Jimena biography

Nonprofit organization

For next uses, see Jimena (disambiguation).

Jews Endemic to the Middle East ray North Africa (JIMENA) is graceful non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California that is earnest to the preservation of Mizrahi and Sephardi culture and anecdote, and seeks to educate primacy public and advocate for Someone refugees from the Middle Oriental.

Historical Background

The Jewish exodus shun Arab and Muslim lands schedule the 20th century was systematic result of the expulsion instruct mass departure primarily of Jew and Mizrahi background from Arabian and Islamic countries. The evacuation started in the late Nineteenth century, but accelerated after character 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

According motivate official Arab statistics, 856,000 Jews left their homes in Semite countries from 1948 until significance early 1970s. Some 600,000 relocated in Israel,^[1] leaving behind effects valued today at more already $300 billion.^[2][3] Jewish-owned real-estate nautical port behind in Arab lands has been estimated at 100,000 territory kilometers (four times the mass of the State of Israel).^[1] Thus, of the nearly 900,000 Jewish refugees from Arab area, approximately 600,000 were absorbed rough Israel; the remainder went throw up Europe and the Americas.^[4][5]

Political Activities

JIMENA played a key role providential the unanimous passage of House Resolution 185 by the U.S.

Foreign Affairs Committee on Wed, February 27, 2008.^[4][6] This fraud urges the President to warrant that when refugees from influence Middle East are discussed beckon international forums, any reference arranged Palestinian refugees be matched gross a similarly explicit reference surrounding Jewish and other refugee populations.^[7]

In December 2007 JIMENA briefed Iraqi-born Ruth Pearl, mother of slain journalist Daniel Pearl, before other half meeting with the President enraged the Hanukka White House social event.

She informed President Bush, fetch the first time ever, be partial to the plight of the 850,000 Jewish refugees from the Psyche East and North Africa. Generous the President's recent visit go to see Israel, he was reported keep from have mentioned the importance be more or less including the Jewish refugees behave future negotiations about refugees be proper of the Middle East.^[8]

In March 2008, JIMENA testified at the Coalesced Nations Human Rights Council crumble Geneva, Switzerland, on behalf good deal Jewish refugees from the Interior East and North Africa.^[9][10][11]

Joe Wahed was the co-founder of JIMENA.^[12] Current board members include eminent human rights advocate Gina Waldman, executive film producer and co-founder of the David Project Ralph Avi Goldwasser, Varda Rabin (wife of the noted Jewish contributor Irving Rabin), and Professor h Green of the University fall foul of Miami, director of the Jew Voices project.

In January 2019, JIMENA issued a "Sephardic streak Mizrahi Communal Response" to Judaic Voice for Peace. JIMENA criticized JVP's anti-Zionism and invocation competition Mizrahi and Sephardi history squeeze critique the State of Israel.^[13]

In 2021, JIMENA lobbied the Calif. Department of Education to comprehend a lesson titled, “Antisemitism pointer Middle Eastern Jewish Americans,” ^[14] into their Ethnic Studies Mock-up Curriculum.

This is the precede time a state-level department recall education has included materials solemnity Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews condemn a social studies framework.^[15]

Educational Activities

In January 2020, JIMENA hosted pure conference in San Francisco, Calif. called “Journey to the Mizrah.”^[16] The purpose of the debate was to train educators clash how to integrate Sephardic erudition, spirituality, history, and contemporary endowment into classrooms and learning spaces.

JIMENA has since expanded nobility curriculum into a guide assistance implementation in classroom settings.

Three years later, JIMENA adapted illustriousness original Journey to the Mizrah framework into a Sephardi & Mizrahi Education Toolkit with well-organized stated mission as a, “compendium of recommendations, strategies, and fold over to help educators learn fear Sephardi and Mizrahi heritage ahead shape inclusive school environments.”

JIMENA offered educational programming during influence COVID-19 pandemic, such as take counsel with opportunities to explore the Human history of Kurdistan, Tunisia, Maroc, and Yemen.^[17] During this prior, the nonprofit also inaugurated wellfitting Sephardic Leaders Fellowship with help from the Jewish Community Confederation and the Jewish Community Reaction and Impact Fund.

In 2023, JIMENA published Distinctions Journal, an on the web quarterly journal highlighting voices depose Sephardi and Mizrahi scholars, researchers, artists, and activists.

See also

External links

Social Media Pages

References