

The Art of Leadership
August 17–18, 2026 · ד׳–ה׳ באלול תשפ״ו
The Art of Leadership
The second conference focused on the responsibilities and skills required of rabbis and communal leaders today: questions of authority and public leadership, pastoral responsibility, communication, education, and navigating rapidly changing social realities — and how the wisdom and experience of the Sephardic tradition can guide Jewish communities.
- Dates
- August 17–18, 2026
- Venues
- UJA-Federation of New York · Congregation Shearith Israel
- City
- New York City
Program
The Art of Rabbinic Leadership
Registration & Breakfast
UJA-Federation · 130 East 59th Street, New York
Welcome Remarks
The Role of the Sephardic Rabbi Today
Rabbi Abraham Tobal · Rabbi Ilan Acoca · Rabbi Joseph Dweck · Rabbi Meyer Laniado
The Rabbi as CEO
Rabbi Gad Bouskila · Rachel Cyrulnik · Rabbi Etan Tokayer · Rabbi David Pardo
Watch recordingInspiring Congregants to Appreciate Jewish Life in the Modern World
Elevating Education & Educators
Rabbi David Bitton · Dr. Rachel Harari · Rabbi Ikey Tawil · Dr. Ronnie Perelis
Watch recordingGrowing Community — Kehilot Around the World
Rabbi David Fine · Rabbi Marcos Metta · Nachshon Rodrigues Pereira
Beyond Ethnicity: What Will Sephardic Judaism Mean 50 Years From Now?
Congregation Shearith Israel · 2 West 70th Street, New York
Watch recordingMusical Selihot Performance
An evening of Sephardic music and song at Congregation Shearith Israel.
Watch recordingThe Rabbi in Practice
Selihot, Shaharit & Breakfast
UJA-Federation · 130 East 59th Street, New York
Building Talmidei Chachamim
Rabbi Asi Mittelman
Tzurba DeRabbanan: From the Kitchen to the Frontlines
Rabbi Benzion Algazi · Rabbi Doron Podlashluk
The Rabbi in the Public Square
Ofir Akunis · Daniel Rosenthal · Rabbi Elie Buechler · Rabbi Daniel Sherman · Brigitte Dayan
Watch recordingPastoral Care: Loneliness, Addiction & Mental Health
Rabbi Yoni Rosensweig · Rabbanit Devorah Halevy · Rabbi Dr. Ari Soussan
Watch recordingMarriage & Shalom Bayit
Where Do We Go From Here?
Minha & Farewell

From Leaders to Leaders
Insights from the past, present, and future of Jewish education and leadership. Explore the journal published alongside the 2026 conference.
Explore the journal at Daat PressA poem from Belmonte
Rabbi Eliyahu Sheffer of Portugal shared this Hebrew poem for The Art of Leadership, August 2026.
Presented in the original Hebrew as supplied by SRC.

Communities in conversation
Each marker sits at a booklet city. Select a city or country to meet its rabbis and community leaders.
Locations reflect affiliations printed in the 2025 and 2026 booklets or supplied by SRC, not a verified attendance record. Nearby cities may overlap at world scale; choose Americas for a closer view or select a country from the list.
Rabbis & Community Leaders
People profiled in the official 2026 program and bio booklet; a listing is not proof of attendance.

Rabbi Joseph Dweck
Jerusalem, Israel

Rabbi Ilan Acoca
Fort Lee, NJ

Rabbi Abraham Tobal
Mexico City, Mexico

Rabbi Yosef Bitton
Great Neck, NY

Rabbi Yamin Levy
Great Neck, NY

Rabbi Mois Chicurel
Madrid, Spain

Rabbi Elie Abadie
Aventura, FL

Rabbi Ben Zion Algazi
Jerusalem, Israel

Rabbi David Lior Alima
Modiin, Israel

Rabbanit Efrat Alima
Modiin, Israel

Rabbi Marc Angel
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Hayyim Angel
Teaneck, NJ

R’ Jonathan Arking
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Ratzon Arussi
Qiryat Ono, Israel

Rabbi Yehuda Azancot
Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Ikey Tawil

Laurence (Larry) Bensignor
Rockville, MD

Ofir Akunis
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Albert Gabbai
Philadelphia, PA

Rabbi Anar Samaylov
Moscow, Russia

Rabbi Ariel Cohen
Passaic, NJ

Rabbi Asaf Mittelman
London, UK

Raquel Askenazi
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Avraham Biton
Cooper City, FL

Rabbi Baruch Babayev
Queens, NY

R’ Baruch-Lev Kelman
Manhattan, NY

Caroline Bryk
Scarsdale, NY

Ruth Chacalo
Mexico City, Mexico

Mijal Cohen
Mexico City, Mexico

Rachel Cyrulnik
Teaneck, NJ

Galia Daniel
Mexico City, Mexico

Esperanza Daniel
Mexico City, Mexico

Rabbi Daniel Gottesman
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Daniel Isaac
Cleveland, OH

Rabbi Daniel Sherman
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Danny Mirvis
Herzliya, Israel

Rabbi David Bitton
Great Neck, NY

Rabbi David Fine
Modiin, Israel

Rabbi David Gingold-Altchek
Berlin, Germany

Rabbi David Pardo
Boca Raton, FL

Brigitte Dayan
Manhattan, NY

Rabbanit Devorah Halevy
San Diego, CA

Rabbi Doron Danino
Bet Rimon, Israel

Rabbi Doron Podlashuk
Yad Binyamin, Israel

Rabbi Dr. Ari Soussan
Rockville, MD

Ike Dweck
Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Eiran Davies
Stockholm, Sweden

