86. The Sephardic Diaspora (Jewish History Lab)

Brief overview of the geographic scope and historical impact of the Sephardic Diaspora in the 16th century.
Images:
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[[File:PikiWiki Israel 30114 Ancient cemetery in Safed.jpg|PikiWiki_Israel_30114_Ancient_cemetery_in_Safed]]
[[File:Hagia Sofia - Postcard.jpg|Hagia_Sofia_-_Postcard]]
[[File:Thessaloniki 19th cent costumes.png|Thessaloniki_19th_cent_costumes]]
[[File:Sugar-cane cutters in Jamaica, Caribbean RMG E9087.tiff|Sugar-cane_cutters_in_Jamaica,_Caribbean_RMG_E9087]]
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[@Dave48326]

While I am a Gentile, I thoroughly enjoy your series of videos. Jewish history fascinates me!

[@sadiquab5591]

I'm a research scholar in Arab diaspora and I landed here sheerly out of my need to trace the history of this concept.. But after having listened to this prolific scholar, I'm swept off my feet and totally fascinated about Jewish history

[@YannisH]

Thank you for helping me learn of my Sephradic roots! This happened to my family forced conversos but I have come back to my Jewishness as well as my family..

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Fascinating!

[@YannisH]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD Chag Sameach

[@zafirjoe18]

Welcome home. May I ask respectfully where you hail from?

[@YannisH]

@@zafirjoe18 United States..my parents born in Mexico City and Guadalajara.

[@zafirjoe18]

@@YannisH was there special customs that your family kept throughout the inquisition period ? Sorry for being so nosy but my heart bleeds for those that were for hundreds of years persecuted . We know that in Mexico there were anussim that were burnt at the stake.

[@henrybest4057]

Thank you for giving me a little more insight into my Sephardic ancestors. The earliest ancestor I know of was Israel Pezaro, born about 1633 in Pesaro. His descendants moved back and forth between Italy and Amsterdam. I knew there was a connection to Portugal, but I didn't know much about it.

[@Atilioam]

Very interesting video. I'm from Brazil and I really like to know about sefardim. I have no words to thank you. Your videos are always amazing

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you very much! I'm glad that you find the videos enjoyable.

[@eb1266]

I appreciate the. Jewish history that you share with us. Love to hear more . I just found your videos on you tube March 2022

[@john316channel6]

Awesome lesson! Keep it coming. Professor Henry your the best !

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thanks, will do!

[@PoliticalFuturism]

Awesome content!

[@stephenelliott4056]

really enjoyed this !

[@ckotty]

Delightful. Appreciate your efforts. 👍🏽😘

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you!

[@averynunley8872]

Brilliant. Thank you for being a teacher.....

[@PC-lu3zf]

Great to be back we have been moving house so had no time great lecture.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Welcome back!

[@PC-lu3zf]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD Thanks been a very busy few months from next month things will be more relaxed:)

[@zafirjoe18]

Thanks Dr. It’s also maybe possible that many Jewish communities of North Africa and Middle East and ottoman greece . Although they had communities of their own and in the beginning the Sefaradim who considered themselves meyuchasim didn’t mingle and created their own synagogues , but eventually with time these communities joined and became one. And were called sefardim.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Fascinating!

[@zafirjoe18]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD That’s why In Hamburg and Amsterdam, or even Venice. Each community were too stubborn to mingle and each maintained their own rituals customs and synagogues.

[@CHRISTIANROSA22]

Thank you for all the information. Now I understand a little more about my roots . It is fascinating how many of us are coming back to Hashem as it was prophesied.

[@joshburgess1495]

Thank you for this lesson! Always interesting!

[@Millie1nunez]

Sorry I know this is off topic but when you said “he only trained with him for less than a year he wasn’t Sephardi he actually was from Egypt” Totally led me to a question, I was listening to a rabbi who was informing this interviewer that only about 20% of Hebrews left Egypt during the mass exodus during Moshe and Pharo in the book of Shemot. Is this true? If true what happened to the rest of the Hebrews that remained there. Do you have a teaching on this?

