VV(5) - Sephardim #3

[David Morris]

http://www.orthohelp.com/geneal/seph_who.htm

Who are the Sephardim?
A Brief History

"Sefarad is a Hebrew word meaning Spain. So, in the strictest sense of the 
word the Sephardim (plural of Sephardi) are the Jews who came from the 
Iberian peninsula. Today however the word Sephardim has taken a much wider 
meaning and includes Jewish Communities in North Africa, Iraq (Babylon), 
Syria, Greece, Turkey and most Jews who are not Ashkenazim. The word 
Ashkenazi has had a similar broadening of its definition. Arising from a 
Hebrew word meaning "german" it has taken on a broader definition that 
includes not only German Jews but those of Eastern Europe and Russia as 
well.
Today the distinction between Sephardim and Ashkenazim is primarily one of 
differing traditions due to their backgrounds. Differing languages (ladino 
and arabic vs yiddish and polish), religious melodies during the services, 
festival traditions, Hebrew pronunciation are among the things that differ 
between Sephardim and Ashkenazim.

While Ashkenazim can be religiously subdivided into Orthodox, Conservative, 
Reform, Reconstructionist, etc, the Sephardim have remained largely 
homogeneous and more traditionally religious in what, for lack of a better 
term, is called Orthodox. However it is an Orthodoxy that encompasses the 
entire spectrum of Sephardim, with obviously some Sephardim more religious 
than others, and possibly due to its Moorish exposure and free thinking 
Jewish philosophers such as Maimonides (see later) it is usually, in 
practice if not in dogma, often less rigid than one would expect."

Early history of Spain
"The relatively tolerant and laissez-faire atmosphere then prevalent in the 
crumbling Roman Empire's province of Hispania was shattered in 409 C.E. when 
the Visigoths poured into Iberia from their western german homeland. These 
Aryan Christian (see glossary) Visigoths brought with them intolerance of 
all non Aryan-Christian minorities, ruthlessly killing and plundering for 
much of the three centuries they ruled Iberia. A Roman witnessing the early 
slaughter commented that the Iberian countryside resembled an open air 
morgue. Christianity was the central focus of their state and Jews in 
particular were mercilessly persecuted for denying Christ. What remained of 
the sciences and arts were denounced and abolished. Trade and culture 
plummeted and a dark age descended on the Iberian peninsula.

At the end of the 6th century King Reccared converted to Catholicism and 
made it the state religion. The Church soon became the real power behind the 
throne and frequently were the behind the scenes deciding factor on who 
would become king. In 638 C.E. the Aryan Visigoths declared that "only 
Catholics could live in Spain",, a statement reasserted and implemented many 
centuries later with the expulsion of Jews in later Spain and eerily 
presaging Nazi Germany's stance about non Aryans."

The Moors
In April 711 C.E. Tariq ibn Ziyad (el Moro) landed at what is now called 
Gibraltar (Jebel al Tariq or "Tariq's mountain"). Commanding an army of 
7,000 Berbers from Morocco,, he promptly burnt the fleet that had 
transported them and gave his troops a rousing speech in which he told them 
that with the waters at their rear they had nowhere to go but forward. With 
5,000 re-enforcing troops the Moors met and routed a Visigoth army of 60,000 
under King Rodrigo. By 712 the Moors had reached the Visigoth capital of 
Toledo which threw open its gates to the invading army. Soon the Moors ruled 
all but a small northern slip of the Iberian peninsula and al Andalus 
(Moorish Spain) had come into being.
The reasons for the rapid advance and conquest are numerous but two stand 
out. Following the initial battle and rout of the Visigoth army under King 
Rodrigo, the King's body disappeared but his outer clothing was found at a 
riverside. This peculiar event created a superstitious fear in the minds of 
the Spaniards about the magical powers of the Moors who could make the 
king's body disappear right out of his clothes.

The other reason was the generous terms the Moors offered which contrasted 
markedly with the Visigoths' harsh rule. Approaching Toledo, Tariq offered 
that anyone who wished to leave could do so while those who stayed could 
retain property, practice their religion freely and be governed by their own 
rules and laws."

The Golden Age
"The Ummayad dynasty that rules Moorish Spain for the next century, and 
most, but not all subsequent Moorish rulers, maintained a tolerant and 
multicultural atmosphere that respected and protected minorities, encouraged 
science and the arts and invited scholars from all over to come and serve 
the Caliph. Flowery poetry and the arts, in Arabic and Hebrew, flourished 
and were recited in the langorous evening wine-parties while the sciences 
prospered as never before.

Jews, Moors and Christians lived and worked together in this tolerant 
atmosphere. Many Christians adopted some of the Moors' culture and became 
known as mozarabs. Jews similarly adopted Moorish customs, studied Arabic 
and the Koran while Arabs studied Hebrew and Jewish scriptures. The Greek 
philosophers original writings were studied. Learned Jews and Arab scholars 
translated them into Arabic and Hebrew and from there into Latin setting the 
stage for the European Renaissance. Jewish scholars developed the theories 
that created trigonometry. Algebra was invented. Arabic numbers replaced the 
unwieldy Roman numerals. Paper was manufactured for the first time. Immense 
libraries developed and were open to the public. Cordoba had a million 
volumes at a time when the largest library in Europe had a dozen 
manuscripts.

Jewish philosophers studied Plato and Aristotle and developed new 
philosophies incorporating these theories with Jewish theology and thinking. 
Prominent among these was Maimonides who was influenced by the arab 
philosopher Averroes and whose writings aroused much controversy and 
criticism from the narrowly traditionalist Jewish religious authorities 
particularly of France and Germany because of their use of reason and logic 
rather than tradition and blind faith. Solomon Ibn Gabriol, ibn Ezra and 
Judah ha Levi wrote exquisite poetry and Moses Ibn Ezra and others wrote 
grammar and mathematical treatises. With the interest in Arabic grammar, 
Hebrew grammar was developed and the language revived.

Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in Christian Europe flocked to Spain 
much as they did to the USA in our day. Even educated Christian scholars 
seeking erudition moved to tolerant Spain, some even converting to Judaism. 
In the 8th and 9th centuries thousands of Jews from Morocco and Egypt 
migrated to Al Andalus."







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