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Wake Up Sefardim! |
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Written by Josiane Marchand
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 How many times I have asked myself "How come there are Sefardim within the ranks of the Lubavitch, Chabad, Breslov, Bobov, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, etc." Why, Why?
To be a Sefardi, means to be proud of what our parents and grandparents taught us, to know about our Tzadikim who had and continue to uphold our belief in the Torah. To name a few, the list being so long, we should remember the Rambam, the Ramban, Rabbi Joseph Caro, Rabbi Haim Luzzato, Rabbi Haim David Azoulay, Rabbi Haim Benatar, Rabbi Amran Bendiwan, Rabbi Shalom Sharabi, Rabbi Yoseph Haim (The Ben Ish Hai)- may their memory live on forever and whose teachings are alive in so many Yeshivot today.
To be a Sephardi, does have one to forget one’s past?
Or, on the contrary, should we not share our heritage with all our brothers and sisters of different customs, without imposing on them our minhagim, as they sometimes do to us.
To be Sephardi, is to make sure that our Tzadikim live forever in our hearts and memories, for if not us, who will ever know about our beloved rabbis from Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Iraq and all the Mediterranean countries?
We, Sefardim, have the duty, the responsibility, the great privilege to remind ourselves by ways of writing about them (among other things) that our rabbis were and are great rabbis.
Have we read or heard members of other Jewish communities praise a Sephardic Rabbi with all the respect and admiration he deserves?
Who, among them, has ever heard about Rabbi Hai Taieb?
Have we ever got, in answer to our "Shabbat Shalom" anything but "Gutt Shabbos"?
Why, because our brothers Ashkenazim and Hassidim are very, very proud of whom they are, where they come from and where they are going!
Why, then, we Sefardim, have not this same pride in being part of a very special community?
Have we forgotten how much our parents and grand parents were Traditional?
Was there anyone who ever forgot to kiss the mezuzah in coming and in going out?
And our mothers, did they ever miss going to the hammam, which was in no way less beautiful than the modern mikvah? Our Tzedaka was as valuable as all the small "puskas" of today.
I remember my father (of blessed memory) and all members of the Jewish Community in Tunis, as well as most certainly in every Sefardic community, made it their obligation to share with less fortunate individuals, and donate the same amount they would spend for they own children, be it for a brit mila, a henne, wedding, etc… and they did it without any advertisement!
Remember, how we used to help each other, who were neighbors!
I recall my mother (of blessed memory), would not think of preparing the Shabbat meal without sharing with a less fortunate neighbor, some of the abundant food my father brought home.
Wake up, Sefardim! We have inherited a fabulous wealth, we must be proud to show it, share it and never forget it. Why is that our Tzadikim and our Rabbis do not take within Judaism their rightful place?
Wake up, Sefardim! Help the Sefardic Centers in the world and you will see, there are many of them. You might say: "they are not religious for me". So what! Help them improve, fight for your heritage, do not go elsewhere because they seem better organized or because their hats or kipot are larger than ours! Do not forget that if they do not appreciate us, Sefardim, it is because we do not respect ourselves. Have we forsaken our collective memory?
Wake up, Sefardim! Do you know one single Ashkenaze or other Jew who has joined our ranks and has become a Sefardi, except in the case of a Sephardic man marrying an Ashkenasic woman?
Wake up, Sefardim! Have you heard or seen a single Ashkenzi or Hassid wearing a "Djelaba"?
This djelaba is a perfectly modest garment that reminds us of the way Sefardim used to live.
Then why should we wear their black hats or wigs?!?!!
Wake up, Sefardim! Have you ever heard or have you seen the other Jews genuinely interested in our minhagim (customs) before they would enroll you in theirs?
And now, wake up, Sefardim! Listen and look for the best side of other Jews, see how they love their country (present or former), how they give tzedaka, how they support the yeshivot they help building. And instead of joining them, why not emulate and STAY SEFARDIM?
Do not choose the easy way out, fight for your rightful inheritance, it is such a wealth!