[@joshburgess1495]

@@Millie1nunez I could be wrong, but I believe that is a tradition from the Talmud.. I have also heard that. I listened to a Rabbi talk about it this past Pesach. He said that 4/5 of the Hebrews stayed in Egypt and later died. They had assimilated and were afraid to leave Egypt when the Exodus happened. Like I said, I believe this teaching is contained in the Talmud from an earlier Oral tradition.

[@Millie1nunez]

@@joshburgess1495 yes same thing I heard the rabbi mention, so when something is in the Talmud is it considered historical fact or could rather be subjective? I figured if true would they preserve the El of their forefathers or completely forget. Would they have elders still or all erased? once they heard the Great Miracles performed did the try to come find their brothers, etc etc

[@joshburgess1495]

@@Millie1nunez I haven’t heard any references to those left behind in Egypt. I know some Egyptians left with the Hebrews and played a part in the creation of the Golden calf. But that is also an Oral teaching. Dr. Abramson has videos about Midrash, Mishnah, and Talmud that offers a good summary of the nature of these works. There are stories that are not meant to be taken literally, but they still contain a deeper truth. I have overreached the limits of my knowledge haha but there is a lot of information out there (and a lot of wrong information too). Dr. Abramson usually responds in the live chat on his videos, and Rabbi’s enjoy these questions too.

[@Millie1nunez]

@@joshburgess1495 lol nice 😁 I’ll try to catch him on one of the live feeds and find out… I am so curious as to the Hebrews that stayed when they heard of Jericho for example wouldn’t they want to come out and join their brothers hearing all the fascinating things that were happening and I understand that for 40 years there was probably a gap of no knowledge of what was going on with them (maybe) but always wondered Lol I mean I would want to join them if I stayed in Egypt hearing all these amazing stories!!!!!

[@seviavishalom]

I absolutely love your work, Dr Abramson. Are you planning to do a lecture on Caucasian Jews (from the Caucus Mountains)? I'd be very interested to hear your perspective

[@senecanzallanute4066]

Fascinating, many thanks for this marvelously erudite lesson. May I suggest that you show in writing the key names you mention, for those of us who do not know Hebrew? Also, a small correction, the alleged portrait of Gracia Masi is the unmistakable work of Agnolo Bronzino -- so I would not call it modern!

[@hroman5]

I so very much enjoyed this video

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you

[@wafee2001]

Thank you so much. Now I understand when and where to, Safardi finally ended up whether in European countries, North Africa and Turkey.

[@annafrankmusicofficial]

Well done

[@annafrankmusicofficial]

Very nice

[@kakungulu]

Since you mentioned the role of Sephardi Jews in international history: I was amazed to hear about the role Sephardi Jews had in the restoration of the English and Scottish monarchy by financing the return of the Stuarts and BTW overturning king Edward's expulsion decree, making it once again and ever since legal to be Jewish in Britain. The UK is considered today to be part of the Ashkenazi sphere, but it wasn't so until recent centuries. I also remember Yehuda Touro, of the Sephardi communities in RI and LA, whose estate financed the first Jewish neighborhood outside Jerusalem's Ottoman walls. And of course that brings up Sir Moshe Montefiore. (I don't know how if you'd count Benjamin Disraeli in this list)

[@liviaevangelista1561]

Thank you! Please make a separate video about the Portuguese Jews who migrated to Brazil.

[@AnyahEMB]

Yes. That would be interesting. My ancestors came from Portugal to Brazil (Recife) and then to the island of Barbados.

[@deecastro6486]

My ancestors migrated from Azores to Northeast Brazil hundreds of years ago

[@imagine5140]

Honesty about the slave trade. Respect 👏🏾

[@efstratiosfilis2290]

Yes it was the great Sultan Bayezid 2nd who welcomed the Sephardim to his empire, God bless him.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you!

