FESELA

FESELA (Federación Sefaradí Latinoamericana ), roof organization of the Sephardi communities of Latin America, affiliated to the World Sephardi Federation as well as to the World Zionist Organization. fesela was founded in 1972 in Lima (Peru) during the Conference of Jewish Communities in Latin America by a group of young Sephardi leaders representing the new leadership of Sephardim born in Latin America. They were seeking representation in the World Zionist Organization not through political parties but on the basis of their ethnic identity – as Sephardim.

The executive of fesela is rotated: every two years a different president and secretary – from a different country – must be elected, and the seat of fesela moves to their respective country. Membership in fesela is institutional and not personal, and each country is entitled to one vote. In addition to Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, the Cuban Sephardi community of Miami is also active on the board.

The main objectives of fesela are to represent the Sephardi communities of Latin America, to strengthen Sephardi identity, to combat assimilation, to promote the Zionist cause. and to support the State of Israel. fesela promotes cultural activities of Sephardim in Latin America and supports the publication of Sefardica, a journal published by cidicsef – Centro de Investigación y Difusión de la Cultura Sefaradí (Center for the Study and Diffusion of Sephardi Culture) in Buenos Aires.

[Margalit Bejarano (2^nd ed.)]