I’m a Christian, but of I’m also part Sephardic. I can’t wait for Pesach and all the good treats we eat. I live in southern Louisiana, so one of the best things about my heritage is that Jewish food is spicy for us (being both part Sephardic and living around the Cajuns and Creoles). Although from what I understand, those Cajuns don’t have a hold on spicy when it comes to Yemeni Jewish cusine. Thanks for remembering us during the holidays. Usually everything is Ashkenazic centered. Although, I must admit that I like Ashkenazic culture as well. I would love to get around a Hasidic family’s Shabbat (or Shabbos) table and try some of that cusine as well. Plus blintzes are delicious and Yiddish sounds so cool too! Ashkenazis want to be Sephardic and Sephardic Jews want to be Ashkenazi sometimes. Hag Sameach to all!

I know all the official halakhic reasons why Sefardim can eat rice and legumes during Pesach, but face it, the real reason is that nobody is going to separate a Spaniard from his/her rice and beans.

growing up in sephardic home i can say that there is no way we have rice, popcorn or peanut butter etc. !!! maybe you are talking about non-religious jews!/ i went to strict religious frum hebrew schools and ive heard many say that. i think its just pure rumors and steretype! NO WAY DO SEFARDIMS EAT RICE!!!!!!!!RIDICULOUS! SHOULD GET ALL YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!!! but there are non religious european jews that im sure eat rice too and dont keep kosher or all passover laws!!Im giong to forward your comments to the sefardic groups to see how they feel about this. thank you always . i do love all your posts and colums dont get me wrong!! thank you

My own thought is that it shows that Sephardic Jews have inherited a “healthier” outlook
on religious practice. After all, the Talmud states EXPLICITLY that ONLY products
from GRAIN (Wheat, Oats, Barley, Spelt, Rye) are considered capable of “Chametz”
and prohibited.
Along come the Ashkenazic Jews and “decide” that they “know better” — and prohibit
NOT ONLY rice (which the Talmud had declared permitted!) but also “legumes” (which the
Talmud did not even bother to discuss and which includes stuff that does not appear to
be legumes at all) and even PRODUCTS of legumes — No corn oil, for example!
It makes one wonder… after all, it was the Rambam (one of the greatest of Sephardic
Decisors) who stated that a woman could NOT be forced to live with a husband that she
cannot stand (and that the husband could be compelled to divorce her) and it is clear
that the Gaonim before him had similar approaches to this matter. Then you have Rabbeinu
Tam — one of the greatest of the Ashkenazic Decisors) who states — absolutely NOT. At best,
maybe we can “pressure” the husband — but otherwise, the wife is “out of luck”…
I have to wonder if there is any connection between these two areas of P’sak in terms of the
World view of Ashkenazic vs Sephardic practice.
P.S. if you couple the strictures on Rice / Legumes with the custom among some Chassidic groups
Not to eat “Gebrokst” (i.e., not to eat anything baked or cooked with Matza Meal) — then you
can REALLY “Starve”….

By the way, not ALL Sephardim eat rice…
However, I recall Persian Jews not only eating
rice on Passove — but spending days before the holiday where
the women would inspect the rice [grain by grain!] THREE times
to make sure that no grain had been mixed in…
(I am told that this was actually a very social event!)
So, the poster who claimed that he never had rice — well,
HIS family / community custom was not to have rice. I was told
that in Baghdad, there were TWO groups — one that HAD rice on
Passover and one that did NOT! I assume that these groups
came from different areas and brought their customs with them.

Hmmnn..great article!!!It made me came back to my senses again,thank you.I am really growing older than what i thought,i forget even
my Religious observance of what to and not to eat during the event
like Passover.What a shame!I really needed this kind of article
to keep reminding me that i am a Jewish woman and must act as one.
When will i ever learn not to make my best friend mad so fast that
all this time,i am still not living up to his teachings and expecta
tions?I was born hard headed i suppose,i have this badly crossed linked chromosomes with my y chromosomes,i wonder which of my
great,great grandparents i inherited from?To my therapist who never
fails to heal me,i say thank you and i do love and appreciate
your great effort to put me into balance,no one else could,anyway.

I grew up in sephardic home, an observant one and we did and still do eat rice, popcorn, peanut butter and I learned how to made smashing hummus while in Morocco. Would it be wonderful that more Ashkenazic and Sephardic learn to celebrate those things we have in commen and accept and rejoice in our differences.