[@efstratiosfilis2290]

Silvio Santos an owner of one of the most popular TV channels in Brazil his real surname is Abravanel & he came to Brazil from Salonica!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Very interesting!

[@erichardradaeric3172]

You missed most of the drama of Jewish emigration to Brazil. The socially better situated Christians went mostly to the Orient, to make a fortuna. Many Jews fleeing the Inquisition went to Brazil, which at the time only had Brazilwood trees, used to make a red dye. Of course, the Inquisition followed them, although never as severe as in Portugal. Many of these Jewish emigrés went by themselves, being obliged to marry Amerindian women, often polygamously, as that was the custom among the local Amerindians. Their children were very energetic, establishing the cultivation of sugar, which they had brought from the Madeira islands, and constituting most of the Bandeirantes, Brazilian pioneers who explored and conquered the hinterlands. Apparently up to 40% of the current gene pool in Brazil is of Jewish origin.

[@sr2291]

Yes. I found out there was an Inquisition in New Mexico.

[@joalexsg9741]

I'm a staunch pagan but I cherish my Israelite lineages and the amazing history of the people (I'm also an unconditional Zionist by the way). I'm a Brazilian ben anussim and have been tried to raise awareness about our history ever since I was in my mid 12, when I learned my maternal granddad used to say we had a German Jewish ancestor, his maternal grandmother. I was never able to retrieve her surname though, that would've made it possible to make sure she was indeed German cause many times here in Brazil they would mistake being blue-eyed and blond (as she was) as a sign of one being of that ethnicity, which is of course a misconception. Thank you so much for this!

[@michielvdvlies3315]

is that the Synagogue of Amsterdam in the background??

[@spicyspecial333]

Mr. Abramson, thank you for shedding some light on the Sephardim that went to the Americas. Sadly, our history is not really told. I myself come from an Anusim background and it was heartbreaking going to Israel and never hearing so much as a peep about those that fled westward. I do hope you will be able to do a deep dive on the Conversos of Mexico at some point. Thanks again and Shanah tova.

[@michaelgeraci8120]

I, too, would love to see a lecture on the conversos who fled to Mexico, particularly to northern Mexico and even south Texas. There is an Israeli researcher, Shulamith HaLevy who has research papers on the internet regarding modern Mexicans in Monterrey and surrounding areas and how many of them have still clung to their Jewish origins, particularly the oldest founding families of Monterrey. And not surprisingly, Monterrey is the wealthiest and best educated city in all of Latin America. Love all your videos!

[@gregcollins7602]

Great stuff. Looking forward to the American lecture.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Almost there!

[@dway5340]

thank you so much for your videos can you tell me what was considered the mid evil era again thank you

[@aFuzzyKiwi]

I learned my family came from the Canary Islands prior to migrating to Puerto Rico. Is there any knowledge you have or information you can point me to regarding Jews migrating to the Canary Islands? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[@Walkinjoy]

My paternal family, Cuban/puerto Rican came, from there too and we also have Jewish ancestry from there!

[@Retarmy1]

Dr. Abramson and all the Jewish people, I hope all is safe with the fighting going on, some of the nicest people I met are Jewsih, in 1998, a Jewish family took me in their home for x-mas dinner. I was a recuruiter for the army in NYC

[@senecanzallanute4066]

Two questions, if I may. Was Benvenida Abravanel related to Yehuda Abravanel, or Leone Ebreo, the neoplatonic philosopher who was active in Italy in those same years? Also, you mentioned that the dukes of Pesaro and Urbino were antisemitic -- why then did they allow the opening of a synagogue in the main square of Urbino, just in front of his own palace and next to a catholic church? Perhaps there are some nuances there, which may be worth exploring.

[@kannoramirez2288]

They were cousins, and since she married his older brother, in-laws.

[@elianleon7062]

thank you henry abramson...

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

You are most welcome!

[@Jeem196]

Thanks for sharing, Professor. Also - what do you think of the Qaraite Jews?

