Sepharad Characters

ID Other names Passages Most known for Published by Status
91 Victor Fathi (Faith) 1946, Basra, Iraq 9999, Aventura, FL, USA (Miami) Origins in Baghdad and Basra, Iraq, Jewish Childhood, Adulthood, Early Adulthood, Escaping Iran Before the Islamic Revolution, London to Miami, Final Destination Iraqi entrepreneur, and community member AVAP35 published
99 Claude Shalom Bouhadana 1933, Casablanca. Morocco 9999, Montreal, QB, Canada (The Spanish ) A Casablanca-born Jewish pharmacist who migrated from Morocco to France, Venezuela, and then Canada avp91@miami.edu published
78 Clarisse Nicoïdski 1938, Lyon, France 1996, Paris, France A Franco-Sephardic poet who preserved Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) through her bilingual poetry. She is best known for evoking exile, memory, and maternal heritage in her lyrical reconstruction of Sephardic identity. shaicohen published
89 Alberto del Canto 1547, Isle of Terceira, Portugal (Azores) 1611, Monterey, Mexico (Nuevo Leon) A Portuguese noble, military captain, and conquistador who explored northern Mexico. He founded Monterey, Mexico. jwroberts not published
88 Esther Mazon 0, Monastir, Macedonia (Bitula) 1960, Israel Left Maceodonia for Israel during the Balkan wars A quiet, religious, mother and homemaker jwroberts not published
53 Moise Soulam 1890, Salonica, Greece 1967, New York, NY, USA Author, editor, and publisher of La Vara shaicohen published
98 Claude Bennaroch (born Dahan) & Family 1941, Safi, Morocco 9999, Montreal, QB, Canada (The Spanish ) Bridges migration, entrepreneurship, and community service in Montreal shaicohen published
79 Judah Philip Benjamin 1811, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (Then Danish West Indies) 1884, Paris, France Brilliant 19th‑century lawyer and politician: after serving as a U.S. senator from Louisiana, he became a key member of Jefferson Davis’s Confederate cabinet. shaicohen published
90 Moses Montefiore 1784, Livorno, Italy (Benefited from the "Livornina" decree of 1593, granting religious freedom and economic benefits; vibrant trade hub.) 1885, Ramsgate, UK British financier and philanthropist; built hospitals and schools; championed Jewish rights worldwide evanm published
105 xczxczx 1555, Benavente, Spain (Jewry) 1234, Beirut, Lebanon British financier and philanthropist; built hospitals and schools; championed Jewish rights worldwide administra not published
84 The Pardo Family 1589, Salonica, Greece 9999, Miami, FL, USA Building an enduring Sephardic rabbinic, communal, and intellectual legacy over five centuries — migrating from the Ottoman world to Western Europe, and from the Caribbean to South America. shaicohen published
60 Hadji Ephraim Benguiat 1852, Izmir, Turkey (Smyrna (Smirna)) 1918, San Francisco, CA, USA Calligrapher, Printer, and Publisher shaicohen published
85 Daniel “Denny” Saraya (Zaraya) 1898, Thessaloniki, Greece 1975, New York, NY, USA Commitment to the Sephardic diaspora, community support, and aiding Holocaust shaicohen published
57 Isaac Monsanto 1730, Lisbon, Portugal 1778, New Orleans, LA, USA Crypto-Jew reverted back to Judaism shaicohen published
75 The Danino Family 1458, Salamanca, Spain (La judería de Salamanca) 2004, Rehovot, IL Distinguished Rabbinic Lineage shaicohen published
74 The Cohen de Azevedo Family 1600, Lisbon, Portugal 1850, Philadelphia, PA, USA Distinguished Sephardic family noted for commercial diplomacy, rabbinical leadership, slave mediation in North Africa, and contributions to Jewish communities in Amsterdam, London, and the Caribbean. shaicohen published
70 Dr. Hillel Farhi 1868, Damascus, Syria (Syria) 1940, Cairo, Egypt Civil servant, College, Residency, Graduation, Graduation, First Job, Moving To Cairo Doctor, Historian, Translator of prayer books alainfarhi published
72 Leah Shannon 0, Tetuan (Morocco) 1867, London, UK Mrs Leah Moses Early free settler of New South Wales Yolande not published