The differences between Sephardi and Ashkenazi interpretations of Halachah always bring a smile to my face. I feel the Ashkenazi interpretation of “if it looks and acts like a duck, we’ll treat it as a duck” came from a long history of making sure that common people (who might have had no way of knowing whether some chametz-dust had slipped into their rice or beans) were so insulated from the law that they couldn’t even break it by accident. There are such “fences” around Biblical – and even Talmudic – law all over the place, especially regarding Kashrut.
I agree with Rabbi Hirschfield in that it’s not the action, but the mindfulness we bring to the occasion – if that means keeping “fences” around any potential chametz-hiding products (including “safe” products that are not CERTIFIED “Kosher for Passover” maybe?) then your intent is fulfilled. On the other hand, if that means obeying the laws as written (and translated) in the Tanach, then YOUR intent is fulfilled. In the end, aren’t all Jewish practices about bringing mindfulness to our lives?
May everyone remember that “Once we were slaves, and now we are free!” Interpret this as you see fit this spring.
Chag Pesach Sameach-
Shoshana

Winter,Spring,Summer or Fall…Jewish is always Jewish in all seasons,
that is what should be,where should be,when should be.amen(silently)
No eating of prohibited food during religious occassions.Observance
of the law especially when you are around with the Pharisees and teachers of the law is strictly observed.

I am glad that one poster mentioned that not all Sephardim eat rice. I am an Orthodox Sephardit but it was not our tradition to eat rice on Pesach. Different communities had different standards and traditions. In addition “Sephardim” is attached to anyone that is not Ashkenazi. There are in fact many classifications. Sephard means “Spain” and it is the Jews who are descended from the Spanish Jews that are Sephardim. The Jews of Iraq, Persia/Iran, Yemen, etc do not trace themselves back to Spain.

Sephard actually does not mean “Spain” in Hebrew. In modern day Hebrew it is used as such, improperly so.
In Hebrew the word Sephar, (Samech Fey Resh), is a noun meaning “Frontier Zone”. This means ANY area outside of the legal/National boundaries of Israel.
In the ancient times, this was used to describe those Jews who had already been exiled by the destruction of the first Temple. Thus, we came to begin using the word “Sephardim” to describe those Jews living outside of Israel. In those days, this meant in all surrounding areas of Israel, which today includes, but is not limited to, the countries of: Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. This is because those were the areas to which most fled.
Many so called Ashkenazim, have very definite Sephar roots, which they, today, hide out of prejudice, and fear.
Almost all Sephardim can be proven, genetically, to be descended from the original Bnei Israel, and one finds a much higher collection of Leviim and Cohanim, genetically provable, among the Sephardim than the Ashkenazim. While nearly two-thirds of all Ashkenazim can not be proven to be descended from any where in the Middle East, at all.
Thus: The Sephardim are NOT just Spanish converts, as so many of you would like to believe. This is a prejudiced and bigoted lie, please do not continue it.

On April 3, 2009 11:29 AM, elanna r said:
“I grew up in sephardic home, an observant one and we did and still do eat rice, popcorn, peanut butter and I learned how to made smashing hummus while in Morocco. Would it be wonderful that more Ashkenazic and Sephardic learn to celebrate those things we have in commen and accept and rejoice in our differences.”
Indeed, how great it would be if we learned to stop fighting and made peace with each other and with those who support us. Then perhaps we could turn our attention to the true enemies of peace, those of all nations who want to see us brought low.
Gavriella

I am a Sephard as well, grew up that way, in an obervant home.
I am in total agreement with Carolyn, let’s celebrate our Jewishness, and not the fact we are different, then maybe, just maybe, we can truly be free.
Chag Sameach!

