The Burden of Identity: Sépharade by Eliette Abecassis

Caught between multiple identities and family ties, Esther Vidal is unable to escape the constraints of something that looks like a ´project assigned to her from birth`. Assigned by her parents and her family, but also by the society. She is floating from an identity to the other - Moroccan, French, Alsacian, Jewish, Sephardi - adding more weight to her everyday spiritual burden.

Sépharade by Eliette Abecassis is a long story of many stories told in the quiet voice of the 1001 Nights, North African style. There are stories of the stories starting as far as the beginning of Jewish history. But there is hardly a topic left behind: from Jewish history to literature, anthropological insights into the  traditional world of Moroccan Jews, the relationships between different Moroccan Jewish communities, the immigration to Israel and the discrimination experiences of the Jews of non-European origin, but also the complicated political relationship between Morocco and Israel. There is suspense, and romance and unexpected situations, even a whodunit. There are culinary details that smells like dafina - the Moroccan variant of chulent (I know will be accused of cultural abuse but I take the risk) - and the many secrets of preparing the tastiest couscous in the world. 

It seems like Eliette Abecassis wants to tell everything you need to know about Moroccan Jews while creating a standalone story. There are many aspects that are fascinating, but there are also a couple of clichés, like for instance the ´classical´ unbreakable differentiation between Askenazim and Sephardim/Mizrahim (whose food is better, who is warmer, who is more respectful towards parents). Such an approach, although common in the minds and hearts of many representatives of both groups, only perpetuates the simplistic - kitsch even - mindset within both groups. None of them should be ashamed of the historical heritage and instead of drawing such cartoons, we are better grateful for the huge diversity of traditions and histories. I may love couscous and hate hering and embrace the post-Shoah trauma of my family by celebrating life and resilience.

But there is much more to Sépharade than those fake problems. The lecture offers an imaginary refuge covering many generations and historical periods, the stories are offering a lot of food for thought and challenges for everyone learning every day new juggling skills between tradition, modernity and various assigned and assumed identities. It tells stories about a world that is still here and hopefully will continue to be part of the present because it belongs to our Jewish heritage. 

I´ve read the book in the original French language.

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Askenazi failure

Every time there are elections in Israel, and the results are not satisfactory for some, it starts the search for the guilty part of the society. (Although I wish a lot, I prefer not to talk about the elections right now) Instead of focusing on the real problems and political failures, some (don't expect me to share any of their links) preferred instead to accuse the Mizrahi Jews because...they did not vote with the very confused and unstructured and unreliable leftist parties.
Lacking any inspiration and arguments, some returned to the infamous Askenazi Revolution (HaMahapechah HaAskenazit) of Katznelson. A book which I tried to read and found it libellous and extremely bad written and lacking not only argumentation - how can you have arguments for racist statements against your own people - but also the style of a good writing. The only explanation that such a literary failure was considered a success was probably the political ambiance of the 1960s when many Askenazim, not few of them of German origin, were sharing the same impressions and assumptions and Katznelson just wrote something that the public expected to read.
Ben Gurion himself, who forbade the book later, said in 1966: "We do not want Israelis to become Arabs. We are in duty bound to fight against the spirit of the Levant which corrupts individuals and societies, and preserve the authentic Jewish values as thez crystallized in the diaspora".
In April 22 1949, the journalist Aryeh Gelblum, an immigrant from Poland, wrote in Ha'aretz on the occasion of the arriving of Mizrahi immigrants: 'This is the immigration of a race we have not yet known in the country. We are dealing with people whose primitivism is at a peak, whose level of knowledge is one of virtually absolute ignorance and, worse, who have little talent for understanding anything intellectual. Generally, they are only slighty better than the general level of the Arabs, Negroes and the Berbers in the same region. In any case, they are at an even lower level that we knoa with regard to the former Arabs of Israel. These Jews also lack roots in Judaism, as they are totally insubordinated to savage and primitive instincts. As with Africans, you will find among them gambling, drunkenness and prostitution...chronic laziness, and hatred for work; there is anothing safe about this asocial element. (Even) the kibbutzim will not hear of their absorbtion'.
Being so versed into the racist German theories, result of the assimilation encouraged by the Haskala, made people like Gelblum more 'advanced'? The lack of roots in Judaism is the situation of someone who forgets about the long history of Jewish life in the Middle East, probably less assimilated then their brothers in the industrial Europe.
Years passed and at least officially, such standpoints are not the mainstream, except during and after the election time. Some people from the old generation, may still believe that their racism against Askenazim has any logical, cultural or historical, and even religious base.
A long conversation is such a discussion does have any sense does not make any logic. Just pointing out once in a while how wrong such conversations are is a must. The more we say about it and against it, the better for our sanity.

