Sarah Levin

Executive Director of JIMENA

A) What qualities make the nominee deserving of the Z3 Bridge Builder Award?

Sarah Levin is the Executive Director of JIMENA: Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa, a San Francisco-based advocacy and educational organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the history, heritage, and rights of Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews. Before joining JIMENA, Sarah spent nearly a decade in Israel, where she led various campaigns and community development projects for organizations such as NATAL: Israel Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War, Jewish Agency Absorption Centers in Ashkelon and Kiryat Gat, and interfaith agricultural cooperatives across Israel. For over 20 years, Sarah has remained committed to advocating for Middle Eastern indigenous rights, refugee issues, Jewish diversity, and environmental sustainability—values rooted in her formative professional experiences in Israel.
Sarah joined JIMENA in 2009, just after the organization had obtained its 501(c)(3) status. At the time, JIMENA had no budget, no staff, no strategic plan, and operated as a small speakers’ bureau of former Jewish refugees from the Middle East and North Africa. In the early years of her tenure, Sarah focused on preserving and sharing the stories of one million Jewish refugees, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for JIMENA’s growth. She is grateful to have been mentored by JIMENA co-founder Gina Bublil-Waldman and other prominent leaders in the Jewish refugee advocacy space, such as Dr. Stanley Urman, Levana Zamir, Carole Basri, Rachel Wahba, and Dr. Henry Green. Sarah’s leadership style is shaped by a moral feminist lens passed down to her from a lineage of strong Sephardic women, both within her family and in her professional work.
Under Sarah’s direction, JIMENA has become an internationally recognized organization and a leading voice on Jewish diversity, Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews, indigeneity, and refugee issues. She has spearheaded numerous initiatives that have reached millions, including JIMENA’s Arabic Outreach Program, which educates over 200,000 Arabic readers each week about the history and heritage of Middle Eastern Jews. Additionally, JIMENA’s education and engagement program provides training, curriculum and plethora of educational content on the history of Jews from the Middle East, which has been implemented by more than 900 teachers and endorsed by the California Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education. Sarah also founded Distinctions, an online journal focused on contemporary Sephardic perspectives on current events. Under Sarah’s leadership, in 2022 JIMENA also launched the Sephardic Leadership Institute which has provided leadership development programming for over 300 Sephardi and Mizrahi Jewish communal professionals and lay leaders nation-wide.
In advocacy, Sarah has led campaigns that center the experiences, voices, and rights of Jews from Arab countries and Iran at prominent forums such as the United Nations, the U.S. Department of State, and college campuses throughout the United States. She has also initiated and led research partnerships with institutions like Ben Gurion University and New York University. Under her leadership, JIMENA is conducting the first-ever national demographic study of Sephardic Jewish Americans. To date, JIMENA has produced nearly 1,000 educational and engagement events nationwide and has established strong partnerships with almost every Jewish communal agency in the Bay Area, ensuring that Middle Eastern Jewish heritage is both reflected and included in local Jewish life.
Sarah is also active in interfaith work, collaborating with other indigenous minority groups from the Middle East and North Africa, including Assyrians, Coptic Christians, Yazidis, and Kurds. In 2019, she founded AIMEE: Advocates for Inclusive Middle Eastern Education, an interfaith coalition working to challenge reductive social science curricula in K-12 education. Sarah also worked closely with Yazidi diaspora leadership during the 2014 genocide, offering mentorship and support.

B) In what ways has the nominee demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to their work in bridging divides?

Sarah Levin has demonstrated exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment in her work to bridge divides, both within the Jewish community and between diverse cultural groups.. As the Executive Director of JIMENA, Sarah has made significant strides in ensuring that the history, rights, and heritage of Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews from the Middle East and North Africa are not only preserved but also given a central place in the larger Jewish communal ecosystem. Her leadership has been characterized by an ability to build bridges across various sectors, forging connections between different communities, institutions, and cultures that have historically been marginalized or misrepresented.
A key example of Sarah's bridge-building is her development of JIMENA’s Arabic Outreach Program. This initiative, under her guidance, has reached over 200,000 Arabic speakers each week, creating a space for understanding and education about the shared history of Jews from Arab lands and their former neighbors. The program breaks down misconceptions and fosters a sense of shared heritage, even in regions where tensions have been long-standing. By engaging with Arab-speaking audiences, Sarah is not only advocating for Jewish human-rights but also promoting cross-cultural dialogue that challenges entrenched biases and fosters empathy.
Sarah’s feminist leadership is further reflected in her mentorship of young women and minority leaders. She has worked closely with diasporic leaders, such as those from the Yazidi and Assyrian communities, providing guidance and support during moments of crisis. Sarah is deeply aware of the importance of place, indigeneity, and the intersections of identity and her leadership is rooted in empathy, resilience, and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by marginalized groups. Sarah’s approach to leadership is one that elevates and empowers those around her, ensuring that the next generation of leaders has the tools and confidence to continue bridging divides in their communities while simultaneously upholding the highest respect and integrity for our elders and those whose stories JIMENA shares.

Sarah Levin’s leadership, vision, and strong moral compass, have allowed her to build bridges across divides, whether through cross-cultural education, interfaith collaboration, or within the Jewish community itself. Her commitment to inclusivity, justice, and the empowerment of marginalized voices is evident in every aspect of her work and our community is lucky to have a leader like her!

C) How has the nominee's work impacted the Jewish community and beyond?

Publications authored by Sarah Levin (partial list)
Jerusalem Post. (2024, June 20). We must teach the history of antisemitism in all countries, not just European ones. Jerusalem Post.
E Jewish Philanthropy. (2024, February 14). Empowering Sephardic perspectives as we navigate antisemitism in education. E Jewish Philanthropy.
Jewish Journal. (2023, October 27). The weaponization of Zionism and the IHRA definition. Jewish Journal.
The Jewish News of Northern California. (2023, October 13). How JIMENA is supporting Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews right now. The Jewish News of Northern California.
Jewish News Syndicate. (2023, April 27). DEI programs don't have to harm Jews. Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).
Jerusalem Post. (2022, September 4). Iraqi Jewish archives need to be returned to Iraqi Jews. Jerusalem Post.
J: Jewish News of Northern California. (2022, August 10). Newly founded Sephardic Leadership Institute will elevate Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish voices. J: Jewish News of Northern California.
Cultural Property News. (2022, July 28). Libyan Jewish community fights for rights to heritage. Cultural Property News.
E Jewish Philanthropy. (2021, November 8). JIMENA aims to convene the Sephardic and Mizrahi community, with support from JCRIF. E Jewish Philanthropy.
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News. (2021, October 19). Jewish indigeneity to Israel. Arutz Sheva - Israel National News.
Jewish Women's Archive. (2021, June 8). Episode 63: JIMENA: Mizrahi and Sephardi Voices. Jewish Women's Archive, Can We Talk?.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency. (2021, January 21). Local Jewish groups worked for years to fix the California ethnic studies curriculum. Please don’t minimize our work. JTA: Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Jim Joseph Foundation. (2021, January 15). Learning with JIMENA: A series on insights from leaders in the field. Jim Joseph Foundation.
Newsweek. (2020, August 9). Seth Rogen's rant and the real lessons of modern Jewish history. Newsweek.
Jewish News Syndicate. (2019, December 22). Why I refused to march. Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).
E Jewish Philanthropy. (2019, September 16). Jewish diversity and Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews. E Jewish Philanthropy.
Times of Israel. (2019, March 18). The criminalization of Zionism. Times of Israel.