Global Sephardic Rabbis Convene in Manhattan to Strengthen Jewish Tradition and Community

Dozens of Sephardic rabbis, dayanim (rabbinical judges), and community leaders from around the world gathered in Manhattan for the global Sephardic Rabbinical Conference (SRC) held at the UAJ conference hall. The conference focused on preserving halachic tradition, addressing challenges in Jewish education across the diaspora, and developing digital tools to provide halachic guidance to distant communities. A large delegation from Israel and Europe attended to reinforce ties between Israel's rabbinical centers and local communities.

Among the participants was the "Union of Western Sages," an organization dedicated to preserving the heritage of North African rabbis. Rabbi Rafael Daloya, representing the union, emphasized that their approach offers solutions for all of Israel, not only Sephardim. He highlighted the balanced and inclusive methods of North African sages in dealing with secularization, contrasting them with Ashkenazi approaches that often excluded non-observant members. Rabbi Daloya cited Rabbi Yosef Messas’s pragmatic response to Jews in Morocco who had to work on Shabbat, describing how Rabbi Messas established early morning prayer services to keep them connected to the community despite their work obligations.

As part of the conference, some delegates spent the preceding Shabbat at the historic "Shearith Israel" congregation in Manhattan, the oldest Jewish community in North America founded in 1654. They participated in prayers and studied the preservation of ancient Sephardic liturgical melodies.

The SRC organizing committee reported that the direct interactions among rabbis from various countries laid the groundwork for dozens of upcoming religious, social, and educational collaborations. These initiatives are expected to launch in the coming months to strengthen the continuity of Sephardic Jewry worldwide.