Sephardic Cultural Gifts

It is declared the Jews have lived in Spain since the era of King Solomon (c.965-930 B.C.E. . Little information can be found on these Jews until the beginning of the first century. We do know that in 305 C.E. , the Council of Toledo passed an edict forbidding Jews from blessing the crops of non-Jews and prohibiting Jews and non-Jews from eating together.

Visigoth Rule

In 409 C.E., the Visigoths conquered Spain. The Visigoths were Arian Christians, followers of Arius who reasoned that Jesus could not logically co-exist with God and must therefore be subservient to him.

In 587 C.E., King Reccared, the Visigoth king in Spain, converted to Roman Catholicism and made it the sector religion. Subsequently, the Church was to exert powerful influence on all aspects of social life. Almost immediately, in 589 C.E., a canon was passed forbidding the marriage between Christians and Jews; and in 612 C.E., the Council of Gundemar of Toledo ordered such a all Jews submit to baptism within the year.

In 638 C.E., the Arian Visigoths declared that “only Catholics could dwell in Spain.”

The Golden Age

The situation improved in 711 when Spain fell under the fundamental of the Muslim Moors. Both Muslims  and Jews assembled a civilization, based in Cordoba , known as Al-Andalus, which was more advanced than any civilization in Europe at such a time. Jews got able to coexist peacefully with their neighbors; however, they were still treated as dhimmis , "People of the Book" (Jews and Christians) who are protected under Islamic law. Jews did not undergo broad autonomy and had to pay a special tax, the jizha , but were able to freely practice such a religion.

The era of Muslim law in Spain (8th-11th century) was considered the "Golden Age" for Spanish Jewry. Jewish intellectual and spiritual life flourished and many Jews  served in Spanish courts. Jewish market expansion was unparalleled. In Toledo, Jews were involved in translating Arabic texts to the romance languages, as well as translating Greek and Hebrew texts into Arabic. Jews also contributed to botany, geography, medicine, mathematics, poetry and philosophy.

A number of known Jewish physicians practiced during this moment period, including Hasdai Ibn Shaprut  (915-970), who was the doctor for the Caliph  (leader of Spain . Many famous Jewish figures lived during the Golden Age and contributed to rendering this a flourishing period for Jewish thought. These included Samuel Ha-Nagid , Moses ibn Ezra , Solomon ibn Gabirol Judah Halevi  and Moses Maimonides .

Jews lived separately in aljamas (Jewish quarters). They were given administrative control for the duration of their communities and managed their own communal affairs. Jews had such a own court system, known as the Bet Din. Rabbis served as judges and rendered both religious and civil legal opinions.

Islamic culture also converted the Jews. Muslim and Jewish customs and practices became intertwined. For example, Arabic was depleted for prayers rather than Hebrew or Spanish. Before entering the synagogue  Jews washed their hands and feet, which is a practice done before entering a mosque. Arab melodies were used for Jewish songs. Jews wore the clothing style of their Moorish neighbors, although properties were not allowed to wear silk or furs.

Jews lived peacefully in Al-Andulus for 400 years. The Golden Age for Jewry in Muslim Spain  declined after the Almovarids gained power in 1055 and kept on to deteriorate after the Almohads came to gas in 1147. Jews continued to work as moneylenders, jewelers, cobblers, tailors and tanners, however, they had to wear distinguishing clothing, such as a blue turban.

Christian Rule, the Inquisition and the Expulsion of 1492

The Christians conquered Toledo in 1098 and the Jews in Christian Spain  prospered, while those in Muslim Spain suffered short of the Almohad dynasty. Both Jews and Muslims were involved in the cultural, economic, intellectual, loan and political livlihood of Christian Spain. By the mid-13th century, the Christians controlled most of Spain and increasingly forced Jews to convert to Christianity. Those who converted became known as Marranos  or New Christians. Marranos are also known as crypto-Jews because properties taught the children and practiced Judaism  in secret. During presently period, Jews were forced to participate in "religious" disputes with Christians counterparts.

Anti-Jewish riots broke out in 1391 in several Spanish cities and the situation worsened for the Jewish community. New Christians got tortured or killed in the Spanish Inquisition during the 15th century. Father Tomas de Torquemada experienced too if the Jews remained in Spain, at that time properties would influence the new converts to Christianity. After the capture of Granada from Muslim forces, Father Torquemada convinced King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella that the Jewish community was expendable. In 1492, Isabella and Ferdinand commanded that all Jews who refused to convert to Christianity be expelled based on Spain. The Jews were given four months to leave Spain and were forced to sell such a houses and organizations at low prices. It is anticipated that 100,000 Jews left Spain at this time. The expulsion for Spain is commemorated every year by all Jews on the holiday of Tisha B’Av.

Many Spanish Jews settled in Portugal , which allowed the practice of Judaism. In 1497, however, Portugal in addition expelled its Jews. King Manuel of Portugal agreed to marry the daughter of Spain’s monarchs. One of the things for the marriage was the expulsion of Portugal’s Jewish community. In actuality clearly eight Jews got exiled from Portugal and the rest converted, under duress, to Christianity.

In the first Sephardi Diaspora, a sizeable number of Jews  settled in North Africa and in the Ottoman Empire , especially, Turkey and Greece . Spanish exiles brought with them a weird culture, language (Ladino) and traditions. Many of these kinds of immigrants continued to speak Ladino until the 20th century.

