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Encyclopedia > Syrian Jews
A Jewish family in Damascus, pictured in their ancient Damascene home, in Ottoman Syria, 1901.
A Jewish family in Damascus, pictured in their ancient Damascene home, in Ottoman Syria, 1901.

  Part of a series of articles on
Jews and Judaism Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

         

Who is a Jew? · Etymology · Culture Image File history File links Star_of_David. ... Image File history File links Menora. ... Who is a Jew? (‎) is a commonly considered question that addresses the question of Jewish identity. ... Look up Jew in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Secular Jewish culture embraces several related phenomena; above all, it is the culture of secular communities of Jewish people, but it can also include the cultural contributions of individuals who identify as secular Jews, or even those of religious Jews working in cultural areas not generally considered to be connected...

Judaism · Core principles
God · Tanakh (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim)
Mitzvot (613) · Talmud · Halakha
Holidays · Prayer · Tzedakah
Ethics · Kabbalah · Customs · Midrash This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... There are a number of basic Jewish principles of faith that were formulated by medieval rabbinic authorities. ... At the bottom of the hands, the two letters on each hand combine to form יהוה (YHVH), the name of God. ... For the musical collective, see Tanakh (band). ... Template:Jews and Jewdaism Template:The Holy Book Named TorRah The Torah () is the most valuable Holy Doctrine within Judaism,(and for muslims) revered as the first relenting Word of Ulllah, traditionally thought to have been revealed to Blessed Moosah, An Apostle of Ulllah. ... Neviim [נביאים] (Heb: Prophets) is the second of the three major sections in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), following the Torah and preceding Ketuvim (writings). ... Ketuvim is the third and final section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). ... This article is about commandments in Judaism. ... Main article: Mitzvah 613 Mitzvot or 613 Commandments (Hebrew: ‎ transliterated as Taryag mitzvot; TaRYaG is the acronym for the numeric value of 613) are a list of commandments from God in the Torah. ... The Talmud (Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah with pronunciation emphasis on the third syllable, kha), is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ... A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. ... Jewish services (Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah ; plural תפלות, tefillot ; Yinglish: davening) are the prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. ... Tzedakah (Hebrew: צדקה) in Judaism, is the Hebrew term most commonly translated as charity, though it is based on a root meaning justice .(צדק). Judaism is very tied to the concept of tzedakah, or charity, and the nature of Jewish giving has created a North American Jewish community that is very philanthropic. ... // Jewish ethics stands at the intersection of Judaism and the Western philosophical tradition of ethics. ... This article is about traditional Jewish Kabbalah. ... Minhag (Hebrew: מנהג Custom, pl. ... Midrash (Hebrew: מדרש; plural midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text. ...

Jewish ethnic divisions
Ashkenazi · Sephardi · Mizrahi Jewish ethnic divisions refers to a number of distinct Jewish communities within the worlds ethnically Jewish population. ... Language(s) Yiddish, Hebrew, Russian, English Religion(s) Judaism Related ethnic groups Sephardi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, and other Jewish ethnic divisions Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (Standard Hebrew: sing. ... Languages Hebrew, Ladino, Judæo-Portuguese, Catalanic, Shuadit, local languages Religions Judaism Related ethnic groups Ashkenazi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, other Jewish ethnic divisions, Spaniards, Portuguese. ... Languages Hebrew, Dzhidi, Judæo-Arabic, Gruzinic, Bukhori, Judeo-Berber, Juhuri and Judæo-Aramaic Religions Judaism Related ethnic groups Ashkenazi Jews, Sephardi Jews, other Jewish ethnic divisions and Arabs. ...

Population (historical) · By country
Israel · Iran · Australia · USA
Russia/USSR · Poland · Canada
Germany · France · England · Scotland
India · Spain · Portugal · Latin America
Under Muslim rule · Turkey · Iraq · Lebanon · Syria
Lists of Jews · Crypto-Judaism Jewish population centers have shifted tremendously over time, due to the constant streams of Jewish refugees created by expulsions, persecution, and officially sanctioned killing of Jews in various places at various times. ... Jews by country Who is a Jew? Jewish ethnic divisions Ashkenazi Jews Sephardi Jews Black Jews Black Hebrew Israelites Y-chromosomal Aaron Jewish population Historical Jewish population comparisons List of religious populations Lists of Jews Crypto-Judaism Etymology of the word Jew Categories: | ... The vast territories of the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest Jewish population in the world. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The earliest date at which Jews arrived in Scotland is not known. ... For a list of individuals of Jewish origin by country in Latin America, see List of Latin American Jews. ... Excluding the region of Palestine, and omitting the accounts of Joseph and Moses as unverifiable, Jews have lived in what are now Arab and non-Arab Muslim (i. ... List of Jewish historians List of Jewish scientists and philosophers List of Jewish nobility List of Jewish inventors List of Jewish jurists List of Jews in literature and journalism List of Jews in the performing arts List of Jewish actors and actresses List of Jewish musicians List of Jews in... Crypto-Judaism is the secret adherence to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith; people who practice crypto-Judaism are referred to as crypto-Jews. The term crypto-Jew is also used to describe descendants of Jews who still (generally secretly) maintain some Jewish traditions, often while adhering...

Jewish denominations · Rabbis
Orthodox · Conservative · Reform
Reconstructionist · Liberal · Karaite
Humanistic · Renewal  · Alternative Several groups, sometimes called denominations, branches, or movements, have developed among Jews of the modern era, especially Ashkenazi Jews living in anglophone countries. ... For the town in Italy, see Rabbi, Italy. ... Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonised in the Talmudic texts (Oral Torah) and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. ... This article is about Conservative (Masorti) Judaism in the United States. ... Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of American Jews and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th-century Germany. ... Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement, based on the ideas of the late Mordecai Kaplan, that views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. ... Liberal Judaism is a term used by some communities worldwide for what is otherwise also known as Reform Judaism or Progressive Judaism. ... Karaite Judaism or Karaism is a Jewish movement characterized by the sole reliance on the Tanakh as scripture, and the rejection of the Oral Law (the Mishnah and the Talmud) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... Humanistic Judaism is a movement within Judaism that emphasizes Jewish culture and history - rather than belief in God - as the sources of Jewish identity. ... Jewish Renewal is a new religious movement in Judaism which endeavors to reinvigorate modern Judaism with mystical, Hasidic, musical and meditative practices. ... Alternative Judaism refers to several varieties of modern Judaism which fall outside the common Orthodox/Non-Orthodox (Reform/Conservative/Reconstructionist) classification of the four major streams of todays Judaism. ...

Jewish languages
Hebrew · Yiddish · Judeo-Persian
Ladino · Judeo-Aramaic · Judeo-Arabic
The Jewish languages are a set of languages that developed in various Jewish communities, in Europe, southern and south-western Asia, and northern Africa. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... Yiddish (Yid. ... The Judæo-Persian languages include a number of related languages spoken throughout the formerly extensive realm of the Persian Empire, sometimes including all the Jewish Indo-Iranian languages: Dzhidi (Judæo-Persian) Bukhori (Judæo-Bukharic) Judæo-Golpaygani Judæo-Yazdi Judæo-Kermani Judæo-Shirazi Jud... Not to be confused with Ladin. ... Judæo-Aramaic is a collective term used to describe several Hebrew-influenced Aramaic and Neo-Aramaic languages. ... The Judeo-Arabic languages are a collection of Arabic dialects spoken by Jews living or formerly living in Arabic-speaking countries; the term also refers to more or less classical Arabic written in the Hebrew script, particularly in the Middle Ages. ...

