Congregation Nahalat Shalom (3606 Rio Grande Blvd. NW) is hosting Festival Sefardí this weekend, May 17 through 19. The festival is a semi-annual celebration of the history, language and culture of the “Hidden Jews” of New Mexico. Among the scheduled events are a dialogue between Enrique Lamadrid and Demetria Martínez (Songs of a Troublemaker), a poetry concert (Subterranean Rivers of Migration and Secrecy: The New Mexican Sephardic Experience), an art reception and portrait painting demonstration with Leo Neufeld(New Mexico Landscapes, Streetscapes and Selected Portraits) and a storytelling session (Telling Our Stories – Personal Stories Told by Our Sephardic Friends). It all begins on Friday, May 17 at 5pm with the art exhibit opening, followed by a Sephardic Shabbat vegetarian potluck dinner. Things close out on Sunday, May 19 at 4:30pm with a concert by “orquesta típica” band Lone Piñon. Tickets are $80 for a full weekend pass. Individual event tickets are between $10 and $20. Lone Piñon concert tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. For ticketing and event scheduling go to nahalatshalom.org.
