The workshop will delve into the ways in which Sephardic Jewish identity has evolved
amidst shifting socio-political landscapes, both for those who remained in Turkey and for
those who emigrated to Israel. Discussions will include the nuanced dynamics of Jewish
diaspora life between Turkey and Israel in the mid-20th century, the political and cultural
strategies of identity preservation among the Turkish Sephardim, and the role of
collective memory in shaping identity and community cohesion. The workshop will also
consider how nostalgia, in its varying interpretations across Turkey and Israel, intersects
with these transformations, offering insights into the nuanced relationship between life
cycle events and identity formation within the Sephardic communities.
This workshop aims to foster an academic dialogue around the distinctive historical and
cultural position of the Turkish Sephardic community. Through examining
transformations in traditions, identity adaptations, and cross-border relationships, we
hope to contribute nuanced perspectives to ongoing research in Jewish studies, diaspora
studies, and identity formation. We invite students, scholars, and those interested in these
fields to join us in discussing these complex and evolving dynamics within the Turkish
Sephardic experience.

Please note that attendance is limited to 40 participants. To register, please send an email
to Adem Muzaffer Erol at erol.muzaffer@gmail.com. Registration will be confirmed via
email on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tradition, Transformation, and Identity:
The Turkish Sephardic Community Between Two Homelands

13:00 - 13:15: Greetings and Opening Remarks of the Organizers
Prof. Dr. Sina Rauschenbach and Adem Muzaffer Erol

13:15 - 14:15: Dr. Tamir Karkason, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (A joint project with Dr. Aviad Moreno, Ben-Gurion University)
The Jewish Diaspora Between Israel and Turkey in the 1950s

14:15 - 14:30: Coffee Break

14:30 - 15:30: PhDc Adem Muzaffer Erol, Potsdam University
Politics, Memory, Migration: The Kayades Identity Strategy of
Sephardim from Turkey

15:30 - 16:30: Liza Cemel, GRID Fellow, Freelance Journalist

From Sanctuary to Strife: Antakya Jewry and the Legacy of Kayades,
Harmony and Resilience

16:30 - 16: 45: Coffee Break

16: 45 – 17:45: PhDc Belin Benezra Yensarfati, Leiden University and Boğaziçi University.
The Transformation and (Reinvented) Traditions of Social and
Religious Life Cycle Events of the Sephardi Community of Istanbul

17:45 – 18:00: Closing Remarks