American Jewish Archives Journal, Vol 44, No. 01 (1992)

284 American Jewish Archives
manuscripts, books, periodicals, and artifacts and holds lectures and
exhibits on Sephardi culture.'5
The 1960s saw a burgeoning of cultural activity. Reproached by
historian David N. Barocas for the shameful neglect of living Sephar-
di scholars, a group of Sephardi intellectuals bestirred themselves to
organize the Foundation for the Advancement of Sephardic Studies
and Culture, headed by Professor Mair Benardete and, subsequently,
by Louis N. Levy. The Foundation published "tracts" containing a
wealth of data on the background of Sephardi immigrants gathered
over the years, which were shared with scholars throughout the
country. Upon Barocas's death, the objectives of the Foundation were
integrated into the program of the Sephardic House established by
Rabbi Marc Angel and Louis N. Levy, an Institute for Researching
and Promoting Sephardic History and Culture. Directed by Rabbi
Angel, the Sephardic House offers classes and programs of Sephardi
interest, is preparing educational materials on Sephardi history and
culture to be used in Jewish schools, and publishes books by Sephardi
authors. In 1992 it sponsored its second annual contest for college
youths. It also issues a newsletter that goes out to its members and to
Sephardi congregations throughout the country.
In 1967, Professor Isaac Jack Levy at the University of South Caroli-
na, with the sponsorship of Yeshiva University, organized the Ameri-
can Society for Sephardic Studies (ASOSS). Its publication, the
Sephardic Scholar, provided a forum for young scholars, and their arti-
cles, in turn, provided valuable material for present-day researchers.
Yet the funds for this publication ran out after four issues, and the
financial and moral support needed to revive it have failed to materi-
alize. At present, according to its current president, David J. Altab6,
the ASOSS continues a merely nominal existence, in the hope, howev-
er, that a new wave of interest and support might bring it back to life.
The Institute for Sephardic studies, organized by Professor Jos6
Faur in 1972, had the especially promising focus of developing a
cadre of young leaders with a mandate to actively participate in com-
munal life and work on making cultural programs part and parcel of
Sephardi communal and family events. The Institute also introduced
credit-earning Sephardi studies programs in a number of universities
and awarded scholarships for doctoral degrees in religion, history,