Sephardi

[ suh-fahr-dee, suh-fahr-dee ]

noun

, plural Se·phar·dim [s, uh, -, fahr, -dim, -fahr-, deem]

1. a member of the diasporic Jewish population that settled in Spain and Portugal, distinguished from the Ashkenazim and from other Jewish communities chiefly by liturgy, religious customs, and pronunciation of Hebrew: after expulsion from Spain and Portugal in 1492, the Sephardim established communities in North Africa, the Balkans, Western Europe, and elsewhere:

   She grew up in a warm Jewish community, most of whom were Sephardim.

adjective

1. Also Se·phar·dic []. of or relating to the diasporic Jewish population that settled in Spain and Portugal and later dispersed to North Africa, the Balkans, Western Europe, and elsewhere, or to the culture, liturgy, or variety of Hebrew used by these Jews:

   He has also published research on Sephardi schools in Argentina.

   The music of the prayers is performed mainly in the Eastern Sephardi style.

Sephardi

/ sɪˈfɑːdiː /

noun

1. 1. a Jew of Spanish, Portuguese, or North African descent
   2. (loosely) any Oriental Jew
2. the pronunciation of Hebrew used by these Jews, and of Modern Hebrew as spoken in Israel
3. modifier of or pertaining to the Sephardim, esp to their liturgy and ritual
4. modifier of or pertaining to the liturgy adopted by certain European, esp Chassidic, communities who believe it to be more authentic but nonetheless differing from the genuine Oriental liturgy

Derived Forms

• Seˈphardic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sephardi¹

First recorded in 1850–55; from Modern Hebrew Səphāraddīm, plural of Səphāraddī, equivalent to Hebrew Səphāradh, a region mentioned in Bible (Obadiah 20), probably in northern Asia Minor, but later interpreted to be Spain + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sephardi¹

C19: from Late Hebrew, from Hebrew sepharad a region mentioned in Obadiah 20, thought to have been Spain

Example Sentences

The original Arabic names of the signs of the zodiac were translated into Hebrew, a detail that suggested that the relic had at one point circulated within a Sephardi Jewish community.

From New York Times

A museum representative said it was originally built to serve Manchester's Sephardi Jewish communities and was "designed and decorated to reflect the Spanish and Portuguese heritage" of the people that worshipped there.

From BBC

The office of Israel's Chief Sephardi Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said he had sent Ben-Gvir what it called a "protest letter ... urging the minister not to go up to the Temple Mount again".

From Reuters

“The Sephardim came to Spain with the Romans,” he said.

From Seattle Times

My Jewish ancestors came to America in the late 19th century, the Ashkenazi branch fleeing pogroms in Lithuania and the Sephardim fleeing poverty in Holland.

From Washington Post