When a big haham is leaving this world

We are so poor now without Rav Ovadia zt''l. It's everything I can say after so many days after thinking he left this world. Days before, I was davening for his refuah shleimah. And was thinking, how I am to daven for such a gadol?

After with tears in my eyes I watched the impressive levaya when 800,000 people at least were there praying together, Sephardim and Askenazim, young and old, women and men, modern, religious and secular, FFB or BT, I realized what we lost. For me, he was one of the biggest personality of the Jewish world of the last century. Again, who I am to give qualifications who is bigger or not?

I have a lot of personal memories related to Rav. At the beginning of my religious journey, he was always the example of the big wise who is all the time busy with Torah. I was reading and told by those who had the honour to meet him how Torah was his only preoccupation. And Torah is what unites us, Jews from all over the world.
Rav Ovadia zt''l was important for the Sephardi world. Through him and his vast knowledge, the Sephardim heritage was re-evaluated and brought back in respect. I've heard a story about a discussion he had with his wife about the involvement in the creation of the Shas party. He told to his wife that getting involved in what will be the party of the Sephardim is a big duty and he doesn't want to be asked when arriving in Shamayim why he was not there when needed. How opportune is the presence of a religious figure in politics is another discussion, but his presence contributed to the creation of a new Sephardi Israeli identity. Political involvement means controversies and the last elections brought a lot of discussions and poisonous exchange of arrows, but this is already history. Many of those targeted by his arrows davened for his recovery and this is another example of his powerful personality.
Through his works, he tried to bring a unique voice to the very fragmented and not initially self-aware Sephardi world. My Iraqi Jews friends were davening together with the Yemeni and the Moroccans. Creating a unique authority at least with the same written base as the Askenazim was also part of his tremendous work in the service of Torah. He was highly respected by all the big Askenazim chassidic leaders in Jerusalem and abroad and he was often visited for advice on important Torah matters.
There are also many other significant moments associated with his personality: the recognition of Ethiopian Jews, the discussion about Bnei Menashe, the negotiations for the liberation of Gilad Shalit, the decisions in favour of 'chained' women. A complete history of his work and life is still to be written.
Over 800,000 said the kaddish together in Jerusalem for Rav Ovadia zt''l. Some say that such a big gathering of Jews for levaya was not seen since the death of Aaron haCohen.
Rav Ovadia zt''l takes care of us all now. Our duty is to intensify the Torah study and the good deeds. This can be done even by an am haaretz like me.

The forgotten refugees

The fate of the Jews from Arab countries is a topic that was not addressed accordingly and sometimes I wondered why. Instead, I've heard very often, including among other Jews, what a better life some Sephardim had in the Arab lands. Being a little bit familiar with stories of refugees and survivors I never realized from where this stereotype originated.

Maybe there were not pogroms and crusades and not too much religious awakening and extremism, but I met many former Yemeni Jews who were forced to change their religion. Sadly enough, many Askenazim used to have fun of their Mizrahi neighbors calling them 'Arabs', but they did not know that they were forced to learn this Arabic. Similarly as many of the Askenazim needed to learn the language of the place - Russian, Frech, German, Hungarian or English etc. - as the only way to be accepted and got professional success. More than all of us, they understand very well what does it mean to deal with the Arab world, their prejudices and stereotypes. 

I wonder why it took so long until the media approached the issue of ethnic cleansing of Jews from the Arab lands. There are so many people for decades talking about the fate of the 'Palestinian refugees' - many leaving the country at the advice of their leaders - but not too many were curious to find out what happened with the Mizrahi Jews. They don't have where to go, their property were stolen and their chances to see the graves where their families rest aren't almost impossible. The rich culture of Mizrahi Jews were took upon in Israel, where many found their home after being forced to leave. 