[@meemahmcdoogle]

I am learning of my 3% DNA that was (at first ) given as North African. After ancestryDNA 'updated', I was labeled European Jewish. Do you think this could be Sephardic?

[@footballfan5462]

Possibly

[@sr2291]

Yes

[@TodaysReligiousTalk]

DeCoded: The Bible explained by David DeCordova

[@jackson76724]

There is a Jewish cemetery in Dublin. Established in 1718.

[@myradioon]

Sephardic Jews were in Sicily as well, which was ruled by Spain - Isabella and Ferdinand. Jews there had to convert or were expelled by The Edict of Sicily in 1492. Notice the diaspora did not go to the island or the southern part of Italy.

[@Khaledf]

Hello, I am a muslim. I am interested to know your thought about (Daniel 2) and its interpretation. I see many jews and christians skip a historical fact about the fifth Kingdom ( the Kingdom of God) that comes after the fourth one. I mean the traditional interpretation for the prophecy is respectively Babylon, Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. These four Kingdoms got represented by the statue as a pagan culture. Which Kingdom that followed Roman empire in that region, and it erased the paganism? It is obviously Islam. Historically speaking at least. I have listened to many interpretation by jews and christians, and they are not compatible at all with the history we know. Thank you.

[@FOLIPE]

The fifth empire is Portugal.

[@robkunkel8833]

12:52 I think the right and left women’s designations are incorrect. It would be easy to do. Looking up Bulgarian historic religious garb, I find many incarnations of that type of clothing and headgear. But there are veiled women in many cultures. Another interesting topic.

[@joeluna7729]

Very Interesting and informative lecture. -- The cycle was: Nice-Pope---.>Anti-Semite Pope---->Nice Pope---->Anti-Semite Pope. It went in cycles effected by economy, failed wars, plagues, etc. Whenever they wanted to steal from us, and blame us. * Nevertheless, Hashem allowed it all after we-chose-Him-back. * Lets hope this wraps up soon forever.

[@IdahoanNorth]

I hope someday you have a discussion on Jewish halpogroups . I was raised in a kosher/Shabbat environment and have always wondered about my mother's heritage. I did a DNA test and found out that mother is Iberian/German/French. When I asked the DNA company about her halpogroup he said that it was "believed to be Jewish" but they only put "Jewish" if your DNA shows Ashkanazi.

[@paisleypeacock]

Because DNA cannot tell you that you are Jewish.

[@dayvonspence3660]

Thank you. It seems people think a religion is in there dna 😅. There is no Jewish race or blood. Period.

[@Sherbakova2009]

There is Jewish dna or blood- of ancient Israelites that come from Middle East, and most Jews have at least some of that dna. Maybe there is no Jewish race but all Jews have similar roots that come from ancient Israel in their dna.

[@guychase8611]

Please explain the history of Sephardim and Mizraim and Ashkenazim & any other jews who were dispersed from Jerusalem between AD 67-AD 70 by Vespasian and his military son Titus. ??????? Please .

[@PC-lu3zf]

I recently found I’ve a Sephardic ancestry shared with Scottish people from an ancestors brother who settled in Scotland in 1590:) Also Mexicans match the 1 segment from that line I have. 23 and me shows the match up. And Gedmatch.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Fascinating!

[@sr2291]

Interesting. From someone is Portuguese from Madeira and have about 3 percent Scottish ancestry.

[@kefabenysraal7687]

I have been researching for quite some time the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula from their first migration to their expulsion in the late 1500's. Imagine my shock when I found out they were black, especially so the Portugese Jews. To learn that they not only migrated to the Americas, but into Holland, Germany, England et al, was another surprise. Especially that in places like Germany they lived with the Jewish community, married and over time were 'whited' out. Interestingly it is believed that the founder of communism, Karl Marx is descended from the group that lived among the Jews of Germany. Some of these Iberian Jews were taken to West Africa, where they lived among the other Y'sralites diaspora living there. These were the people primarily targeted for the slave trade. Indeed the first slaves taken to the Spanish colonies of Jamaica, Cuba and Puerto Rico, were black Jews. They were not taken from Africa, but were shipped from Spain and Portugal. It is fascinating! So the question I need to ask is why is this not part of the Sephardic narrative? The Sephardic history would be richer for it!

