American Jewish Organizations Called Neglectful of Needs of Sephardic Youth

The president of the American Sephardi Federation charged here that national Jewish organizations are neglecting the needs of Sephardic Jewish youth in America. Mrs. Liliane Levy-Winn, addressing the founding convention of the National Sephardi Youth Movement, declared that “No American Jewish organization with national standing is willing to recognize the cultural and traditional plurality of the Jewish people.”

She claimed that “No national Jewish network serves the special needs of our young people as Sephardim. Their confusion and fears as adolescents must be serviced by a different approach.” She also complained that “As Jews we are all requested to give and we do. But as Sephardim we have not received our share.”

Speaking to the 800 delegates who attended the convention over the Memorial Day weekend, Mrs. Winn outlined the goals of the newly formed youth movement and its parent organization which she heads. “We are helping to unite our youth into an articulate and well formed community, establishing communications between the diverse Sephardi communities in the United States and between the United States and the rest of the world, especially the largest Sephardi community, the one in Israel,” she said.

She added: “As Sephardim we are sometimes liked, but we are always heard and listened to. Yet no national Jewish organization financially supports the Sephardim. Now that we have established ourselves and we are heard, it is up to our youth to see that we don’t become extinct. There are world organizations to prevent the extinction of animal species, but only our Sephardi youth can see that we Sephardim will not become extinct.”