Culture

The Jews of Lebanon contributed heavily to the cultural patchwork of people that make up the country. Many Lebanese Jews whose ancestors came from around the region brought a rich culture with them while others more native to the country developed their culture and traditions that dated back to the Ancient Jewish Kingdom that settled in parts of Lebanon during the times of King David.

After the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, a large percentage of Lebanese Jews have had little choice but to settle into the periphery of mainstream Jewish life in host countries around the world, forgoing their ancient cultural heritage for the sake of assimilation. Few, like Rabbi Elie Abadie in the videos below, developed their own communities in the Lebanese diaspora.

JIMENA works to ensure that the cultural heritage of Lebanese Jews, and all Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews, will survive to benefit future generations. We have been leading unique cultural outreach programming since our establishment in 2001, giving Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews from all countries in the region a platform to celebrate and share their rich culture with diverse audiences throughout North America. JIMENA is dedicated to preserving and sharing Mizrahi and Sephardi culture through traditional celebrations, festivals, lectures and cultural series.