What is the Sephardic Studies Collection?
The Sephardic Studies Collection is an online repository for books, newspapers and other artifacts from Sephardic Jewish communities in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Collection is a project of the Sephardic Studies Program at the University of Washington, and of the Sephardic community of Seattle.
The Sephardic Studies Collection offers digital access to a growing number of these items. Beyond that, this website allows researchers to explore these artifacts by location of printing, date of printing, language, and many other attributes.
By making these historic works accessible online, the Sephardic Studies Collection seeks to both preserve the cultural treasures of the Sephardic Jewish past and enable new and deeper understandings of the rich history of Sephardic Jews.
The website also highlights the many individuals and organizations who made the publication and digitization of these artifacts possible, both in the past and the present. Explore individuals and organizations
Who are Sephardic Jews?
Sephardic Jews are descendants of the Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492. Sefaradim (Sephardic Jews) have a distinct language and culture. These communities traveled to many places around the world following their expulsion from Spain, but the majority settled in cities around the Mediterranean Sea. These areas were part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire until the early 20th century.
What is Ladino?
Ladino, also known as Judeo-Spanish, is the traditional language of Sephardic Jews. This unique language includes elements of Spanish, Hebrew, Turkish and other languages, reflecting the history of Sefaradim.
Ladino may be written using standard Hebrew characters, the Latin alphabet, or Solitreo, a script for writing Hebrew by hand. All of these ways of writing Ladino are present in items in the Sephardic Studies Collection.
What is Sephardic Studies?
Sephardic Studies is an academic field that seeks to foreground the history, language, and experience of Sephardic Jews, which have often been marginalized. In the United States, the field of Sephardic Studies has grown significantly since the early 2000s. Official programs now exist at institutions including the University of Washington, Stanford University, the University of California Los Angeles, and more.
The Sephardic Studies Program at the University of Washington in Seattle was founded in 2013 under the leadership of historian Devin E. Naar and with the support of dedicated community members.
What is the history of the Sephardic Studies Collection?
Seattle, where the University of Washington is located, is home to one of the largest Sephardic Jewish communities in the United States.
When the Sephardic Studies Program was founded at the University of Washington in 2013, Sephardic individuals began to loan or donate books and other family treasures — including letters, photos, and memorabilia — for digitization and archiving online.
This archival project was managed by Sephardic Studies Assistant Directors Ty Alhadeff from 2013-2019 and Makena Mezistrano from 2020-2022, and by faculty member Canan Bolel in 2023, with significant contributions from graduate students Lili Brown and Toni Heilman and librarian Ben Riesenberg.
The Sephardic Studies Collection website was launched in the fall of 2025. It was designed by the design group Cuberis in collaboration with the Sephardic Studies Program team at the University of Washington, led by Kara Schoonmaker, with the input of community members in Seattle.
The Sephardic Studies Program at the University of Washington is grateful to the generous donors who have made our work possible.
UW Sephardic Studies Sustainers’ Circle
Joel & Maureen Benoliel
Harry Caraco, in honor of the Caraco and Tarica families
Harvey Sadis & Harriett Cody, in honor of Jean & Joseph Sadis
With generous donations from other supporters, including:
David & Victoria Benoliel, Sharon & Marty Lott, and the Isaac Alhadeff Foundation
UW Sephardic Studies Founders’ Circle
Eli & Rebecca Almo
Joel & Maureen Benoliel
Harley & Lela Franco
Richard & Barrie Galanti
Sharon & Marty Lott
The Isaac Alhadeff Foundation