History · Timeline · Leaders
Ancient · Temple · Babylonian exile
Jerusalem (in Judaism · Timeline)
Hasmoneans · Sanhedrin · Schisms
Pharisees · Jewish-Roman wars
Relationship with Christianity; with Islam
Diaspora · Middle Ages · Sabbateans
Hasidism · Haskalah · Emancipation
Holocaust · Aliyah · Israel (History)
Arab conflict · Land of Israel
Baal teshuva movement This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This is a timeline of the development of Judaism and the Jewish people. ... Jewish leadership: Since 70 AD and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem there has been no single body that has a leadership position over the entire Jewish community. ... For the pre-history of the region, see Pre-history of the Southern Levant. ... The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew: בית המקדש, transliterated Bet HaMikdash and meaning literally The Holy House) was located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. ... For other uses, see Babylonian captivity (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... Main article: Religious significance of Jerusalem Jerusalem has been the holiest city in Judaism and the spiritual homeland of the Jewish people since the 10th century BCE.[1] Jerusalem has long been embedded into Jewish religious consciousness. ... 1800 BCE - The Jebusites build the wall Jebus (Jerusalem). ... The Hasmoneans (Hebrew: , Hashmonaiym, Audio) were the ruling dynasty of the Hasmonean Kingdom (140 BCE–37 BCE),[1] an autonomous Jewish state in ancient Israel. ... For the tractate in the Mishnah, see Sanhedrin (tractate). ... Schisms among the Jews are cultural as well as religious. ... For the followers of the Vilna Gaon, see Perushim. ... Combatants Roman Empire Jews of Iudaea Province Commanders Vespasian, Titus Simon Bar-Giora, Yohanan mi-Gush Halav (John of Gischala), Eleazar ben Simon Strength 70,000? 1,100,000? Casualties Unknown 1,100,000? (majority Jewish civilian casualties) Jewish-Roman wars First War – Kitos War – Bar Kokhba revolt The first... This article discusses the traditional views of the two religions and may not be applicable all adherents of each. ... This article is about the historical interaction between Islam and Judaism. ... The Jewish diaspora (Hebrew: Tefutzah, scattered, or Galut גלות, exile, Yiddish: tfutses), the Jewish presence outside of the Land of Israel is a result of the expulsion of the Jewish people out of their land, during the destruction of the First Temple, Second Temple and after the Bar Kokhba revolt. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Not to be confused with Sabaeans, who were ancient people living in what is now Yemen. ... This article is about the Hasidic movement originating in Poland and Russia. ... Haskalah (Hebrew: השכלה; enlightenment, education from sekhel intellect, mind ), the Jewish Enlightenment, was a movement among European Jews in the late 18th century that advocated adopting enlightenment values, pressing for better integration into European society, and increasing education in secular studies, Hebrew, and Jewish history. ... Dates of Jewish emancipation. ... “Shoah” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Combatants Arab nations Israel Arab-Israeli conflict series History of the Arab-Israeli conflict Views of the Arab-Israeli conflict International law and the Arab-Israeli conflict Arab-Israeli conflict facts, figures, and statistics Participants Israeli-Palestinian conflict · Israel-Lebanon conflict · Arab League · Soviet Union / Russia · Israel, Palestine and the... The Land of Israel (Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, Masoretic: ʼẸretz Yiśrāēl, Hebrew Academy: Éreẓ Yisrael, Yiddish: ) is the divinely ordained and given territory by God as an eternal inheritance to the Jewish people. ... Baal teshuva movement (return [to Judaism] movement) refers to a worldwide phenomenon among the Jewish people. ...

Persecution · Antisemitism
History of antisemitism
New antisemitism This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... This does not cite its references or sources. ... New antisemitism is the concept of a new 21st-century form of antisemitism emanating simultaneously from the left, the far right, and radical Islam, and tending to manifest itself as opposition to Zionism and the State of Israel. ...

Political movements · Zionism
Labor Zionism · Revisionist Zionism
Religious Zionism · General Zionism
The Bund · World Agudath Israel
Jewish feminism · Israeli politics Jewish political movements refer to the organized efforts of Jews to build their own political parties or otherwise represent their interest in politics outside of the Jewish community. ... This article is about Zionism as a movement, not the History of Israel. ... Labor Zionism (or Socialist Zionism, Labour Zionism) is the traditional left wing of the Zionist ideology and was historically oriented towards the Jewish workers movement. ... Palestine (comprising todays Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza strip) and Transjordan (todays Kingdom of Jordan) were all part of the British Mandate of Palestine. ... Religious Zionism, or the Religious Zionist Movement, a branch of which is also called Mizrachi, is an ideology that claims to combine Zionism and Judaism, to base Zionism on the principles of Jewish religion and heritage. ... General Zionists were centrists within the Zionist movement. ... A Bundist demonstration, 1917 The General Jewish Labour Union of Lithuania, Poland and Russia, in Yiddish the Algemeyner Yidisher Arbeter Bund in Lite, Poyln un Rusland (אַלגמײַנער ײדישער אַרבײטערסבונד אין ליטאַ, פוילין און רוסלאַנד), generally called The Bund (בונד) or the Jewish Labor Bund, was a Jewish political party operating in several European countries between the 1890s and the... World Agudath Israel (The World Israeli Union) was established in the early twentieth century as the political arm of Ashkenazi Torah Judaism. ... Jewish feminism is a movement that seeks to improve the religious, legal, and social status of women within Judaism and to open up new opportunities for religious experience and leadership for Jewish women. ... Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ...

v  d  e

Syrian Jews derive their origin from two groups: those who inhabited the region of today's Syria from the ancient times and those Sephardim who fled to Syria after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (1492 AD). There were large communities in Aleppo, Damascus, and Beirut for centuries, and a smaller community in Qamishli. In the early twentieth century a large percentage of Syrian Jews emigrated to the U.S., Central and South America and Israel. Today there are almost no Jews left in Syria. The largest Syrian-Jewish community is located in Brooklyn, New York, and estimated at 40,000; there are smaller communities elsewhere in the United States and in Latin America. For the pre-history of the region, see Pre-history of the Southern Levant. ... In the strictest sense, a Sephardi (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew Səfardi, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Səfardim, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardîm) is a Jew original to the... ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... BCE redirects here. ... Location of the governorate of Aleppo within Syria Aleppo (Arabic: [ḥalab], ) is a city in northern Syria, capital of the Aleppo Governorate. ... For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Lebanese city. ... Qamishli ܩܡܫܠܝ (or Al Qamishli or Kamishli, sometimes transcribed with accents) is a city in northeast Syria on the border with Turkey and close to Iraq (Ancient Assyria). ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... This article is about the state. ...

Contents

History

There are three basic components of the Syrian Jewish community. This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ...

  1. There have been Jews in Syria since ancient times: according to legend, since the time of King David, and certainly since early Roman times. Jews from this ancient community were known as Musta'arabim (Arabized Jews) to themselves, or Moriscos to the Sephardim.
  2. Many Sephardim arrived following the expulsion from Spain in 1492, and quickly took a leading position in the community.
  3. Still later, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, some Jews from Italy and elsewhere, known as Señores Francos, settled in Syria for trading reasons, while retaining their European nationalities.
Jewish wedding in Aleppo, Syria, 1914.
Jewish wedding in Aleppo, Syria, 1914.

Today there is no clear distinction between these groups, as they have intermarried extensively, and all regard themselves as "Sephardim" in a broader sense. It is said that one can tell families of Sephardic descent (in the narrow sense) by the fact that they light an extra Hanukkah candle: this custom was apparently established in gratitude for their acceptance by the older community. This article is about the Biblical king of Israel. ... In the strictest sense, a Sephardi (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew Səfardi, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Səfardim, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardîm) is a Jew original to the... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Location of the governorate of Aleppo within Syria Aleppo (Arabic: [ḥalab], ) is a city in northern Syria, capital of the Aleppo Governorate. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Grand Rabbi Israel Abraham Portugal of Skulen Hasidism lighting Hanukkah lights Hanukkah (‎, also spelled Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may fall anytime from late November to late December. ...


In the nineteenth century, following the completion of the Suez Canal in Egypt in 1869, trade shifted to that route from the overland route through Syria, and the commercial importance of Aleppo and Damascus underwent a marked decline. Many families left Syria for Egypt in the following decades, and with increasing frequency until the First World War, Jews left Syria and Egypt for western countries, mainly Great Britain, the United States, Mexico and Argentina. This pattern of migration largely followed the fortunes of the cotton trade, in which many Syrian Jews were engaged.


