Ari Afilalo- Sephardic Jews and food customs

Sephardic Jews are the large and diverse group of Jews who belong to the particular region of Spain, Middle East, Egypt, North Africa, Turkey and Italy. The cuisine is influenced by the place of Jewish origin. Sephardic Jews arrived in NYC in 1654 by the way of sea. 

Jewish food customs: 

Kosher Food

Jews eat kosher food. Kosher food is the food that is fit to eat and is prepared according to the customs in accordance with Jewish Laws. 

Traditions and Shabbat

With an entire day of not cooking, Jew cuisine got innovative as the dishes need to be kept warm overnight. 

Innovative Passover cooking

Cooking at Passover needs to be innovative as eating chametz is forbidden. 

Relocations and cultural innovativeness

As the Jews moved from their origin to new places, their food has touched a lot of communities and is influenced by a lot of them. 

There is a large Sephardic Jewish community in the New York City. Ari Afilalo is a Sephardic Jew of French Moroccan ancestry. He is an expert on the internal trade laws and is the author of The New Global Trading Order.

Little Marrakesh on the Upper West Side

On a recent Saturday night, I sat in my Upper West Side Sephardic synagogue watching my French cousin and the ensemble that he founded sing the traditional Baqashot, to the beat of North African drums.  In doing so, they not only perpetuated but also transported a centuries-old tradition.  The Baqashot, literally “supplications,” are songs and chanted poems on themes related to the week’s Parsha.  They were sung in winter nights in Morocco, Syria, and other Sephardic communities.  On Saturday night, when Shabbat ended early, the community would prolong its spirit with an evening of music and spirituality.

New York Hevrat Baqashot,  

My cousin founded the New York Hevrat Habaqashot, the New York Baqashot Ensemble, when he immigrated from France.  The Hevra’s members, all young professionals by day, research text, compose musical accompaniment, rehearse tirelessly, and have revived the custom in New York City.  This was their sixth annual performance.  They delighted the audience, Ashkenazic as well as Sephardic, and as I watched my cousin lead the group it occurred to me that our common ancestors shared the same experience in Marrakesh for centuries, until the Moroccan Jews started leaving about 60 years ago.

That got me thinking about the resilience and portability of Jewish culture and life through our successive Exiles. I grew up in Paris, France, a few miles away from my cousin’s community.  Our synagogues were made up primarily of North African Jews, who left Morocco, Algeria or Tunisia after the establishment of the State of Israel and the independence from France. It is not easy to be an easily identifiable Jew in Paris these days. The kippa goes off or is hidden under a hat, and we do not readily advertise who we are.

Source Link-: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/little-marrakesh-on-the-upper-west-side/

Shemot’s Rebels with a Cause: What Makes Might?

The Book of Exodus starts with contrasting narratives of fear-mongering and cruelty, and courageous acts of compassion.  A new Pharaoh rises to rule Egypt.  He chooses to ignore that Yosef the Hebrew turned Egypt into the world’s sole superpower.  Instead, Pharaoh convenes the Wannsee Conference of the day, to plot the annihilation of the Children of Israel.  Pharaoh’s indictment of Israel contains no accusations of misconduct, only the fear that “they could multiply and join with our enemies in case of war.”  From there, enslavement and true ethnic cleansing, the killing of baby boys at birth, ensues.

The first recorded acts of rebellion come from resisting midwives refusing to kill newborns and then from Batya, Pharaoh’s own daughter.  Seeing Moshe in the Nile, the text tells us, Batya immediately realizes that he is a Hebrew child and “has compassion for him.”   She not only saves Moshe but sends him back to his mother among the Hebrews to be nursed.  When he grows up and is brought to Pharaoh’s palace, Batya names him Moshe because “I brought him out of the water.”  The very name Batya gives him connotes her continued defiance of the Pharaonic policies.

The Midrash, enamored with Batya, tells us that she went on to marry a Hebrew man named “Mered,” or “Revolt,” who was in fact Caleb ben Yefuneh.  Caleb was of course, along with Yehoshua, one of the dissenters from the ill-fated mission and fear-based report of the 12 Spies.  Both Batya and Mered are rebels, the Midrash says.  They had the courage to stand up to the prevailing beliefs in their society, and therefore deserved each other.

