About Sephardic U

Sephardic U helps bind me closer to my faith and heritage. The lectures and articles have had a profound effect on my thinking and my relationship to my faith and to God. Seph U's continued existence will ensure that a vitally important voice continues to participate in ongoing Jewish discourse.

Sephardic U addresses many relevant topic relative to Judaism today. It shares with the reader to the source text that discusses each topic and empowers the reader to draw its own conclusions with respect to each topic. Sephardic U's focus on addressing some of the more onerous aspects of Judaism in an effort to make the religion more approachable and enjoyable is sorely needed to keep Judaism relevant for generations to come.

Sephardic U helps me increase my Halachic knowledge base and continue to allow me to grow. It is the only service of its kind currently available that allows for explanations of and intent of the origin of our Jewish laws.

New appreciation of the Sephardic tradition and confirmation that Orthodoxy can be a sane, healthy lifestyle. Balancing the Ashkenazi-centric, stricture loving face of 21st century Orthodoxy that is driving people away.

Wonderful shiurim on a variety of subjects that strengthen my knowledge, while also challenging my take on these subjects - from halacha to Parashat ha'shavoah etc. There is a thirst for Torah knowledge among many Jews - and we need to have as many teachers as possible available, as every potential student will require a different Rabbi - be it teaching style, approach to halacha etc. I find Chacham Haim's style of teaching similar to what I've read of how the Chachamim used to teach in centuries gone by and it's an asset to those who wish to utilize it.

Your direction is critical to Jewish survival Halacha suggests evolving thought and emotion - This is the problem with our Contemporary community and troublesome to all denominations - Assimilation breeds these societal issues- the approach to needed change requires interdenominational interest and acceptance- hard to achieve but worth the struggle Shalom

Sephardic U allows me to stay connected and continue growing in Judaism no matter where I am in the world at any time and any place. Sephardic U is something that people all on levels can relate to and is needed to help Jews live in a world changing around them.

I need modern information as I would like religion to dissipate in these hard times to be religious. There is not anything like it. It makes me feel sane to see someone this bright able to apply Halacha appropriately.

I was able to learn Tora and Halakha in a classic Sephardic manner, where we focused on finding solutions rather than amplifying problems. The poseq needs to have real empathy, to have love in their heart in order to be a true hakham. We need rabbis and spiritual leaders who have the courage to address the issues of the modern world. Hakhamim that are fully trained in the text, and fully in touch with the communities they serve. We need rabbis who radiate love and joy and who are also fully conversant with our tradition.

Understanding clearly what is halacha and not confusing it with customs and added restrictions. It helps brings more joy and meaning to Judaism. In a world of Orthodox Judaism that focuses so much on the wrong things, we need to be constantly reminded to focus on proper morals and values, so we can raise the next generation to be kind, compassionate, loving and non-judgmental.... to be “observant” and follow our traditions, not by force or fear, but through love and understating and connecting to God and all human beings.

I really enjoy getting the halachot in a timely manner, especially those related to chagim. The Pesach guide was so helpful, especially being Ashkenaz married to Sepharad and being able to be more flexible in our home together. I love the little tips, and find often share them with friends. It’s really useful as a busy parent/professional to get snippets of Torah learning each day. It gives me and my husband interesting things to talk about and continue to learn together.

Sephardic U is a source for learning important perspectives regarding halakha and hashkafa from the Sephardic and Mizrahi world. Furthermore, it plays a vital role in keeping halakhic discourse balanced, responsive and meaningful through teaching diverse perspectives that reflect the organic nature of halakhah. Lastly, Sephardic U presents its audience with a Judaism infused with love, joy, commitment and meaning.

I have benefited immensely from Sephardic U from learning the laws of Shabbat recently to Rabbi Ovadia's earlier shiurim on kashrut, eruvim, tzniut, and much more. I think it is important to keep Sephardic U going to provide an accessible way for people to learn Torah from a learned Rabbi. I look forward to listening to Rabbi Ovadia's shiurim. I hope that Sephardic U will continue to exist and grow as it is a source of inspiration in my practice of studying Torah and learning about mitzvot in detail.