What is an authentic Sefaradi?

We are in a time that so many claim to be Sefaradic Jewish, are they indeed Sefaradi?

The basic definition of Sephardic Jewish identity is religious.

In authentic Sephardic Jewish tradition, there were no unbelievers; all were believers. If someone wished to convert, they would not be considered a Sephardic Jew anymore, but rather a "Meshumad" (one who converted), as per the Torah laws that were strictly adhered to by Sephardic Jews in Sefarad. According to these laws, they were no longer considered Jewish, and their religious status would be lower than that of non-Jewish.

We are living in a time where it is necessary to clarify the obvious, and that is why our union is called the "Sephardic Religious Jewish Union" — to emphasize this important point.

Authentic Sephardic Jews are those who follow religious law according to the Sephardic tradition.

Among the various traditions, the authentic Sephardic tradition is considered the most accurate, intelligent, strong, and beautiful, but above all, it has the strongest anchor and continuity in heritage ('Masoreth') passed down from generation to generation, from the Geonim to the Amoraim and Talmud. This is the essence of those traditions obligation. This is also affirmed by Maimonides:

כָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁבַּתַּלְמוּד הַבַּבְלִי, חַיָּבִין כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל לָלֶכֶת בָּהֶם; וְכוֹפִין כָּל עִיר וְעִיר וְכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה לִנְהֹג בְּכָל הַמִּנְהָגוֹת שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁבַּתַּלְמוּד, וְלִגְזֹר גְּזֵרוֹתָם וְלָלֶכֶת בְּתַקָּנוֹתָם

"All matters mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud are incumbent upon all of Israel. We must compel every city and country to follow the customs practiced by the sages of the Talmud, to enforce their decrees, and to observe their ordinances, as all matters in the Babylonian Talmud were accepted by the entire Jewish people." (Mishneh Torah Introduction)

Authentic Sephardic Jews are those who, in addition to observing the Torah laws, are also encouraged to study science and to deep inside the questions and inquiries, respectfully debate with other religions, and protect Judaism.

Being Jewish, for a Sephardic person, does not mean being ignorant or a non-believer. Rather, it means strictly adhering to Torah laws, continually seeking knowledge and wisdom, and passing down this wisdom to future generations. Maimonides is one of the best criteria for a Sephardic Jew, as well as Rabbi Yosef Ibn Migash, his teacher Rabbi Yitzhak Alfasi, Rabbi Yehuda Ibn Balam, Ibn Janha, Rabbi Judah Eben Hayyuj Rabbi Yehuda Elargeloni, Rabbi Yitzhak Ibn Giat, Rabbi Moses ibn Gikatilla, Rabbi Abraham bar Hiyya, and many more.

Maimonides, Rabbenu Moshe ben Maimon, established the criteria for Sephardic Judaism, frequently mentioning in his writings that he himself was Sephardic. Here is an autograph of his writing: "I am Moshe son of Maimon - Sephardi"!​​

It is a historical fact that, due to the Golden Age of Sefarad, Sephardic Jews advanced science and contributed to the world in ways that no other group of religious Jews has since then.

What happened later?

Just before the Christian influence from France reached Spain, effectively ending the Sephardic Golden Age, Sephardic Jews had a unique way of combining Torah study and scientific knowledge as well as the way of learning Torah. When the Christians conquered Spain and displaced the Muslim rulers, the influence was immediately felt. During the ensuing chaos, Ashkenazi rabbis from France and Germany began to arrive in Sefarad, and they started to teach the local population according to their own way, gradually changing Sephardic traditions. Criticism of Sephardic traditions began, and some of the prohibited practices were permitted while the some of the allowed practices were forbidden.

As a result, the way Torah was studied changed entirely under the influence of these Ashkenazi rabbis. The methods of studying the Bible, Talmud, Hebrew grammar, and even the language itself shifted. The fluent Hebrew language that had been spoken and written in Sefarad was no longer used in the same way, and the authentic Sephardic traditions began to fade as new practices took root.

Many rabbis of that time were greatly influenced by Ashkenazi traditions, so we can see strong similarities in the way Talmud is studied, the way of thinking, and the criticism of earlier, authentic Sephardic generations, while removing or rejecting the science learning, causing to ingnorace in those fields and beliving nothing else important but Tora while the authentic Sepharadi approach was it is important for the Torah. 

Meanwhile, the 'modified' Sephardic Jews were expelled from Sefarad (Spain and Portugal) to other countries, such as Morocco, Turkey, and others. The external influence only grew stronger, and the original Sephardic traditions have nearly disappeared in their pure form. Still, Sephardic Jews, by their origin, can often be distinguished from other communities. 

