Sefarad: Past, Present & Future

Sunday, September 6, 2026, at 1:00pm ET

A Special Live Event Exploring the Story of Sefarad Across Centuries and Continents

The legacy of Sefarad spans time and space—a story of persecution, torture, massacres, exile, and forced conversion, but also of hope, achievement, and creativity. Carried by families into new lands, it has endured through generations in traditions, names, memories, documents, and stories passed from one generation to the next.

For more than a decade, JHA has been a source of information and discovery, delivering a wide range of free educational programs exploring the span and scope of this profound history.

Now, we invite you to join us as we enter the next chapter of this saga—where the past meets the present and the present is pivoting into the future... and something remarkable is happening:

FROM THE PAST TO THE PRESENT — AND THE FUTURE...

Millions of Sefarad descendants are rediscovering their connection to their Jewish heritage.

Some are uncovering forgotten family histories while others are exploring more diligently be it via DNA testing, genealogical records, community histories, and the stories of ancestors who lived through the Inquisition and carried their heritage forward.

For many, what begins as a question about the past becomes a journey of discovery.

On September 6, Jewish Heritage Alliance brings together a remarkable group of voices to explore this continuing story through history, scholarship, personal experience, and discovery.

PROGRAM INTRODUCTION:

Mr. Michael Steinberger: Founder and CEO of the Jewish Heritage Alliance (JHA), Michael Steinberger will frame the program and JHA’s ongoing mission to preserve, explore, and revitalize the history and legacy of Sefarad. Drawing on more than a decade of work connecting scholars, communities, and descendants across generations and continents, he will introduce the conversation and its focus on the continuing story of Sefarad—from its historic roots to its living legacy and future.

SPEAKERS – PRESENTERS:  

Ron Duncan Hart, Ph.D.: A cultural anthropologist, Jewish scholar, author, and educator, Ron Duncan Hart brings a distinguished perspective to the history and legacy of Sefarad. Author of Crypto-Jews: The Long Journey and co-author of the award-winning Fractured Faiths, Ron has been a JHA presenter since 2021, when his program “Sefarad... To Be or Not to Be” that attracted hundreds of views.

Dr. Daniela Tonello Levy: A Brazilian historian and leading scholar of Sephardic Jewish history, Daniela T. Levy specializes in the Portuguese Inquisition, Conversos, and crypto-Judaism in colonial Brazil. As CEO of the Center for Reference in Inquisition Studies Anita Novinsky, she carries forward the research legacy of the pioneering historian Anita Novinsky and brings to light the remarkable story of Sefarad and its enduring Jewish legacy in Brazil.

Genie Milgrom: Perhaps one of the most extraordinary personal journeys of Sefarad discovery, Genie Milgrom traced her family lineage back 22 generations, uncovering documentation that revealed her family's unbroken Jewish ancestry dating back to pre-Inquisition Spain. What began as a deeply personal search for her roots evolved into a lifelong journey as an author, genealogist, and internationally recognized researcher—helping others discover the hidden stories within their own family histories.

Chaim Sami Cytman: A Brazilian Jewish educator, chazan, and community leader based in São Paulo. For many years, he has been involved in Jewish communal and educational life in Brazil, while also working closely with emerging Bnei Anusim communities seeking to reconnect with their Jewish heritage. His experience bridging Brazil’s established Jewish community with these emerging communities gives him a unique perspective on the contemporary Bnei Anusim experience and the evolving Jewish landscape in Brazil.

EVENT PARTNERS:

CO-HOSTING PARTNER
Assisting in promoting this event:

Jewish Virtual Library is one of the world's leading online resources on Jewish history, culture, Israel, and Jewish-American life, providing authoritative educational content to millions of readers, students, educators, and researchers worldwide.

PROMOTONAL PARTNERS 

Assisting in promoting this event:

• Greater Miami Jewish Federation
• Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE)
• ANU Museum of the Jewish People
• European Jewish Community Centre (EJCC)
• Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO)
• Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies (SCJS)
• Jewish Tapestry
• Rhode Island Coalition for Israel (RICI)
• Kulanu
• Kulanu Canada