TU KE BIVAS
2021 - 2025
Tu Ke Bivas takes its name from a Sephardic blessing my parents often invoked: "May you live, grow, and thrive like a little fish in freshwater." I am a Sephardic Jew, descended from the diasporic population expelled during the Spanish Inquisition in the late 15th century. Over generations, my family’s migrations have led us through Turkey, Colombia, and ultimately to the United States. Throughout, we have maintained our Ladino language, Jewish religion, and Sephardic customs.
My photographs explore how my mother and daughter continue to enact these traditions and rituals. As I contemplate their different ways of preserving and celebrating our history, I consider my own relationship to this heritage and what interpretations my daughter will carry forward.
(This portfolio consists of 47 images, fewer than half of which are currently displayed on this website. Please contact me at becky@beckybehar.com to view the full portfolio. The project was originally titled Tu Que Bivas and was renamed Tu Ke Bivas in Spring 2025 to reflect Ladino spelling.)
To learn more about the images, please click the button below to access a regularly updated audio guide filled with explanations, comments from curators and written transcripts for hearing impaired.
This portfolio is supported by a generous grant from the Combined Jewish Philanthropies Arts & Culture Community Impact Grant.
