Sephardic Trajectories: Archives-Objects and the Ottoman Jewish Past in the United States

Sephardic Trajectories brings together scholars of Ottoman history and Jewish studies to discuss how family heirlooms, papers, and memorabilia help us conceptualize the complex process of migration from the Ottoman Empire to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To consider the shared signifi­cance of family archives in both the United States and in former Ottoman lands, the volume takes as a starting point the formation of the Sephardic Studies Digital Collection at the University of Washington, a community-led archive and the world’s fi­rst major digital repository of archival documents and recordings related to the Sephardic Jews of the Mediterranean world. Contributors reflect on the role of private collections and material objects in studying the Sephardi past, presenting case studies of Sephardic music and literature alongside discussions of the role of new media, digitization projects, investigative podcasts, and family memorabilia in preserving Ottoman Sephardic culture.

Kerem Tınaz is Assistant Professor of History at Koç University.

Oscar Aguirre-Mandujano is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania.