Sephardi Culture ID

Sephardi culture originates from the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula until their expulsion in the late 15th century, heading mainly towards Mediterranean region - Greece, North Africa, Ottoman Empire (current-day Turkey). Sephardi comes from Sefarad, the Hebrew name for Spain.

Inherent to Sephardi culture is Ladino, a Judeo-Spanish language also known as Judesmo, that was spoken by these Jews. It is, however, endangered with roughly 200,000 speakers left primarily in Israel.

The Sephardi cuisine, influenced by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, offers distinct dishes like bourekas, pastelika and shakshouka. Similarly, Sephardic music presents a unique blend of Iberian, Arabic, and Ottoman influences.

Sephardi Judaism differs slightly from Ashkenazi Judaism (prevailed in Eastern Europe) in religious customs and liturgy. They follow the Shulchan Aruch, a codification of Jewish Law by Sephardi scholar Rabbi Yosef Karo in the 16th century.

Despite the persecution they faced, Sephardic Jews excavated their strong cultural heritage, contributing immensely to science, philosophy, and arts during the Golden Age of Jewish culture in Spain (900–1100 AD). Their tradition has been meticulously passed down generations, preserving an integral piece of Jewish history.

While Sephardi Jews form a smaller proportion of the global Jewish population compared to Ashkenazi Jews, their unique heritage offers invaluable diversity to global Jewish culture.