Wake up, Sefardim! Are we ashamed of our memory?
Have the rest of the Jewsh community succeeded in making us second class Jews?
If we are perceived as impulsive, loud, vulgar, shouldn’t we prove them wrong instead of joining their ranks? We must be proud and stay Sefardim with all our impulsiveness, loudness, because we are alive and we have a passion for life! Do not take the easy road, fight for your Sefardism, we have every reason and right to be so proud!
Wake up, Sefardim! Have you ever attended a lecture or a Dvar Torah in an Ashkenezi synagogue, where the lecturer was Sefardi?
Wake up, Sefardim! Instead of wasting time finding faults with ourselves, lets hold our heads high and show the world what we are capable of accomplishing.
Wake up, Sefardim! How many Ashkenazim are learning in a Sefardic Yeshiva? And how many Sefardim are learning in Ashkenazi Yeshivot?
What, have we lost all our pride?
The "galout" in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries was for nothing?
The Spanish Inquisition was then for nothing?
We have forsaken our inheritance in one or two short generations.
Wake up, Sefardim! Have you checked your mezuzot lately?
Are they vertical on the door posts, as it is customary with us?
And how about your tzitzit and tefillin. Are you sure they are Sefardic?
There is a marked difference you know!
One cannot conclude without giving a "Kol Hakavod" to our brothers and sisters of the other Jewish Communities for having kept so firmly their traditions!
I have a dream and it is that this message will have an impact on the heart of every Sefardi and we all hope and pray that Ribbono Shel Olam will open for each one of us the Heavenly doors, according to our minaghim. Amen. |
Comments
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I go to Chabad becuase unlike Ashkenazi 'rabbi's' who claim to be Sephradi (ie. those 'rabbi's' that went to ner yisroel in Baltimore) Chabad likes to keep families together!
Posted by Concerned Persian Jew, on Tuesday, 09 October 2007 at 1:10
Interesting article. I have to say that I disagree with several points though; as a young reform Jew of Ashkenazi descent, I have never seen any attempts in any of the Temples and/or Jewish groups that I have been a part of, to squash Sephardic/Mizrachi identity. In fact, my rabbi was a Sephardic Jew (from Brazil). We had a Jewish multi-culturalism festival celebrating the traditions of Moroccan and Yemenite Jews, were taught Sephardic songs in Ladino, etc. Considering most Reform communities are comprised of Ashkenazi Jews/Jews of ashkenazi descent, it makes sense that they focus more on ashkenazi traditions and customs, but i NEVER once witnessed ANY 'racism' towards non-ashkenazim. Further, The author states, 'Have we ever got, in answer to our 'Shabbat Shalom' anything but 'Gutt Shabbos'?'....well, I really want to know whom she has been getting 'Gutt Shabbos' from... my 80 year old grandparents? Are you kidding me?? I, along with many 'ashkenazi' jews, am a 3rd/4th generation American who doesn't speak Yiddish (other than a few choice insults), has grown up saying 'Shabbat Shalom' all my life, and I think that my generation are, in effect, way more assimillated than the author thinks. Yes, the older ashkenazi community is often ignorant of the existence/culture of Sephardic/Mizrachi Jews...but they DO NOT represent all ashkenazi Jews, many of whom are very open and eager to learn about/embrace the sephardic culture.
For example, before going to college in LA, I had never met a Persian Jew in my life...I didn't even really know that they existed I'm ashamed to say. But since I started college, I have become friends with so many wonderful Iranian Jews. I have even attended a Persian Shabbat, which was quite an experience for me! The food was amazing! And the people are so friendly! I honestly think i prefer the Sephardic community (and I can say this I'm ashkenazi hahah). My parents would be elated if I married a Jew from ANY background, and I have NOTHING against marrying a Sephardic Jew...I would prefer it!
