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SEPHARDIC JEWISH BROTHERHOOD OF AMERICA INC

FOREST HILLS, NY · EIN 131730827 · Form 990 · FY2023 · Small ($100K-$1M) · sephardicbrotherhood.com
revenue
$393K
expenses
$335K
net assets
$4.4M
employees
3
volunteers
10
program ratio
0%
mission · from form 990

TO SUPPORT MEMBERS, PRIMARILY SEPHARDIC JEWISH INDIVIDUALS, THROUGH ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS, JEWISH BURIAL SERVICES, AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America is a benevolent organization founded in 1916 to support Sephardic Jews, primarily those descended from Ladino-speaking communities of Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans. It provides burial services, educational scholarships, cultural programming, and community support. The organization serves nearly 1,500 families across the United States and works to preserve and promote Sephardic heritage and traditions.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $34K
    THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED JEWISH BURIAL BENEFITS INCLUDING CEMETERY PLOTS AND CASH PAYMENTS TO PARTIALLY FUND MORTUARY AND MONUMENT COSTS.
  2. #2 $124K
    THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED OUTREACH TO THE SEPHARDIC JEWISH COMMUNITY INCLUDING NEWSLETTERS, BURIAL ASSISTANCE, AND ELDERLY ASSISTANCE.
named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

Burial Services
Provides burial plots and financial assistance for funerals and monuments to members through the Brotherhood cemetery.
Greek Jewish Festival
Annual event celebrating Romaniote and Sephardic heritage with food, music, dance, and educational activities.
Scholarship Program
Provides educational scholarships to members' children; awarded to 35 students in 2026 as part of the 82nd annual scholarship cycle.
Sephardic Birthright Israel Trip
Engages young Sephardic Jews by connecting them with their heritage through an educational trip to Israel.
Sephardic Songs and Hazzanut Database
Online resource preserving traditional Sephardic liturgy and music from communities worldwide.
Young Professionals Network
Creates opportunities for young Sephardic Jews to connect and engage with their cultural and religious traditions.
activities · 11 groups

What they do

  • Financial Aid and Scholarship Access Programs 1 activity
    • Administers scholarships and financial assistance programs
      Provides educational scholarships and financial aid to members' children and needy community members through established funds such as the National Sephardic Scholars program and the Henry J. Perahia Fund for the Needy. These programs have operated since the 1920s and continue today.
  • Internal Organizational Elections 1 activity
    • Conducts community elections
      Holds elections every four years to select members of the Central Council, which functions as the organization’s board of directors.
  • Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
    • Hosts annual Greek Jewish Festival
      Organizes the annual Greek Jewish Festival in Lower Manhattan to celebrate Romaniote and Sephardic heritage, serving as a public cultural event and community gathering.
  • Israel and Jewish Heritage Educational Travel 1 activity
    • Organizes Sephardic Birthright Israel Trip
      Plans and leads a Sephardic-specific Birthright Israel trip to strengthen cultural and religious connections to Israel among community members.
  • Jewish Holiday and Shabbat Community Events 1 activity
    • Organizes religious and cultural programming
      Hosts regular Shabbat, holiday, and daily prayer services, along with cultural events including lectures, film screenings, concerts, Shabbatons, and communal meals to sustain Sephardic traditions and community engagement.
  • Jewish and Cultural Heritage Archives 1 activity
    • Preserves Sephardic and Romaniote history and heritage
      Maintains a museum established in 1997, a historical collection, and educational programming to preserve and share Romaniote and Sephardic Greek Jewish history and traditions.
  • Cemetery and Cremation Services 1 activity
    • Provides burial and funeral services for members
      Offers burial plots in a Brotherhood cemetery and covers costs related to funerals and monuments as part of membership benefits, continuing its founding role as a mutual aid and burial society.
  • Jewish Textual and Educational Publishing 1 activity
    • Publishes cultural and community media
      Produces and distributes La Djente, a quarterly magazine in English and Ladino, and a weekly email newsletter (La Boz Sefaradi), to share content on Sephardic culture and community news.
  • Jewish Religious Education and Outreach 1 activity
    • Supports Sephardic youth and young professionals
      Operates the Greek Jewish & Sephardic Young Professionals Network and provides youth and family education programs, including bar and bat mitzvah instruction, to engage younger generations.
  • Jewish Religious Institution Support 1 activity
    • Supports synagogue and community development
      Provided historical and ongoing support for the establishment and growth of Sephardic synagogues and communities in New York, including in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, and Forest Hills.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Conducts community research
      Conducted a demographic survey of the Sephardic community in America, offering incentives to increase participation and gather data on community composition.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$393K
Contributions & grants$221K56%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$173K44%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$335K
Program expenses0%
Admin / overhead0%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$150K
Grants paid out$54K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$4.67M
Cash$704K
Investments$3.79M
Liabilities$259K
Net assets$4.41M
Liquid reserves161.2 mo
6 years on record · 2018–2023 · YoY revenue -2.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