[@sr2291]

There were many people listed as Black - preto and preta - in Madeira in the 1400 to 1500's. The word is listed in their parish marriages. There are also some Madeirans with the name Preto or Preta (capitalized). I dont know if that name signifies anything to do with race, but the lower case word must.

[@kefabenysraal7687]

@@sr2291 More than likely.

[@sr2291]

@@kefabenysraal7687 Yeah since if a person is listed as preto or preta so are their parents.

[@kefabenysraal7687]

@@sr2291 That is correct!

[@sr2291]

@Kefa Ben Y'sra'al I am doing genealogy research in Madeira and learning A LOT. One of the other things I just learned is the families who first came to Madeira in the mid 1400's - some of their grandchildren stayed on the island and some of them went to Mexico and New Mexico (then New Spain). I have ancestors who have been in New Mexico since the 1500's! Wow!

[@kaumingo]

Were my Azorian ancestors actually conversos? Is that who populated the Azores?

[@deecastro6486]

Yes according to 23andme my ancestors migrated from azores to norrheast Brazil hundreds of years ago

[@jktz122]

didnt the inquisition follow them to the new world?

[@sr2291]

Yes. There was an Inquisition in New Mexico.

[@JJ-nq3ll]

Adjuntas P.R. was one of the main cities where the Anusim, Maranos, and other Sephardi Jews settled.

[@scadous90]

Chag Sameach!

[@kayedal-haddad]

Where is the largest Sephardic community outwith Israel?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I don’t know offhand. Google.

[@abdullahalrai]

Thanks to Ottoman Empire who welcomed Jews with open arms while they were exiled from Europe and let them flourish into their own community. Alas, I expect and wish in return Israeli Govt would do the same with Muslim and Arab community who had welcomed Jews with open arms and heart in the first place.

[@shifo.2003]

They are occupation they should leave this land

[@abdullahalrai]

@@shifo.2003 Just as Muslim has the right to live in this land so does Jews and Christians. Why they (Israeli govt) can create a system where all 3 Abrahamic Faith live peacefully like they used to lived in Ottoman period or in Islamic Caliphate.

[@murrayaronson3753]

The cities of Medellin in Colombia and Monterrey in Mexico were initially founded or settled by Conversos. I recall reading in an older South American Handbook, an excellent guide by the way. Medellin and its settlement by converted Jews. Monterrey has a similar history. It is said of Medellin that nothing happens in Colombia unless it begins in Medellin. Monterrey is called the economic and financial capital of Mexico. Xomeone from Monterrey once said to me that unlike Mexico City or Guadalajara or Puebla there isn't that much to see in Monterrey, but it's a great place to make money. I don't know if there are actually Jewish communities in either Monterrey or Medellin.

[@sr2291]

Intresting. I have Sephardic ancestors from Madeira and have found that when they first settled Madeira, some of their grandchildren stayed there, and some went to Mexico and New Spain (New Mexico). This was c. 1550. So, I have ancestors who go way back in New Mexico.

[@coreyihler]

So is he saying the Portuguese where crypto-jews

[@lakeshorefly6118]

History states Portugal Jews where sent to São Tomé???

[@paulboukhari2899]

How can you talk about Sephardic Jews without mentioning Algeria and Morocco....??? what kind of lecture is this? Do you watch the news ...? what's the ancestry of Eric Zemmour in France.....? you did not even mention Maimonides while you mentioned Ovadia, the Racist, who is not even Sephardic...???

