From May 9 to 12, 2024, the Ahlan seminar was held at the IKTH community center! Europe. The program was a partnership between the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) and Ahlan Europe, a European organization that aims to highlight the wider Sephardic tradition and thought in Europe, among Jewish communities and youth. 14 participants from all over Europe with Sephardic origin took part in the seminar. The Jewish Youth of Greece was represented at the seminar by Thessaloniki's Melvin Berkovits.
During the seminar, the often misunderstood history of the Jews of the Arab countries, the absence of representation of the Sephardim and Mizrahim in Europe, the pluralism of the Jewish identity, the breadth of the Sephardic world, as well as the tendency of Ashkenazi Jewry to dominate at the expense of the Sephardic, were discussed. . A central thread running through all the discussions was how Sephardic thought, religious and cultural tradition can be preserved and brought back to the fore. In addition to the speeches of the invited guests and the extremely interesting discussions, the participants were guided around Thessaloniki, once the cradle of the Sephardic culture.
This is an excellent initiative that enabled young Sephardim and Mizrahim to discuss, exchanging opinions, ideas, experiences and also visions for the future of our particular Sephardic identity which is in danger of disappearing.
