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What is
Sephardic?
Sephardic
emanates
from the
Hebrew
word
Sepharad,
the
ancient
name of
Spain.
Who are
the
Sephardim?
These
are Jews
from the
the
Diasporas,
or
exiles
in
Israel
who fled
to
Sepharad,
Spain.
The
first
“Diaspora”
was in
586
B.C.,
when the
first
Temple
was
destroyed
in
Jerusalem
by
Nebuchadnezzar.
Later,
more
Jews
joined
their
brethren
in the
second
“Diaspora”
in A.D.
70 after
the
exile
and
destruction
of the
Second
Temple
built by
Herod.
These
Jews had
been
sent by
Solomon
many
centuries
earlier
to bring
gold,
silver,
materials,
during
the
construction
of
Solomon’s
Temple.
These
Jews had
established
communities
in “Sepharad”,
later
known as
Spain.
These
“Jews”
who
helped
found
Spain,
helped
to bring
the
“Golden
Age”;
the
flourishing
of the
Arts and
Sciences.
These
“exiles
of
Jerusalem”
were
from the
tribes
of Judah
and
Benjamin,
with
some
Levites
(each
tribe
had
Levites,
priests
sprinkled
in it).
When did
the
Sephardic
Jews
leave
Spain?
In 1492
– 1502 ,
Jews
were
expelled
by Queen
Isabella
and King
Ferdinand.
Thereafter
followed
the
Inquisition
that
lasted
300
years in
Spain.
This
Inquisition
followed
them to
the new
world
---Mexico
City,
Peru,
Guatemala
and
other
nations.
Columbus
sailed
to the
New
World
during
this
same
time. It
is
documented
that
Columbus
(who
probably
was a
Jew
himself)
made at
least
four
voyages
to the
New
World.
It is
believed
that he
was
responsible
for
bringing
many of
these
“prohibited
people”
(la
gente
prohibida)into
the new
world.
The
Jews,
were
exiled
to go
anywhere
else in
Europe,
etc.,
but
prohibited
from
going to
the New
World.
What is
“Marrano”?
“Marrano”,
or pig,
was the
name
given to
Jews in
Spain
who
converted
to the
Catholic
faith.
What is
the
Negev?
The
“Negev”
is the
desert
just
south of
the
Judaen
Desert,
south of
Jerusalem.
This
desert
in
Israel,
is where
the
Sephardim
are to
return
and
possess,
according
to
Obadiah
1:19-20.
When was
the
Spanish
Inquisition
established?
By 1480,
the
Spanish
Inquisition
was
legally
established,
and most
of
Europe
was now
closed
to all
Jews,
both
Ashkenazi
(those
Jews
from
Euro-pean
countries)
and
Sephardic
(Spanish
Jews).
What is
Anusim?
Anusim
is the
word
given to
those
who were
coerced,
forced
and
raped as
a people
and
stripped
of their
true
identity,
that of
being
Jews.
What are
some of
the
indications
of a
Spanish
descent
person
with a
sephardic
name
really
being
Jewish?
There
are now
more
than
6,000
names
that
have
been
documented
from
several
sources---Lists
of
Inquisition
victims
in
Mexico,
Lists of
people
who came
and
founded
not only
areas in
Mexico,
such as
Nuevo
Leon
(Monterrey),
Lists of
Soldiers
who
helped
found
south
Texas
and New
Mexico
with
Juan
Perez
Narizhonda
De Onate
around
1597 and
others .
(Some of
this
history
is
documented
in Dell
Sanchez
book,
Alliyah
and also
his
book,
The Last
Exodus
and can
be
obtained
through
this
website.
Much
information
can be
found
through
other
websites
like,
Sephardim.org.
Where
can I
find
more
information?
You may
search
for your
family
surname
under
“Sephardim.org”
and
other
websites.
There is
also
information
available
at
University
of
California
at
Berkley
Bancroft
Library,
at
University
of Texas
at San
Antonio,
University
of
Tuscon,
AZ,
etc.,
and
geneology
records
in Utah
compiled
in the
Latter
Day
Saints
Church
archives,
etc.
What are
the
Indications
that I
may have
a
Sephardic
background?
There is
much
history
that
families
have
hidden,
so you
may
start by
talking
to your
relatives
in
relation
to their
known
past
history.
You will
have to
do much
research
as to
your own
family
background
(This is
sometimes
difficult,
as
family
members
were
usually
told to
keep
this a
“secret”).
Some of
these
families
came
from
such
areas as
Nuevo
Reyno de
Leon,
northeastern
Mexico
(such as
Guadalajara,
Zacatecas,
etc.
Many of
these
hidden
Sephardim
migrated
to south
and
central
Texas
and
parts of
New
Mexico.
Here are
some
other
historical
and
common
indications,
among
others:
The use
of the
Ladino
language
(or
Ledezmo,
not
necessarily
“correct
Spanish”
that was
an
archaic
type
Spanish
spoken
by the
Sephardim,
ie:
mercar
for
comprar,
ueno for
bueno,
semos
for
somos,
parientes
for
padres,
ansina
for
asina,
etc.
The
Sephardic
custom
of
giving
biblical
names to
the
children
(eg.,
Natanael,
Raquel,
Josue,
etc.)
Dietary
practices
such as,
throwing
an egg
away if
it had a
spot of
blood on
it,
avoiding
blood in
meat,
testing
the
special
knives
on the
edge of
a
fingernail
or hair,
etc.---many
more.
Avoiding
churches
with
idols or
icons,
cleaning
the
house
and
bathing
for the
Sabbath,
circumcising
their
male
infant
on the
eighth
day,
Jewish
objects
in the
home,
etc.
Other
birth
and
practices,
like
throwing
a silver
a coin
in a new
baby’s
bath
water,
the
marrying
of “our
own
kind,”
etc.
Female
members
covered
their
head
with a
scarf,
purifying
of the
house
after a
death,
cover
mirrors
in the
house of
the
deceased,
sweeping
the dirt
to the
middle
of the
floor
instead
of out
the
door,
etc.
These
practices
and many
more
have
been
kept
secret
for at
least
four
hundred
years.
These
traditions
and
others
were
continued,
yet the
meaning
of many
of the
old
customs
was
lost.
What is
Aliyah?
Aliyah
means to
ascend
to
Jerusalem.
The
immigration
of Jews
to
Israel.
There
are at
least
600 plus
prophecies
that
either
command,
instruct
or
encourage
Jews to
make
Aliyah
and
return
to
Israel.
The
challenge
to the
“anusim”
has been
that
many of
the
original
records
were
lost
when
families
were
made to
become
conversos(converted
ones).
...Continued
The
Biblical
Promise
of
Return
and
Restoration:
Then
God’s
people
will
regain
southern
Judah
from
Edom;
they
will
take
back the
mountains
of Edom,
They
will
take
back the
western
hills
from the
Philistines.
They
will
regain
the
lands of
Ephraim
and
Samaria,
and
Benjamin
will
take
over
Gilead.
People
from
Israel
who once
were
forced
to leave
their
homes
will
take the
land of
the
Cananites,
all the
way to
Zarephath,
People
from
Judah
who once
were
forced
to leave
Jerusalem
and live
in
Sepharad
Will
take
back the
cities
of
southern
Judah.
Obadiah
1:19-20
(from
www.sephardimhope.org)
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