Israel Beyond the Binary: A Conversation with IGY on LGBTQ Life, Democracy, and the Future of Israeli Society
Join IGY, Cohen Projects, and The Jewish Agency for Israel for an evening exploring LGBTQ life, democracy, and the future of Israeli society.
Featuring Rom Ohayon (Co-CEO of IGY), Barak Ganor (VP of Global Partnerships at IGY), and Ali Cohen (Founder & CEO of Cohen Projects), this timely conversation will examine the challenges and opportunities facing LGBTQ Israelis at a pivotal moment for both Israeli and American democracy, and what solidarity between Israeli and American Jewish communities can look like today.
Light refreshments provided. Space is limited. RSVP here: bit.ly/igyinny
@igy.org.il@barakganor@romoh_ayon@merima_all_over@thisisalicohen@liorlekner@jewishagency@smqnetwork@kane_street
Join us for a joyful Mimouna celebration at Kane Street Synagogue! ✨
Chanan Ben Simon and I will be performing our special Electric Mimouna set. Expect a vibrant dance party, sweet moufletas, and other traditional delicacies to keep the energy flowing.
Come dance, celebrate, and share the sweetness with us.
🗓 Sunday, April 12
📍 Kane Street Synagogue
🕘 5:00 PM
Bring friends, bring joy, and an appetite 🍯
Join us for our annual Mimouna! This year will include a special performance of Electric Mimouna, a project blending Moroccan Arabic and Hebrew songs, reimagined covers, and biblical texts in a live music experience by artists @chanan.ben.simon and @guybarash
Reconnect after Passover with old friends and new, explore the traditions of the Moroccan Jewish community, and enjoy moufleta (Moroccan crepes) along with other holiday delicacies in this epic celebration!
🎫 ticket link in bio
We are proud to host this program in collaboration with our co-sponsors: @kane_street , @jewishagency , @americansephardifed , @smqnetwork , and Rishon BeYahad.
Join JCRC-NY, @mm_jccmanhattan , @americansephardifed and the @smqnetwork on Sunday, April 12 at 6:30 PM at the Marlene Meyerson JCC to celebrate Mimouna, the joyful Moroccan Jewish tradition marking the end of Passover. ✨
Come experience an evening of community, live music, and sweet treats as we celebrate new beginnings together. Learn more and register at the link in our bio.
We are excited to partner with @telavivsocietyucla , @hillelatucla and @jqinternational on this special campus event tomorrow. Students and young professionals are welcome to attend! Light Middle Eastern dinner will be served.
Join Tel Aviv Society, Sephardic Culture Club, and the Sephardi Mizrahi Queer Network, for an exciting talk Thursday February 26th. We're so excited to host Ruben Shimonov, a renowned educator and leader in the Sephardi Queer world.
A light dinner will be provided
See you there!!
We’re excited to be a community partner of 2 fabulous LGBTQ+ Purim celebrations this year; come for one or both! Shout out to @eshelonline and @poly_esther_purim_party for organizing these two celebratory events, as well as all the other partner organizations involved. RSVP: poly-esther.com and eshelonline.org/purim26
We’re excited to be a community partner of 2 fabulous queer Purim parties this year; come for one or both! Shout out to @eshelonline and @poly_esther_purim_party for organizing these two celebratory events, as well as all the other partner organizations involved.
Our final Sephardic & Mizrahi Queer Shabbat Dinner of 2025 was a huge success. Old and new friends gathered in New York City for a delicious Bukharian meal, lively conversation, and Shabbat festivities. Help ensure the continuation of our unique and meaningful community work in 2026. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today! /support-smqn (link also in bio).
The Moroccan Shabbat dinner at the Tribeca Synagogue in NYC was a truly special evening of learning, connection, and shared culture.
Thank you to Deborah Fishman, founder of FED Socials, for creating this opportunity, and to Ruben Shimonov, representing ASF & SMQN, for your hard work in making this event SOLD OUT.
It was deeply meaningful for me to speak to an American audience eager to discover the story of Moroccan Jews and to learn “Hiya Hiya,” an iconic song by the late Hajja El Hamdaouia.
Teaching without visuals or sound, out of respect for Shabbat and to keep the event observant-friendly, was a unique challenge, but also a beautiful reminder of the power of voice, story, and presence.
I was especially moved to see Moroccan Muslims join us. One asked sensitively if it was appropriate to attend since it was a “Jewish” event, while the other two signed up without hesitation because they saw it simply as a “Moroccan” gathering. A small but powerful example of how intersectionality shows up in real life.
Sharing Moroccan Jewish culture, music, and history in such an artistic and open-minded space, Tribeca Synagogue, made the experience even more meaningful. It felt like the perfect setting for an evening built on storytelling, heritage, and connection.
Thank you for being part of it.
If you couldn’t join us yesterday, you’ll have another opportunity at the Limmud Festival tomorrow (Sunday). Registration is open until 5 PM today (EST) >>
Join us as we share the warmth and flavors of a traditional Moroccan Shabbat dinner. Dr. Yona A. Elfassi will lead us in a one-of-a-kind Moroccan singing workshop. Get ready to sing, connect, and fall in love with the rhythms and stories of Morocco!
We are grateful to our event hosts, partners and sponsors: FED, The American Sephardi Federation, Sephardic Mizrahi Q Network, Kanisse and Limud Darija.
About the speaker:
Dr. Yona A. Elfassi is a Moroccan-born educator, researcher, and content creator whose work bridges cultures, disciplines, and continents. He has been based in Israel for the past decade. He holds a dual PhD in Middle East Studies (Ben-Gurion University, Israel) and Sociology/ Anthropology (Sciences Po Bordeaux, France). Yona’s work has taken him around the globe, where he has been invited to lecture at leading universities and institutions. His academic journey transcends traditional boundaries, driven by a belief that research should also build connections and foster understanding. Beyond academia, he amplifies his impact through social initiatives, public engagement, and creative storytelling, including short films. Dedicated to exploring the complexities of Muslim-Jewish relations, the plurality of identities, and the preservation of indigenous cultures, Yona’s mission is to generate knowledge that inspires dialogue, empathy, and meaningful change across communities.
As we rev up for our upcoming Sukkot-themed events, let’s look back at some of our programs from last season. During the summer, SMQN hosted our signature Shabbat gatherings in Detroit, New York City and Toronto, with support from our longtime partners @onetableshabbat . In June, We also hosted a special evening highlighting artistic expression of LGBTQ+ Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews — through the media of film, music and dance. The event was part of @americansephardifed ’s groundbreaking Festival Sefarad, the first monthlong Sephardic & Mizrahi cultural festival in the U.S. In partnership with 14th St Y, @ujafedny & @laba.nyc , the rooftop celebration included moving performances by two talented artists in the SMQN community: @chanan.ben.simon and @florencenasar . That same month, 14Y featured several pieces by our Executive Director @_wordsinmotion_ as part of their Pride Month art exhibit.
With summer behind us and autumn in full swing, we look forward to seeing you at our two exciting Sukkot events, in partnership with our friends at @theneighborhoodbk , @americansephardifed , @globaljews , @mem.global , @eshelonline , @keshetlgbtqjews , @jewishqueeryouth , @mm_jccmanhattan , @ujafedny , @kanissenyc , @asian.jews & @awiderbridge (we love collaborating!):
➡️ Convergence: An Exploration of Arabic, Hebrew and Persian Calligraphy (Oct 9 @ 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM): /extra-events-details/convergence:-an-exploration-of-arabic,-hebrew-and-persian-calligraphy (update: SOLD OUT!)
➡️ LGBTQ+ Community Sukkot Party
(Oct 12 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm): /event/lgbtq-community-sukkot-party-25/ (update: SOLD OUT!)