Owing his life to an Egyptian rebel, Moshe embodies his adoptive mother’s courage and compassion, on behalf of his own people as well as strangers.  Instead of living a comfortable princely life, Moshe rebels and kills the Egyptian taskmaster savagely beating a Hebrew slave.  And as he runs away from Pharaoh’s wrath, alone in a foreign land, Moshe’s first act is to come to the rescue of Yitro’s daughters, harassed by hostile shepherds.

It is no coincidence that the Book of Exodus opens with stories of cruelty and compassion.  The Book will then move on to a long narrative dominated by themes of power and conflict, pitting Pharaoh, the commander in chief of the world’s most powerful army, and the unleashed might of G-d coming to the rescue of the oppressed. The powerful Egyptian armies wind up drowned in the Red Sea as the Empire falls. The lessons are clear:  Might is not enough.  It must have as its basis a foundation of compassion in order to endure and prevail. One rebellious act of compassion has set in motion a great historical movement of liberation, whereas policies devoid of humanity triggered self-destruction — even for the mightiest in the world.

Source Link-: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/shemots-rebels-with-a-cause-what-makes-might/

Out of the clouds, into hope

Tomorrow, we will exit the Clouds of Glory that the huts of Sukkot symbolize.  For eight days, we have been asked to re-experience the Divine protection that shrouded our ancestors as they left the narrow straits of Egypt’s slavery.  Into the clouds through the desert we went with them, sustained by the spirit of G-d rather than the earthly walls of our houses, businesses, and material belongings.

Now we fall out of the Clouds into Simchat Torah, and in the classical Jewish tradition our holiday joy is mixed with a sprinkle of sadness.  We conclude the annual Torah cycle with the poignant death of Moses on the edge of the Promised Land. “And there never arose again in Israel a Prophet like Moses, whom G-d knew face to face,” the Torah concludes, adding in its very last verse a nostalgic reference to “all the mighty hand and all the awesome fear that Moses executed before the eyes of all of Israel.” 

The proximity between our exit from the Clouds and the harsh wake-up call of Moses’ death, has profound national significance for the Jewish people.  Rashi and our Sages ask what exactly did Moses do “before the eyes of all Israel” that merits being mentioned in the final words of the Torah.  Answer: the Golden Calf episode, when Moses was stirred into breaking the Tablets before the Israelites’ eyes, after he returned from 40 days and 40 nights working with G-d only to find his wayward people in the throes of idolatry.

By reminding us now of the Golden Calf story of ultimate betrayal, unconditional love, and radical forgiveness, the Torah is telling us that its divine spirit is certainly on top of Sinai, in the divine clouds, but that it must be lived and experienced in the material world of the people.  And that as a people we must understand that if we reject the Torah ideals, and betray its commitment to the poor, the stranger, social justice, and integrity, the Torah might as well be shattered.

As we exit the clouds and return to our material world, the Torah is insisting that, like Moses, we the people must have unconditional love for one another. This extends even to those who, like the Golden Calf conspirators, reject our most fundamental beliefs at the worst of time.  We must always forgive one another for the sake of a higher national mission — that expressed in the Torah’s ideals.

Click Here To Read Full Article-: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/out-of-the-clouds-into-hope/

Get To Know About The Important Facts About Latino Jews

Ari Afilalo is a professional who has every minute detail about the Sephardic community. Once you go through the writing of Afilalo, you will come to know about the cultural values of the Sephardic people. Latino Jews used to call with different names such as:

• Sephardic Jews
• Spanish Jews
• Arab Jews

A Glimpse Of Light On The Identity Of Latino Jews

When we discuss about the Latino Jews, they were basically the descendants of those people who practiced Jewish religion in Iberia for a very long time and now the below mentioned regions:

• Spain
• Portugal
• North Africa

All About The Religious Practice Of Hispanics

They were blindly following Jewish traditions without knowing even the ABC of it. There was a Jewish association in New Mexico that pointed out the following practices majorly disconnected from consciousness of a Jewish past:

• Candle Lightening on Friday night
• Observing the Sabbath on Saturday

• No To Eat Pork

There is a lot to know about this enriching heritage of Sephardic people. Once you start learning about Sephardic culture, you will be anxious to know more and more.

A Brief Introduction To Sephardic Community- Ari Afilalo

Know More About Sephardic Community

The Sephardim are those who left Spain or Portugal after the 1492 expulsion. There are said to be the descendants of Jews. The term Sephardim comes from the Hebrew word Sepharad.

Use Of The Word Sephardim In Different Countries

• North Africa
• Iraq
• Syria
• Greece
• Turkey

Cultural Impact Of Language

The language of a country exhibits the cultural value of the people living there. Sephardi Jews are known for preserving their special language, spoken by many Sephardic communities in various countries such as:

• Greece
• Turkey
• Bulgaria
• Rumania
• France
• Latin America

About The Author

Ari Afilalo is the one who has expresses his views about Sephardic Community in a very effective way. His excellent work is really appreciable. He has kept his close eyes on every minute detail about sephardic community.

Get To Know The Hot Trends Of International Business 2017

2017 - A new year signifies three usual things:

• A couple of people are going to sign up for gym memberships they won’t use in three months
• No doubt, there are a plenty of new trends and predictions to look out for in the year ahead
• And others will continue addressing the wrong year on all their correspondence
  
  
  

But what are the imperative factors you should search in the international business world of 2017? Have a look and let's understand the major things:

• Scope Of The European Union

The viewpoint for the EU is dismal for 2017. The Prime Minister of United Kingdom Mr. Theresa May is relied upon to trigger Article 50 to start the formal procedure to leave the European union.  and Italy's current choice has brought the nation's support for the union into an enigma.

• Technical variations in agile manufacturing and last-mile commitment

The ability to make fabrication parts or complete products with nothing more than a computer and a 3D printer offers companies far more prominent dexterity in their assembling endeavors and proposes possibilities for fast development.

• Blockchain in trade finance

Blockchain could be an actual game changer you can say a distinct advantage of the international business. It permits purchaser and suppliers to make online activities correctly and securely without including middlemen. In the event that organizations start to utilize the innovation all the more every now and again all through 2017, it could be the start of another period of worldwide business exchanges.

• Considering The Minor Things

Micro-targeting in marketing endeavors, item adjustment, and market entry has been an undeniably hot pattern over the recent years, enabled by the collection, interpretation and optimization of lots of data.

Considering the small scale originates from a customer-centric way to deal, concentrating on building encounters for the customers that are as personalized and active as possible.

Ari Afilalo is one of the creative writers who has written an intriguing book which gives a clear idea of all the international trade practices whilst highlighting the problems in the system and evaluating what advanced trends of 2017 can boost international business among nations.

A New Insight Towards The Global Trading Order

Professor Ari Afilalo has taken on the existing state of affairs across various international institutions which govern the trade across the globe. His work in the book The New Global Trading Order is of high importance and caters to various concerns associated with WTO and GATT leading to the unsatisfactory response to the changing scenario of global trade.

The author has laid down the fact the it is not easy to understand the trading order that prevails in the world today without getting complete knowledge and understanding of the statecraft and trade whilst focusing on their relationship. The author puts forth all the information in a very comprehensive and easy to understand while depicting the changing scenario of the state.

According to the author the world is experiencing change in the trade mechanisms as the age old notions of welfare, sovereignty and world powers are gradually eroding giving way to a more fair and strategic world. The postmodern state demands a lot more than what the existing institutional structure can offer.  

His work discusses various practices and methods that can be implemented in order to reach a new post modern global trading scenarios. It advocates cross-border relationships and suggests the ways of achieving the goals which also include measures to recreate new institutions for domestic and international trade replacing the old ones.

The New Global Trading Order throws light on current perceptions about the trade scenarios and also highlights the misperceptions existing with the same. Therefore, this book is a must read for all the people who are willing to learn about broken concepts and are looking forward towards creating a groundwork to fix the situation.

Ari Afilalo- Exiled Sephardic Communities And Their Culture.

Sephardism is defined as a literary political metaphor which has been used by the cultural personalities and Jewish writers to express themselves and their views about the minorities and the dissidents in the world today. This term has been used by different authors from varied nationalities, religions and ethnicities from Europe, North Africa, America and many other parts of the globe.

The philosophy and logic of Sephardism dwells on the fact why Jewish and Gentile thinkers and writers have drawn Sephardic experience of the medieval era to express their discernments about the role of minorities in the modern world. In Europe, the exiled sephardic communities were largely founded in Venice, Leghorn, Hamburg, Bayonne, Bordeaux and London.

They originally spoke Spanish and Portuguese and later on adapted Western European culture. One of the most successful enterprises were started by Sephardic people. The Sephardic Jews were treated as the crème de la crème of the society during the medieval era in Europe and were known as a very prosperous community with secular education.