Dr. Eli Kraiem
Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Elie Buechler
Teaneck, NJ

Rabbi Eliyahu Tal
Highland Park, NJ

Dr. Ephraim Isaac
Princeton, NJ

Rabbi Etan Tokayer
Brooklyn, NY

Ohad Fedida
Highland Park, NJ

Rabbi Francis Nataf
Jerusalem, Israel

Rabbi Gad Bouskila
Brooklyn, NY

Jackson Gardner
Bronx, NY

Avi Garson
Manhattan, NY

Jason Guberman
Stratford, CT

Yaakov Hagoel
Netanya, Israel

Rabbi Haim Sabato
Maale Adumim, Israel

Rabbi Harold Sutton
Jerusalem, Israel

Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla
Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Isaac Choua
West Hempstead, NY

Rabbi Itzhak Hazan
Dallas, TX

Rabbi Jack Varon
Miami, FL

Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter
Teaneck, NJ

Rabbi Jaim Leizorek Bril
Mexico City, Mexico

Rabbi Jeff Berger
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Rabbi Joey Faur
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Joey Soffer
Brooklyn, NY

Menashe Khaimov
Hollywood, FL

Micah Liss
Washington Heights, NY

Rabbi Marcos Metta
Mexico City, Mexico

Ethan Marcus
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Meyer Laniado
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Naftali Haleva
Istanbul, Turkey

Rabbi Naftali Silver
Cape Town, South Africa

Rabbi Nathan Dweck
Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Nathan Zaboulani
Brooklyn, NY

Sebastian Pablo Cohen
Silver Spring, MD

Dr. Rachel Harari
Brooklyn, NY

Rabbanit Racheli Delouya
Har Berakha, Israel

Rabbi Raphael Delouya
Har Bracha, Israel

Rabbi Refael Cohen
Los Angeles, CA

Nachshon Rodrigues Pereira
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dr. Ronnie Perelis
Teaneck, NJ

Daniel Rosenthal
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Saj Freiberg
Manhattan, NY

Rabbi Sam Kassin
Jerusalem, Israel

David Samama
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Rabbi Samuel Hajibai
Great Neck, NY

Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas
Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Shalom Halevy
San Diego, CA

Ruben Shimonov
Detroit, MI

Edwin Shuker
Dubai, UAE

Rabbi Sion Setton
Brooklyn, NY

Sam Stonefield
London, UK

Bernard Suissa
Rockville, MD

Rabbanit Yaffa Setton
Deal, NJ

Rabbi Yehoshua Ellis
Montreal, Canada

Rabbi Yitzhak Berdugo
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Rabbi Yogev Cohen
Har Bracha, Israel

Rabbi Yonatan Halevy
San Diego, CA

Rabbi Yoni Rosensweig
Bet Shemesh, Israel

Rabbi Yosef Kassorla
Boca Raton, FL

Rabbi Yosef Sharbat
West Orange, NJ

Rabbi Yossi Azose
West Hempstead, NY

Rabbi Zev Berman
Jamaica Estates, NY
Also on the program
- Rabbi Asi Mittelman
- Rabbi Doron Podlashluk
Watch & Listen


Opening Remarks by Rabbi Haim Sabato
Rabbi Haim Sabato

The Rabbi as CEO — Leading the Synagogue as an Institution
Rabbi Gad Bouskila · Rachel Cyrulnik · Rabbi Etan Tokayer · Rabbi David Pardo

Elevating Education & Educators
Rabbi David Bitton · Dr. Rachel Harari · Rabbi Ikey Tawil · Dr. Ronnie Perelis

Beyond Ethnicity: What Will Sephardic Judaism Mean 50 Years From Now?
Rabbi Marc D. Angel

Sephardic Musical Evening: A Night of Song & Selihot

Morning Ḥaburot
Rabbi Asi Mittelman · Rabbi Doron Podlashluk

The Rabbi as Posek: The Art of Halakhic Leadership
Rabbi Harold Sutton

The Rabbi in the Public Square: Advocacy, Interfaith & Civic Engagement
Ofir Akunis · Daniel Rosenthal · Rabbi Elie Buechler · Rabbi Daniel Sherman · Brigitte Dayan

Pastoral Care: Loneliness, Addiction & Mental Health in Our Communities
Rabbi Yoni Rosensweig · Rabbanit Devorah Halevy · Rabbi Dr. Ari Soussan

Special Message from Rabbi Dr. Ratson Arussi — In Honour of the Sephardic Rabbinic Conference 2026
Rabbi Dr. Ratson Arussi
Conference Partners



Conference Partners
















Community Partners








- Yaakov Mesa-Freydell
- Rabbi Sammy Kassin
- Renee & Joseph Tawil
- Nativ & Laura Winiarksy
- Ike, Molly, & Steven Elias Foundation
Press
Sephardic leaders argue their tradition serves as a model for the future of diaspora Jewry
Jewish leaders from 10 countries gather for Sephardic rabbinic conference
Sephardic rabbis gather to shape the future of a living tradition
Conference reflections
The Sephardic Voice the Jewish World Needs
Sephardic Rabbinic Conference Attracts More Than 150 to New York City
The Jewish Future From Where We Stand
הבשורה הספרדית שיצאה ממנהטן
Conference of Sephardic Rabbis in New York City
Get involved
For participation, partnership, or rabbinic positions:
Contact SRC








