Ana Ariel

On many college campuses, Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish students remain marginalized and underserved. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students feel completely abandoned by the existing Jewish infrastructure on college campuses across America. 

For this reason we began SAMi: the Sephardic American Mizrahi initiative, which helps serve students who identify and come from Sephardic and Mizrahi communities. 

SAMi is amongst the first to think strategically about transforming student life to meet the needs and wants of Sephardic and Mizrahi students, creating a pipeline of Jewish leaders, while building and advancing the Jewish professional talent amongst Mizrahi and Sephardic students, preparing them for Jewish leadership, both as lay-leaders (volunteers) and non-profit professionals. 

We strongly believe that Investing in Sephardi and Mizrahi communities today ensures an inclusive and diverse leadership pipeline for the future of the American Jewish community. 

Despite our young age, we have provided a platform and network for 1285 college students and young professionals in NYC and around the nation. We have engaged 258 students in in-person activities, 452 numbers of students in virtual activities, and by the end of December, we will have 49 graduates of SAMi Leadership Institute program. 

Sephardic American Mizrahi Initiative is a new 501c3 organization that focuses on college campuses that have a large number of Sephardic and Mizrahi student-population. SAMi aims to serve their needs and support them while they are going through college in their formative years. SAMi aspires to transform the Jewish community across North America to be more inclusive, representative, and diverse.

Please join us in this journey and help SAMi serve Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish students on campus!