## *Sephardim in Eastern Europe?*## *Adam Brown, David Mendoza,*## *Randy Schonberg, Ton Tielen*## *Sephardic World, Sunday 17 August 2025*Many Ashkenazi families have traditions of Sephardic ancestry. Recently this hit international headlines when a Russian businessman received Portuguese citizenship based on such claims. How much evidence is there to support these Ashkenazi traditions?This week’s multi-expert meeting will explore the question from the perspective of the Amsterdam archives, claims by prominent rabbinic dynasties, genetic evidence, and more recent claims connected to Spanish and Portuguese nationality applications. Join us for an insightful and possibly myth-busting meeting.Patrons can join us live on Sunday 17 August 2025, at 11 noon in LA, 2pm in NYC, 7pm in London, 8pm in Paris/Amsterdam, 9pm in Jerusalem, and 4am the next morning in Sydney. Patrons will receive a link in a separate email. Everyone else is invited to watch the YouTube premiere the next week.[[[[https://www.youtube.com/c/SephardicGenealogyAndHistory](https://www.youtube.com/c/SephardicGenealogyAndHistory?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEemQi6S0tJ9jCjWYL8-3Y5G2zTNUEm8Z9dUygd2YPs9Edhjsq__RD1tWCbMp8_aem_ZO5tiOFcOeMQESxrBKybZw)](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fc%2FSephardicGenealogyAndHistory%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEe8V8Cg-yzsBQACQx1du0JKA6HRZI-bAJ3cZ3yxbUPjXlL3P9PwEnO5EU41xk_aem_FCXK8slbQHdObk8W6uEkxw&h=AT0dFnWHxDlZOayfK6fiesGrz-cEVuZzhCadg5G3I97yy1HoP0v81VDttc82xBo4cNGg53rdJlkMnTe_37z8COJ9v21Wogc9tS-Scau92jvmSDq9zSLqfKv2qwbZxVTuaQ&__tn__=-U-UK-R&c[0]=AT1yUHq0021ybAuRizjvCt_DUJX-03wbTZa2AG4ID9JrhBbHST-6cDYVCvFahgHtnS_SloQS9LWTOcNLXdfZM88R6haCZKF9VpqWQsblRtwXAAbjyUNqv_ZxPA-lQpgKIpIzzr2ea5ODU0e8xvYySifrsKrosZwJ8umT0rtF7dVpRqkPwUd_NmCB2q_ZeD9qaypJ2ZfUovpgxBl2w5cxeVYGF6Ae)](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fc%2FSephardicGenealogyAndHistory%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEenwweO0dosEY6NHK_Lq_41taDd6Wx7aOp0neqhzUHK_C-gvyoYQWpnd_ebXg_aem_E9dJmw-bKAR4wBKC-PaSVw&h=AT0dFnWHxDlZOayfK6fiesGrz-cEVuZzhCadg5G3I97yy1HoP0v81VDttc82xBo4cNGg53rdJlkMnTe_37z8COJ9v21Wogc9tS-Scau92jvmSDq9zSLqfKv2qwbZxVTuaQ&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1yUHq0021ybAuRizjvCt_DUJX-03wbTZa2AG4ID9JrhBbHST-6cDYVCvFahgHtnS_SloQS9LWTOcNLXdfZM88R6haCZKF9VpqWQsblRtwXAAbjyUNqv_ZxPA-lQpgKIpIzzr2ea5ODU0e8xvYySifrsKrosZwJ8umT0rtF7dVpRqkPwUd_NmCB2q_ZeD9qaypJ2ZfUovpgxBl2w5cxeVYGF6Ae)](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fc%2FSephardicGenealogyAndHistory%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEeV0DhEK4B9co1AGiviB3v2-E8tdK70KXoLBiwRZfSAhT8YHYSopHXP1I24EY_aem_ry5-wH7J3GgSagd9RmN3Hg&h=AT0dFnWHxDlZOayfK6fiesGrz-cEVuZzhCadg5G3I97yy1HoP0v81VDttc82xBo4cNGg53rdJlkMnTe_37z8COJ9v21Wogc9tS-Scau92jvmSDq9zSLqfKv2qwbZxVTuaQ&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1yUHq0021ybAuRizjvCt_DUJX-03wbTZa2AG4ID9JrhBbHST-6cDYVCvFahgHtnS_SloQS9LWTOcNLXdfZM88R6haCZKF9VpqWQsblRtwXAAbjyUNqv_ZxPA-lQpgKIpIzzr2ea5ODU0e8xvYySifrsKrosZwJ8umT0rtF7dVpRqkPwUd_NmCB2q_ZeD9qaypJ2ZfUovpgxBl2w5cxeVYGF6Ae)***David