Sunday, November 3, 1 pm, Simon Family JCC
The terms “Ashkenazi” or “Sephardic,” might be familiar, but not as much for “Mizrahi.”
Mizrahi comes from the Hebrew word “Mizrach,” which means east. Mizrahi Jewish communities, sometimes known as “Oriental Jews,” originate from countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, and Uzbekistan. While Sephardic communities in Europe fled back east due to the Spanish Inquisition, Mizrahi Jewish communities have lived continuously in North Africa and the Middle East. For centuries, Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish communities have mixed with one another and coexisted mostly peacefully with their various neighbors. Jewish communities thrived from the Atlantic Ocean to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, from Casablanca to Alexandria and Baghdad.
In the wake of the Holocaust, the establishment of the state of Israel, and the rise of Arab nationalism, the Sephardi/Mizrahi Jews in North Africa and the Middle East were subjected to pogroms, riots, arrest, and detention. Within one generation, from 1948 to 1973, nearly one million of these people were displaced and became refugees. Tragically, they were forced to leave the land their families had lived on for more than 2,000 years. Today, most Mizrahi Jews live in Israel and comprise more than half of the population, sharing and mixing their unique cultural traditions into what is known and loved about Israeli society.
So, what does a girl from Queens, N.Y. living in Virginia Beach have to do with all this? I feel so lucky to have grown up with my Mizrahi Israeli family in New York but also to have experienced weddings, holidays, and life cycle events with my Mizrahi friends whose families came from countries such as Egypt, Uzbekistan, and Iran. I have also spent the last 13 years teaching and performing various styles of Middle Eastern dances.
When I was home during COVID in 2020, however, I had time to combine my three passions in life: Israel, dance, and Judaism. I started researching and collecting information on traditional dances from Jewish communities from countries such as Morocco, Yemen, Tunisia, and others. This led me to create the Mizrahi Dance Archive, an online platform designed to celebrate these ancient traditions and share these rich dances with the world. After creating the archive, I started using dance education to teach Jewish and non-Jewish communities about Mizrahi history, culture, music, and dance. I worked with organizations such as BBYO, JIMENA: Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa, The Institute of Jewish Experience, Jewish Arts Collaborative, the Consulate General of Israel to New England, and more. In 2022, I was sponsored to take a research trip to study at the National Dance Library of Israel.
November is Mizrahi Heritage Month, and I am excited to bring my passion for Mizrahi dance to Tidewater. Join me for an interactive lesson suitable for all ages. We will take a cultural tour through the Jewish Middle East as we learn about Mizrahi music, customs, holidays, spirituality, and more. And of course, we will dance. No previous dance experience is required, and it’s even possible to dance while sitting.
Sponsored by PJ Library in Tidewater and the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, this promises to be fun (and yes, belly dance hip scarves will be provided!). Participants will also get a glimpse into different ways to “be Jewish.” Learning about Mizrahi culture demonstrates there are many ways to look and feel Jewish.
Jackie Dratch is a dancer and the creator of the Mizrahi Dance Archive. She is also a marketing associate at the Simon Family JCC and the PJ Library Military Parent coordinator for Tidewater. She may be reached at jdratch@ujft.org or www.mizrahidancearchive.com.