We are used to think about the strong Zionism of the Jews from Europe and America, but we hardly remember the brave Mizrahi and Sephardim who suffered a lot for being Jews. Many left their houses with their kids in their hand and nothing in their pockets, their properties being held illegally by their Arab hosts. 

After the fall of communism, in many Eastern European countries, a symbolic restitution was sometimes possible. Our brethren from the Arab lands can't have their houses back. Some were even stolen their memories and their religion. 

Better late than never, the world should know more about their fate, and hope that more and more testimonies will be collected and published. Until it is not too late.

Seminary refuses to admit Sephardi girls

This is the kind of news I don't like to read at all. As somebody used with both traditions and happy with this rewarding situation, selecting the best from each - and I am not talking only about the gorgeous Sephardi meals, even though meals also are sending an important identity message, but also about music, literature and talmudic traditions - I can't stand the narrowmindness of rejecting another person, especially children, because of the color of their skin of the place of birth of their parents.

I dare to say that the problems are faced not only by the Sephardi girls, but also by Sephardi boys looking to enrol in some yeshivas. And the examples could continue.

However, I consider that it is also a good message in this story: the Separdis should mobilize more resources - including of financial nature - and more energies to create their own elites, to outline their traditions and, of course, to learn more in order of being able to create their own institutions and educational systems. I wish the final result will not be the exclusion of Askenazim.

Seeing the high number of young Sephardi eager to learn more Torah in the yeshivas from Jerusalem or elsewhere, I am optimistic and I trust their open mind and humour. Mistakes are human.

Traditions of the selichot

The sense and history

Basic questions and answers

The Chabad perspective and the prayers

Selichot for iPhone

Wonder-rabbis...

I wanted to address the issue of the new and active phenomenon of "wonder-rabbis" for a couple of days, mostly after reading the extensive report about R. Yoshiyahu Pinto. The publishing of the feature coincided with the murder of the well-respected Elazar Abuhatzeira by a mentally troubled man unhappy with the counsel he got for his marital problems.

The phenomenon isn't new in the Jewish world and if the latest patterns are manifesting mostly within the Sephardi world, the beginning belongs to the Eastern European shtetls and the hassidims' exotic - sometimes - courts.

In times of economic and spiritual instability, people are driven to find advice and daily orientation from people considered as the owners of a special knowledge and spiritual powers. But the danger of idolatry is high and we need counter-weights and our own reasoning and critical thinking. But we need to he wise enough and modest enough to realize what our limits are and where we should prefer the silence to the facile answers.

Learning about Shoah

An initiative dedicated to the Sephardi kids

Hesed Sefaradi

Interview with A.B.Yehoshua, in Sephardic Horizons, about his last novel Hesed Sefaradi (Spanish Kindness), books and Middle East.

Time to end discrimination

in a haredi girls' school.

Apparently, the subtelties of discriminations are endless - the compulsory Askenazi accent, for example, the separate entrances and the plaster wall. And why in the last two years nobody had the gorgious idea to oppose such hard to qualify situation?

The Organs Donations Issues

I tried to figure out myself a bit what it is the whole issue about the latest scandal about the organs donations.

Here, a couple of links:

Forward - How Kidneys are Bought and Sold on Black Market
one simple conclusion: there are people in desperate need for a transplant. The provisions in Israel are very strict and the offer is seriously limited in comparison with the demand.

See: Halachic Organ Donor Society

Also: the Syrian-Jewish Enclave in NYC
The insider spy
The almost Hollywood screenplay

and the letter of the Sephardic Community Alliance - a possible power conflict between the Sephardims and Askenazi could also offer an explanation ?

Hamodia found an explanation: We are Very Much in Galus

How much is your body worth - or part of it?
the UK disscussion
the ethics context
value or market value?

Recently, in Romania, several Israeli fertily doctors were arrested and are under investigation for egg trafficking. The "ova commerce" discussion is almost ten years old in Israel.

The Boiling Point

an interesting story about drinking coffee and enforcing differences.