Chabad.org has to be one of the most commonly cited and linked-to websites when reading informative texts or explanations about Judaism. However, Chabad is not the only reliable source of information on interpretation of Jewish traditions, or how to practice those traditions. It’s time for a wider, more inclusive set of go-to Jewish resources.
Through this resource list focused on the Greater Sefaradic world (spanning West Asia, North Africa, the Balkans, South Asia, Central Asia, and the Western Sefaradic world) I hope to put New Voices readers interested in strengthening and learning more about their Judaism in touch with information that often gets buried in search results. This expansive collection helps us move beyond seeing Ashkenazi sources as the default. It also decenters Chabad as a neutral resource on Judaism; there is no such thing.
The number 26 was chosen for its significance as a special Jewish number similar to 18, for chai (life). 26 signifies YHWH, the Tetragrammaton. Enjoy these 26 Jewish resources, sorted by topic, that aren’t Chabad.org.
MUSIC
- Piyyut North America
Piyyut North America has song sheets and recordings to help you learn piyyutim (Jewish liturgical poems) from around the world. - ZMR
Find hundreds of transcribed and transliterated Jewish songs from South, West, and Central Asia, as well as North Africa and the Balkans. - Zemirot.org
Browse liturgical music from the Balkans, Greece, and Anatolia on this site, from Romaniote and Sefaradi communities. - Sephardic Pizmonim
Learn tunes interactively in a Syrian Jewish style. - Piyut.co.il
Piyut.co.il is a Hebrew-language website boasting audio and lyrics to Jewish music from around the world. - Sephardic Hazzanut
Learn a variety of Halabi tunes. - The Jewish Music Research Center
The JMRC has in-depth articles about beloved liturgical lyrics as well as lesser-known Jewish popular musicians like Moroccan Zohra El Fassiya.
HISTORY - DIARNA
DIARNA is a virtual, interactive multimedia documentation of Jewish life in West Asia and North Africa. New sites, located via cultural memory, are added all the time. - The Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum’s vast collections will broaden your knowledge of the ‘practical magic’ of Jewish law. You can reach out to the museum for more information on any of its artifacts. - The Israel Museum
Find everything from gorgeous garments and prized Judaica to children’s toys in this collection. - The Gross Family Collection
While the ethics of these Sefaradi artifacts acquired by a wealthy Ashkenazi family are fraught, the Gross Family Collection has lush photography and high-resolution photos of unique objects that are great for research and reference. - The Magnes Collection
Like the Israel and Jewish Museums, the Magnes collection has beautiful high resolution photos that truly communicate the diversity and rich material cultures among Jews. Browse their Flickr and prepare to time travel.LANGUAGE
- Drops
If you don’t know enough Hebrew to read the Torah or piyut.co.il, the Drops app is a fantastic way to learn to read and write in Hebrew. Aramaic is also written with the same script as Hebrew is, so this is a stepping stone to that. - Lashon.org
Listen to and read transcriptions of unique Jewish languages around the world, from Afghan Jewish love songs to Yemeni Jewish oral histories. - JewishLanguages.org
Engage with videos, graphics, and scholars devoted to the diversity of Jewish languages around the world.
COMMUNITY - Kanisse
Kanisse is a budding, egalitarian Sefaradi-Mizrahi community hosting virtual events. Their website also has a directory of progressive or informative Sefaradi-Mizrahi resources, individuals, educators, and organizations. - The Jewish Food Society
Explore how time and context inform food choices via the Jewish Food Society’s collection of recipes and oral histories from Sefaradi-Mizrahi and Ethiopian Jews. My favorite is this dish from the Moroccan Jewish community of Brazil, who made adjustments to their cooking based on the new fruits around them. - American Sephardi Federation
The American Sephardi Federation hosts a plethora of online events, from dance classes to book talks. - Arevot
A collective of Sefaradi-Mizrahi Israeli women weaving a progressive Judaism based on the texts of hakhamim (wise ones, heads of Sefaradi-Mizrahi historical communities). - The Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood
The Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood offers free weekly classes as well as free online events surrounding Sefaradi cultures and halakhah. Its name may be the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood, but their resources are for people of any gender. - The Hub
This “My Jewish Learning” initiative has hundreds of free events and recordings of past ones.
MATERIALS & RITUAL NEEDS - MyZuzah
Fill out MyZuzah’s easy form to receive a mezuzah case and an ethically sourced klaf in a Sefaradi or Ashkenazi style, free of charge. - Judaica Thrifting
This active Facebook group has a $50 cap on items that can be sold there. You can find vintage prayer books, candlesticks, and more. - Open Siddur
OpenSiddur has downloadable prayer orders from all around the world. They range from archival materials from the early 1900s to modern day egalitarian siddurim. - Siddur Masorti
Siddur Masorti is a downloadable, egalitarian Sefaradi siddur. - Sefaria
Read hundreds of Jewish texts (many with commentary) free online. Sefaria can feel overwhelming, but is quite democratic in that it has hundreds of source sheets made by users like you.
