Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa (JIMENA) is a nonprofit organization that educates and advocates on behalf of Jewish refugees and Mizrahi Jews from Arab countries. JIMENA acts as a resource center for Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish life to strengthen cultural continuity with Israel and the Middle East and bridge the gaps between local Jewish and Middle Eastern communities. ¹

Activities

Through its advocacy efforts, Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa aims to combat antisemitism and counter revisionist narratives of Middle East history. JIMENA claims that these narratives erase the histories of Jewish refugees from the region to delegitimize Israel. JIMENA advocates against the idea that the state of Israel and its American Jewish supporters have no connection to the Middle East. ²

JIMENA’s Arabic Outreach Initiative is an online, multi-lingual educational platform that provides the history and personal stories of Jews from North Africa and the Middle East. The Initiative intends to act as a space for constructive discussion and learning amongst Arabic-speaking individuals and engages nearly 50,000 individuals in North Africa and the Middle East each day via country-specific websites and social media platforms. The Initiative’s two main goals are to challenge antisemitism in the Arab world and to promote normalization of relations with Israel. ³

JIMENA produced a series of lesson plans and educational units about antisemitism and Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in an effort to advance the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism put forth by the Biden Administration in 2023. The Strategy supports teaching students the global histories of antisemitism, including the Holocaust. ⁴

Funding

Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While JIMENA does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the National Philanthropic Trust ($103,333 in 2021), ⁵ the Jewish Communal Fund ($73,600 in 2021), ⁶ and the Covenant Foundation ($50,000 in 2022). ⁷

People

Sarah Levin is the executive director of Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa. Levin formerly worked for the Israeli nonprofit NATAL: the Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center. ⁸

Sapir Taib is the senior program director at JIMENA. Taib is a former program coordinator for Birthright and a member of the Israel Youth Exchange Authority. Taib oversees social media groups for local Jewish and Israel-related events in the San Francisco Bay Area. ⁹

Hadeel Oueis is the Arabic outreach manager at JIMENA. Oueis is an analyst of U.S. policies in the Middle East for major Arabic media networks. ¹⁰

Matthew Nouriel is the community engagement director at JIMENA. Nouriel works as a digital producer for Jewish organizations like the Tel Aviv Institute, JDC Entwine, JQ International, and the Aguda. ¹¹

Ty Alhadeff is the director of education at JIMENA and lead developer of the Sephardic Leadership Institute. Alhadeff sits on the board of Congregation Ezra Bessarot. ¹²

Board of Directors

Gina Waldman is co-founder and president of the board of Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa. Waldman has testified before the U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus. Waldman is a former director of the Bay Area Council for Soviet Jewry and a winner of the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award. ¹³

Paul Geduldig is the CEO of the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, a former CEO of the Peninsula Jewish Community Center, and a former executive director of Temple Sinai in Oakland. ¹⁴

Siamak Kordestani is the West Coast director of Friends of ELNET (European Leadership Network) and a former assistant director of the American Jewish Committee’s L.A. Regional Office. ¹⁵

Other members of the board include Nadav Baiati, Adi Horn, Nathaniel Malka (vice president), Joseph Samuels, Rachel Wahba, Vicky Tsur, and Dan Waldman (treasurer). ¹⁶

JIMENA’s Advisory Board includes Carole Basri, Eric Benhamou, Elliott Benjamin, Daniel Bouskila, Adam Eilath, Lauren Janov, Hen Mazzig, and David Schraub. ¹⁷

JIMENA’s Arabic Outreach Advisory Council includes Hussein Aboubakr, Driss Bouyahya, Mustapha Ezzarghani, Yoni Garfinkel, and Eman Houmaid. ¹⁸

1. “About JIMENA.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/about-jimena/.
2. “JIMENA’s Campaigns to Combat Antisemitism.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/combatting-anti-semitism/.
3. “Arabic Outreach.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/arabic-outreach/.
4. “Sephardic and Mizrahi Lesson Plans.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/sephardic-and-mizrahi-lesson-plans/.
5. National Philanthropic Trust, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Schedule I, Part II.
6. Jewish Communal Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Schedule I, Part II.
7. Covenant Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, Schedule I, Part II.
8. “Sarah Levin.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/staff/sarah-levin/.
9. “Sapir Taib.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/staff/sapir-taib/.
10. “Hadeel Oueis.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/staff/hadeel-oueis-arabic-outreach-coordinator/.
11. “Matthew Nouriel.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/staff/matthew-nouriel-program-coordinator/.
12. “Ty Alhadeff.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/staff/ty-alhadeff-director-of-the-sephardic-leadership-institute/.
13. “Gina Waldman, President.” JIMENA, January 16, 2013. Accessed January 12, 2024.  https://www.jimena.org/board/gina-waldman-president/.
14. “Welcoming JIMENA’s New Board Members.” JIMENA, February 8, 2022. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/welcoming-jimenas-new-board-members-staff/.
15.  “Welcoming JIMENA’s New Board Members.” JIMENA, February 8, 2022. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/welcoming-jimenas-new-board-members-staff/.
16. “JIMENA Board Members.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/board-of-directors-and-advisory-board/.
17. “JIMENA Board Members.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/board-of-directors-and-advisory-board/.
18. “JIMENA Board Members.” JIMENA. Accessed January 12, 2024. https://www.jimena.org/board-of-directors-and-advisory-board/.