Beginning on the Passover Holiday of 1992, the 4,000 remaining members of the Damascus Jewish community (Arabic Yehud ash-Sham) as well as the Aleppo community and the Jews of Qamishli were permitted under the regime of Hafez al-Assad to leave Syria for the United States provided they did not emigrate to Israel. Within a few months, thousands of Syrian Jews made their way to Brooklyn with the help of philanthropic leaders of the Syrian Jewish community. The few remaining Jews in Syria mostly live in Damascus. Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Hafez al-Assad (Arabic: ) (October 6, 1930 – June 10, 2000) was president of Syria for three decades. ...


Present-day Syrian Jewish communities

Israel

A Baghdadi rabbi with Hasidic students and Syrian Jews at a wedding celebration in Jerusalem, 1904.
A Baghdadi rabbi with Hasidic students and Syrian Jews at a wedding celebration in Jerusalem, 1904.

There has been a Syrian presence in Jerusalem since before 1850, with many rabbinical families having members both there and in Damascus and Aleppo. These had some contact with their Ashkenazi opposite numbers of the Old Yishuv, leading to a tradition of strict orthodoxy: for example in the 1860s there was a successful campaign to prevent the establishment of a Reform synagogue in Aleppo. Some Syrian traditions, such as the singing of Baqashot, were accepted by the mainstream Jerusalem Sephardi community. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Yishuv is a Hebrew word meaning settlement. ... This article is about a type of Jewish religious music, Baqashot. ...


A further group immigrated to Palestine around 1900, and formed the Ades Synagogue in Nahlaot. This still exists, and is the main Aleppo rite synagogue in Israel, though its membership now includes Asiatic Jews of all groups, especially Kurdish. There is also a large Syrian community in Holon and Bat Yam.


Many Jews fled from Syria to Palestine during the anti-Jewish riots of 1947. After that, the Syrian government clamped down and allowed no emigration, though some Jews left illicitly. In the last two decades some emigration has been allowed, mostly to America, though some have since left America for Israel, under the leadership of Rabbi Albert Hamra.


The older generation from prior to the establishment of the state retains little or no Syrian ethnic identity of its own and is well integrated into mainstream Israeli society. The most recent wave is integrating at different levels and has split between Israel and their kin in NY and Mexico.


There is a Merkaz 'Olami le-Moreshet Yahadut Aram Tsoba (World Center for the Heritage of Aleppo Jewry) in Tel Aviv, which publishes books of Syrian Jewish interest.


Great Britain

The main settlement of Syrian Jews was in Manchester, where they joined the synagogues of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews, which had a mixed congregation including Turkish and Egyptian Jews (and some Iraqis) as well as Syrians. There were and are two of these: one in north/central Manchester, which has since moved to Salford, and the other in Queenston Road, West Didsbury in the southern suburbs. A breakaway synagogue was later formed in Old Lansdowne Road with a more Syrian flavour, but it and Queenston Road have since merged. There are still several Sephardim in the Manchester area, but many have since left for the New World. This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Painting of the Amsterdam Esnoga — considered the mother synagogue by the Portuguese and Spanish Jews — by Emanuel de Witte (ab. ... For other uses, see Salford (disambiguation). ... West Didsbury is a suburb in Greater Manchester in north-west England. ...


United States

New York

Syrian Jews first immigrated to New York around 1908. Initially they lived on the Lower East Side; later settlements were in Bensonhurst and Ocean Parkway in Flatbush, Brooklyn, this last being the current center of the community. The community was formerly centered on the "Magen David" synagogue; today there is an array of different synagogues that service the community's many different needs. Bensonhurst Embankment is a common walkway in Bensonhurst Bensonhurst is a neighborhood located in the south-central part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. ... Ocean Parkway is a broad boulevard and associated neighborhood in the west central portion of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. ... Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods. ...

  • "Shaare Zion" on Ocean Parkway.
  • "Beth Torah" on Ocean Parkway under the leadership of Rabbi Ari Azancot, for people living in and around the Avenue J area
  • "Bet Yaakob" under the leadership of Rabbi Eli Mansour
  • "Ahi Ezer" and "Shevet Achim" for Jews originating in Damascus
  • "Bnei Yitzhaq" Sephardic Synagogue
  • "B'nai Yosef Synagogue"
  • "Magen David" of Magen David Elementary on S and McDonald
  • "Ahaba Ve Ahva", for Egyptian Jews, under Rabbi Shimon Alouf's leadership
  • "Har Halebanon" and "SLC" (Sephardic Lebanese Congregation), for Lebanese Jews
  • Congregation "Ateret Torah",
  • "Magen David of Union Square", in downtown Manhattan
  • "Safra synagogue of New York" in Manhattan 63rd Street
  • "Sephardic Synagogue" under the leadership of Rabbi Moshe Shamah
  • "Bet Shaul U'miriam" for Israeli Jews under Rabbi David Cohen
  • "Shaare Shalom" in the Madison neighborhood, under Rabbi Joe Dweck
  • "Shaare Zion" of Great Neck, In Great Neck, Nassau County

There is also a Sephardic Community Center, which is not a synagogue but a community center. The Bnai Yosef Synagogue is an Orthodox Sephardi Synagogue at the corner of Ocean Parkway and Avenue P in Brooklyn, New York. ...


The community is characterized by multi-generational businesses; children are encouraged to stay within the family business. Those who pursue higher education are encouraged to remain within the familial structure.


New Jersey

The New Jersey community is mainly based in Monmouth County, especially Deal, Elberon, Long Branch, Oakhurst and Bradley Beach. This largely consists of an abundance of people who come there during the summer months though some live there permanently.


Synagogues include the following

  • Deal Synagogue
  • West Deal Synagogue
  • Park Avenue Synagogue
  • Hathaway Synagogue
  • Lawrence Avenue Synagogue
  • Ahavah Ve Achva
  • West Long Branch
  • Shaare Tefillah Bene Moshe - Eatontown

South Carolina

  • "Beth-El Synagogue" Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

California

A Syrian synagogue, Magen David of Beverly Hills, exists on Foothill Road (although not all members are of Syrian background). Beverly Hills redirects here. ...


Leadership

Chief Rabbi Jacob S. Kassin was the spiritual leader of the united Syrian Community in New York until his passing in December of 1994. Today his son Rabbi Saul J. Kassin holds the title of Chief Rabbi.


As of 2007 there are no Conservative or Reform congregations affiliated with the Syrian community.


Latin America

Argentina

The largest Jewish community in Argentina is in the capital Buenos Aires. The majority are Ashkenazim, but the Sephardim, and especially the Syrians, are a sizeable community. Despite the fact that the Sephardim are a minority in the Argentine Jewish community as a whole, a majority of Orthodox (excluding Lubavitch) rabbis in Buenos Aires are of Sephardic descent. There are approximately 37,500 Sephardim in Buenos Aires. For other uses, see Buenos Aires (disambiguation). ... Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonised in the Talmudic texts (Oral Torah) and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. ... For other uses, see Chabad (disambiguation). ... In the strictest sense, a Sephardi (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew Səfardi, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Səfardim, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardîm) is a Jew original to the...


Syrian Jews are most visible in the Once district, where there are many community schools and temples. For some decades there has been a good-natured rivalry between the Shami (Damascene) community of "Shaare Tefila (Pasito)" synagogue and the Halebi (Aleppan) community of "Sucat David" across the street. The most influential rabbinic authority was Rabbi Chehebar from the "Yessod Hadat" congregation on Lavalle street; he was consulted from all across the globe, and had an influential role in the recovery of parts of the Aleppo codex. There are many kosher butcher shops and restaurants catering to the community. Balvanera is a barrio (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ... Location of the governorate of Aleppo within Syria Aleppo (Arabic: [ḥalab], ) is a city in northern Syria, capital of the Aleppo Governorate. ... The Aleppo Codex (the Keter (Crown) Aram Tzova) is the oldest complete manuscript Hebrew Bible, though scrolls of individual books of the Tanakh are much older (see Dead Sea scrolls). ... The circled U indicates that this can of tuna is certified kosher by the Union of Orthodox Congregations. ...


There were important communities in the Boca and Flores neighborhoods as well. Many Syrian Jews own clothing stores along Avellaneda avenue in Flores, and there is a community school on Felipe Vallese (formerly Canalejas) street. Some important clothing chains such as Chemea and Tawil, with tens of shops each, were started by Syrian Jews. La Boca is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. ... Flores is a middle class barrio or district in the centre part of Buenos Aires city, Argentina. ...