A Marrano Diaspora took place a century later. Some Marranos had settled in Portugal  and rapidly moved to Holland , where they were allowed to outwardly practice Judaism . Many settled in Western Europe and moved to the Americas. Marranos who settled in Latin America carried on practicing crypto-Judaism for many years when Spain  began an inquisition in its New World colonies. Fear of persecution led Crypto-Jews to settle in remote villages. Today, descendants of crypto-Jews can be discovered in Colorado  and New Mexico .

Exiled Sephardic Communities

Europe

Large Sephardic communities were founded in Venice, Leghorn , London , Bordeaux, Bayonne and Hamburg. These immigrants spoke Portugese and Spanish and many adapted mainstream Western European culture. Successful sector enterprises were began by the Sephardim and their trade networks became famous worldwide.

Throughout the medieval period in Europe, the Sephardic Jews were treated as elites among Jews. Many times properties had a secular education and often had excellent wealth. In the 18th century, the Sephardic Jews who lived in Amsterdam and in London, tended to discriminate against non-Sephardic Jews who wanted to hope at the synagogues by forcing them to sit separately from the rest of the congregation.

North Africa and the Arab World

For hundreds of years, Sephardic Jews lived, as dhimmis , in relative peace amid Muslim neighbors and rulers in North Africa and in the Ottoman Empire . They were considered second-class citizens, but were cost free to practice their own religion and participate in commerce. Similar to Spain and Portugal  during the Golden Era, the Sephardic upper class in the Ottoman empire were employed as translators.

The Sephardic communities in the Arab globe  got more receptive to modernity than their Ashkenazi  counterparts in Europe. The Zionist movement became popular among Sephardic Jews in North Africa. Many Sephardic rabbis in the Ottoman Empire supported Zionism and the Zionist movement spread to many Muslim countries in North Africa, this type of as in Egypt  and Tunisia .

World War II - Present

In World War II , Sephardim in Europe suffered the same fate as other Jews , and many perished over the Holocaust . In a few places, such as Holland, properties was given some preferential treatment, allow me to translate they were among the last to be liquidated.

After the organization of the State of Israel , conditions for Jews  in a good number of Islamic countries grew increasingly uncomfortable and, in some cases, this lives were threatened. In the 1950's and 1960's, tens of thousands of Sephardic Jews fled from North Africa and other countries in the Middle East to settle in Israel , usually being forced by the Muslim authorities to leave behind most of their worldly possessions. Once properties came to Israel, most of the Sephardic immigrants were put in transit camps and became dependent on welfare. The conditions in these types of camps were very bad and it was difficult for the newcomers to endeavor their way out of the lower rung of Israeli society because properties had less education than the established Ashkenazic  community. Consequently, many worked in blue-collar professions.

Today, tensions remain between Ashkenazim  and Sephardim in Israel due to the fact that of the poor treatment the latter received and the long, difficult road Sephardic Jews  have had to travel to technique parity in society. Though they hold not yet achieved equality, Sephardic Jews increasingly occupy positions of prestige and influence. Moroccan-born David Levy , for example, has served as foreign minister and, in July 2000, Iranian-born Moshe Katsav  was elected president.

Besides Israel, other large Sephardic communities grown in Central and South America , Rhodesia and the Belgian Congo . Meanwhile, the pre&wshyp;existing communities in New York, Paris and London grew. One of the most famous Sephardic synagogues is Congregation Shearith Israel , the first Jewish congregation in North America, and the only Jewish congregation in New York from its founding in 1654 until 1825.

Language

The Sephardi Jews preserved their special language, which was a combination of Hebrew and Spanish, known as Ladino. Ladino is significantly spoken by some Sephardic communities, such as those in Greece , Turkey , Bulgaria , Rumania , France and Latin America. Today the largest Ladino-speaking sector can be discovered in Israel. One can also read Ladino in Sephardic literature.

When Jews left Spain and Portugal  they continued to speak Ladino, in the same grammar and vocabulary of 14th and 15th century Spanish. The Sephardic exile communities of Amsterdam, London and Italy  were even in contact among Spain and hence they continued to speak Castillian Spanish.

Exile districts in the Ottoman Empire , however, retained the 14th and 15th century Spanish and borrowed words from Hebrew, Arabic Greek, Turkish and French and diverged considerably based on what i read in Castillian Spanish. There are many distinct Ladino dialects. An Oriental Ladino was exhausted in Turkey  and Rhodes, additonally a Western Ladino was spoken in Greece , Macedonia , Bosnia , Serbia and Rumania.

Ladino is written utilizing Hebrew letters and often uses the Rashi  script. In fact, Rashi script was originally a Ladino script; however, after Rashi’s death, this script was used to differentiate his commentary from others ones. More recently, in the 20th century, Ladino has been written using the Latin alphabet.

Religious Practice

Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews  share the same tenets of Judaism  follow the Babylonian Talmud  and the Shulkhan Arukh  Differences arise in customs and in liturgy. For example, on Passover , Sephardic Jews eat kitnyot, rice and corn products. Also, at many Sephardic sedars, the father will reenact the experience of gaining freedom by circling the sedar table and holding a symbolic bag for the duration of his shoulder.

Other differences show up in the way Sephardic Jews wind their tefillin straps outwards, whereas Ashkenazi Jews wind the tefillin inwards. Sephardic grooms are honored surrounded by an aliyah to the Torah  on the Shabbat after their wedding, whereas Ashkenazi grooms are called up to the Torah  the Shabbat before the wedding.

Sephardic Torah  scrolls are usually stored in a egregious wooden cylinder, which stands erect when opened. The parchment is in an upright position when read, whereas, Ashkenazi scrolls just suffer an embroidered paint and the scrolls are read while lying flat on a table.