B”H”
I am a Sephardic Jew and grew up that way here in the United States. We never ate kitniyot on Pesach and still hold that tradition to this day. In my community in Brooklyn, NY it was only the Syrians who ate Kitniyot. This was a well known fact.
Now…What is this big division among Ashkenzim and Sepharadim accomplishing in Israel and abroad? I’ll tell you what….ABSOLUTELY NOTHING other than sowing the seeds of our destruction. Everytime this type of rift grows, it brings our people closer to our destruction and further away from Hashem. Has anyone cared to open up the Shulchan Aruch to try and understand how it is we as Benay Yisroel are supposed to live? Regardless of whether you are Sephardic or Ashkenaz. Has anyone ever stopped to think about what Hashem thinks about this division of his children? I am sure he must detest seeing his Benay Yisroel in-fighting while simultaniously embracing customs and practices of goyim. All you have to do is go back and read Milochim (Kings) in the Tanach and you can once again realize where we went wrong and where we continue to go wrong. It is because so many of our people have swayed away from observing our laws and beautiful ancient way of life that we have dischord amongst our own people.
Has it ever occurred to anyone that we are all Jewish? I could be angry for a number of reasons…the bigotry of certain Ashkenazim, the slavery imposed on Sepharadim by Ashkenazim in Israel’s pre and post 1948 period. The communism that they so openly embrace…etc… etc…The insulting of Sephardic as kushim which is closely compared to the N-word that we despise so much in the United States. Miraculously enough I do not subscribe to divisions in Judaism. I am actually a member of the Chabad which is primarily Ashkenaz. They embrace me just as much as I embrace them.
The point is that we have enough enemies out there waiting for the opportune time to wipe us all out. In addition to the arab nations (sons of Ishmael), Amalek is also out there waiting for just the right time and just as they attacked us as we left Eygpt, they wait today for the right time to strike. Amalek in the modern day is what I believe to be the islamic nation of Iran.
It goes beyond “can’t we all just get along?” It goes beyond being politically correct…being Jewish is NOT politically correct. Those that continue to embrace the idoltrus ways of the Ba’al (idoltrus ways of goyim) are those that sadly cannot or are unwilling to meditate in prayer long enough to feel the presence of Hashem.
To all of my brothers and sisters, Sephardic and Ashkenaz alike…I love you all…CHAG SAMAICH!!! Please return to Benay Yisroel as one and stand together…give up the divisions…religious or not, it doesn’t matter. First, we need unbreakable solidarity within our people in order to take the next step which will be the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Bet Hamigdash speedily in our days…Amen

I just found out (last week) from a comprehensive DNA test that our genes are from the Iberian peninsula (Northern Portugal, specifically), North Africa (Tunisia, specifically), Spain, Italy and Israel.
I was not raised Jewish, but have always felt an affinity. Was actually thought to be Jewish by a man from Israel who came up to me speaking Hebrew — he picked me out in a shopping mall. I felt sad that I couldn’t communicate with him. Anyway, I’m trying to understand what this new information actually means to my present-day life. I started studying the Bible (I had bought a Bible from the Jewish Publication Society that I found at a thrift shop about ten years ago) and am now in the early part of Isaiah. Years ago I bought a brass menorrah (with no clue as to my ancestry). I guess I am just trying to understand all the implications of this…but I have always been drawn to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — could it be also genetic memory? I know it is spiritual, but could it also be because of my genes?

All the Sepharadim I know, who are still Sepharadim, eat kitniyot. Avram you say only the Syrians? What neighborhood was that? Very strante. Sounds like Ashkenazic influence. Very typical. Either social pressure from Ashkenazim, perceived or actual, amongst the Sephardic community, particulary in the New York Metro area is very common, I’ve seen it myself so many times. It doesn’t surprise me that you are now Chabad. Your prerogative. But what’s wrong with just being a Sephardic Jew and accepting and being proud of that, rather than joining some movement, either “Orthodoxy” (with a capital O), Chabad, Conservatism, Reform, whatever? This is a major problem. Sepharadim have the right, and the duty to be who they are, and be damned proud of it, kitniyot and all!

The comment by Ruth Smith was really lovely. I hope she finds her spiritual way and whether or not she decides to practice Judaism or her faith of birth or no religion at all. We’re all a few degrees of separation away from each other and wouldn’t it be nice if we all found acceptance in each others’ eyes.

If I had a penny for every time I came here.. Superb read!

Let me clear up some of the confusion. Most Sephardim eat Kitniyot. I know for sure that there are those that don’t eat some types of kitniyot. Egyptian Jews eat only FRESH beans and peas or frozen but not dried. WE do not eat corn, for example or chick peas (hummus). There are others that will eat corn and hummus as well as dried. Whoever said only syrians eat rice is 100% incorrect. Most sephardim eat rice but there are exceptions. It depends on your minhag.