Brazil

The majority of the Syrian community of Brazil come from Beirut, Lebanon, where they had lived since their expulsion from Syria following the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent violent anti-Jewish pogroms perpetrated by their Muslim neighbours. They left Beirut in wake of the first Lebanese Civil War. This article is about the Lebanese city. ... Combatants Lebanese Front Syria LNM PLO Israel Commanders Bachir Gemayel Dany Chamoun Kamal Jumblatt Yasser Arafat Ariel Sharon The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) was a multifaceted civil war whose antecedents trace back to the conflicts and political compromises reached after the end of Lebanons administration by the Ottoman...


Most Syrian Jews established themselves in the industrial city of São Paulo, being attracted there by the many commercial opportunities it offered. The community became very prosperous, and several of its members are among the wealthiest and the politically and economically most influential families in São Paulo. This article is about the city. ...


The community first attended Egyptian synagogues, but later founded their own synagogues, most notably the Beit Yaakov synagogues in the neighbourhoods of Jardins and Higienopolis.


The community has its own school and youth movement, and claims a strong Jewish identity and low assimilation rate. The majority of the community affiliates itself with Jewish Orthodoxy, though few could be described as fully Orthodox.


There are approximately 7,000 Syrian Jews in Brazil.


Chile

In Chile, many Syrian Jews escaped from Syria and Palestine, provinces of the Ottoman Empire during the World War I, actually there are 2,300 Syrian Jews in Chile


Panama

Panama also received a large number of Syrian Jewish immigrants, mostly from Halab (Aleppo), where they constitute a largest group in Panama's 8,000 strong Jewish community. (There are also some Sephardim from Ladino-speaking Turkish backgrounds.) The Panamanian Jews are among the most united Jewish communities in the world - most attend the same synagogues irrespective of ancestry, intermarriage is extremely low and scholarship in Torah is growing quickly. This community is also known for the redistribution of its wealth among its own and needy around the world. Location of the governorate of Aleppo within Syria Aleppo (Arabic: [ḥalab], ) is a city in northern Syria, capital of the Aleppo Governorate. ... Languages Hebrew, Ladino, Judæo-Portuguese, Catalanic, Shuadit, local languages Religions Judaism Related ethnic groups Ashkenazi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, other Jewish ethnic divisions, Spaniards, Portuguese. ... This article deals with the Judaeo-Spanish language. ...


Mexico

There have been Jews from Aleppo in Mexico City since the early years of the twentieth century. Originally they worshipped in a private house transformed in a synagogue - Sinagoga Ketana (Bet Haknesset HaKatan) located in Calles de Jesús María. Nickname: Motto: Capital en movimiento Location of Mexico City in south central Mexico Coordinates: , Country Federal entity Boroughs The 16 delegaciones Founded c. ...


The Rodfe Sedek synagogue was established in 1931, largely through the efforts of Rabbi Mordejay Attie. This synagogue, known also as Knis de Cordoba, is situated at 238 Cordoba Street in the Roma quarter of Mexico City. At the time this neighborhood was home to the largest concentration of Jews from Aleppo in Mexico City. The first mikveh (ritual bath) in Mexico was established within the Rodfe Sedek synagogue. In 1982 a funeral house was built in the courtyard of the synagogue.


In 1938 the Jewish immigrants from Aleppo set up Sociedad de Beneficencia Sedaká u Marpé, which evolved into a separate Jewish community: since 1984 it has been known as Comunidad Maguen David.


Traditions and Customs

Liturgy

Main article: Sephardic Judaism
Chief Rabbi Jacob Saul Dwek, Hakham Bashi of Aleppo, Syria, 1908.
Chief Rabbi Jacob Saul Dwek, Hakham Bashi of Aleppo, Syria, 1908.
Rabbi Jacob Saul Dwek and officials of the great synagogue of Aleppo.
Rabbi Jacob Saul Dwek and officials of the great synagogue of Aleppo.

There exists a fragment of the old Aleppo prayer book for the High Holy Days, published in Venice in 1560. This represents the liturgy of the Musta'arabim (native Arabic-speaking Jews) as distinct from that of the Sephardim proper (immigrants from Spain and Portugal): it recognisably belongs to the "Sephardic" family of rites in the widest sense, but is different from any liturgy used today. Sephardic Judaism is used in this article to describe the religious practices of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, so far as these are peculiar to themselves and not shared with other Jewish groups such as the Ashkenazim. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Hakham Bashi (Turkish: Hahambaşı) is the Turkish name for the Chief Rabbi of the nation. ... Location of the governorate of Aleppo within Syria Aleppo (Arabic: [ḥalab], ) is a city in northern Syria, capital of the Aleppo Governorate. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Venice (disambiguation). ... Mustaarabim is a group of native Arab Jews whom have lived in the Middle East prior to the Spanish Inquisition in 1492. ...


Following the immigration of Jews from Spain following the expulsion, a compromise liturgy evolved containing elements from the customs of both communities, but with the Sephardic element taking an ever larger share.[1] In Syria, as in North African countries, there was no attempt to print a Siddur containing the actual usages of the community, as this would not generally be commercially viable. Major publishing centres, principally Livorno, and later Vienna, would produce standard "Sephardic" prayer books suitable for use in all communities, and particular communities such as the Syrians would order these in bulk, preserving any special usages by oral tradition. (For example, ִHacham Abraham ִHamwi of Aleppo commissioned a series of prayer-books from Livorno, which were printed in 1878, but even these were "pan-Sephardic" in character, though they contained some notes about the specific "minhag Aram Tsoba".) As details of the oral tradition faded from memory, the liturgy in use came ever nearer to the "Livorno" standard. In the early years of the twentieth century, this "Sephardic" rite was almost universal in Syria. The only exception (in Aleppo) was a "Musta'arabi" minyan at the Great Synagogue, but even their liturgy differed from the standard in only a few details such as the order of the hymns on Rosh Hashanah. A siddur (Hebrew: סידור; plural siddurim) is a Jewish prayer book over the world, containing a set order of daily prayers. ... Livorno (archaic English: ) is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... Look up Rosh Hashanah in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


The liturgy of Damascus differed from that of Aleppo in some details, mostly because of its greater proximity to the Holy Land. Some of the laws specific to Eretz Yisrael are regarded as extending to Damascus,[2] and the city had ties both to the Safed Kabbalists and to the Jerusalem Sephardic community. For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ... Safed (Hebrew: צְפַת, Tiberian: , Israeli: Tsfat, Ashkenazi: Tzfas; Arabic: صفد ; KJV English: Zephath) is a city in the North District in Israel. ... This article is about traditional Jewish Kabbalah. ...


The liturgy now used in Syrian communities round the world is textually speaking Oriental-Sephardic. That is to say, it is based on the Spanish rite as varied by the customs of Isaac Luria, and resembles those in use in Greek, Turkish and North African Jewish communities. However, some communities and individuals use "Edot ha-Mizraִh" prayer-books which contain a slightly different text, based on the Baghdadi rite, as these are more commonly available, leaving any specifically Syrian usages to be perpetuated by oral tradition. The grave of Isaac Luria in Safed Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534 – July 25, 1572) was a Jewish mystic in Safed. ...


The musical customs of Syrian communities are very distinctive, as many of the prayers are chanted to the melodies of the pizmonim, according to a complicated annual rota designed to ensure that the maqam (musical mode) used suits the mood of the festival or of the Torah reading for the week. See Syrian Cantors and The Weekly Maqam. Pizmonim (Hebrew פזמונים, singular pizmon) are traditional Jewish songs and melodies that praise God. ... In Arabic music a maqaam (Arabic: ‎, Hebrew: ) is, a technique of improvisation that defines the pitches, patterns, and development of a piece of music and which is unique to Arabian art music. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In Sephardic Middle Eastern Jewish prayer services, each Shabbat the congregation conducts services using a different maqam. ...