Silvera of A Nação Hebraica wins the IAJGS Lifetime Achievement Award***The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) have awarded David Silvera their Lifetime Achievement Award.David, now retired, was born in Jamaica and worked as an aerospace engineer in the United States. Interested in discovering more about his early Sephardic ancestors in London - and faced with tens of thousands of pages of documents - he pioneered the use of AI in transcribing Jewish documents. Working with the Transkribus AI platform, David formed a team and leads from the front, doing much of the work on his own.Most projects using the Transkribus AI platform are run by university departments, national archives and libraries. A Nação Hebraica stands out as a successful independent project, and one that benefits both family genealogists and academic researchers.David Silvera is warmly congratulated for his huge contribution to Jewish and Sephardic genealogy. The A Nação Hebraica website allows anyone to freely search the historic Accounts Books of the London Spanish & Portuguese congregation. https://anacaohebraica.transkribus.eu/***Congratulations to the Amsterdam Kahal***In August 2025, the Portuguese synagogue of Amsterdam celebrates its 350th anniversary, a rare milestone for any Jewish congregation. Congratulations to the Portuguese Israelite Community of Amsterdam and all its members on preserving this magnificent heritage for future generations.The Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam, known as the Esnoga, was inaugurated in August 1675 as the spiritual home of the Sephardic Jews. Its founders were merchants, scholars, and artisans who rebuilt their lives in the Dutch Republic’s climate of relative tolerance.Designed by architect Elias Bouman, the building remains largely unchanged and is one of the largest surviving 17th-century synagogues in the world. For centuries, the Esnoga has been a place of worship, study, and community for the Portuguese Israelite Community of Amsterdam. The interior, lit by hundreds of candles, preserves the atmosphere of its earliest days. It has also served as a symbol of resilience, religious freedom, and cultural continuity. During the Second World War, the synagogue stood silent, but after the Holocaust it became again a centre of Jewish life. Today, it attracts worshippers and visitors from around the world.***Share your Sephardic Family Story!