I don't know the joy of peanut butter on matzah, pop corn on passover or rice alongside the matzah balls in my soup. And that's just a few of the foods that will not be on my table for eight days starting Wednesday. But Sephardic Jews (those of Iberian, Arabian, or central Asian descent), including the most strictly observant, enjoy them all freely. It's one of the secret, or not so secret jealosies harbared by Ashkenazic Jews (those from central and eastern Europe).
The reason for the distinction is the way in which the legumes and legume-like products from which Ashkenazim abstain, can be milled into flour. Because part of the passover experience is not only about what we do and don't eat, but about the conciousness we bring to it, Eropean rabbis said no to such products. In this case, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, even though it's not a duck, we still treat it like one.
The other possible reason for this practice is that,
in Europe at least, beans, peas, rice and corn were often stored along with grain. Because on passover, even the tiniest amount of leavened grain is prohibited, the rabbis declared all legumes a no-no.
Whatever the reason, it makes articles like this one about the best places to eat Hummus (which my Sephardic brothers and sisters can also enjoy on passover) in New York, especially tempting. Well, not so tempting that I will change my practice, but worthy of mention. While not all the places are kosher, I can personally vouch for the ones that are, and rely on friends as committed to hummus as I am, to reccomend the others.
Enjoy!
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Author, radio and TV talk show host, and President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Brad Hirschfield is the author of 
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?
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