Pizmonim

Main article: Pizmonim

Syrian Jews have a large repertoire of hymns, sung on social and ceremonial occasions such as weddings and bar mitzvahs. Pizmonim are also used in the prayers of Sabbath and holidays. Some of these are ancient and others were composed more recently as adaptations of popular Arabic songs; sometimes they are written or commissioned for particular occasions, and contain coded allusions to the name of the person honoured. There is a standard Pizmonim book called "Shir uShbaha Hallel veZimrah", edited by Cantor Gabriel A. Shrem under the supervision of the Sephardic Heritage Foundation, in which the hymns are classified according to the musical mode (maqam) to which the melody belongs. As time passes, more and more pizmonim are getting lost, and therefore efforts are being made by the Sephardic Pizmonim Project, under the leadership of Mr. David M. Betesh, to preserve as many pizmonim as possible. This project set up a website www.pizmonim.com in order to facilitate preservation. Pizmonim (Hebrew פזמונים, singular pizmon) are traditional Jewish songs and melodies that praise God. ... When a Jewish child reaches the age of maturity (12 years and one day for girls, 13 years and one day for boys) that child becomes responsible for him/herself under Jewish law; at this point a boy is said to become Bar Mitzvah (בר מצו&#1493... In Arabic music a maqaam (Arabic: ‎, Hebrew: ) is, a technique of improvisation that defines the pitches, patterns, and development of a piece of music and which is unique to Arabian art music. ...


Baqashot

Main article: Baqashot

It was a custom in Syrian Jewish communities (and some others) to sing Baqashot (petitionary hymns) before the morning service on Shabbat. In the winter months the full corpus of 66 hymns is sung, finishing with Adon Olam and Kaddish: this service generally lasts about four hours, from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m.. This article is about a type of Jewish religious music, Baqashot. ... This article is about a type of Jewish religious music, Baqashot. ... For other uses, see Sabbath. ... Adon Olam, with transliterated lyrics and melody, from the Jewish Encyclopedia. ... This article is about the Jewish prayer. ...


This tradition still obtains in full force in the Ades synagogue in Jerusalem. In other communities such as New York it is less widespread, though the hymns are sung on other occasions.


Pronunciation of Hebrew

The Syrian pronunciation of Hebrew is similar to that of other Mizrahi communities, and is influenced both by Sephardi Hebrew and by the Syrian dialect of Arabic. It does not reflect the formal rules for the pronunciation of Classical Arabic (tajwid) to the same extent as the pronunciation of Iraqi Jews. Particular features are as follows: The Mizrahi Hebrew language or Oriental Hebrew language refers to any one of the pronunciation systems for Biblical Hebrew used liturgically by Mizrahi Jews, that is, Jews living in Arab countries or further east, and typically speaking Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Turkish, or other languages of the Middle East and Asia. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... Languages Hebrew, Dzhidi, Judæo-Arabic, Gruzinic, Bukhori, Judeo-Berber, Juhuri and Judæo-Aramaic Religions Judaism Related ethnic groups Ashkenazi Jews, Sephardi Jews, other Jewish ethnic divisions and Arabs. ... The Sephardi Hebrew language is the pronunciation system for Biblical Hebrew favored for liturgical use by Sephardi Jewish practice. ... Syrian Arabic is the variety of Arabic spoken in Syria, classified as a Levantine dialect. ... Arabic redirects here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Tajwīd (تجويد) is an Arabic word meaning proper pronunciation during recitation, as well as recitation at a moderate speed. ... Iraqi Jews constitute one of the worlds oldest, and historically most important Jewish communities. ...

  • ב (Beth without dagesh) is traditionally /b/, but in Israel is often now /v/ under the influence of Israeli Hebrew
  • ה (He with mappiq) is pronounced with a very short following schwa /ə/
  • ו (Vav) is pronounced /v/, not /w/
  • ח (Heth) is pronounced /ħ/, like Arabic ح (voiceless pharyngeal fricative)
  • ט (Teth) is pronounced /tˁ/, like Arabic ط (voiceless pharyngealized alveolar plosive)
  • ע (Ayin) is pronounced /ʕ/, like Arabic ع (voiced pharyngeal fricative), but this is less emphatic than in some other dialects
  • צ (Tsadi) is pronounced /sˁ/, like Arabic ص (voiceless pharyngealized alveolar fricative); that is, like English voiceless "s" but with the tongue a little retracted
  • ק (Qof) varies between /q/, like Classical Arabic ق (voiceless uvular plosive) and /ʔ/, a glottal stop
  • ת (Tav without dagesh) is pronounced /t/, not /θ/

  Beth or Bet is the second letter of many Semetic alphabets, including Phoenician, Hebrew, and Aramaic. ... Look up he in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... VAV is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to: Waw (letter), a Semitic letter A Variable air volume device, used in HVAC systems to control the flow of air Categories: | ... For the letter Heth in the Hebrew and Phoenician alphabets, see Heth (letter). ... The voiceless pharyngeal fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. ... (also Teth, Tet) is the ninth letter of many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew , Syriac and Arabic (in abjadi order, 16th in modern order). ... The voiceless alveolar plosive is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. ... or Ayin is the sixteenth letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic (in abjadi order). ... The voiced pharyngeal approximant/fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. ... Tsade or Tsadi is the 18th letter in the Phoenician and Hebrew alphabets. ... The voiceless alveolar fricatives are consonantal sounds. ... Qoph or Qop is the nineteenth letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew ‎ and Arabic alphabet ‎ (in abjadi order). ... The voiceless uvular plosive is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tav can mean: Taw (letter) (also written tav), a letter of the Phoenician and Hebrew alphabets Tav (number) (also written taw or taf), the denotation of a specific transfinite number TAV can mean: TAV, an acronym for trans-atmospheric vehicle, a class of proposed high-altitude, high-velocity aircraft TAV...

Aleppo Codex

Main article: Aleppo Codex

The Aleppo Codex, now known in Hebrew as Keter Aram Tsoba, is the oldest and most famous manuscript of the Bible. Written in Tiberias in the year 920, and annotated by Aaron ben Asher, it has become the most authoritative Biblical text in Jewish culture. The most famous halachic authority to rely on it was Maimonides, in his exposition of the laws governing the writing of Torah scrolls in his codification of Jewish law (Mishneh Torah). After its completion, the Codex was brought to Jerusalem. Toward the end of the 11th century, it was stolen and taken to Egypt, where it was redeemed by the Jewish community of Cairo. At the end of the 14th century the Codex was taken to Aleppo, Syria (called by the Jews Aram Tsoba, the biblical name of part of Syria) — this is the origin of the manuscript’s modern name. The Aleppo Codex (the Keter (Crown) Aram Tzova) is the oldest complete manuscript Hebrew Bible, though scrolls of individual books of the Tanakh are much older (see Dead Sea scrolls). ... The Aleppo Codex (the Keter (Crown) Aram Tzova) is the oldest complete manuscript Hebrew Bible, though scrolls of individual books of the Tanakh are much older (see Dead Sea scrolls). ... Hebrew טבריה (Standard) Teverya Arabic طبرية Government City District North Population 39 900 (a) Jurisdiction 10 000 dunams (10 km²) Tiberias (British English: ; American English: ; Hebrew: , Tverya; Arabic: , abariyyah) is a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, Lower Galilee, Israel. ... Aaron ben Moses ben Asher (in Hebrew אהרון בן משה בן אשר; in Tiberian Hebrew ʾAhărôn ben Mōšeh benʾĀšēr) (10th century, died circa 960) refined the Tiberian system for writing down vowel sounds in Hebrew, which is still in use today, and serves as the basis for grammatical analysis. ... Commonly used image indicating one artists conception of Maimonidess appearance Maimonides (March 30, 1135 or 1138–December 13, 1204) was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher in Spain, Morocco and Egypt during the Middle Ages. ... The Mishneh Torah or Yad ha-Chazaka is a code of Jewish law by one of the most important Jewish authorities, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides or by the Hebrew abbreviation RaMBaM (usually written Rambam in English). ...


For the next five centuries it was kept closely guarded in the basement of the main synagogue in Aleppo, and was considered the community's greatest treasure. Scholars from round the world would consult it to check the accuracy of their Torah scrolls. In the modern era the community would occasionally allow academics, such as Umberto Cassuto, access to the Codex, but would not permit it to be reproduced photographically or otherwise. Umberto Cassuto, also known as Moshe David Cassuto, (1883 - 1951), was born in Florence, Italy. ...


