Sephardic Jewish Americans
Sephardic Jewish Americans are descendants of Jews who were expelled from Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition in the late 15th century. This group maintains a rich cultural heritage that combines elements from Islamic and Christian traditions, as well as unique linguistic characteristics, primarily using a blend of Spanish (or Portuguese), Hebrew, and Arabic in their liturgy and customs. The initial migrations of Sephardic Jews led them to various locations, including Holland, Brazil, and the Caribbean, before they arrived in North America as the first Jewish immigrants.
Notably, Sephardic Jews played a significant role in the establishment of Jewish life in early America, with the first synagogue, Shearith Israel, being founded in New Amsterdam in the early 18th century. Despite facing challenges, such as initial resistance from colonial authorities, they gradually integrated into American society. However, over time, many Sephardic Jews experienced a dilution of their cultural identity due to intermarriage and assimilation into the broader Anglo-Saxon culture, particularly as Ashkenazi Jews began to arrive in larger numbers. This shift led to competition within the Jewish community and a gradual decline in the distinct traditions of Sephardic Jews in America. Overall, the history of Sephardic Jewish Americans reflects a complex interplay of cultural resilience and adaptation within the wider American landscape.
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Sephardic Jewish Americans
Sephardic Jews follow the liturgy and customs developed by Jews in medieval Spain and Portugal as well as Babylonian Jewish traditions in a linguistic blend of Spanish (or Portuguese), Hebrew, and Arabic. Sephardic Jews, an upper class consisting mostly of intellectuals and members of the business elite, have a proud multicultural heritage the combines Islamic and Christian influences. Members have published biblical commentaries, literature, and works on science, philosophy, and legal issues. One of the most influential Sephardic thinkers was the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza.
Sephardic Jews (derived from sepharad, a place of exile) were persecuted by Catholics during the Inquisition; they were forced to either become Christian or face expulsion from the Iberian peninsula. Spanish Jews left in 1492 and the Portuguese in 1497. Most Sephardic Jews settled in Holland, Brazil (Recife), Martinique, and various islands in the West Indies, where they prospered as a merchant class.
Sephardic Jews were the first Jewish immigrants to arrive in the North American colonies. Some historians believe that Sephardic Jews accompanied Columbus on his voyage to America in 1492. Other historical records indicate that in 1634, Portuguese Jew Mathias de Sousa arrived in Maryland and established the first American Jewish settlement. Shortly after, another Sephardim, Jacob Barsimson, arrived in the colonies on a Dutch West India Company boat. In the mid-1600s, some Sephardic Jews settled in Rhode Island and Virginia.
In 1654, twenty-three Jewish refugees from Brazil arrived in New Amsterdam. These refugees were not welcomed by the governor, Peter Stuyvesant, whom some historians describe as a bigot and anti-Semitic. The policy of tolerance for Jews, followed in the Dutch American colonists’ native land, was applied in the colonies, and the Jews were allowed to remain, but some historians claim that this deference toward the Jews was primarily sparked by the colonists’ fear of losing economic benefits in New Amsterdam. The Sephardic Jews in New Amsterdam were not allowed to build a temple or practice their religious beliefs in public; however in 1682, they rented a house for prayer meetings, and in 1730, the first synagogue, Shearith Israel, was built in New Amsterdam.
Gradually, Sephardic Jews succeeded in becoming participants in the political process. They became a dominant force; however, in the first part of the nineteenth century they seemed to lose connection with their Jewish ancestry. Prominent, wealthy Sephardic families moved in the same social circles as Christian families such as the Rockefellers. Intermarriage with Christians led to a weakening of Jewish faith and culture among the Sephardic Jews, who remained prominent society members and set standards of morality, education, and social life. Competition arose between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews, who often attended Sephardic synagogues and followed Sephardic ritual. Language was another barrier; the Sephardi spoke Ladino (a mix of medieval Castilian and Hebrew), while the Ashkenazi spoke Yiddish (a mix of German, Eastern European languages, and Hebrew). Nineteenth century American Jews opted to assimilate into the Anglo-Saxon culture, thereby creating their own brand of Judaism. Sephardic Jews were soon outnumbered by Ashkenazi immigrants who began to dominate American Jewish culture.
Bibliography
Baskin, Judith R. The Cambridge Dictionary of Judaism and Jewish Culture. New York: Cambridge UP, 2011. Print.
Ben-Ur, Aviva. Sephardic Jews in America: A Diasporic History. New York: New York UP, 2009. Print.
Breitzer, Susan Roth. "Jews and Jewish Americans, to 1870." Immigrants in American History: Arrival, Adaptation, and Integration. Ed. Elliott Robert Barkan. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2013. 107–18. Print.