Introduction: Who Are MENA Jewish Women?

EXPLORE

Society & Culture

© 2024 PodJoint

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/23/eb/84/23eb84bf-c6ad-0931-d03e-a6a81f7aabb0/mza_16168367654847320782.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

Ayuni: Voices of our Jewish Grandmothers

Sarah Sassoon, Dalya Arussy Di Veroli, Drora Arussy

1 episodes

12 hours ago

Welcome to Ayuni: Voices of Our Jewish Grandmothers, a podcast celebrating the lived stories of Middle Eastern and North African Jewish women. Ayuni, a term of endearment meaning “my eyes,” passes from grandmother to granddaughter, carrying worlds of memory, longing, and love. In each episode, we step into the hidden rooms of our histories: kitchens and henna nights, women’s songs and prayers, mikveh stories, Rosh Hodesh gatherings, and contemporary conversations about identity, silence, and voice. As we uncover the stories of the women who quietly held our families and communities together, we also make space for yours—because these histories live on when we share them. Sponsor an episode today at https://www.unitytdiversity.com/contact-donations Send us your stories at ayunivoices@gmail.com and be a part of keeping this heritage alive!

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

All content for Ayuni: Voices of our Jewish Grandmothers is the property of Sarah Sassoon, Dalya Arussy Di Veroli, Drora Arussy and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Welcome to Ayuni: Voices of Our Jewish Grandmothers, a podcast celebrating the lived stories of Middle Eastern and North African Jewish women. Ayuni, a term of endearment meaning “my eyes,” passes from grandmother to granddaughter, carrying worlds of memory, longing, and love. In each episode, we step into the hidden rooms of our histories: kitchens and henna nights, women’s songs and prayers, mikveh stories, Rosh Hodesh gatherings, and contemporary conversations about identity, silence, and voice. As we uncover the stories of the women who quietly held our families and communities together, we also make space for yours—because these histories live on when we share them. Sponsor an episode today at https://www.unitytdiversity.com/contact-donations Send us your stories at ayunivoices@gmail.com and be a part of keeping this heritage alive!

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/23/eb/84/23eb84bf-c6ad-0931-d03e-a6a81f7aabb0/mza_16168367654847320782.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

Introduction: Who Are MENA Jewish Women?

Ayuni: Voices of our Jewish Grandmothers

28 minutes

2 days ago

Introduction: Who Are MENA Jewish Women?

“You are dearer to me than my own eyes”

December 14, 2025 - 25 Kislev 5786

Episode Summary

In our opening episode, we explore the heart of Ayuni: Voices of Our Jewish Grandmothers. Ayuni—“my eyes,” “dearer to me than my own eyes”—is the tender phrase many Middle Eastern Jewish grandmothers used for their children and grandchildren. We introduce who Mizrahi MENA Jews are: ancient Jewish communities from the Middle East and North Africa, most of whom were forced to leave their homelands in the mid-20th century due to persecution. Today, their descendants live mostly in Israel, carrying fragments of language, song, and memory. Much of their story—especially women’s stories—was lost or never recorded. Ayuni seeks to uncover, honor, and restore these voices.

Enjoyed this episode?

Please like, comment, or leave a review wherever you’re listening to the podcast or email us at ayunivoices@gmail.com.

Your encouragement helps us carry these ancestral stories into the world — story by story, grandmother by grandmother.

Share Your Story

Every family holds a universe of memory.

If you’ve carried a song, a story, a proverb, a photograph, a silence — we welcome you to share it with us at ayunivoices@gmail.com
What memory from your grandmother’s kitchen still warms your hands and heart?

A dish, a spice, a scent — what story does it carry?

Your voice becomes part of our collective archive.

Email us at ayunivoices@gmail.com so that we can feature your story on a future episode!

Stay Connected

- Instagram: @ayunivoices

- YouTube: @JewishUnityDiversity

- Jewish Unity Through Diversity registration: https://www.unitytdiversity.com/contact-donations

Support Our Voices
Ayuni is a labor of heart and heritage.

Become a supporter: If you believe in preserving the lived stories of Middle Eastern and North African Jewish women, please consider supporting this work. Your contribution helps us document what was almost forgotten — and amplify what must be remembered.
Sponsor an episode: We partner with individuals and organizations who honor storytelling, heritage, and women’s voices.
If you’d like to sponsor an episode in memory of a grandmother or in celebration of your family's story, please reach out: ayunivoices@gmail.com

Mentioned in This Episode

Gabai, Nili. Ha-Ishah ha-Yehudiyah be-Bagdad. Agudat ha-aḳademaʼim yotsʼe ʻIraḳ be-Yiśraʼel, The Jewish Woman in Baghdad (Hebrew), 2006.

Links & Resources

- Sephardic Voices: The Forgotten Exodus of the Arab Jews, Henry Green, Richard Stursberg, 2021

- Memories of Eden, Violette Shamash, Forum, 2008

- Uprooted:How 3000 Years of Jewish Civilization in the Arab World Vanished Overnight, Lyn Julius, Vallentine Mitchell, 2018