighted at the enthusiasm the film series has generated. It’s an event that appeals not only to members of Seattle’s Sephardic community, but to people interested in the ethnic history of Seattle, to members of the University community and to those interested in film and video.”
Stein said Seattle has the third largest Sephardic population in the United States and that it is arguably the most vibrant and cohesive community. She said Sephardic Jews are closely intertwined with much of Seattle’s history, including the development of Pike Place Market and Seattle’s reputation as a vibrant port city.
For more information, call (206) 543-0138 or visit the Jewish studies Web site at http://jsis.artsci.washington.edu/programs/jewish/catalog/default.asp. ¶
Steve Hill
University Week
The faculty and staff publication of the University of Washington
uweek@u.washington.edu
January 27, 2000