Spains lower parliament passes Sephardic return bill
Posted By richards on March 27, 2015
Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain. Credit: Malgorzata Kistryn/Shutterstock.com
Legislation in Spain that would naturalize Sephardic Jews was approved by the countrys lower parliament.
The legislation approved Wednesday goes to the countrys Senate for a vote. It is expected to go into effect in May.
The draft bill was introduced in February 2014 by Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, whotoldJTA at the time that it was meant to repair a historical error a reference to the Spanish Inquisition that began in 1492. The Inquisition forced hundreds of thousands of Jews to flee the Iberian Peninsula or convert to Christianity in an attempt to escape religious persecution led by the Catholic Church and the Spanish royal house.
Under current Spanish legislation dating back to 1924, Jews may apply for citizenship if they reside in Spain for more than two years and can prove family ties to expelled Spaniards. Each request is evaluated individually and approved or rejected by a senior Interior Ministry official.
The new draft bill proposes to do away with the demand for residence and to make the application process automatic and not subject to the ministrys discretion for candidates who meet all the criteria.
Spains Council of Ministers, the Spanish Cabinet, approved the draft law last June.
Under revisions introduced in December, applicants must be certified as Sephardic by Spains Federation of Jewish Communities, and then tested in Spain by a government-approved notary on their knowledge of Spanish and Sephardic culture. If they pass, applicants would need to return to Spain at a later date for another procedure.
The Spanish government estimates that about 90,000 people of Sephardic heritage will apply for citizenship, though they may not all qualify, according to the Financial Times.
We welcome your feedback.
Read more:
Spains lower parliament passes Sephardic return bill
- Spains Apology: Muslims too Deserve Correction of Historical Wrongs [Last Updated On: April 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 1st, 2014]
- Jewish Virtual Library Sephardim [Last Updated On: April 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 1st, 2014]
- Music and the Sephardic oral tradition: a life spent documenting Jewish musical heritage - Video [Last Updated On: April 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 1st, 2014]
- Beit Shemesh mayor condemns attack on woman for modesty [Last Updated On: April 3rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 3rd, 2014]
- Evan Kleiman revisits her Passover traditions [Last Updated On: April 3rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 3rd, 2014]
- Spain clarifies legislation offering citizenship [Last Updated On: April 3rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 3rd, 2014]
- Spanish Citizenship for Sephardic Jews: Exactly who will be eligible for a Spanish passport? - Video [Last Updated On: April 5th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 5th, 2014]
- Sephardic Community Center presents The Wiz - Video [Last Updated On: April 6th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 6th, 2014]
- Manischewitz's kitniyot brand: Why this Passover is different from all other Passovers [Last Updated On: April 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 9th, 2014]
- NY rabbi: Ban Jewish groups that support BDS from Israel parade [Last Updated On: April 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 9th, 2014]
- John Hagee speaks of the four blood moons and sephardic jews - Video [Last Updated On: April 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 9th, 2014]
- Onetime Sephardic Towns See Euro Signs in Revival of Lost Jewish Heritage [Last Updated On: April 10th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 10th, 2014]
- Cuisine of the Sephardic Jews - Wikipedia, the free ... [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- Sephardic Genealogy [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2014]
- LA Sephardic Music Festival Recap/Teaser - Video [Last Updated On: April 21st, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 21st, 2014]
- Jewish genetic testing offered [Last Updated On: April 23rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 23rd, 2014]
- Century 21: Expanding beyond its retail comfort zone [Last Updated On: April 29th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 29th, 2014]
- Center for Active Design Names Excellence Award Recipients [Last Updated On: April 29th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 29th, 2014]
- Religion briefs for May 3 [Last Updated On: May 3rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 3rd, 2014]
- Sr. Villa plays a Sephardic tune - Video [Last Updated On: May 3rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 3rd, 2014]
- Pride of Israel Synagogue in North York hosts Jewish Music Week concert [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2014]
- Bakashot Makes Unlikely Comeback as Sephardic Jews Explore Traditions [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2014]
- Cantor pushes China to open historic synagogue [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2014]
- Nikita Khrushchev Denounces Israel to Egyptians [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2014]
- Haftarah sefardi shel yom Tish (Sephardic music) - Video [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2014]
- Reclaiming Spains Jews [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2014]
- Caracas Jews find US home [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2014]
- Venezuelan Jewish Families Transform Miami Suburbs [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2014]
- Strength in unity [Last Updated On: May 14th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 14th, 2014]
- La Jollas Best bets for events [Last Updated On: May 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 16th, 2014]
- Sephardic Judeo-Spanish Song - Video [Last Updated On: May 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 16th, 2014]
- Z01 Mishnah Masechet Berachot Chanted in Hebrew Sephardic Pronunciation - Video [Last Updated On: May 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 16th, 2014]
- "Morenica a m me llaman" ("Little dark girl"). Sephardic song - Video [Last Updated On: May 18th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 18th, 2014]
