Culture
Although Jews lived in Libya for over three thousand years — predating the Arab Islamic conquests by centuries — today zero remain. Indigenous Jewish communities throughout Egypt and North Africa, were all but completely uprooted and destroyed in the twentieth century. In addition to losing their homes, their assets and their communities to repressive governments and ethnic cleansing, the cultural traditions of Libyan Jews is now in danger of extinction as well.
A large percentage of Libyan 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. For this reason, JIMENA works to ensure that the cultural heritage of Libyan 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 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.
Food
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- Sharba (Libyan Soup)
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- Hraime – حريم
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- Mafrum
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- Sachlev
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- Sefra
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- Shakshouka – شكشوكة
Video
The Last Jews of Libya documents the final decades of a centuries-old Sephardic Jewish community through the lives of the remarkable Roumani family. Based on the recently discovered memoirs of the family's matriarch, Elise Roumani, as well as interviews in English, Hebrew, Italian, and Arabic with several generations of the Roumani family and a trove of rare archival film and photographs, it is an unforgettable tale. To learn more about this documentary film, click here |
Music
