Sephardic Jews in Spain

Sephardic Jews originated in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). They are also referred to as Sepdardi or Sephardim. They left Spain during the reconquest (circa 1492). In light of the Spanish Inquisition, who can blame them. Flamenco developed from a unique blend of Jewish, Moorish and and Gypsy cultures that co-existed in relative harmony prior to this date.

Sephardic Jews go back a long time
The name comes from Sepharad, a Biblical location mentioned in Obadiah 1:20. "Sepharad" was identified by later Jews as the Iberian Peninsula, and still means "Spain" in modern Hebrew. There are several versions regarding when they first entered Spain. One version Jeff Malka) suggests they came with the Phoenician traders in the 1,000 B.C., around the time of King Solomon.

This same essay states that, "The first tangible evidence of a Jewish presence in Spain is found in the grave of a young Jewish girl named Salomonulla from the 3rd century A.D. found in Adra, Spain." Another source places this grave in the 2nd century A.D.. There are slight variations in theories (that's all they are), but what historians generally agree on is that Jews came to the Iberian peninsula with the Romans (200B.C. - 400 A.D.), possibly as merchants, but more likely as slaves and labourers.

"There are two distinct groups of Jews in the world and they come from two different areas of the world - the Sephardic Jews from the Middle East and North Africa and the Ashkenazi Jews come from Eastern Europe. The Sephardic is the oldest group and it is they, if any, who are the Jews described in the bible because they lived in the area described in the bible. They are blood relatives to the Arabs - the only difference between them is religion." (1)

A history of persecution
During the Christian Visigothic occupation of Spain (468-711), The Sephardic Jews were harshly persecuted. Among other things, they had their property confiscated and were forced into baptism. The invading Muslims generally treated them with a little more respect due to their common Semitic origins and theological compatibility. Despite this, the constant power struggles and changing leadership ensured that they were not completely free from persecution even during Muslim rule.

When Ferdinand and Isabella came along in 1492 and captured Granada, the persecution intensified with the Inquisition. At this stage, the majority of Jews had had enough. As many as 300,000 of them left the country for good to settle in Portugal, England, North Africa, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, the Balkans, and the Turkish Empire. Later, some of them settled in the Netherlands, the West Indies, and North America.

The flamenco melting pot
Those who remained after the fall of Granada fled to the mountains along with the Muslims and Gypsies to escape the Inquisition. This exotic melting pot of outcast cultures was forced by exile to share their sorrows and joys, until they worked out what they were going to do with themselves. The melodies of the Sephardic Jews and the melancholy expressed in their songs contributed to the overall blend, which eventually evolved into the flamenco songs we know today.

Sephardic Jews and flamenco
There are some who believe that the song form Peteneras was originally a song of the Sephardic Jews. The evidence comes from a verse which makes reference to a beautiful Jewess on her way to a synagogue. This would date the song back as far as 1492, which is when the Jews (and the synagogues) disappeared from Spain. Although the Sephardic Jews disappeared from Spain in the late 15th century, echoes of their haunting music linger on in flamenco melodies such as Peteneras. Personally, I can't listen to Sephardic music without being reminded of flamenco. The well known guitar piece "Romance", (or "Spanish Ballad") is believed by some to be a pre-Inquisition Jewish song.

"It's interesting that the word "flamenco" means "Flemish" in Spanish, probably because Jews and other minorities targeted by the Spanish Inquisition fled to Flanders to avoid persecution. Their religious songs were referred to as "flamenco," a term later applied to anything noisy, flashy or scandalous."

"When King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain imposed exclusive Catholic rule on the Iberian peninsula, the mournful wailing of conversos (Jews forcibly converted to Christianity) became the secular "aaiieee!" now familiar in flamenco singing. A historical connection also exists between the emotional texture of the synagogue chants of the Kol Nidrei and Kaddish prayers and early forms of the flamenco song known as siguiriyas. And the word jaleo, meaning the flamenco practice of inspirational clapping and shouting, derives from the Hebrew word hallel ("to praise")." (2)

Referring to history
When you look up information on the Sephardim, you will come across the letters C.E. and B.C.E to describe historical events. You may very well ask, "What is this C.E. / B.C.E. business?"

C.E. is supposed to mean "Common Era" and takes the place of A.D.
Likewise,
B.C.E. means "Before Common Era "and takes the place of B.C.

B.C. means "Before Christ". This is a direct reference to the birth year of Christ.
A.D. (from the Latin "Anno Domini") means "in the year of our Lord", and is an implied reference to the birth year of Christ.

For a moment, I pretended that 2006 A.D. has suddenly changed to 2006 C.E. I must say it didn't feel any different, except that vocalizing C.E. created a delightful tinny resonance in the back of my throat. This is opposed to the heavy, woody sound of A.D.

By using C.E. and B.C.E when describing historical events, the Jews are able to conveniently avoid any reference to Jesus Christ.

Sources
(1) "God's Covenant People - Yesterday, Today and Forever" chapter 4 by Ted R. Weiland.
(2) An article called "Uncovering the Jewish Roots of Flamenco" by Joseph Carmen.

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