***Every Sephardic family has a unique story to tell. Do you want to share yours? If you would like to speak but haven’t given a presentation before, we are happy to provide support and to practice with you. If you don’t want to talk for a full 45 minutes, we can have a series of shorter presentations. If you are very nervous about public speaking, we can pre-record. Our only requirement is that you have archival evidence to support what you say. Send us an email at society@sephardicgenealogy.com***Support the Sephardic Genealogical Society***The Sephardic Genealogical Society is now the largest producer of educational material in the Sephardic world — and we rely on your support to keep going.If you value our free lectures and wider work, please consider becoming a patron for as little as $5/month via our Patreon page. Your support directly funds new content, events, and research.We are also seeking major donors to help us expand key projects. If you are in a position to help, we would be pleased to hear from you. [[[[https://www.patreon.com/c/sephardi](https://www.patreon.com/c/sephardi?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEenwweO0dosEY6NHK_Lq_41taDd6Wx7aOp0neqhzUHK_C-gvyoYQWpnd_ebXg_aem_E9dJmw-bKAR4wBKC-PaSVw)](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patreon.com%2Fc%2Fsephardi%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEecEgHAPZoMjtOStsvT63FoXmJbRakWlqga7hVCIVQe-9NRgvOuBs3sNN1zf4_aem_fMOOZB3QbSdVgdRtuYCkAA&h=AT2YufKdzf2x1dJ3nYWfq80Pix0SpV8E7Cjc2zhimD5szZP20xMSxWPYDxdDgRg2BT99TXTmVUU_AIX7a8bLyVzaH2UvKNUcxLHuFP_dNiMuVDuS5vFl3dNX4OmXM_W_TA&__tn__=-U-UK-R&c[0]=AT1yUHq0021ybAuRizjvCt_DUJX-03wbTZa2AG4ID9JrhBbHST-6cDYVCvFahgHtnS_SloQS9LWTOcNLXdfZM88R6haCZKF9VpqWQsblRtwXAAbjyUNqv_ZxPA-lQpgKIpIzzr2ea5ODU0e8xvYySifrsKrosZwJ8umT0rtF7dVpRqkPwUd_NmCB2q_ZeD9qaypJ2ZfUovpgxBl2w5cxeVYGF6Ae)](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patreon.com%2Fc%2Fsephardi%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEecEgHAPZoMjtOStsvT63FoXmJbRakWlqga7hVCIVQe-9NRgvOuBs3sNN1zf4_aem_fMOOZB3QbSdVgdRtuYCkAA&h=AT2YufKdzf2x1dJ3nYWfq80Pix0SpV8E7Cjc2zhimD5szZP20xMSxWPYDxdDgRg2BT99TXTmVUU_AIX7a8bLyVzaH2UvKNUcxLHuFP_dNiMuVDuS5vFl3dNX4OmXM_W_TA&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1yUHq0021ybAuRizjvCt_DUJX-03wbTZa2AG4ID9JrhBbHST-6cDYVCvFahgHtnS_SloQS9LWTOcNLXdfZM88R6haCZKF9VpqWQsblRtwXAAbjyUNqv_ZxPA-lQpgKIpIzzr2ea5ODU0e8xvYySifrsKrosZwJ8umT0rtF7dVpRqkPwUd_NmCB2q_ZeD9qaypJ2ZfUovpgxBl2w5cxeVYGF6Ae)](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patreon.com%2Fc%2Fsephardi%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEeV0DhEK4B9co1AGiviB3v2-E8tdK70KXoLBiwRZfSAhT8YHYSopHXP1I24EY_aem_ry5-wH7J3GgSagd9RmN3Hg&h=AT2YufKdzf2x1dJ3nYWfq80Pix0SpV8E7Cjc2zhimD5szZP20xMSxWPYDxdDgRg2BT99TXTmVUU_AIX7a8bLyVzaH2UvKNUcxLHuFP_dNiMuVDuS5vFl3dNX4OmXM_W_TA&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1yUHq0021ybAuRizjvCt_DUJX-03wbTZa2AG4ID9JrhBbHST-6cDYVCvFahgHtnS_SloQS9LWTOcNLXdfZM88R6haCZKF9VpqWQsblRtwXAAbjyUNqv_ZxPA-lQpgKIpIzzr2ea5ODU0e8xvYySifrsKrosZwJ8umT0rtF7dVpRqkPwUd_NmCB2q_ZeD9qaypJ2ZfUovpgxBl2w5cxeVYGF6Ae)***From the Sephardic Archives***Mail Order Brides, Sephardic