Festival Sefardí, New Mexico’s only annual celebration of the unique history and culture of the Sephardic Jews in the Southwest, enters its 16th year with a focus on the Indigenous experience in relation to early settler Jewish history in New Mexico and its continued impact on contemporary society. The festival, which runs from May 16 to 18, will feature music, dance, poetry, art, workshops, delicious food, and talks by scholars, diving into the complex intercultural dynamics that continue to weave the fabric of New Mexico’s cultural tapestry.

The descendants of Jews who arrived in New Mexico in the late 16th century fleeing the Spanish Inquisition—known today as the "Conversos," "Anusim," "crypto-Jews," or "Hidden Jews"—constitute a significant but often overlooked portion of New Mexico’s Hispanic population.

Schedule

FRIDAY MAY 16, 2025

5:00-6:45 pm Art Show. Gallery talk by the artist starts at 5:30

7:00-9:00 pm Shabbat Vegetarian Pot Luck Dinner with honored guests Led by Sofie Shefia Stephanie Cohen

SATURDAY MAY 17, 2025

10:00 am-12:00 pm Morning Service led by members of the Sephardic Community with Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb. In Spanish and Hebrew with English translation.

12:00-1:00 pm Catered Lunch by Itality

1:00-2:00 pm Negotiating Religion and Power: Sephardic Conversos, Indigenous Slavery, and Religious Identity in Colonial New Mexico Roger Louis Martínez-Dávila

2:30-4:00 pm UNBOUND: A community movement workshop and performance

4:15-5:15 pm Earth and Sky Called by the Same Name Bilingual poetry reading of NM Indigenous poets presented by Héctor Contreras López

5:30-6:30 pm Journeys: Personal History Tellings

SUNDAY MAY 18, 2025

12:00-1:00 pm The Genizaros Enrique Lamadrid

1:15-2:15 pm The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 Jon Ghahate

2:30-3:30 pm Creativity break with Roxie Ehlert

3:30-4:30 pm Creating a Culture of Repair: Accountability and Renewal: In a Jewish framework, what does it mean to make a decision to do repair? Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb

4:45-5:45 pm Bilingual Creative Writing Circle Héctor Contreras López and Hershel Weiss

5:45-6:45 Dinner Break

7:00-8:30 pm Concert: Sones jarochos y canciones de Sefarad Laura Rebolloso y Las Flores del Valle

Cost: 

Suggested donation of $80 for the entire weekend. Concert tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Luncheon is $20. (You must buy lunch tickets in advance so that we know how many meals to order!) Friday events are free; attendees are encouraged to bring a potluck vegetarian dish for the dinner. All are welcome-no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

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Date: May 16 - 18, 2025

Location: Congregation Nahalat Shalom

3606 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107

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