ABOUT
Mission Statement
The SEC is dedicated to strengthening Jewish identity for youth and young adults, and to building a new generation of spiritual and community leaders. From our historic campus in the Old City of Jerusalem to our various diaspora branches, the SEC’s philosophy of Classic Sephardic Judaism offers Jews an opportunity to connect with their roots in a warm, friendly and positive environment. At the SEC, tradition meets modernity, and the timeless values of intellect, unity, compassion and tolerance blend to create a meaningful connection to Judaism, Israel and the Jewish People.
Our philosophy
A Center for All Jews
The SEC is a Sephardic organization with open arms. Our founder, Dr. Jose Nessim z”l, envisioned a movement that would educate Sephardic youth and young adults while welcoming Jews of every background. The SEC teaches traditional Judaism without demanding one uniform level of observance.
This approach reflects the classic Sephardic spirit: respectful, balanced, intellectually serious, and deeply committed to the unity of the Jewish People. The word “Sephardic” at the SEC is not limited to ethnicity, cuisine, or custom. It represents a way of seeing Judaism — warm, moderate, traditional, open-hearted, and rooted in dignity for every human being.
The Vision of Dr. Jose Nessim z”l
Dr. Jose Nessim z”l dreamed of a worldwide Sephardic movement headquartered in Jerusalem — a center that would inspire young Jews, strengthen identity, cultivate leadership, and reconnect the next generation to Judaism and Israel.
What began as a visionary idea became a living institution in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, steps from the Kotel.
Dr. Nessim understood that Israel experiences could transform Jewish identity. Long before Israel trips became a major feature of Jewish education, he placed the SEC campus and its Israel programs at the center of the organization’s mission.
His dream continues through every student, rabbi, educator, family, and leader touched by the SEC.
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Our Founder
“Let us remember that we Sephardim always blended material, emotional and spiritual values in a way of life. We need a second Golden Age, brought about by a true renaissance based on education.”
-Dr. Jose A. Nessim
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Our International Director
“Being Sephardic is much more than one’s ethnic background, cuisine, or a particulate set of customs and traditions. It is a Jewish way of life that all Jews can benefit from. There are no denominational ideologies or affiliations. Much like Maimonides before us, we strive for a tolerant middle path.“
-Rabbi Daniel Bouskila
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Our President & Board
Neil J. Sheff serves as President of the Sephardic Educational Center and has been involved in its programs and leadership for decades, including serving as the SEC’s first Executive Director in Los Angeles. An immigration attorney and co-founder of the Los Angeles Sephardic Film Festival, he continues to advance the SEC’s mission of preserving and sharing Sephardic culture, education, and values.
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Founding Educational Director
Rabbi Benito Garzon was the SEC’s first Educational Director, helping shape its earliest Jerusalem programs beginning in 1980. His engaging teaching style inspired generations of young people across Israel, North America, and Mexico.
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Our Philosophy
“Our holiness will not be complete if we separate ourselves from human life, from human phenomena, pleasures and charms, but only if we are nourished by all the new developments in the world, by all the wondrous discoveries, by all the philosophical and scientific ideas which flourish and multiply in our world, We are enriched and nourished by sharing in the knowledge of the world.”
-Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel