Sephardic Jews
The Latest
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Fast Forward Spain Starts Review of Sephardic Citizenship Claims
Spanish officials will begin reviewing citizenship applications by some 4,500 individuals who identified themselves as descendants of Sephardic Jews, the country’s Jewish communities said. The review is set to begin on Oct. 2 following the adoption and passing earlier this year of Law 12/2015 and a related amendment to the kingdom’s civil code, the Federation…
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Opinion Will Anti-Semitism Drive Turkey’s Sephardic Jews to Spain?
How about this for a Hollywood script? It’s 1492, and Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expel their Jewish subjects. In response, the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II sends ships to Spain to collect them. How nice of him. They flourish under Muslim rule and, centuries later, receive equal rights as citizens. Fast-forward to 2002 and…
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Opinion Ashkenormativity Is Twice as Common — and Harmful — in LGBTQ Jewish Spaces
After Kiddush on Shabbat, someone comes up to me to critique my recitation. Either the person asks why I pronounced the last word as “hagefen” rather than “hagafen,” or I am less-than-politely informed of the “correct” pronunciation. When I respond that my Sephardic custom is to say “hagefen,” the reply is always the same: “I…
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The Schmooze Can You Guess Osama Bin Laden’s Favorite Jewish Singer?
Here’s a guy you might not have expected would have had an extensive audiotape collection: Osama Bin Laden. Here’s who you definitely wouldn’t expect to be found in it: an Algerian Jew. on the findings in Williams College professor Flagg Williams’ forthcoming book, The Audacious Ascetic, on Bin Laden’s private music collection. Yes, it included…
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Fast Forward Shas Minister Calls Reform Jews ‘Disaster’ for Israel
Israel’s religious services minister reportedly called Reform Jews “a disaster for the people of Israel.” David Azoulay of the Sephardic Orthodox Shas party made the comments during a meeting to discuss the Women of the Wall group, Israel Hayom daily newspaper reported Wednesday. The meeting reportedly took place on Tuesday between Azoulay and Justice Minister…
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Fast Forward Spain Passes Jewish ‘Right of Return’ Law
Spain’s lower house gave final approval to a law offering citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews. Under the law approved Thursday, the Spanish daily El Pais reported, applicants are able to apply without traveling to Spain, as proposed in previous amendments which did not pass, but are required to hire a Spanish notary and pass…
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Fast Forward Spain Puts Finishing Touches on Sephardic ‘Law of Return’
Spain’s Congress is poised to vote on final amendments that would make it possible for descendants of Sephardic Jews to apply for citizenship. The Congress of Deputies is scheduled to vote on the amendments on June 11, according to a statement published on the Congress’ website on Monday. Under the amendments, approved by the Spanish…
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Fast Forward Spain Denies Flood of Turkish Jewish Citizenship Applications
Spain’s embassy in Ankara disputed a New York Times article claiming that thousands of Turkish Jews have applied for Spanish citizenship amid growing concern about anti-Semitism. The May 26 Times article speaks of “thousands of Sephardic Jews in Turkey who trace their ancestry to Spain and are now applying for Spanish citizenship in anticipation of…
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