Preserving and Celebrating Sephardic Heritage
A leading philanthropic voice championing the stories, culture, and legacy of the Sephardic Jewish community.
Honoring the Legacy of Sam Israel
Sam Israel was born and raised in the Jewish quarter of Rhodes, a vibrant enclave known as la Juderia, where Sephardic life flourished in a mosaic of Ladino language, Jewish customs, and culture. His home, like others in the tight-knit community, was steeped in Sephardic tradition, and passed lovingly from one generation to the next. After emigrating to the United States at age 13, Sam never lost his connection to that heritage. He built a life in Seattle marked by hard work, quiet generosity, and deep devotion to Jewish education and identity.
Sam Israel, entrepreneur, immigrant, champion of preserving Sephardic heritage
$1M Grant to the National Library of Israel for the Sephardic Heritage Archives
Rare Sephardic texts digitized include
- 14th-century Spanish Haggadah
- 15th-century Ladino manuscript of Jeremiah
- 16th-century women’s siddur in Ladino
Preserving Sephardic Treasures and Heritage at Israel’s National Library
The Samis Foundation committed $1 million to support the Sephardic Heritage Archives at the National Library of Israel. This funding is facilitating the comprehensive review, documentation, and research of invaluable materials connected to Sephardic heritage.
The initiative is also enabling the Library to make new acquisitions celebrating the richness of Sephardic tradition and includes the development of a specialized guided tour offering visitors an intimate look at Sephardic treasures housed within the library.
Bringing Sephardic Voices to Jewish Children’s Literature
Samis funded the PJ Library Sephardic Story Initiative with a $195,000 grant to increase the visibility and representation of Sephardic stories and authors in Jewish children’s literature. Over three years, this initiative is helping to expand the PJ Library canon — which reaches tens of thousands of Jewish families — by sourcing authentic stories, mentoring Sephardic writers, and supporting the development of new works.
Key components of the grant include:
- Two-year fellowship for established Sephardic authors
- Editorial and publishing support for emerging writers
A Broader Commitment to Washington’s Unique Sephardic Community
Samis is a supporter of a range of programs which preserve and celebrate the Sephardic Jewish community. Programs supported in the last several years include:
- Rhodes Jewish Historical Foundation – Tours of La Juderia, the historic neighborhood in Rhodes, Greece, the ancestral home to many in Washington’s Sephardic community.
- Savor – Sephardic Food and Music Digital Portal
- Seattle Jewish Community School/Jewish Day School – Sephardic Heritage Initiative and Shabbaton
- Sephardic Adventure Camp – Scholarships, operations and staff recruitment and retention grants
- Sephardic Bikur Holim – Shabbaton with Kav L’Naor
- Washington State Jewish Historical Society – The Seattle Sephardic Tour
These investments connect new generations to the richness of Sephardic life and history.
SAMIS HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
1987
Samis gives first community grant to Seattle1990
Samis grants first $50,000 in support of the Jewish Agency's Operation Exodus for immigrants to Israel from the FSU1994
Samis begins Jewish overnight camp funding, reaching $5.5M in funding by 20192003
Samis gives first major $3.4M capital grant to SHA to recover from Nisqually earthquake2011
Samis passes the $50M in giving mark2015
Samis grants first $75,000 of $1M to Haredi college scholarship programs in Israel2018
Teen Israel Experience Pilot Program begins, increasing giving from $40,000 to $650,0002019
Samis reaches nearly $8M in capital grants to Seattle Jewish day schools2020
2021-2025 Strategic Plan for Philanthropy approved2022
Day School Affordability Initiative launched capping tuition for families earning up to $350K2022
Youth Enrichment and Engagement Initiative launched with >$1M granted over 3 years2022
$1M grant for Sephardic Archives at National Library for Israel