#Jews in #Zimbabwe

The Sephardic Community of Harare (Zimbabwe) was constituted in 1931, mainly by Jews originating from the island of #Rhodes. In 1934 the Synagogue was built, and the congregation entered a period of growth. Thus, in the following decades were incorporated community institutions such as Sha’are Shalom Synagogue and Rhodes Community Memorial Hall. In 1961 there were about 2,000 Sephardi in Harare who, after independence from the United Kingdom (1964), enriched society as a whole, as businessmen, doctors, engineers, doctors, lawyers and teachers. Unfortunately, successive migratory waves have reduced up to 50 members the size of a community that proudly maintains its identity.

One of the most illustrious members of the current #Harare Sephardic Community is Stella Hanan Cohen, well known for her role as a cookbook writer. Driven by the desire to preserve both the gastronomy and the language inherited from its Spanish ancestors, it decided to publish the delicious book “Stella’s Sephardic Table”, which has already been awarded five international awards and has been widely disseminated in the Sephardic world. Likewise Stella is a renowned plastic artist, who in her pieces of high mystical and symbolic content reflects the identity of Jewish women of yesteryear. His indefatigable efforts earned him the ‘Woman to Watch’ award given in 1999 in the USA by the Jewish Women International.