SAMi: Sephardic and Mizrahi Student Conference in Miami
On March 10th - 12th over 50 students from 21 universities across the country gathered in Miami Beach, FL to gain leadership and entrepreneurial skills, connect with like-minded peers, and develop an individual leadership approach, within a Jewish communal scene. The goal was to support Sephardic and Mizrahi college students in their formative years all while building a richly diverse leadership pipeline.
“When comparing the Sephardic and Mizrahi community with the broader American Jewish community, we have seen that they are much more vulnerable, and need leaders to emerge for this upcoming generation of young Jews to thrive in the future.” said Manashe Khaimov, founder and CEO of SAMi, the Sephardic American Mizrahi Initiative, a nonprofit that works with students and young professionals from Jewish backgrounds in North Africa, Middle East, Iran and Central Asia.
“Most Sephardic and Mizrahi students do not have access to youth groups, such as NCSY or BBYO, and thus arrive at college lacking leadership skills to fully participate in Jewish life on campus. We have learned from our programs and interactions with these students that they continue to feel marginalized and underserved.” said Khaimov
“Our annual conference was announced in the beginning of January and was sold out in less than a month. There is a demand among students of non-Ashkenazi backgrounds to secure successful careers, give back to their communities, and develop their Jewish identities,” said Rozeeta Mavashev, SAMi board member.
Speakers at this annual conference included Steven Kupchan, a real estate entrepreneur based in South Florida who speaks 8 languages and has an illustrious career where he stated that his identity and self development is what drove him toward success. He discussed the intersections of his identities as it relates to his career choices and how being an entrepreneur and representative of his community has also influenced young adults and college students to take pride in who they are and pursue career and life paths that can change their life and their family’s life.
SAMi CEO, Manashe Khaimov led a sessions on Discover A Path To Your Leadership Style, finding your voice, and following your passions. With his reputation and an over 15-year track record developing leaders amongst the Sephardic and Mizrahi population Manashe is a one-stop-shop for leadership development of our youth, today.
We closed the conference with Michael Barayev, a New Yorker whose career brought him to South Florida. With ambition, mentorship, and passion he was able to build a team of 150 employees in less than two years selling solar panels, making our world a more sustainable place. Alongside his work Barayev is also a business consultant and social media influencer who has appeared in dozens of publications and news shows. His session was titled “Everything you do in life is sales,” whether you are actually selling something physical or advocating for Israel on campus, or building a vibrant and diverse Jewish life at your college, it’s all sales.
“SAMi showed me that I can make my own mark on the Jewish World” said Moshe Rafialov student from Long Island University
Throughout the conference out in-house guru and board member, Rozeeta Mavashev worked with the students one on one to give guidance and advice on how they can create and Sephardi and Mizrahi community on their respective campuses. Rozeeta Mavashev, who was recently recognized by Hillel International for her outstanding work in community organizing and building Mizrahi and Sephardi inclusive spaces and was awarded the 2022 Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award. She currently serves as a director at Tanger Hillel of Brooklyn College. In one of her sessions she discussed how to navigate campus bureaucracy and the significance of Jewish representation in student government. “These things mean a lot for Jewish life on campus, representation of Sephardic and Mizrahi voices, and maintaining support for Israel” said Khaimov.
"I've been to so many conferences throughout my college career in the past three years and this is the first one that felt Jewish to me. What I mean by that is that my Jewish was seen, celebrated, and made space for. My Mizrahi/Sephardi culture showed up in the community of people, the shabbat traditions, the food, the leadership workshops, even the free time. It was wholesome" -Joel Nasar a Syrian student and leader at Brooklyn College.
Among all that the students got to also connect with one another as they enjoyed the sun and amenities offered by the Holiday Inn Miami Beach-Oceanfront hotel, with strictly kosher meals, lodging, entertainment, and meals hosted at the local Bukharian Jewish Center throughout shabbat. SAMi doesn’t believe in turning anyone away and students who expressed financial hardship were offered travel subsidies and scholarships. “There is leadership potential in every student and we do not want them to miss out on this event,” Khaimov said.
"I've been to a few different Shabbaton programs before and there's always a point in time where my anxiety gets the best of me and I think 'why did I come here I clearly don't belong'. That never happened at the SAMi Shabbaton even though I was surrounded by new people from a variety of backgrounds often times in environments where I couldn't speak the language that people where talking in." said Ben Konig, student from University of Santa Barbara
On average, a student paid $300 to $400 towards the conference and that shows their commitment. “We treat every student as philanthropists and our model is to make sure they have their skin in the game. We see this as an opportunity to strengthen their community, ensuring its future and their own commitment towards Jewish life and peoplehood” he said.
“Attending the SAMI National conference was an incredible experience. I left feeling inspired and motivated to continue my personal, professional, and spiritual growth. I am grateful to have been a part of this transformative experiance and looking forward to attending future programs. As someone with a non-traditional background from Israel, I was thrilled to be among like-minded individuals who shared my interest in exploring and connecting to Judaism, leadership, and entrepreneurship”. by Ron Gur Economics & Management major from The Open University of Israel
The conference is partially funded by The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation, The Covenant Foundation, B’nei Zipora Organization, an anonymous donor, with support from the nonprofits JIMENA, JNF, Zakinov and Pinkhasov family.
For more information, visit https://www.samiglobal.org/new-page
by SAMi Team
