Guest Editor's Note
Ralph Tarica*
How do you define “Sephardic”? The quick and easy way no doubt is by reference to “non-Ashkenazi” Jewish -- whatever that may mean. Given the eternal phenomenon of geographical movements and “mixed” marriages among Jews all over the world, trying to cope with the classifications of Jewish identity can become an exercise in futility. But one particular effort – the 20th century invention in Israel of a distinction between “Sephardic” and “Mizrahi,” described in our opening article by Rabbi Haim Ovadia as having a racist motivation -- should give pause to anyone who continues to use such terminology.
We have a convergence of interest on Morocco in this issue, beginning with a piece by someone raised as a Muslim in Morocco but now disaffected by the ongoing reluctance of mainstream Islam to adapt to the modern world. Is an Islamic “Enlightenment” possible? Meanwhile his many contacts with Sephardim lead him to view Judaism as a pole of attraction. (We have withheld his name for reasons that should be apparent). In reviews of two books on the Pinto family of Morocco, we have, first, a portrayal of two brothers who stand out as pioneers in the development of the modern economies of the Amazon basin from the 19th century onward. The second review provides a view of a Moroccan Jewish woman in search of a secure cultural and linguistic identity in the modern world.
The third Moroccan item will be of interest to our linguistically-minded readers. While many are familiar with the kind of Judeo-Spanish we refer to as ”Ladino,” geographically based in the old Ottoman Empire of the eastern Mediterranean, how many of us know about another kind of Judeo-Spanish called “Haketía,” based in Tangiers and other parts of Morocco? Despite the geographical distance separating these two languages we may be surprised to see many similarities in vocabulary that distinguish both from modern Spanish: “ma,” “mozotros,” “es menester,” “leshanos,” “ansina,” and so on. But there are significant differences as well – not enough, however, to prevent us from enjoying this curious little story about berenjenas, eggplants.
We are happy to offer again a reading in Ladino from a frequent writer for this journal, Rivka Abiry, who has continued to contribute mightily to the ongoing survival of Ladino language and culture.
And speaking of survival of culture, we offer here a review of a book by the late Jacques Roumani and his colleagues on the history and significance of the long Jewish presence in Libya that ended so sadly only a few years ago. The book is very likely to become the definitive work on this particular Jewish culture that no longer survives except its heirs, as well as serving as a memorial to its author. As an extra bonus, the review is followed by a lengthy description of the contents of the book, chapter by chapter.
Finally, we are pleased to have reports on two recent events dedicated to the survival of other cultures of interest to us. One is the joint social meeting between two groups that promote Ladino and Sephardic culture, the “Vijitas de Alhad” group in the Washington, DC area, and the Ladinokomunita group with its unique online exchange of communication in Judeo-Spanish. The second event described here is the festival at the only Judeo-Greek synagogue in North America and its efforts to preserve its own unique identity.
We welcome your comments. Happy reading!
* Ralph Tarica is an emeritus Professor of French and former chair of the Department of French and Italian at the University of Maryland College Park. His ongoing interest in Sephardic studies is reflected in a number of contributions to the former La Lettre Sépharade and to this journal, as well as to a Manual on Judeo-Spanish language and culture.