Style. For over 400 years the Amsterdam-based Portuguese-Jewish bridal society Santa Companhia de Dotar Orphas e Donzellas [the Holy Society for Dowries for Orphan Girls and Young Ladies], known as Dotar, has provided dowries. Historically it played an important role in binding the Portuguese-Jewish diaspora together. Indeed, this was one of its goals. Dotar's membership was international, and it is a valuable - if complex - tool in understanding Western Sephardic history and genealogy. Dotar is a rare archival source whose main focus is the women of the community. Ton Tielen offers an introduction to Dotar, and advice on how to search this valuable resource, which has been digitised by the Amsterdam City Archives.[[[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUBA8C6GxSk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUBA8C6GxSk&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEe8V8Cg-yzsBQACQx1du0JKA6HRZI-bAJ3cZ3yxbUPjXlL3P9PwEnO5EU41xk_aem_FCXK8slbQHdObk8W6uEkxw)](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsUBA8C6GxSk%26fbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEeazvqiZNDOvzmBL_8zxL9xladSUMcccuBQOaw1hBz96hoB0pdxCODxbvNshU_aem_u5WvZtbCVgBav8s1eQft-Q&h=AT1QRvCAyrX2xc4-87qPk_4mcN6PEF0dmQBqvqQ6cNOWkthUKUwp0pta1dMEnIquus4sTkatSocWg6423ePKubIf9iUtXMx94dxdJkgcGMdU78-8E2-rnqluUHJ2-2OFkA&__tn__=-U-UK-R&c[0]=AT1yUHq0021ybAuRizjvCt_DUJX-03wbTZa2AG4ID9JrhBbHST-6cDYVCvFahgHtnS_SloQS9LWTOcNLXdfZM88R6haCZKF9VpqWQsblRtwXAAbjyUNqv_ZxPA-lQpgKIpIzzr2ea5ODU0e8xvYySifrsKrosZwJ8umT0rtF7dVpRqkPwUd_NmCB2q_ZeD9qaypJ2ZfUovpgxBl2w5cxeVYGF6Ae)](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsUBA8C6GxSk%26fbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEeV0DhEK4B9co1AGiviB3v2-E8tdK70KXoLBiwRZfSAhT8YHYSopHXP1I24EY_aem_ry5-wH7J3GgSagd9RmN3Hg&h=AT1QRvCAyrX2xc4-87qPk_4mcN6PEF0dmQBqvqQ6cNOWkthUKUwp0pta1dMEnIquus4sTkatSocWg6423ePKubIf9iUtXMx94dxdJkgcGMdU78-8E2-rnqluUHJ2-2OFkA&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1yUHq0021ybAuRizjvCt_DUJX-03wbTZa2AG4ID9JrhBbHST-6cDYVCvFahgHtnS_SloQS9LWTOcNLXdfZM88R6haCZKF9VpqWQsblRtwXAAbjyUNqv_ZxPA-lQpgKIpIzzr2ea5ODU0e8xvYySifrsKrosZwJ8umT0rtF7dVpRqkPwUd_NmCB2q_ZeD9qaypJ2ZfUovpgxBl2w5cxeVYGF6Ae)](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsUBA8C6GxSk%26fbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwNGVVYWR4RkNDTjFvOG5rTAEe2eTI9DNTiteiaDcolJS4_FJhufTOmpWospNU3gWnYqyA5QZIjkruYDNdFZ8_aem_ZHftWymvfR9-26QxTlcT8g&h=AT1QRvCAyrX2xc4-87qPk_4mcN6PEF0dmQBqvqQ6cNOWkthUKUwp0pta1dMEnIquus4sTkatSocWg6423ePKubIf9iUtXMx94dxdJkgcGMdU78-8E2-rnqluUHJ2-2OFkA&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1yUHq0021ybAuRizjvCt_DUJX-03wbTZa2AG4ID9JrhBbHST-6cDYVCvFahgHtnS_SloQS9LWTOcNLXdfZM88R6haCZKF9VpqWQsblRtwXAAbjyUNqv_ZxPA-lQpgKIpIzzr2ea5ODU0e8xvYySifrsKrosZwJ8umT0rtF7dVpRqkPwUd_NmCB2q_ZeD9qaypJ2ZfUovpgxBl2w5cxeVYGF6Ae)*Best wishes**Ton and David**Sephardic World**Image: Zamosc Synagogue *