From its earliest origins the Jewish people have been victims of persecution and suffering of various natures. At the end of the 15th century, in Spain, the Catholic Monarchs decreed the expulsion of Jews from the peninsular territory in order to impose the Christian religion on the entire population . Sephardic
It is estimated that some 200,000 people were expelled and those who decided to remain on the peninsula were forced to convert to Christianity.
The Jews who were exiled are known as Sephardim, but also as Ladinos or Judeo-Spanishes.
The word Sephardic literally means “inhabitant of Sepharad” (Sepharad was the Hebrew word used to designate the territory of the Iberian Peninsula). After their expulsion, they were exiled to various territories in the Mediterranean, northern Europe and America.
Currently, it is estimated that 10% of the world’s Jews are of Sephardic origin. There are communities in several countries, but especially in Israel, France, the United States, Greece, Turkey, Argentina and Mexico. Sephardic
The cultural identity remains alive
It is estimated that there are about 2 million Sephardim in the world. The cultural identity of this population is maintained through two main axes: the religious rites practiced in synagogues and which are not exactly the same as those of other Jewish communities and their own language ( Ladino or Judeo-Spanish).
Although it is a minority language it has been maintained over time. Ladino is a 15th century Spaniard, but any Spanish speaker can understand it without much difficulty. In Sephardic culture there is a common denominator: the feeling of longing for the Sephardic territory.
One of the cultural peculiarities of Jews from Spain is the use of proverbs and popular sayings in colloquial language
Culinary traditions, newspapers published in Ladino and a wide range of literary and musical productions are also preserved . On Spanish public radio (Radio Nacional de España) you can listen to a program in Ladino or Safardita, “Luz de Sefarad”. Sephardic
In 2015, the Spanish government passed a law granting Spanish citizenship to descendants of Jews expelled by the 1492 Edict of Granada.
The intolerance religious and the growing economic power of the Jews were the factors that led to their expulsion in the fifteenth century.
From the current perspective, that decision is considered unfair and totally wrong. For this reason, attempts have been made to compensate the Sephardic community dispersed throughout the world and from 2015 it is possible to apply for Spanish nationality. Sephardic
