It may seem peculiar discussing assimilation in reference to religious Sefardic or Persian Jews. On the surface, most would surmise that such individuals are actually resisting assimilation by choosing a Torah observant lifestyle. This may be true for a select few individuals who find Torah through the search for truth and remain committed to this ideal throughout their spiritual growth process.

However, far too many young individuals today choose the religious path simply in order to fit in. This alone is an important topic of discussion which merits a separate dedicated discussion. As it pertains to assimilation, “fitting in” in a religious context is quickly leading to the loss of our unique cultural and halachic perspective of Torah Judaism.

Perhaps it is a lack of Sefardic educational institutions or a lack of leadership, but it does not take long for one to see that Sefardic religious Jews are quickly becoming indistinguishable from Ashkinazi religious Jews aside from a darker skin tone. For those who incorrectly believe that this “sameness” is a step in the right direction because it represents unity are terribly misguided. Achdut, or unity in the Jewish community, is not a function of everyone being the same, but rather is a function of all Jews appreciating the unique contribution of different individuals and cultures to world Jewry. This is an extremely important topic, as this misguided concept of unity has invaded the modern religious mind far and wide, and requires a separate critical review.

The idea that unity is in essence “uniformity” is just one of many ideas and practices religious Persians and Sefardim have recently taken on through religious assimilation. The desire to fit in has led to Persians who dress in traditional European garb with black suits and black hats that stifle our natural inclination towards spirituality. Our heritage teaches us that we should wear our best clothing on Shabbat and with as much white as possible. Substantial historical and halachic evidence exists that suggests black hats and suits are not the ideal garb for a religious Jew. In fact, there are sources which mention we should avoid black completely because of its association with mourning.

An even clearer example is the introduction of sheitals or wigs into our community as the new replacement for tichels or scarves. This is something which is not only clearly forbidden by halacha but also one which is obviously inconsistent with the spiritual level of Sefardim for which we are often praised for. Another unfortunate change we have seen is a change in attitude towards family. Sefardim have always been known to have stronger family values, which have been one of the most important factors in protecting us against assimilation into secular society. In the past, we all attended one shul, and each family – no matter how irreligious -- was bound to have several cousins, uncles, aunts, etc who were Torah observant Jews who kept them close to Judaism. The new brand of religious Judaism which we are assimilating into has taught us to separate from our family. Besides being halachically wrong, this can devastatingly lead to an increase in secular assimilation among our less religious family members.

One can go on and on with specific examples of religious assimilation but the key takeaway is that the process is no different than secular assimilation and is not rooted in truth. It is important to realize that neither religious Ashkinazi nor traditional Sefardic Jews have it completely right – or else Mashiach would already be here. The religious growth process should be a quest for truth, not a quest to fit in. Because we are focused on fitting in rather than the truth, we are losing important true perspectives on Torah Judaism which may be lost forever and have a damaging effect on world Jewry or the arrival of Mashiach.

 Before it’s too late, we should take action to preserve our values and culture. The best way to do this is by demanding that our religious and community leaders lead us to Torah through a pursuit of truth and without giving in to our yetzer hara of fitting into the religious mainstream Ashkinazi community.

Born in Iran, and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Rabizadeh earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Rutgers University with Highest Honors. Raised in a traditional home, he became more observant during his college years through organizations such as Aish Hatorah, Partners in Torah, and Discovery. In September of 2003, Dr. Rabizadeh left the pharmaceutical industry and since then has been serving as the CEO of Frumster.com.