Sephardic Heritage Program

The Sephardic heritage has a rich spiritual and cultural legacy encompassing every aspect of individual and communal life. Many young women of Sephardic decent may be proud of their background but lack specific knowledge of Sephardic customs, rituals, history, philosophy, and halacha. This is particularly true of women who come from homes that have not maintained strong cultural or religious practices.

She’arim’s Sephardic Heritage Program is the first women’s program in Jerusalem to address this community-wide need, and, in particular, the first mounted by an organization not geared exclusively to the Sephardic community.

The Sephardic Heritage Program is a complimentary track that supplements the school's Beit Midrash textural learning program. Developed for women of Sephardic background but open to all students interested in learning about Sephardic culture and traditions, the curriculum includes:

 -Halachah, including practical halachah as well as a survey of historical and contemporary Sephardic poskim;
 -The history of Sephardic communities;
 -Sephardic commentators;
 -Sephardic customs and rituals; and
 -Great personalities of the Sephardic world.

Students enrolled in the program will meet with Sephardic Hachamim in Israel, and enjoy Shabbat home visits with traditional Sephardic families in Jerusalem and throughout Israel.

Participation in the She’arim Sephardic Heritage Program will enable students of Sephardic decent to return to their home communities with renewed pride and—more importantly—deep, specific knowledge of their rich tradition, customs and halakhah; non-Sephardic students who participate in the program will gain an appreciation and knowledge of the ways in which Sephardic Hachamim and communities shaped Jewish history and will develop a greater sense of connection to the modern Sephardic communities in Israel and throughout the Diaspora.

The program aims to give a strong Sephardic identity to our students so that they will set up homes based on their rich tradition, and raise their children as to see themselves as part of a long and proud history.