Jewish Musings, Tuesday 10/10

[lee058]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.


Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:


Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy


And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please pray for Israel.

Today's topic: The Sephardim

As long as we've been talking about Spain and the Jews, let's discuss the Sephardim.

I've wondered for several years if my mother's family was part Sephardic. In Europe, they lived in what was known as Bessarabia (now Moldova) and around the Black Sea. I came across a mention online of a business in Turkey run by people with the same last name. As I'm sure you know, a lot of Jews moved to Turkey when they were expelled from Spain. I've wondered if there might be some connection.

One way to distinguish Sephardim from Ashkenazi Jews is by cuisine and customs. When I was growing up, we ate a lot of typically Sephardic foods: fish, fresh vegetables (especially salads at practically every meal), and rice. My dad did a lot of fishing (his family was Ashkenazi) but my mom cooked the fish, so we had it very often. As for customs, I don't really know much about them. I should research this!

How about you? Do you have any family links with Spain and/or Sephardim? I'd be interested to know.

Have a peaceful day, Lee

[gazelle18]

My family is Ashkenazi on all sides, as is the family of DH. But of course we know a lot of Sephardic Jews, and Jews with Sephardic family roots. In fact, my son’s first wife came from a family of Sephardic Jews from Morocco, which is very cool. I adore Sephardic cuisine. I have actually been to a synagogue in Turkey, which of course now has very few practicing Jews left. It is beautiful and fascinating.

[gazelle18]

Last night, I attended a community wide service in support of Israel, which was moving, emotional, and powerful. It was standing room only. NOLA has a small but VERY active and cohesive Jewish community. Every single synagogue in our area had its rabbi(s) there, including Chabad, and each had a part in the service. It made me feel marginally better. But I can’t stop watching the news.

[louise]

All Ashkenazi in my family - so sorry I didn't get to a synagogue when I was in Istanbul. Oh well - mosques aplenty!
We also had aprayer event last night and will be having a larger one and a candlelight vigil this evening. I hadn't been on Facebook in months but keep checkingit now and yes, I'm glues to the radio and TV as well.

[peachymom1]

Nope, no Sephardim anywhere on my family tree, which isn't surprising. Norwegians on my dad's side, and some French on my mom's, but we've been in the United States for a good number of generations.

[hollygail]

All Ashkenazi for me (also for DH) as well. I joke that during Passover, I say I'm Sephardic because I do eat kitniot (DH doesn't). I have friends who are Sephardic on both sides (and one friend whose mother was Sephardic and father was Ashkenazi; she married a man with both Ashkenazi parents). There are several Sephardic Jews in the Conservative shul I attend during the week, but very few at my own shul.

I read about some of the differences in customs between Sephardim and Ashkenazim. Some of the holidays in particular have an array of sweets completely foreign to me! And the names of these desserts are just as foreign-sounding to me.