Sephardi Jews

Jews who originally came from Spain and Portugal are called Sephardi Jews. ‘Sepharad’ is the Hebrew word for ‘Spain’, which is why Jews from this area are called Sephardim. After being expelled from Spain in 1492 and Portugal in 1497, Sephardim settled all around the Ottoman Empire, Europe and the New World.

The Golden Age

Jews lived a wonderful life in Spain between 900 C.E. and 1200 C.E. This time  became known as the Golden Age and it produced a lot of famous people. These included Moses Maimonides, Court Physician to the Sultan Saladin and author of the most famous commentary on the Talmud, the Guide to the Perplexed.  Maimonides was an important doctor.  He is known by an acronym based on the first letters of his Hebrew names: Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon or Rambam.

The Golden Age also produced several poets, including Samuel Ibn Nagrela or Shmuel HaNagid in Hebrew, who is said to have built the magnificent palace in Granada called the Alhambra.

Solomon Ibn Gabirol was another writer of beautiful Hebrew poetry. His most famous work was entitled Mekor HaHayim (The Fountain of Life).

Yehudah HaLevi is one of the most famous poets in Jewish culture.  His poem describing his longing for Israel while living in the Diaspora is called "My Heart is in the East" and part of it goes:

"My heart is in the East and I am in the depths of the West.

My food has no taste.  How can it be sweet

How can I fulfil my pledges and my vows,

When Zion is in the power of Edom, and I am in the fetters of Arabia?

It will be nothing for me to leave all the goodness of Spain.

So rich will it be to see the dust of the ruined sanctuary."

Sent out of Spain

By 1391 Catholic Christians had become the rulers of Spain. They outlawed Judaism and any Jews living in the country were converted to Christianity by force.  These New Christians were known as conversos, or in a slang term meaning ‘pigs’: marranos.

A Church organisation that was like a secret police force, named the Holy Office of the Inquisition, looked for New Christians who were secretly living as Jews.  For example, maids might be called to testify that a family did not eat pork, or lit candles on a Friday night.  If people were found guilty of secretly practising Judaism, they might be executed by being burnt at the stake.  This horrible punishment, called an auto-da-fe, was done in front of the local community.

In 1492 King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella decided to expel the Jews from Spain. Sephardim carried their culture and Judaism to the Ottoman Empire, Poland, Holland and the New Worlds of North and South America.

Ladino

Sephardi Jews spoke a language among themselves that included words from Hebrew and Spanish.  It is called Ladino.  Some Jews still speak and write in Ladino today. One popular song for Chanukah is written in Ladino:

Hanukah lindo sta aki

ocho candelas para mi.

una kandelika, dos kandelikas,

tres kandelikas, kuatro kandelikas,

sintju kandelikas, sysh kandelikas,

sieto kandelikas, ocho kandelikas para mi.

muchas fiestas vo fazar,

con alegrias i plazar.

los pastelikas vo kumer,

con almendrikas i la miel.

Beautiful Chanukah is here,

Eight candles for me.

One candles, two candles, three candles, four candles, five candles, six candles, seven candles, eight candles for me.

I will give many parties with happiness and pleasure.

I will eat the little pies with almonds and honey.

In Tzfat in Israel, Solomon ben Moses HaLevi Alkabez wrote the famous Shabbat Song "Lecha Dodi" ("Come, my beloved") which says the Shabbat is like a bride.

Sephardi Customs

A Sephardi Torah scroll is usually kept in a hard metal or wooden case and read upright. Sephardi Jews have a special and different pronunciation of Hebrew. This pronunciation is now the standard in Israel, and is taught in Jewish schools all over the world.

In Sephardi communities people are allowed to eat rice and nuts during Pesach, although in other communities these foods are not allowed. There are also differences in the structure of some prayers and their place in the Siddur.

 Questions for further discussion

1.        Are you Sephardi? Or is your family descended from Separdi Jews?

2.        Why do Sifrei Torah from countries where Sephardim lived have solid covers that keep the parchment of the scroll inside? [Clue, these countries are very hot and humid.]