Ashkenazim are Jews living in or descended from Germany, France, and Eastern Europe. Sephardim are Jews and their descendants living in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Türkiye, North Africa and the Middle East.
Until the 1400s, the Iberian peninsula, northern Africa, and the Middle East were under Muslim control, who generally allowed Jews to travel. When Jews were expelled from Spain by Christian rulers in 1492, many were accepted by communities in the Netherlands, Italy, the Balkans, Ottoman Empire, northern Africa, and the Middle East.
The term "Ashkenazi" derives from the Hebrew word for "Germany" and the "Sephardic" from the Hebrew word for "Spain".
Although the faith of the Sephardim is basically compatible with Orthodox Judaism, their interpretation of some religious laws (Halacha) differs from that of the Ashkenazim. An example of one of these differences is that while Eastern Sephardim can eat rice, corn and legumes during Passover, Ashkenazim avoid these foods.
Throughout history, Sephardim have been more integrated with the local (non-Jewish) culture of the region they live in than Ashkenazim. In Christian regions where Ashkenazi Judaism developed, relations between Christians and Jews were often tense, and Jews stood apart from their neighbors who were not of their own religion. Discrimination and oppression were much less common in Islamic countries where Sephardic Judaism flourished. Sephardic thought and culture were greatly influenced by Muslim and Greek philosophy and science.
Sephardic prayer rituals are different from Ashkenazi ones, and Sephardic people use different melodies. In addition, Sephardim's holiday customs and traditional foods are a bit different from Ashkenazim's.
Yiddish, which many people know as the international Jewish language, is actually the language of Ashkenazi Jews. Ladino, the language used by Sephardim, is a language with roots in Spanish and Hebrew. Just like Yiddish comes from German and Hebrew...