Some view the expulsion as the punishment for the 'modified' Jews of Spain and Portugal, who abandoned their unique path, thus desecrating their way with foreign ideologies that had entered from Ashkenaz.

After the expulsion, significant changes occurred among the Sephardic Jews. Many customs, rulings, and prayer formulas began to evolve. Even the Sephardic script gradually disappeared with the establishment of the 'State of Israel', and only a few continue to write in it or have written in it up until today.

In modern-day Israel, the script is no longer Sephardic, but Ashkenazi, and it is the one taught in schools. It is not just because but there is a reason for that as you will see later in this article. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel, which is an official body not accepted by many in Israeli society, especially not by authentic Sephardic Jews, imposed uniform regulations for all under the ironic claim that this was done to unify everyone. However, these regulations ended up aligning with Ashkenazi rulings, while disregarding Sephardic ones.

Spanish or Portuguese nationality does not necessarily equate to Authentic Sephardic Jewish identity.

In recent years, Spain and especially Portugal have offered nationality to those who claim to be descendants of Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal in 1492 (known as the 'Megorashe Sefarad'). Unfortunately, it can be confidently stated that many individuals who obtained this nationality did so unjustly, without proper evidence, and absurdly.

To better understand this issue, consider the situation in the so-called 'State of Israel'. Authentic Sephardic Jews have long suffered discrimination at the hands of Ashkenazi Jews, most of whom are secular. These individuals have often placed Sephardic Jews on a lower social level, appointed their own people to key positions, and suppressed any form of Sephardic cultural expression.

When Portugal offered nationality, it was not surprising that many Ashkenazi Jews, who had been suppressing or belittling Sephardic Jews in Israel since its founding, suddenly claimed to be 'Sephardic.' Unfortunately, many of these individuals received Portuguese nationality despite having little or no evidence of Sephardic Jewish ancestry. In general, people from Morocco and Turkey have the highest chance of being Sephardic as the Jewish who fled Spain and Portugal during the expulsion to Morocco were the majority of the Jewish there. On the other hand, people from Ashkenazi countries (e.g., Poland, Romania, Russia) have the lowest probability of being Sephardic, and strong evidence must be required to make such a claim. In fact, many of them (we still wait for formal statistics) recieved the nationality, while some individuals who obtained this nationality were not even Jewish, in behaf of Sefaradi. 

Why did many Ashkenazi individuals seek Portuguese nationality?

Simply because it was easy. With just a fee, they had a 99.9% chance of obtaining it. In contrast, those with origins in countries like Poland, Romania, or Russia had to undergo a much more rigorous and complex process to obtain nationality. Even then, many did not qualify due to factors like old ties to these countries and the language knowledge required. This is why some Ashkenazi individuals found it more convenient to claim Sephardic descent: they could obtain an EU nationality with little effort. 

However, did these individuals actually become Sephardic? No. Their traditions are fundamentally different from those of Sephardic Jews, and they have shown little respect for Sephardic customs. Unfortunately, the Portuguese government has not been fully aware of this situation.

In some synagogues in Spain and Portugal (and other locations worldwide), the leadership is ironically in the hands of Ashkenazi rabbis, who have introduced their own traditions into Sephardic communities, thus eroding or even eliminating the authentic Sephardic identity. This is where URJSA stands: to protect and preserve the Sephardic tradition and to support the creation of genuine (non-Ashkenazi-influenced) Sephardic communities.​

The Phenomenon of Impersonating as a Sephardi

The term "Sephardi" in modern spoken Hebrew no longer reflects the original meaning of the word. Instead, it has two different meanings: 1. Anyone from Spain according to the territory currently recognized.

2. A term for any Jews who is not Ashkenazi or Yemenite. Ironically, we can find Jews from Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon being called "Sephardim" by Ashkenazim, even though Jewish communities that were not Sephardic existed in these places long before the expulsion, and the expelled Jews who joined them make up a very small percentage. This is in contrast, for example, to the Jewish communities of Morocco and Turkey, which were largely populated by Jews expelled from Spain.

If this is not enough, in the two definitions above, Ashkenazim belonging to the Hasidic movement, which was founded in the last 300 years, pray using a prayer book in a version called "Nusach Sefard." The connection between this version and the one used by Jews in Spain is almost like the relationship between black and white. They are two opposites. In general, the Hasidic movement is the opposite of the authentic definition of "Sephardi," as exemplified by Maimonides . Efforts have, of course, been made to reconcile the two, but any reasonable person can see that this attempt is nothing more than ridicule.

In conclusion, many people use the term "Sephard" without regard to its original meaning. Not every prayer book labeled "Nusach Sefard" means that it is the version used by Jews in Spain. These prayer books are full of different formulas and numerous additions and deletions compared to the true Sephardic prayer book before Ashkenazi influence.