TV Show

 I was interviewed by Rabbi Richard Address of the Jewish Sacred Aging, and I discussed my Sefardic background,  how we moved to the Willows in Westborough, MA and my personal theology.

https://vimeo.com/581051990

Please check it out.

WHO ARE SEFARDIC JEWS?

 Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, PhD

Presently, there are two major Jewish groups in the world: Ashkenazic, who trace their background to Germany and other Eastern European countries, and Sefardic Jews, who lived in and came out of Spain.  Both groups are influenced by the cultural life of their respective original communities.

The term “Sefarad” appears only once in the Bible: In the prophet Obadiah (v.20), written most likely well after the destruction of the first temple of Jerusalem in 586/7 BCE. (Others place it as late as the 5^th cent. BCE). “Sefarad” probably refers to Sardis, a city in Asia Minor. However, in the Aramaic translation of the Bible, the Targum Jonathan (7^th cent. CE), the name was associated with Spain, and that identification remained for many centuries. So, by definition, Sefardic Jews are those who trace their origin to Spain.

How did the Jews get to Spain? In the year 711, the Arab commander, Tarik ibn Ziyyad, crossed the straights of Gibraltar, and began to conquer Spain. Many Jews from North Africa followed him. They set up communities in various parts of Spain, giving rise to a celebrated Jewish culture. Among the great luminaries that emerged in the country, one can mention  Ibn Gabirol, the poet (d.1069), ibn Ezra, the renowned biblical commentator (d. 1167) and the philosopher Maimonides (d. 1204). However, the Christian forces in the north initiated the Reconquista as early as the 11^th cent. and started to push the Moslems south and away from Spain. Things worsened for the Jewish communities, too. In 1391 a major riot occurred in Seville and many Jews were killed. The Inquisition was set up in 1480 and went after the Conversos, new converts to Christianity. Finally, in 1492, claiming that the Jews were  a bad influence on the new Christians, King Ferdinand of Aragon and his wife Queen Isabela issued a decree of expulsion of all Jews from Spain. Thousands left, many arriving in the Ottoman Empire. (Jews have returned to Spain recently, and there are synagogues in many parts of the country).

There are considerable differences between Ashkenazic Jews and Sefardic Jews. Here are some examples:

a.     Liturgy: there are many differences between Ashkenazic and Sefardic prayers.

b.     Religious practices: Sefardic Jews follow the teachings of the Shulhan Aruk by Joseph Caro 16^th cent), whereas Ashkenazic Jews follow the writings of Moses Isserless (16^th cent.).

c.     Language: Ashkenazic Jews spoke/still speak Yiddish (a Jewish/German dialect); whereas Sefardic Jews spoke/still speak Ladino, based on Spanish.

d.     Most Sefardic Jews name their children after living parents. Ashkenazic Jews after dead parents.

e.     Sefardic Jews use flat stones at the cemetery but Ashkenazic Jews prefer upright stones.

f.      The cuisine of Ashkenazic Jews is considerably different from Sefardic cuisine.

g.     The Synagogue music for Sefardic Jews is very different from the music used by Ashkenazic Jews.

Se   Also, Sefardic Jews pronounce Biblical and rabbinic Hebrew differently from Ashkenazic Hebrew. 

There are some Jews around the world that do not really belong to either group, often referred to as Mizrahi Jews, such as the Jews of Yemen or Iran, because they did not become part of the peregrinations of either Sefardic or Ashkenazic Jews. In practical terms, however,  these communities follow the Sefardic rituals and religious practices.

What is the present situation? In Israel, the Jewish community is divided between these two groups. Outside of Israel, in the US and Europe, there are more Ashkenazic Jews that Sefardic Jews. On the other hand, the rate of inter-cultural marriages between these two groups continue to grow. (For the record: I am a Sefardic Jew from Turkey, whereas my wife is Ashkenazic from Argentina).

For the foreseeable future, the division between these two groups will continue, even if the lines of demarcation are not so clear in many communities.