Sephardim vs. Ashkenazim
- Ashkenazim come from Central and Eastern Europe
- Sephardim (or Sefardim) come from Spain and Portugal, North Africa, and the Middle East
- When Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand expelled the Jews in 1492, many went to the Ottoman Empire in North Africa and the Middle East, and later to Holland and England.
- The variety of places that Sephardim went means there’s a huge variety of traditions
Before Pesach
- Bedikat Chametz – a candle, a knife for checking crevices, and a bowl with bread and salt (ward off Satan).
- Candle-lighting – 2 + 7 candles – Kabbalistically there’s an extra powerful light at the beginning of Pesach
Seder Plate Items
- Karpas – celery leaves in lemon juice (Syria/India/Iraq) (others = vinegar, salt water, lime juice)
- Maror and chazeret – romaine lettuce, escarole, endive
- Charoset – Honey, wine, nuts, fruit, spices, specifics depend on country
Seder Traditions
- Often times Ladino is used while going through the Seder
- Traditional Kadesh Urchatz melody comes from Iraq
- Re-enactment during Maggid: Where coming from, where going, what taking?
- A child OR each person OR the leader; knock on door (Kurdistan)
- Four Questions in the following order: Dip, matzah, maror, recline (Jer. Talmud)
- Whipping with celery/scallions/chives/leeks during Dayenu (Persian)
- Wish others “Sentak Khadra” (“Green/fruitful year”) \ “Sant-Il-Khadra” (“Year of good fortune”) (Iraq)
- Pass the Seder plate over each head saying “You are free” (Morocco);
- Putting Seder plate (or bundles) on their heads first to indicate they had to carry loads (Tunisia)
- Only the leader spills drops of wine during the plagues, and only from a special cup into a bowl, then they wash their hands of the “contamination”; Some pour vinegar into a basin instead (Greece)
- Afikoman – not usually hidden, but rather saved to ward off the Evil Eye
- Give some to women after they give birth to get back at Pharaoh (Aleppo)
- Dip hand in charoset to make chamsa-print for the door
Foods
- Kitniyot – rice, chickpeas, lentils, corn, soy – permissible for Sephardim to eat (per Halacha)
- Not usually matzah meal, but rather crumbled matzah
- Huevos haminados – eggs cooked overnight cradled in onion skins (hamin = cholent) – starts the meal
- Lamb often as the main course, preceded by leek soup
- Desserts – Bisquitte pan de Espangne (sponge cake), torta de muez (almond torte), mustachudos (nut horns), tishpishti (syrup-drenched cake)
Post-Pesach
- Grandfather/father throws grass and coins for kids to collect (Turkey)
- Symbolizes the Sea of Reeds & the wealth they took / that the year should be “green” & productive
- Mimouna - Open house with sweets - symbolizes sweet new beginning after freed from slavery (Morocco)
- Originally about celebrating the baking of the first leavened bread post-Pesach
- Marzipan, dates, and moufleta (fried dough pancakes dipped in honey)
- Greeting - tirbah u’tissad / tarbakhu uts’adu – May you prosper and succeed / May you have success and good luck
- Table decorated with bowls of flour, coins, and fish in bowls - abundance and prosperity
- Shabeh Sal - Similar to Mimouna except in the older family member’s home (Persia)
- Dairy sweets made because Pesadic dairy isn’t found in Iran; Next day go to have picnics