- 74% of French Jews Consider Leaving Country [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2014]
- Sephardic celebration - Video [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2014]
- Sephardic bar mitzvah - Video [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2014]
- Bar mitzvah Sephardic - Video [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2014]
- No neutrality between extremism and democracy: Kenney [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2014] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2014]
- JAVI DRUMS 2 Improvisacion "Sephardic" - Video [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2014] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2014]
- Sephardic Jews eye return to Spain - reporter - Video [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2014]
- Safra: The sound of coexistence at Berkeleys Ashkenaz [Last Updated On: September 5th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 5th, 2014]
- Sephardic Heritage in DC's Lag La'Omer BBQ - Video [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2014]
- Commenting Guidelines [Last Updated On: September 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 11th, 2014]
- What to do in Andalusia [Last Updated On: September 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 13th, 2014]
- Spanish Cities Celebrate Jewish Womens Contributions to Their Heritage [Last Updated On: September 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 15th, 2014]
- Eastside news: Stroum Center cultural arts lineup [Last Updated On: September 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 17th, 2014]
- The Journey Of The Sephardic Jew Draft - Video [Last Updated On: September 19th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 19th, 2014]
- Sephardic Spices - Video [Last Updated On: September 19th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 19th, 2014]
- Sephardic Congregation Annual Banquet 8/10/2014 - Video 6 - Video [Last Updated On: September 21st, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 21st, 2014]
- Sephardic Congregation Annual Banquet 8/10/2014 - Video 4 - Video [Last Updated On: September 21st, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 21st, 2014]
- Sephardic Congregation Annual Banquet 8/10/2014 - Video 3 - Video [Last Updated On: September 21st, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 21st, 2014]
- Sephardic Congregation Annual Banquet 8/10/2014 - Video 2 - Video [Last Updated On: September 21st, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 21st, 2014]
- Sephardic Congregation Annual Banquet 8/10/2014 - Video 5 - Video [Last Updated On: September 22nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 22nd, 2014]
- Sephardic Congregation Annual Banquet 8/10/2014 - Video 1 - Video [Last Updated On: September 22nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 22nd, 2014]
- Rosh Hashana's Sacred Bread Offers Meaning In Many Shapes And Sizes [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2014]
- Sephardic Women at Shalom Club in Plovdiv - Video [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2014]
- How to Pronounce Machzorim - Video [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2014]
- How to Pronounce Hakham - Video [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2014]
- Sarah Gorby - La Sirena (Sephardic Song) - Video [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2014]
- 20140921 Sephardic Music 2 - Video [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2014]
- 20140921 Sephardic Music Chamber Music Day - Video [Last Updated On: September 28th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 28th, 2014]
- Photos: This Week in Pictures: Top Photos from Around the Globe [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2014]
- Volokh Conspiracy: Does race really matter to Justice Sotomayor? [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2014]
- Teodora Enache-Aisha & Benny Rietveld Quintet | Sephardic Poem & Abraham's Bells - Video [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2014]
- Black Guy Singing Sephardic Jewish Music - Video [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2014]
- Patrick Modiano, French Sephardic Novelist, Wins Nobel for Literature [Last Updated On: October 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 9th, 2014]
- Toledo Recalls Sephardic Past With Sukkot Festival [Last Updated On: October 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 9th, 2014]
- Klezmer And Sephardic Tunes - 33 Traditional Pieces For Accordion - Merima Kljuco - Video [Last Updated On: October 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 9th, 2014]
- Concierto de msica sefard de TAKSIM / Sephardic music concert of TAKSIM. - Video [Last Updated On: October 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 9th, 2014]
- Concert celebrates the Sarajevo Haggadah, a symbol of survival [Last Updated On: October 10th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 10th, 2014]
- Was Nicolas Sarkozy Hated by French Because He's Jewish? [Last Updated On: October 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 16th, 2014]
- Growing strong: Maimonides Academy to open new building for grades three through eight [Last Updated On: October 22nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 22nd, 2014]
- Sephardic Moroccan Gitano Flamenco song - Video [Last Updated On: October 22nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 22nd, 2014]
- Purim Alexandria Egypt 1959 JEWS SEPHARDIC JEWISH - Video [Last Updated On: October 24th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 24th, 2014]
- International Ladino Day 2013- Full Program - Video [Last Updated On: October 30th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 30th, 2014]
- Sephardic medley (Safam version) performed by The Kadima Band at Wellesley College - Video [Last Updated On: November 2nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 2nd, 2014]
- ADIO QUERIDA - new version! by Anna Riveiro & Marcin Olak & Micha Pindakiewicz; Sephardic song - Video [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2014]
- Israelis Turn Frustrated with Netanyahu [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2014]
- The Khazars and the Mountain Jews: Tales from Jewish Azerbaijan [Last Updated On: November 5th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 5th, 2014]
- L.A. Sephardic Film Festival fetes beloved Israeli entertainer [Last Updated On: November 6th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 6th, 2014]
Comments