Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on August 14, 2015

with Bibliography

A JewishGen InfoFile

Author: Bernard I. Kouchel

Sephardim, Jews of the Iberian Peninsula, spoke a Judeo-Spanish dialect, written in Hebrew script, called Ladino. Many were forced to convert to Christianity between 1391 and 1497. After the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 the Sephardim settled in north Africa, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, the Balkans, and the Turkish Empire. Subsequently these communities were reinforced by refugees from Portugal.

Large groups later settled in the Netherlands, the West Indies, and North America. They and their descendants founded the Jewish communities of Hamburg, Amsterdam, London, and New Amsterdam (New York City). As they moved to more tolerant lands, many conversos openly returned to Judaism.

The term 'Sephardim' today has a broader definition. It includes all Sephardic communities, including Jews whose country of origin is Greece, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Syria, Turkey and Yemen.

A new and fascinating picture has emerged of descendants of those secret Jews living today as Catholics or Protestants but keeping alive family traditions which are unmistakably clear indications of Jewish origins.

Some families to this day light candles on Friday night, circumcise newborn sons, eat thin flat bread on Passover, use biblical names, and have family traditions of not eating pork. For the most part they consider such activities family traditions and did not ascribe them to Jewish identity until, in recent years, such facts have been made clear to them. Some have expressed interest in learning more about modern Judaism with a view toward re-entering the Jewish mainstream. Others are comfortable in their present religious affiliation but are intrigued by their history.

Robert Singerman completed a 720 page camera-ready manuscipt, SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE JEWRY: A BIBLIOGRAPHY (Greenwood Press 1993). Its over 5000 entries supplement the 5000 plus entries presented in a similar text by Singerman published in 1975. Address: Robert Singerman, Jewish Studies Bibliographer, Price Library of Judaica, 406 Smathers Library, University of Florida, Gainesville Florida 32611, USA. Phone (904) 392-0308]

FIRST AMERICAN JEWISH FAMILIES: 600 GENEALOGIES, 1654-1977, written by (the late) Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern, (KTAV Publ. House 1978, reprinted 1991.) This book should be viewed by anyone researching Sephardic lines. It contains genealogies of many Jewish families who settled in America prior to 1840, traced, where possible, to present. A quick look at the index shows many surnames which appear to be Spanish.

BIBLIOGRAPHY of BOOKS AND ARTICLES in LATIN AMERICAN JEWISH STUDIES 1991-96. Compiled by Judith Laikin Elkin

MEXICAN SEPHARDIC SOURCES. Keep in mind that Monterrey, and the state of Nuevo Leon, was settled by 695 Jewish families escaping the Inquisition in Mexico City. Texas was formerly part of Nuevo Leon. Also, Alonso de Leon, son of the governor of N.L. who lived in Monclova, was from a family who lost several members in the Inquisition. He led 11 expeditions into Texas to find La Salle's Fort St. Louis on Garcitas Creek, the last in 1691. Mexican Sephardic sources:

SUGGESTED READINGS by Yitzchak Kerem. For 20th century Sephard Jewry the key sources are the Central Archives for the Jewish People and the Alliance Israelite Universelle files and bulletins. Mina Rosen's lists of Turkish cemeteries are not yet published. For Greece look at publications by Molho, Recanati, and Emmanuel. For North Africa, look at Michael Laskier's books and Attals bibliographies.

For Latin America's Sephardim, Mordechai Arbel is preparing a bibliography. Latin American Sephard Jewry is divided into four parts; Balkan Sephardim; Damascas origin; Aleppo Sephardim; Moroccan origin.

For each of those groups throughout Latin America, you can find archival material and secondary material in most of the Latin American countries. If one doesn't have such a perspective, one will never find most of the Balkan Sephardim after they dispersed in the beginning of the 20th century. [Yitzchak Kerem , historian on Greek Jewry in the Holocaust. 30Mar94]

The archives has developed a research section for interviews conducted with Hispanics who may be descendants of converso families from Spain or Portugal. In addition, the Archives is developing a bilingual library on the Inquisition and publishes a newsletter. Open to faculty, students, the media, and the general public. Address: Bloom Southwest Jewish Archives, University of Arizona, 1052 N. Highland Avenue, Tuscon, Arizona 85721 USA.

[Information edited from published sources.]

Last modified: 15 April 2004 BIK

Go here to see the original:
Sephardim - Conversos - Marranos: Historical Overview

Category: Sephardic
Tags: