Ashley Bobman
Ashley grew up with a Sephardic mother and an Ashkenazic father in a household that predominantly focused on its Sephardic roots. During her time as an undergraduate at the University of Washington, Ashley began doing research with Professor Devin Naar that included projects about her great-grandfather Albert Levy, a prominent Sephardic Jew. Throughout these projects, Ashley explored Albert Levy’s efforts to maintain and preserve the Sephardic Jewish culture. Through his creation of the Sephardic Brotherhood of America and his Ladino journalism and newspapers, Albert Levy spent decades promoting Sephardic ideals and traditions. Ashley worked hard to contribute to the Sephardic Studies Initiative during her time at UW, hoping to have an impact similar to that of her great-grandfather. Over the span of four years, Ashley learned to read, write, and even speak some Ladino. Included in her accomplishments was the creation of original poetry that was written and published in Ladino. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from the UW Honors program with a degree in Public Health, Ashley went on to obtain her Master’s in Nursing at Yale. She is now working as a family provider at one of the UW Primary Care Clinics and has joined the Sephardic Seattle Network Board with the hope of continuing the important work of preserving Sephardic culture and traditions.