The Codex remained in the keeping of the Aleppo Jewish community until the anti-Jewish riots of December 1947, during which the ancient synagogue where it was kept was broken into and burned. The Codex itself disappeared. In 1958 the Keter was smuggled into Israel by Murad Faham and wife Sarina, and presented to the President of the State, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi. Upon its arrival it was found that parts of the Codex, including most of the Torah, had been lost. The Codex was entrusted to the keeping of the Ben-Zvi Institute and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, though the Porat Yosef Yeshivah has argued that, as the spiritual heir of the Aleppo community, it was the legitimate guardian. Some time after the arrival of the Codex, Mordechai Breuer began the monumental work of reconstructing the lost sections, on the basis of other well-known ancient manuscripts. Since then a few other leaves have been found. Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (November 24, 1884, Poltava, Ukraine - April 23, 1963, Jerusalem, Israel) was a historian, Labor Zionist leader, and the second and longest serving Israeli president (1952 - 1963). ... The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (‎, Arabic: ) is one of Israels oldest, largest, and most important institutes of higher learning and research. ... The pre-1948 facade of the Porat Yosef Yeshiva overlooking the Temple Mount. ... Mordechai Breuer Mordechai Breuer (1921-February 24, 2007) (Hebrew: ‎) was an Orthodox rabbi. ...


Modern editions of the Bible, such as the Hebrew University's "Jerusalem Crown" and Bar-Ilan University's "Mikraot Gedolot ha-Keter", have been based on the Codex. The missing sections have been reconstructed on the basis of cross-references in the Masorah (textual notes) in the surviving sections, of the notes of scholars who have consulted the Codex and of other manuscripts. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (‎, Arabic: ) is one of Israels oldest, largest, and most important institutes of higher learning and research. ... Bar-Ilan University (BIU, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן) is a university in Ramat Gan, Israel. ...


The codex is now kept in the Israel Museum, in the building known as "The Shrine of The Book." It lies there along with the Dead Sea Scrolls and many other ancient Jewish relics. The Dead Sea Scrolls comprise roughly 900 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the Wadi Qumran (near the ruins of the ancient settlement of Khirbet Qumran, on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea) in the West Bank. ...


Attitudes to Conversion

In the early twentieth century the Syrian Jewish communities of New York and Buenos Aires adopted rulings designed to discourage intermarriage. The communities would not carry out conversions to Judaism, or (normally) accept as members converts from other communities, or the children of mixed marriages or marriages involving converts. In some instances, however, they have recognized conversions done by the Rabbis in Israel. This law heavily discouraged people from converting because in order to convert they would have to travel to Israel and back, showing great commitment toward Judaism. It should be noted that Rabbi Jacob Kassin has been known to make conversions in very specific situations.


Hacham Uzziel, then Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, was asked to rule on the validity of this ban. He acknowledged the right of the community to refuse to carry out conversions and to regard as invalid conversions carried out by other communities in which marriage is a factor. At the same time he cautioned that persons converted out of genuine conviction and recognised by established rabbinic authorities should not be regarded as non-Jews, even if they were not allowed to join the Syrian community. Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... // Chief rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognised religious leader of that countrys Jewish community. ...


The ban is popularly known within the Syrian community as the "edict" or "proclamation" (in Hebrew, takkanah). Every twenty years or so, the edict is reaffirmed by all leaders and rabbis of the community, often with extra clauses. A full list is as follows:

  • Buenos Aires, 1927 (R. David Setton)
  • New York, 1935 (R. Jacob Kassin)
  • New York, 1946 "Clarification"
  • New York, 1972 "Affirmation"
  • New York, 1984 "Reaffirmation"
  • New York, 2006 "Reaffirmation".

There has been some argument as to whether the ruling amounts to a blanket ban on all converts or whether sincere converts from other communities, not motivated by marriage, may be accepted. The relevant sentence is "no male or female member of our community has the right to intermarry with non-Jews; this law covers conversions which we consider to be fictitious and valueless". In the 1946 "Clarification" a comma appears after the word "conversions", which makes it appear that all conversions are "fictitious and valueless", though this understanding is not uncontested.


Today the Syrian community's rate of intermarriage with non-Jews is less than one percent, as compared to anything up to 50% among American Jews generally[citation needed]


Cuisine

As in most Arab and Mediterranean countries, Syrian Jewish food is fairly similar to Syrian food generally. This is partly because of the eastern Mediterranean origins of Judaism as such and partly because the similarity of the Islamic dietary laws to the Jewish. Syrian (and Egyptian) recipes remain popular in Syrian Jewish communities round the world. There are traditions linking different dishes to the Jewish festivals. This is a sub-article to Hygiene in Islam, Healthy diet and Food and cooking hygiene. ... The circled U indicates that this product is certified as kosher by the Orthodox Union (OU). ...


Popular dishes are as follows:

  • Kibbeh: minced meat with burghul, often in the form of stuffed fritters
  • Kibbeh ħamda: meat balls in chicken soup made with lemon juice and vegetables (eaten before Yom Kippur fast)
  • Ijjeh or eggah: egg dish, similar to a Spanish omelette
  • Ijjeh blahme: fried meat burgers with eggs
  • Muħshi Badinjan: Stuffed eggplant with rice & meat and chick peas
  • Muħshi Kousa: Stuffed zucchini with rice & meat, nana mint and lemon
  • Yaprak: Stuffed vine leaves with rice and meat
  • Kebab: Meat balls (sometimes with cherries or pomegranate paste)
  • Chicken sofrito (Ed-Djaj Sofreeto): chicken sautéed with lemon juice, turmeric and cardamom
  • Chicken beida bi-lemoune: chicken soup served with egg and lemon sauce
  • Dfeena: Sabbath meat and bean stew equivalent to cholent
  • Ħammin eggs: hard-boiled eggs stained brown by being baked with dfeena or boiled with onion skins, sometimes adding tea leaves or coffee grounds[1]
  • Laħmajeen (or Laħmabajeen): meat (sometimes with pomegranate paste or prune juice) on small round pastry base
  • Matahamre: boiled squash, cheese, eggs and pieces of pita bread
  • Mefarka: cold minced beef with broad beans and egg (for Shabbat)
  • Meat balls with chick peas and spinach
  • Sambousak: small half-moon pasty filled with cheese or meat
  • Kousa b'jibn: Squash baked with cheese
  • M'jadra: rice and lentil or burghul and lentil kedgeree
  • Tabbouleh: burghul salad with vine leaves
  • Bazirjan or Mhammara: burghul, crushed wheat with pomegranate paste or prune juice
  • Shakshuka or Beid bifranji: boiled tomato puree with onion and eggs
  • Beid blaban: boiled yogurt with garlic, nana mint and eggs
  • Ka'ak: aniseed-flavoured bracelets with sesame seeds
  • Ghreibe: shortbread biscuits, often in bracelet form
  • Ma'amoul: shortbread pastries with date or nut fillings (the Jewish version differs from the Arab in not using semolina flour)
  • Orange Passover cakes (derived from Spanish recipes through Sephardic immigration)
  • Coconut jam (used at Passover)
  • Sharab al-loz (iced drink made from almond syrup; generally a summer drink, but also used before Yom Kippur).

