Where did the majority of Sephardic Jews live?

A large and lively Sephardic community once lived in Thessaloniki, Greece. Most contemporary Sephardic Jews hail from Turkey, North Africa and the Middle East, places that were largely unscathed by the Holocaust.

What was the culture of the Sephardic in Spain?

Many of the Sephardic exiles and their descendants proudly clung to the beautiful culture they had developed in Spain.

What’s the difference between a Sephardic and an Ashkenazi synagogue?

Both Ashkenazim and Sephardim have the bimah (reading table) in the center of their synagogues. However, typical Ashkenazi synagogue architecture has rows of pews or chairs facing the front of the sanctuary.

What kind of script did Sephardic Jews use?

Modern Hebrew generally appears in two forms: block and cursive. While contemporary cursive is similar to the script used for generations among Ashkanazim, it would have been illegible to Sephardim who favored an older form of Hebrew cursive that looks much more like what is now known as Rashi Script.

Are there a lot of Ashkenazi Jews in Egypt?

Conventional knowledge is that Mizrahi Jews largely dominated Egyptian Jewish life. But Rosen’s research offers a new glimpse into the complex Jewish community in the North African country. That there were so many Ashkenazi names in Cairo was “very surprising,” said Rosen.

How many Jews lived in Egypt in 1930s?

Rosen, who also served as a diplomat in Egypt, said there were about 40,000 Jews in Cairo during the 1930s and 1940s. Conventional knowledge is that Mizrahi Jews largely dominated Egyptian Jewish life.

Why did the Jews identify themselves with Egypt?

The Jews began to identify themselves with Egyptian culture. Escalating assimilation is a surefire sign of impending danger. As long as Jews keep a low profile, society finds it much easier to deal with them. When the Jews become visible and push into areas others feel is not theirs they push back. Every action begets a reaction.