board members · 9
  • ANDREW MARCUS — SECRETARY
  • DANIEL SMALL — FINANCIAL SECRETARY
  • DAVID SCHRIBMAN — ASSIST. FINANCIAL SECRETARY
  • JAY MATALON — TREASURER
  • JEFFREY BEJA — FIRST Vice President
  • MARVIN MARCUS — SECOND Vice President
  • Open Position — ASSIST. SECRETARY
  • RENEE MOTOLA — ASSIST. TREASURER
  • SEDAT BEHAR — PRESIDENT
relationships · 23

Who they work with

  • Brotherhood Partner — Volunteer mutual aid and burial society formed by members
  • Congregation Ahavath Achim Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Congregation Ezra Bessaroth Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Congregation Mikveh Israel Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Congregation Or VeShalom Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Etz Ahaim Sephardic Congregation Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Etz Chaim Sephardic Congregation Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Genadeen Caterers Partner — Provides catering services for events at the Sephardic Temple.
  • Hessed Veemeth Kastorialis Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue & Museum Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Magen David Sephardic Congregation Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • SEPHARDIC JEWISH BROTHERHOOD OF AMERICA INC Partner — Etz Chaim Sephardic Congregation is affiliated with or supported by the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America Inc.
  • Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Sephardic Congregation of Fort Lee Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Sephardic Jewish Center of Canarsie Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Sephardic Jewish Center of Forest Hills Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Sephardic Jewish Center of Forest Hills Partner — Partner synagogue supported by the Sephardic Brotherhood since its founding.
  • Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • Temple Moses Sephardic Congregation of Florida Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • The Sephardic Temple of Cedarhurst Partner — Part of the network of Sephardic synagogues supported by the organization
  • University of Washington Sephardic Studies Program Partner — Collaborated on the development of the Sephardic Digital Museum to document the Brotherhood's history.
  • Yeshiva University Government — Former rabbi was affiliated with the REITS School of Yeshiva University.
  • academic institutions Partner — Partners with academic institutions to link rare manuscripts and educational resources to the wider Jewish world.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Driven Engagement Through Volunteer Leadership
    methodology: community_driven_engagement
    By using community-led groups such as Men's Club and Sisterhood to organize programming, the organization fosters deeper engagement because peer-led initiatives increase ownership, trust, and sustained participation within the community.
  • Cultural and Linguistic Continuity Through Ladino Preservation
    methodology: cultural_and_linguistic_continuity
    By serving the Ladino-speaking Sephardic community and conducting services in Hebrew and Ladino, the organization maintains cultural and linguistic continuity because language is a central vector of intergenerational cultural transmission.
  • Inclusive Traditionalism to Sustain Cultural Identity
    methodology: inclusive_traditionalism
    By maintaining traditional liturgy while welcoming diverse Middle Eastern Jewish communities and engaging younger generations, the organization preserves Sephardic tradition because inclusivity strengthens participation without eroding core cultural and religious practices.
  • Intergenerational Engagement for Community Continuity
    methodology: intergenerational_engagement
    By engaging younger generations through cultural and educational programs, the organization strengthens long-term community continuity because sustained youth involvement ensures the transmission of traditions and collective identity across generations.
  • Networked Institution Building for Religious Continuity
    methodology: community_network_development
    By supporting a network of Sephardic synagogues and communities, the organization fosters religious and cultural continuity because decentralized but connected institutions increase resilience and broaden access to culturally specific religious life.