Kibbeh with mint as decoration Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on Kibbeh Kibbeh or kubbah, Arabic: كبة; Turkish içli kuftah), is a dish of minced meat with bulgur and spices with many variants, both raw and cooked. ... Boiling wheat grains to make bulgur in Turkey, 1990. ... Yom Kippur (Hebrew:יוֹם כִּפּוּר ) is a Jewish holiday, known in English as the Day of Atonement. ... A portion of tortilla Full tortilla de patatas Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Spanish Omelette Tortilla de patatas (Spanish for potato omelette, but sometimes also referred to as Spanish omelette in English) is a popular dish in Spain that can be served either cold or hot. ... Dolma is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and surrounding regions, including the Middle East, the Balkans, Greece, and Central Asia. ... Dolma is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and surrounding regions, including the Middle East, the Balkans, Greece, and Central Asia. ... Dolma is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and surrounding regions, including the Middle East, the Balkans, Greece, and Central Asia. ... Left to right: Chenjeh Kabab, Kabab Koobideh, Jujeh Kabab in an Afghan restaurant. ... Sofrito is a Spanish word for a well cooked and fragrant sauce. ... Insert non-formatted text hereAvgolemono is a Greek dish. ... Chamin is the Hebrew word used to describe the special dish made for the Shabbat. ... Cholent (from Eastern European Yiddish טשאָלנט tsholnt) or shalet (from Western European Yiddish שאלעט shalet), a food of Ashkenazi Jews, is a type of stew (or stewing) that has simmered over a very low flame or inside a slow oven (set to a low-heat temperature) or crock pot for many hours... Lahmacun Lahmajun (IPA: ), sometimes called Turkish pizza or Armenian pizza, is an Anatolian dish usually made up of a round and thin piece of dough topped with various meats (most commonly beef and lamb) and vegetables. ... Sambusac, also known as simbusak or samboussa, is a small fried or baked pasty, which may be either half-moon shaped or triangular. ... Mujaddara or mjadra is a thick stew of onions, rice and lentils, popular in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. ... Syrian style Tabbouleh with lettuce and lemons Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on Tabbouleh Tabouleh (Arabic: ; also Tabbouleh or Tabouli) is a Mediterranean salad dish, often used as part of a mezze. ... Boiling wheat grains to make bulgur in Turkey, 1990. ... Kaak also known as Pathhar ki roti (English: Stone bread) is a native dish of the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. ... Maamoul are small shortbread pastries filled with dates, pistachios or walnuts (or occasionally almonds, figs or other fillings). ... This article is about the Jewish holiday. ... Yom Kippur (Hebrew:יוֹם כִּפּוּר ) is a Jewish holiday, known in English as the Day of Atonement. ...

Surnames

  • Abadi
  • Abboud, Aboud
  • Aboudi
  • Abulafia
  • Ades
  • Adjmi
  • Alfieh
  • Allako
  • Altaras
  • Amash
  • Amkieh
  • Ancona
  • Antaki or Antoky
  • Antar
  • Antebi or Anteby
  • Anzarut
  • Arazi
  • Ariel
  • Arking, Arakanji, Arkulji
  • Armut
  • Ashear or Ashqar
  • Ashkenazi or Ash
  • Assa
  • Assoulin
  • Attar
  • Attiah, Atiyyah or Atieh
  • Azar
  • Azrak
  • Badra
  • Baghdadi
  • Bailey or Balleh
  • Ballas, Belilios
  • Banbaji
  • Baruch (Abadi)
  • Bassul
  • Battat
  • Bawabeh
  • Bechar
  • Benun
  • Beracha, Braha or Braka
  • Betesh or Btesh
  • Beyda
  • Biba, Bibi, Bobo, Yabo
  • Bijou, Bissou, Bozo
  • Blanga, Blanka, Blanco
  • Breska
  • Bukai or Bukkei
  • Bouzali
  • Cabbaso
  • Cario
  • Castika
  • Cattan or Catton
  • Cayre or Kairey
  • Chalouh or Shalouh
  • Chappan
  • Chemtob or Shemtob
  • Chera, Chirro
  • Churba
  • Cohen
  • Dabbah
  • Dahab
  • Dana, Daniel
  • Darbakli or Derli
  • Dayan (Davidic descent)
  • Dayeh (Mishan)
  • Deiri, Duer
  • Dibbo
  • Dichy, Dishi
  • Didya
  • Drejo (Tawil)
  • Durzieh
  • Dweck, Dwek or Douek
  • Erfeli or Urfali
  • Esses or Asis
  • Faham
  • Falack
  • Fallah, Flah
  • Fallas
  • Fannan
  • Faour
  • Faqs
  • Farah
  • Farrashe
  • Farhi
  • Fattal
  • Fayena
  • Franco
  • Freiwa (Khalife)
  • Frestaki
  • Fteiha
  • Fwerte (Khaleh)
  • Gadeh or Elgadeh
  • Gateno
  • Ghazaleh
  • Gilla or Gil
  • Gindi (Zaknish)
  • Goldman
  • Grazi
  • Haber, Habet
  • Haddad
  • Hakim
  • Halabi, Halabieh
  • Hamoui, Hamway, Hamwy
  • Hamra
  • Hanon, Hanono or Chanano
  • Hara
  • Harari(Raful), Harary(Naem)
  • Hasbani
  • Hasson
  • Hazan
  • Hebb
  • Hedaya
  • Hefetz
  • Hidary, Khidrieh
  • Hilou, Hilweni or Helwani
  • Hlaleh
  • Homsani
  • Horn or Hwerin
  • Husney
  • Indibo
  • Ini or Heiney
  • Jaamour
  • Jaddah
  • Jajati, Jajeh, Jouejati
  • Jamous
  • Janani
  • Jemal, Jammal, Jamal
  • Jradeh, Jrada or Jarade
  • Kabariti or Kbariti
  • Kadshe
  • Kameo
  • Kamishli
  • Kamkhaji
  • Kassab, Kassar (Dwek)
  • Kassin
  • Katash
  • Katri
  • Kbabieh
  • Khabbaz
  • Khafif
  • Khalusi (Dwek)
  • Khamri
  • Khaski
  • Khouly
  • Kilzi
  • Kishk
  • Kochab
  • Kos
  • Kredi, Kurdi
  • Kuan
  • Kubbeni or Kabbani
  • Labaton
  • Ladkani
  • Lahham
  • Lala, Lolo, Lalo
  • Laniado
  • Lati
  • Levy, Laoui, Lawi
  • Lisbona
  • Lopez or Lofes
  • Loz, Lozeh, Lozieh
  • Mahanna or Mehanna
  • Malach
  • Maleh
  • Mamiye or Mamille
  • Mamrud or Nimrod
  • Manopla
  • Mansour
  • Marashli
  • Marcus
  • Maslaton (Tarrab)
  • Massry, Missry, Mesrie
  • Matalon
  • Mattut
  • Mawas
  • Menaged
  • Menashe, Menashe-Setton
  • Metta (Shaya)
  • Minyan
  • Mishan or Mishanieh
  • Mismar
  • Mizrahi
  • Mizreb or Mizrab
  • Mne, Mnefikhi, Minfakh
  • Mochon or Moshon
  • Monsa
  • Mouadeb
  • Musan
  • Mustaki
  • Naftali
  • Nahum
  • Najjar
  • Nakkash
  • Nasser, Nuseiri, Mousseiri
  • Nassi
  • Nawama
  • Nawlo
  • Nehmad or Nahmod
  • Newah or Noah
  • Paredes
  • Penhos or Pinhas
  • Peretz
  • Picciotto
  • Pinto
  • Qubursi
  • Rabi
  • Rahmey
  • Reuben
  • Rofé (Khallouf)
  • Romano
  • Saad, Saadiah, Saadimmo
  • Saba, Sabbagh, Scaba
  • Sacal or Sakkal
  • Safdieh, Saff, Safadi
  • Safra
  • Sakka
  • Saleh
  • Salem, Salama or Salame
  • Salman or Salmoun
  • Sankari
  • Sannado
  • Sardar or Sardel
  • Sarway
  • Sasson
  • Sayed, Seedeh
  • Sayegh or Sayyagh
  • Semah or Sameh
  • Semantob
  • Serouya (Taraman), Serieh
  • Shaab
  • Shaalo or Shakkalo
  • Shabbe, Shabbo
  • Shabbot (Rofé)
  • Shahino
  • Shakruka
  • Shalam, Shalme or Chalme
  • Shalom
  • Shama, Shameh, Shamma
  • Shamah, Shammah, Shami
  • Shammosh
  • Shamrikha
  • Sharabati
  • Shasho
  • Shattah
  • Shawafan
  • Shaya, Shayo or Chayo
  • Shbeen
  • Shehebar, Shibr
  • Shomer
  • Shrem or Chrem
  • Shweke, Schweky, Smeke
  • Silvera (Senior)
  • Sitt
  • Skef, Shkefati
  • Slelat (Cohen)
  • Srour, Serure, Zarura
  • Srugo
  • Stambouli or Stanbuli
  • Sultan
  • Sutton, Sethon or Setton
  • Swed, Sweid or Soued
  • Tabbush (Ades, Antebi)
  • Tache, Yatshe
  • Tahhan
  • Tarzi or Terzi
  • Tawil
  • Tebele, Teubal or Tobal
  • Telegraphchi
  • Tobias or Tabbash
  • Tosoun
  • Totah
  • Toussieh
  • Tuachi or Tawashi
  • Turkieh or Turkiyeh
  • Uzun
  • Wayya
  • Yaish
  • Yakar, Yashar
  • Yazdi
  • Yedid
  • Zafrani (Salem)
  • Zagha
  • Zalta, Zlekta
  • Zarif
  • Zayyat, Zeitoune
  • Zeibak
  • Zephaniah
  • Zonana

References

Endnotes

  1. ^ The reasons for the dominance of the Sephardic rite are explored in Sephardic Judaism#Liturgy.
  2. ^ Other Israel-specific laws, such as omitting tikkun Rahel in shemittah years, were regarded as extending to Aleppo but not to Damascus, because of the tradition of David's conquest of "Aram Zoba".