[@matthewdavis2910]

I’m from Spanish And Native American roots (mt dna and ydna). I wonder if I’m caught up in this

[@demiansolis]

Thank for another great video. I am afraid I disagree with you about where in the Americas the Sephardic Jews first settle down. They first settle down in the Spanish Caribbean around the late years of the 15th century and early 16th century. Afterwards, when Mexico was conquered thousands of Spanish and Portuguese Jews (originally expelled from Spain) settle down in Central Mexico and Northern Mexico. The latter eventually settle down what is now New Mexico and Texas. The oldest mikvah in the Americas dates back to 1580 and was discovered in the mountains of West Mexico some years ago. The first booked ever published by a Jewish author in the Americas was written by Luis de Carvajal, a crypto Jew, also during the decade of 1580, much earlier to the arrival of the Portuguese Jews to the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean. Several cities in what is now Mexico, like Monterrey, were founded by Spanish and Portuguese Jewish families.

[@sr2291]

There were Sephardic Jews and Muslims on the East Coast of the United States around the 1600's. And in Florida earlier.

[@matthewdavis2910]

Are the indigenous peoples of North America israelite?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I don't think there's much evidence to support that argument.

[@tagbarzeev3571]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD That was a kind reply and expected from a man of your stature.

[@YAHWEHYAHSHUA144]

We are the true Israelites

[@sr2291]

The Cherokee still practice Judiaism, and some have middle eastern haplogroups.

[@Asdfhjkl998]

In this pic left is Jewish women , in middle Bulgarian and right is Muslim women with ferajeh. , in this picture Muslim women dress up out-site look because Muslim women home look is same like Jewish women ,they tray to show Different ... You know Jewish women and Muslim women flow religious dress up same way 🧕🏻🧕🏻🧕🏻🧕🏻🧕🏻🧕🏻🔯🔯🔯🔯🔯 Before the western Inference and eastern Inferior complex muslim and Jewish women outlook it was same ...........

[@paulawallace8784]

Modest dressing is respecting Gd and one's self.

[@ELee-zv5ud]

My though also, as Bulgarians did not wear veils. The embroidery on her dress is similar to that of other Bulgarian dresses of the era. Muslims did wear veils. So the women on the right is the Muslin women. The women of the left is the Jewish women.

[@dayvonspence3660]

European Jews are indistinguishable from "European white" because they are European white people. Those groups have lived in Europe for centuries and mixed with the local population enough to be white. If you look at Jews in Ethiopia, they're very obviously black for the same reasons. They’re are Jews even in Indian. So people stop talking about Jewish blood because that doesn’t make sense because it’s a religion which comes from a region between Africa and the Middle East so if your European you most likely are a convert from many generations ago. Isreal was a place that consisted of black brown white etc. This changed overtime just like we consider America white right now when 2000 years ago it would be a native land.

[@nogodbutallah2ify]

there was no israel pre 1947. you being an academic, twisting the history. lost respect for you.

[@IndigenousHebrew]

The Ancient Jews didn't stay in Baghdad....so this Baghdadi Jew is truly not of the original seed of Abraham. Probably of the Turkish Conquerers.

[@beng2729]

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq. Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid dynasty from its foundation in 762. From then a Jewish community existed there which eventually became the largest Jewish community of Iraq, and the seat of the exilarch. During the gaonic period the Jews lived in a special quarter, Dār al-Yahūd (Jewish Quarter). The bridge in the western section of the town, which led to the Karkh quarter, was named Qanṭarat al-Yahūd (Bridge of the Jews). A tomb situated in this quarter was the site of prayer gatherings. The local Jews believed it to be the tomb of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. By the end of the ninth century the famous yeshivot of Sura and Pumbedita were established in Baghdad. The Karaites also played an important part in the life of the city. Don't use HI revisionism.

[@tagbarzeev3571]

@@beng2729 than you Ben.

[@beng2729]

@@tagbarzeev3571 My pleasure

[@richardloostburg2637]

aren’t Jews from Arab nations called Mizrahi? I feel it’s wrong to lump them into with Iberian Jews