Sephardi Jews
Total population | |
---|---|
2,200,000 up to 16% of world Jewish population | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Israel and Palestine | 1.4 million |
France | 300,000–400,000 |
United States | 200,000–300,000 |
Argentina | 50,000 |
Spain | 40,000 |
Canada | 31,000 |
Turkey | 26,000 |
Italy | 24,930 |
Mexico | 15,000 |
United Kingdom | 8,000 |
Panama | 8,000 |
Colombia | 7,000 |
Morocco | 6,000 |
Greece | 6,000 |
Tunisia | 2,000 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2,000 |
Bulgaria | 2,000 |
Cuba | 1,500 |
Serbia | 1,000 |
Netherlands | 600 |
Macedonia | 200 |
Languages | |
Historical: Ladino, Arabic (Andalusian), Haketia, Judeo-Portuguese, Berber, Catalanic, Shuadit, local languages Modern: Local languages, primarily Modern Hebrew, French, English, Turkish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Ladino, Arabic. | |
Religion | |
Judaism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Ashkenazi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, other Jewish ethnic divisions, Samaritans, other Levantines, Lebanese, Syrians, other Near Eastern Semitic people, Spaniards, Portuguese and Hispanics/Latinos |
Sephardis Jews, also known as Sephardic Jews or Sephardim (Hebrew: סְפָרַדִּים, Modern Hebrew: Sfaraddim, also יְהוּדֵי סְפָרַד Y'hudey Spharad, meaning "Jews of Spain"), are a Jewish ethnic division. They emerged as a distinct community around 1000 AD on the Iberian Peninsula. Jews established communities throughout Spain and Portugal. Then in the late 15th century, when all Jews were expelled from Spain, they migrated and set up new communities in the countries of England, the Netherlands, North Africa, Anatolia, the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean), and the Balkan countries, as well as the Americas, where they kept their traditions and religious practices. For hundreds of years and through the 20th century, Sephardic Jews have continued to speak their Judahite Spanish language commonly called Ladino, besides the language of their place of residence.