Sephardic Judaism is used in this article to describe the religious practices of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, so far as these are peculiar to themselves and not shared with other Jewish groups such as the Ashkenazim. ... References According to Leviticus 25:2–7; compare with Exodus 23:10, 11, 12 and Lev. ...

Bibliography

  • Abadi, J.F., A Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Recipes from Grandma Fritzie's Kitchen: Harvard 2002. Hardback: ISBN 1-55832-218-3
  • Ades, Abraham, Derech Ere"tz: Bene Berak 1990
  • Collins, Lydia, The Sephardim of Manchester: Pedigrees and Pioneers: Manchester 2006 ISBN 0-9552980-0-8
  • Dobrinsky, Herbert C.: A treasury of Sephardic laws and customs: the ritual practices of Syrian, Moroccan, Judeo-Spanish and Spanish and Portuguese Jews of North America. Revised ed. Hoboken, N.J. : KTAV; New York, N.Y. : Yeshiva Univ. Press, 1988. ISBN 0-88125-031-7
  • Dweck, Poopa and Michael J. Cohen, Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews: HarperCollins 2007, ISBN-10: 0060888180, ISBN-13: 9780060888183
  • Harel, Yaron, Sifre Ere"tz: ha-Sifrut ha-Toranit shel ִHachme Aram Tsoba (The Books of Aleppo: Torah Literature of the Rabbis of Aleppo): Jerusalem 1996 summarized here
  • Idelsohn, A.Z., Phonographierte Gesänge und Aussprachsproben des Hebräischen der jemenitischen, persischen und syrischen Juden: Vienna 1917
  • Katz, K., Masoret ha-lashon ha-‘Ibrit shel Yehude Aram-Tsoba (ִHalab) bi-ִkeri’at ha-Miqra ve-ha-Mishnah (The Hebrew Language Tradition of the Jews of Aleppo in the Reading of the Bible and Mishnah), 1981 (Hebrew)
  • Laniado, David Tsion, La-Qedoshim asher ba-are"ts: Jerusalem 1935 repr. 1980
  • Laniado, Samuel, Debash ve-ִHALAB al-leshonech: Jerusalem 1998/9 (Hebrew)
  • Roden, Claudia, A New Book of Middle Eastern Food: London 1986 ISBN 0-14-046588-X
  • Roden, Claudia, The Book of Jewish Food: New York 1997, London 1999 ISBN 0-14-046609-6
  • Shelemay, Kay Kaufman, Let Jasmine Rain Down, Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology: 1998. Hardback: ISBN 0-226-75211-9, Paperback: ISBN 0-226-75212-7.
  • Sutton, David, Aleppo: City of Scholars: Artscroll 2005 ISBN 1-57819-056-8 (partly based on Laniado, La-Qedoshim asher ba-are"ts)
  • Sutton, Joseph, Aleppo Chronicles: the Story of the Unique Sepharadeem of the Ancient Near East - in their Own Words: Brooklyn 1988
  • Sutton, Joseph, Magic Carpet: Aleppo in Flatbush: Brooklyn 1979
  • Zenner, Walter P., A Global Community: The Jews from Aleppo, Syria: Wayne State University Press 2000 ISBN 0-8143-2791-5

Prayer books

Historic

  • Maִhzor Aram Tsoba (fragment): Venice 1560
  • Bet El (seliִhot and morning service), Abraham ִHamwi: Livorno 1878 (repr. New York 1982)
  • Bet Din (Rosh Hashanah), Abraham ִHamwi: Livorno 1878 (repr. Jerusalem 1986)
  • Bet ha-Kapporet (Kippur), Abraham ִHamwi: Livorno 1879
  • Bet Simִhah (Sukkot), Abraham ִHamwi: Livorno 1879 (repr. Jerusalem 1970)
  • Bet ha-Beִhirah (Pesaִh), Abraham ִHamwi: Livorno 1880 (repr. Jerusalem 1985)
  • Seder Olat Tamid (minִhah and arbit only): Aleppo 1907
  • Olat ha-Shaִhar: Aleppo 1915

Modern

  • Seder Seliִhot, ed. Shehebar: Jerusalem 1973
  • Bet Yosef ve-Ohel Abraham: Jerusalem, Manִsur (Hebrew only, based on Baghdadi text) 1974-80
  • Siddur le-Tish'ah be-Ab, ed. Shehebar: Jerusalem 1976
  • Mahzor Shelom Yerushalayim, ed. Albeg: New York, Sephardic Heritage Foundation 1982
  • Siddur Kol Mordechai, ed. Faham bros: Jerusalem 1984 (minִhah and arbit only)
  • Sha'are Ratson, ed. Moshe Cohen: Tel Aviv 1988, repr. 2003 (High Holy Days only)
  • Kol Yaakob, ed. Alouf: New York, Sephardic Heritage Foundation 1990 (Hebrew only; revised edition 1996, Hebrew and English))
  • The Aram Soba Siddur: According to the Sephardic Custom of Aleppo Syria, Moshe Antebi: Jerusalem, Aram Soba Foundation 1993 (minִhah and arbit only)
  • Orִhot ִHayim, ed. Yedid: Jerusalem 1995 (Hebrew only)
  • Orot Sephardic Siddur, Eliezer Toledano: Lakewood, NJ, Orot Inc. (Hebrew and English: Baghdadi text, Syrian variants shown in square brackets)
  • Siddur Abodat Haleb / Prayers from the Heart, Moshe Antebi, Lakewood, NJ: Israel Book Shop, 2002
  • Abir Yaakob, ed. Haber: Sephardic Press (Hebrew and English, Shabbat only)

The High Holy Days or High Holidays of Judaism refers to the holidays of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). In an extended sense it can mean the penitential period in the Jewish year which begins on Rosh Chodesh Elul, includes Rosh Hashanah and the...

See also

Languages Hebrew, Ladino, Judæo-Portuguese, Catalanic, Shuadit, local languages Religions Judaism Related ethnic groups Ashkenazi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, other Jewish ethnic divisions, Spaniards, Portuguese. ... Languages Hebrew, Dzhidi, Judæo-Arabic, Gruzinic, Bukhori, Judeo-Berber, Juhuri and Judæo-Aramaic Religions Judaism Related ethnic groups Ashkenazi Jews, Sephardi Jews, other Jewish ethnic divisions and Arabs. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... The Lebanese Jews are traditionally a Mizrahi community living in the present-day country of Lebanon, mostly in and around the city of Beirut. ... This article is about a type of Jewish religious music, Baqashot. ... Pizmonim (Hebrew פזמונים, singular pizmon) are traditional Jewish songs and melodies that praise God. ... In Sephardic Middle Eastern Jewish prayer services, each Shabbat the congregation conducts services using a different maqam. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Aleppo Codex (the Keter (Crown) Aram Tzova) is the oldest complete manuscript Hebrew Bible, though scrolls of individual books of the Tanakh are much older (see Dead Sea scrolls). ... Map of Deal in Monmouth County Deal is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA. As of the 2000 Census, the borough population was 1,070. ...

External links



 

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