Sephardim << sih FAHR dihm >> are Jews who trace their cultural and ethnic ancestry through the Iberian Peninsula of southwestern Europe, the area that is now Spain and Portugal. The term Sephardim comes from Sepharad, a Biblical name later used to refer to Spain.
Coming from the Middle East, the Sephardim settled on the Iberian Peninsula by the A.D. 300’s, and possibly centuries earlier. In the 300’s, the area came under Christian influence. In 613, Christian rulers issued an edict forcing Jews to convert to Christianity or leave the region. In the early 700’s, Muslim forces from North Africa conquered most of the Spanish territories on the Iberian Peninsula. Many Jews returned to the area and prospered under Muslim protection. Over time, Sephardic Jews developed many distinct religious customs, such as naming children after living relatives, and their own language, Ladino, a mixture of Spanish, Hebrew, and other languages.
In 1492, Christian rulers defeated the last Muslim forces in Spain. That same year, Spanish Jews who would not convert to Christianity were driven from the country. Some Spanish Jews, called conversos or Marranos, continued to practice in secret. Most Sephardim who fled eventually made their way to other Mediterranean countries, the Ottoman Empire, Amsterdam, and the Americas. Today, Sephardim live in many parts of the world, in particular Israel and the United States.
People today often use the term Sephardim to mean all Jews who are not Ashkenazim. Ashkenazim trace their ancestry through central and northern Europe. In this broader usage, Sephardim include all Jews from Arab and Persian countries, whether or not they identify historically with Spain.