For centuries, Sephardic Jews lived as Dhimmis keeping peace with the muslim countries and the rulers of the Ottoman Empire and N. Africa. They were a privileged race there and were still allowed to worship their own religion and even take part in business. And the upper class Sephardic Jews were employed as translators in the Ottoman Empire.

Comparative to their European counterparts, the Sephardic Jews in the Arab countries were leaning more towards the modernity. In North Africa, the Zionist movement became popular and there was great support from Sephardic Rabbis from the Ottoman Empire and this movement expanded to Muslim nations such as Tunisia, Egypt and other countries of North Africa.

Ari Afilalo is a part of Sephardic Synagogue at the west side of the New York City and loves to analyse the literature and writings of Sephardic homilist and philosophers. He is a member of the French Moroccan community in the New York region. 

The Basic Understanding Of The Changing Trading System- Ari Afilalo

Ari Afilalo is a tenured professor of law, who has published many books on the legal matters related to GATT, NAFTA and many more. Ari has done a post graduation degree in law from a very prominent school in the United States.                   

“The book named ” The New Global Trading Order” gives a wonderful glimpse of his writings and this book is a real contribution to the thinking about the international trade order. This book is written in a fantastic way and can arouse a great interest to those who are highly concerned with international trade law, economics and the problems of globalization.

The main concern of the author is only to show that how the post-war Bretton Woods system was predicted on the basis of the state that no more holds. The prediction was done just for regulating the global economic order.

To promote the global economic opportunity and growth for citizens of developed and developing countries, they focus on developing an original thesis for radical institutional redesign of the existing trade regime. 'The New Global Trading Order is said to be the thought-provoking work, which made an astonishing  contribution to an emerging body of literature.

This book focuses on world trade and considers the past of global institutions and proposes the possible solutions to all the issues of global trade. The book is all about the political theory and an analysis of policies.

To understand the global trading order, it is very essential to uncovering the relationship between trade and the state. The modern trade order mainly focuses on the liberalization of trade in goods and services. In this way, the seamless story of the book moves around the changing nature of the state and the frequent changes in the international trading system.

Ari Afilalo – A Law Professor Research and Innovation in Sephardic

Ari Afilalo, a law professor specializing on trade who has co-authored ‘The New Global Trading Order: The Evolving State and the Future of Trade’ with Dennis Patterson, a book published by the Cambridge University Press. He has for many years nurtured an interest in the social and economic integration of Sephardic Jews in Israel and their patterns of political allegiance.

As a senior writing his thesis at Harvard in 1988, Ari Afilalo studied in depth the causes of the overwhelming Sephardic support for Menahem Begin and his Likud Party, who won for the first time in 1977 the Israeli elections after decades of Labor dominance. Ari Afilalo had previously studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and he was able to access at Harvard archives containing a rich collection of materials pertaining to Sephardic voting.

Ari debunked at the time the commonly held view that Sephardic voters, hailing from Arab countries where they had faced a politically turbulent if culturally rich history, were attracted to the more hawkish policy of the Likud. He instead traced the voting patterns to the initial clashes between the Labor establishment “anti-Levantinization” policies and the Sephardic immigrants, and the more traditional outlook of Prime Minister Begin, as distinguished from the secular Labor leaders.

Today, Ari Afilalo examines social, economic and political issues affecting the children and grand-children of the 1977 Sephardic first Likud wave.

Ari Afilalo – Research and Innovation in Sephardic

Ari Afilalo is a law professor by day, who has co-authored ‘The New Global Trading Order: The Evolving State and the Future of Trade’ with Dennis Patterson, a book published by the Cambridge University Press. He is also an avid researcher and consumer of Sephardic texts, poetry, music and religious interpretations.

Ari Afilalo has started several projects that he plans to complete over the summer, present at his synagogue, the West Side Sephardic Synagogue, and other venues. The first project is a compilation of traditional blessings given to congregants called to the Torah in a Sephardic synagogue.

Ari stumbled upon the job of giving the blessings when the then Rabbi of his community, who had been in charge, moved to a new congregation. Instead of using the traditional, fixed text that has been developed by the compilers of the Moroccan prayer book used in the shul, Ari developed his own blessings (brahot) based on the needs of each congregant: children, marriage, a better living, good health.

His new project blends the text that Ari developed with the traditional text of the blessings canon, and comments on the sources that he uses for this project.