The Hebrew word for Spain is Sepharad. By definition, Sephardic Jews,my family included, trace their roots to the Iberian Peninsula, where Jews lived for centuries until the Spanish monarchy ordered their expulsion in 1492. That decree forced Jews to
convert, flee, or face execution, ending what had been a vibrant and influential chapter of Jewish history in Spain.
Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with Sephardic Jews in America. Or perhaps you’ve heard of a few without realizing it. From history: a Jewish man helped finance the American Revolution:Hayim Salomon, a Sephardic Jew. The poem on the base of the Statue of
Liberty? Written by Emma Lazarus, also Sephardic. Benjamin Cardozo, one of the earliest Jewish Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, was too.
In more recent American culture, designer Diane von Furstenberg, actor Hank Azaria, singer Neil Sedaka, actor Jerry Orbach, pianist Murray Perahia, and CNN anchor John Berman all have Sephardic ancestry.
My family hails from Spain. Unlike many others, the Bensignor family has passed down our story orally from one generation to the nex continuously, since 1492. For over half amillennium, that oral tradition has remained intact.
Remember the childhood game of telephone, where a sentence gets distorted as it’s whispered down the line? Remarkably, the Bensignor family story hasn’t changed. Whether you’re hearing it from a Bensignor in the U.S., Argentina, France, Israel, Spain,
or Turkey, the recitation is the same. Identical.
And the essence of that story is this: our direct ancestor was the Court Treasurer of
Spain.
I am a Sephardic Jew, and I’m proud of it. In future posts, I’ll share more about my family’s journey since the 1492 Expulsion—how we survived, adapted, and carried ouridentity across continents and centuries.
Leave a Reply