I fully support Sephardic Jews making their presence more known in America. However, please do not make us ashkenazim look like the 'elitist oppressors'. Many of us are interested to learn more about your culture. We should have respect for eachothers culture and traditions, for together we make world Jewry so vibrant and diverse, while at the same time we are all Jews.
Posted by Mara, on Thursday, 21 December 2006 at 9:33
excuse my bad english, I am jewish sephardim, live in Argentina, I feel proud of my inheritance sefaradi that inherits on the part of my four grandparents, all of them of Syria origin I believe that we must defend our customs and perpetuate them towards the future, and not to let to us advance by the customs of ashquenazim, since they want to impose its reformist customs to us.
Greetings and blessings for all you.
Posted by Isaac, on Sunday, 12 November 2006 at 9:36
It is REQUIRED to follow the minhagim of our fathers (and I encourage all sefardim to do so) as it is stated 'the minhag of our fathers is [equivalent to] Torah' (e.g. Tosafot to Menahot 20b s.v. nifsal). Therefore the Talmud (Pesachim 50) rules that a valid minhag accepted by previous generations of a family or community is binding upon all later generations.
There are many gates to heaven that our prayers are answered from. We are ONE family and descendants from TWELVE brothers. In each family of children as you know each child will have its own nature and strengths and weaknesses. There may be many roads but all lead to the same avodas hashem.
When one is outnumbered it is important to have yiras shamayim in following the derech hashem and to keep in mind the emet of all things as is stated: 'Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it.' (Moreh Nevuchim 2:15)
Posted by simmy, on Tuesday, 01 August 2006 at 11:30
B'H
AS A PERSIAN (X-SEPHARADI) CHABADNIK,I LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW WHY I DECIDED TO MOVE ON TO CHABAD.
THE MOST IMPORTENT REASON WAS THAT I REALIZED, THAT CHABAD DOES NOT CARE IF I GO TO CHABAD OR NOT,RATHER THEIR ONLY CONCERN IS THAT I SHOULD BE ACTIVE IN ANY SHUL.I SUGGEST THAT INSTEAD OF YOUR HATEFUL LETTERS, YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THE CHABAD WAY OF BRINGING THE 95% NONRELIGIOUS JEWS TO JUDAISM.TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING WRONG.WE LEFT SEPHARADISM NOT BECAUSE CHASVE SHALOM IT'S NO GOOD. ALL TRADITIONS SEPHARAD,CHABAD, ASHKENAZ,... ARE ALL THE SAME TEACHINGS WITH THE SAME GOAL OF BRINGING MOSHIACH AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO STOP CRYING OVER US ,BECAUSE WE ARE DOING JUST FINE.INSTEAD GO HELP THE SECULAR JEWS BACK TO THEIR ROOTS.
Posted by meir, on Wednesday, 26 July 2006 at 6:08
B'H
I am Sephardic and proud of it; there's no reason why that means I can't have respect for fellow Jews, and vice versa.
In response to Alexander- you're looking at it from a very technical side. First and foremost- YES, we're all Jews. BUT, it says in the G'mara (and the greatest Rabbanim said) that we should keep our traditions (what our near ancestors did), until the arrival of the Mashiach (B'H). Now where's the sinat chinam in that?
None of us know the EXACT right way to do everything- so all we can do is what we know: and that's our traditions.
Posted by Shani, on Monday, 17 July 2006 at 8:27
bs`D
I'm a sephardic on my father's side (Ladino) and ashkenazi on my mother's side (Russian) and I have found myself never being fully accepted into either community and this has done nothing but breed hatred in me for this stupid labelling system.
The romans y's are the ones who put us into this galut in the first place, and instead of rejecting and despising it, we embrace it??? What does it matter if my grandfather was Syrian, Polish or Yemenite if he was a descendant of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov??? Isn't that all that should matter?
Of course it all starts with saying it's simply a matter of embracing our minhagim - but, at the end of the day - WHAT DOES IT MATTER??? If I eat tcholent on shabbat, or if I eat Hamin, aren't I doing it for kevod shabbat???? If I wear a leather kippah or a velvet yarmulkah, aren't I doing it our of respec for HKB'H???? If I say shabbat shalom or gutt shabbos, isn't the message the same??