55 Benjamin of Tudela 1130, Tudela, Spain 1173, Castille Extensive 12th-century travelogue documenting Jewish communities across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East shaicohen published
62 Morris Schinasi 1855, Manissa (Ottoman Empire ) 1928, New York, NY, USA Founder of Multimillion dollar Schinassi Brothers Tobacco Empire shaicohen published
12 Luis de Carvajal y de la Cueva 1539, Mogadouro, Portugal 1596, Mexico City, Mexico Mexico Founder of Nuevo León, colonial leader, and central figure in major converso trials in New Spain. Complex identity struggle as converso. Dual identity shaicohen published
83 Moise S. Gadol 1874, Ruse (Rostchuck), Bulgaria 1941, New York, NY, USA Founding and editing La America, the 1st enduring Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) weekly newspaper in the US (NY, 1910–1925), aimed at uniting and guiding Sephardic Jewish immigrants socially and culturally shaicohen published
92 Nina 1952, Tehran, Iran 9999, Aventura, FL, USA (Miami) Nina Faith (neé Gabbayfard) Iraqi community member, and hairdresser AVAP35 not published
82 Solomon Nunes Carvalho 1815, Charleston, SC, USA (Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim) 1897, Philadelphia, PA, USA (Kahal Kadosh Mikveh Israel) Jewish-American painter and photographer; documented Western expansion with the Frémont expedition. shaicohen published
11 Moshe Levy Yulee (aka Moses Levi Yuli) 1782, Essououira, Morocco (Then called Mogador) 1854, St. Augustine, FL, USA Merchant. Migrated from Morocco to the US. Tried to establish the first Kibbutz in Florida. Father of David Yulee, first senator to the state of FL shaicohen published
73 Afonso Mendes 0, Iberian Peninsula 1577, Brazil (Salvador) Departure Mestre Afonso araujogalaxy not published
93 Hela Fields 1945, Basra, Iraq 9999, Seattle, Washington (Mangolia) Migration from Iraq to the US shaicohen published
67 Samuel Pallache 1550, Fez, Morocco 1616, The Hague, Netherlands Moroccan Jewish diplomat, merchant, and privateer. Known for negotiating the 1610 Treaty of Friendship between Morocco and the Dutch Republic shaicohen published
71 Jacob Buzaglo 1710, Essououira, Morocco (Then called Mogador) 1777, Gravel Lane, Houndsditch, London arrival in London from Morocco Moroccan Jewish merchant and son of Mogadorean Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva, Moses Buzaglo James not published
95 Moses ben Maimon 1138, Córdoba, Spain 1204, Fustat (Old Cairo) Maimonides, Rambam Exiled by the Almohad rulers in Spain for being Jewish; Fled from Spain to Morroco, The Almohad lands (Fes, Morroco) were dangerous for Jews, leaving to Acre (Israel) gave him a chance to escape and visit Jerusalem, Left Acre (Israel) to establish a long-term home and meaningful life. He died in 1204 in Fustat (Old Cairo), Buried in Tiberias (Israel) Moses Maimonides was a classic Jewish thinker who wrote a thorough guide for Halacha and a book about faith vs. reason, while also working as a doctor in Egypt. Yonikuritzky27 not published
76 Abraham ben Mordechai Farissol 1451, Avignon, Francia 1525, Ferrara, Italy One of the earliest Jewish authors to integrate geographic and cosmographic knowledge into Hebrew literature shaicohen published
1 Miguel de Barrios 1635, Montilla, Spain (Provincia de Córdoba) 1701, Amsterdam (The Portuguese Synagogue; became a major center for Sephardic Jews post-1581; known for trade, and finance sectors) Daniel Levi Casamiento, Embarcaron, Trabajo, Poeta Poems shaicohen published
80 Itzhak Ben Rubí 1903, Serres, Greece (Old Synagogue of Serres) 1977, Tel Aviv, Israel (Nahalat Itzhak Cemetery) Preserving and promoting Judeo-Spanish culture through journalism, literature, satire, and radio broadcasting in Israel. shaicohen published
65 The Pariente Family 1400, Huesca, Spain 1950, Casablanca. Morocco Prominent Sephardic merchant and diplomatic family active in Morocco from the 16th century onward shaicohen published
81 Luis Moses Gomez 1660, Bayonne, France (Jewry) 1740, Marlboro, NY, USA (Gomez Mill House) Prominent Sephardic merchant; built the Gomez Mill House, the oldest standing Jewish dwelling in North America. shaicohen published
