Sephardic Hands-Stories and Flavors of Sephardic Women: Istanbul & Lisbon
We are so happy and proud to announce “Sephardic Hands” — a conversation woven from memory, taste, and tradition.
In this intimate gathering, we’ll explore how Sephardic women have carried culture across generations — through food, rituals, language, and care. From Istanbul to Lisbon, we’ll reflect on what it means to belong, and how heritage lives in the everyday gestures of the women who came before us.
Speakers:
Ivet Acu Güney
Chef instructor, researcher of global Jewish cuisine and Sephardic culinary history and founder of Las Manos Cooking Class.
Born in Moda, Istanbul, and raised in Kuzguncuk. As a descendant of a family that emigrated from Spain to the Ottoman Empire in 1492, she deepened her interest in cooking through formal culinary training.
She received education in world cuisines at Istanbul USLA Academy, Milan Cook and Dine Academy in Italy, and Culinary SFI in Stockholm. After relocating to Stockholm, Sweden in 2016, she continued her career in the culinary field.
In 2020, she founded Las Manos Cooking Class, becoming the first Turkish entrepreneur to open a cooking studio in Sweden. Through Las Manos, she continues to offer workshops and seminars on Turkish, Sephardic and world cuisines.
She collaborates with brands and institutions such as Trattoria Grazie, Habajit Stockholm Catering and Sizzle Food.
She continues her work on Sephardic cuisine and culture in Turkey under the CucinaNo75 Gastronomy Experience Platform.
Raquel Drozdzinski Ruah
I was born in Lisbon in the summer of 1966 within a traditional Jewish family ,from very strong origins in North Africa, Morocco, and a pinch of Poland.
When I was still very young, I began to learn family traditions from my grandmother and mother. My love for cooking grew and tradition led me to change the course of my life.
Graduated in interior architecture, window dresser for 32 years but always around the pots and pans, I realized that the world was changing.
Jewish tourism in Portugal was growing and I decided to open together with my husband a Kosher store.
As this was not enough and with constant demand, we entered the world of catering and are now responsible for the kitchen of the Israeli community in Lisbon.
We believe that we will still have many challenges to live in the world of Jewish tradition.