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 late mother and daughter 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.

Archival Inkjet Prints