54 Albert Jean Amateau 1889, Milas, Turkey 1996, Santa Rosa, CA, USA Rabbi, businessman, lawyer, social activist, and denier of the Armenian genocide shaicohen published
97 Gislaine Diaine (née Lévy) 1946, Philippeville (Skikda) 9999, Paris, France Resilient North African Sephardi whose Constantine-to-France journey and work as an orthophoniste embody Jewish continuity and courage. avp91@miami.edu published
94 Doña Gracia Mendes Nasi 1510, Lisbon, Portugal 1569, Constantinople (Ottoman Empire) Beatrice de Luna, Chana Nasi Fled from Lisbon to Antwerp in light of Spanish/Portuguese Inquisition , Fled from Antwerp to Venice in search of better safety and business ventures, Moved from Venice to Ferrara to avoid an adverse ruling by Venice’s Giudice al Forestier in a family-estate dispute, Fled from Ferrara to Constantinople to avoid affects of Counter-Reformation; Ottoman Empire was more welcoming Sephardi financier; facilitated the safety of conversos who were being persecuted by Spanish Empire and established resettlement projects for them. Yonikuritzky27 not published
64 Gracia Mendes Nasi 1510, Lisbon, Portugal 1569, Constantinople (Ottoman Empire) Sephardic Jewish businesswoman, philanthropist, and political figure. shaicohen published
102 Haym Salomon 1740, Leszno (Lissa) (Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) 1785, Philadelphia, PA, USA Sephardic Jewish merchant-broker who mobilized crucial credit for the Continental Congress and French forces during the American Revolution shaicohen published
86 Selim Yehoshua Salti 1935, Istanbul (Estambul), Turkey (Neve Şalom Sinagogu) 9999, Ramat Gan, Israel (Salti Institute, Bar Ilan) Sephardic philanthropist, industrialist, Zionist organizer, and cultural preservationist. Founder of the Salti Foundation and the Salti Institute for Ladino Studies at Bar-Ilan University. shaicohen published
58 Susana Behar 0, Havana, Cuba 9999, Miami, FL, USA Sephardic Singer shaicohen published
96 Judah Halevi 1075, Toledo, Spain 1141, Jerusalem, Israel Halevi left Alexandria to continue on his journey to Zion, which was the final goal. He first stopped in Fustat to retrieve support from their Jewish community., Judah Halevi journeyed east from Toledo, stopping first at the entrance to the Mediterranean, Alexandria. , Left Fustat to continue his journey to Jerusalem, where it is uncertain whether he died on his journey or after arriving there Spanish Jewish poet and philosopher, wrote the Kuzari, widely regarded as one of the great Hebrew Poets. Yonikuritzky27 not published
52 Benjamin Bueno De Mesquita 1625, Amsterdam (The Portuguese Synagogue; became a major center for Sephardic Jews post-1581; known for trade, and finance sectors) 1683, First Shearith Israel Graveyard, Chatham Square Cemetery The oldest grave in the United States shaicohen not published
77 Myriam Moscona 1955, Mexico City, Mexico 9999, Mexico City, Mexico The preservation and poetic revitalization of Ladino memory through diasporic language and loss. A journey shaped by exile, silence, and the embodied language of ancestry. shaicohen published
69 Bento Teixeira 1560, Porto, Portugal 1600, Lisbon, Portugal The Teixeira-Fernandes Family: From Porto to Brazil, Tuscany, and Beyond (1497–1640). Literary contributions (Bento Teixeira’s Prosopopeia), mercantile networks, and complex religious identities leading to connections with Amsterdam’s Sephardic community. shaicohen published
87 Abraham Benjamin (Italiaander) Levi-Vittoria 1639, Venice 1700, Amsterdam Tobacco Merchant James not published
103 Uriah Phillips Levy 1972, Philadelphia, PA, USA 1862, Brooklyn, New York Western Sephardi U.S. naval officer and reformer (first Jewish commodore), preserver of Monticello, and donor of the Thomas Jefferson statue to the U.S. Capitol. shaicohen published
56 Victor Perera 1934, Guatemala City, Guatemala 2003, Santa Cruz, CA, USA Writer, Historian, Educator, Journalist shaicohen published