There is one type of food everyone loves to eat no matter what sect of Judaism you affiliate with. This food is Sephardic food that originated in the 13th century, and Sephardi literally meaning “Jews from Spain,” although we understand Sephardic food to also reflect Jewish cuisine from Spain, Portugal and North Africa. The Sephardic cuisine is composed of many different flavors and recipes ranging from Arook(meat patties) to Tunisian fricassee (my great-grandmother Yvette’s specialty).
Most recently, Congregation Agudath Sholom (CAS) in Stamford held a fundraiser to raise money for the Sephardic minyan on Shabbat that has added a great diversity to the congregation. The event ended up becoming a major success. The volunteer chefs prepared Wednesday through Friday for the event on Saturday night, which included all different types of Sephardic foods, even Indian style Sephardic foods.
“The evening was a culinary delight” said Janine Bahar, whose family hails from Iraq, Bombay (now Mumbai) Singapore and Tunisia. Janine happens to be my very own mother! As well, Aviva Maller, who also happens to be my cousin, was one of the chefs who made chicken curry from India, and she also helped create the ambiance for the evening. She said her favorite part was the camaraderie between the chefs in the kitchen.
All together, the event generated around 150 people. Orchestrators of the Sephardic Minyan, David and Meredith Cohen, explained all about the Sephardic minyan at Agudath. For over two years they have had a regular Sephardic minyan in Stamford every Shabbat morning with only a couple of exceptions. The services are often led by a trained chazzan who lives in Queens and happens to be the son of a prominent Sephardic chazzan from the Miami area. On Shabbatot when the chazzan is not in Stamford, services are led by members of the minyan. They do whatever they can to keep the minyan running for the Sephardic community in Stamford.
The minyan participants come from very diverse Sephardic backgrounds including Spanish, Moroccan, Egyptian, Syrian, Iraqi, Persian, and Bukharian. It is a place filled with a massive warm and welcoming environment and often draws newcomers as well as curious onlookers from the various Ashkanaz minyanim in the shul. There are also services on Yamim Noraim and Yamim Tovim.
Stamford first started having Sephardic minyanim eight or nine years ago, meeting every eight to 10 weeks or so. Over time, as the Sephardic presence in Stamford grew, the Sephardic minyanim became more frequent such that they now have them every Shabbat. Whereas in the beginning they occurred solely in backyards and basements, the minyan is now regularly in the beit midrash of Agudath Sholom. Senior Rabbi Daniel Cohen has been extremely supportive of the growth of the minyan through the years, explained Meredith and David Cohen.
In regard to the event, there was a wide array of dishes from so many different countries such as Iran, Greece, India, Uzbekistan and so many more. When asked what their favorite dish was they stated, “It is impossible to pick a favorite dish as each one was made with love and founded in deep family and cultural history.” Many stories were shared about each recipe, especially over the bonding in the shul kitchen when all the chefs came together to make their dishes. The amazing smells permeated into the parking lot! Family members of some of the chefs traveled from Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island to come and taste their beloved family recipe and to have the opportunity to partake in all the others as well.
As a result, the event was a brilliant success and the large Sephardic community in the tristate area is looking forward to the next Sephardic night in Stamford. As for the Sephardic minyan, there will be one this Shabbat so if you are in Stamford or thinking of moving, please stop by!