Of course it all starts with minhagim, but what when it goes into other things? Do you know how many sephardim refuse to marry their kids to ashkenazim? And the other way around too!
I'm sorry to say this, but the only thing that perpetuating our identification with different galuiot has brought us is further Sinat Chinam, which is how we got into this situation in the first place.
Ashkenazim means 'Germans' and Sephardim means 'Spanish' - we're not one thing nor the other - we're JEWS and that's all there is to it.
Posted by Alexander, on Wednesday, 07 June 2006 at 3:23
I really appreciate a rallying call like this to Sefardim because it is good to constantly remember to be proud and to appreciate where we come from. BUT, it really annoys me how so many of these sorts of articles that seek to establish a “missing Sefardic/Mizrachi/non-Ashkenaz pride” end up bashing Ashkenazim as rude people who ignore others’ customs and want to purposely squash sefardim and make them “second-class Jews”, as the author put it. I totally disagree, I don’t think the majority of Ashkenazim have such disgusting intentions at all; rather this reality is a product of their being a HUGE majority in the U.S, and in control of most Jewish political/religious communal organizations, which is the case in Israel too even though there Ashkenazim are not a majority. That’s why, for example, there are more Sefardim in Ashkenaz yeshivas then the other way around because there are so many more ashkenaz yeshivas, and they are therefore more accessible to a greater number of people, etc., more financial resources and so on. So I think it is entirely possible that if somehow galut had been different and Sefardim would be the majority the situation would be the reverse and we would be reading a “Wake Up Ashkenazim” article. That does not mean, though, that the situation is hopeless. I think the most relevant point the author made was for sefardim to support the sefardic community. Like the author said, to support the Sephardic centers, even if they are not the same level of religiousness, and to CONTINUE THE TRADITIONS, social, cultural and religious, because it is all very nice to say (as some comments have) that “Ashkenazim are Jews too, who cares if you’re mezuzah isn’t vertical”, but with that sort of attitude these beautiful traditions will be forgotten entirely.
Posted by Esther, on Monday, 05 June 2006 at 8:04
Great article. The problem is that most people fail to realize that Judaism as 'one entity' has never really been a reality. Not now, not 2000 years ago, and not during the time of the First Temple. This is a fact. Indeed, it is a lofty yet intangible goal. The fact remains, however, that Sephardim themselves tend to lack pride in their own heritage and traditions in the face of an Ashkenazi majority. Further, although Israel is 50/50 Ashkenazi/Sephardi, the people in control on the political and religious fronts are invariably Ashkenazi. Until Sephardim take pride in their own culture and heritage and Ashkenazim discontinue their undeniable hubris and hegemony toward Sephardim, the strife shall never end. I think the term 'Wake up Sephardim' is not an overstatement or hyperbolic in any way. It is a statement meant to rally Sephardim to carry on a rich tradition, which has been relegated to a mere fascination with interesting cuisine and exotic music, in order to highlight an approach and attitude to Judaism that is markedly different than the Ashkenazi approach. The reader should note that the author of the article is from Tunisia - so he probably is a 'Sephardi' - whereas Persians are not. Nevertheless, they are often grouped together as one entity.
Posted by Brian, on Sunday, 21 May 2006 at 12:28
I don't think we should see Judaism as sephardim vs. others. We are all Jews and we have one Torah, and we share our sages as well. Everybody learns Rambam and Ramban etc. not just Sephardim. We should be fighting assimilation into goyim not worrying about how some sephardim act ashkenazi, since we live in an ashkenazi country. When Moshiach comes there will no longer be Ashkenazi, sephardi, etc, we will all merge into one. I think one problem we have is we relate to our home countries too much. Iran is not our country, and neither is the US, we are 'strangers in a strange land'
Posted by Avraham Sedaghat, on Thursday, 18 May 2006 at 9:36
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