Traditions & Customs of the Sephardic Jews of Salonica"Traditions and Customs focuses on the rich cultural traditions and heritage of the largest Sephardic Jewish Community in the Balkans. These simple customs, though colorful and patriarchal, were the customs of the Sephardic Jews until the end of the nineteenth century. The coming of the Ottoman revolution and mainly the fire of 1917 U which destroyed most of the Jewish section and caused the Sephardic Jews of Salonica to be scattered throughout all the city U ended the old traditions which they had preserved with great fervor. At the moment almost nothing is left of that which before gave a special seal to the Jewish collectivity of Salonica ... Under the influence of assimilation, which advances very quickly, these customs are disappearing little by little. Michael Molho, 1940. The traditions, customs, rituals and beliefs, proverbs, ballads, songs and tales which author Michael Molho has preserved in these pages are conveyed with a genuine appreciation and passion for his culture, and will invoke in the eyes of its readers the ancient ties of the Sephardim to their Spanish and Iberian origins. Appearing for the first time in the English language, annotated and supplemented by 150 rare photographs and illustrations, Traditions and Customs of the Sephardic Jews of Saloncia depicts the colorful and picturesque life and Judeo-Spanish language of the Sephardic Jews in Salonica, as it existed for nearly five hundred years before its tragic destruction during the Holocaust."--Publisher's description. |
Common terms and phrases
ancient antari Bedford collection Bible biblical blessings bread bride called celebrated ceremony Chapter Chief Rabbi child Circa circumcision community of Salonica congregation considered death deceased Dió evil eye FASSAC Image Archives father festival fijo fire French Greece Greek groom habrá Holy Israel Israélite Jerusalem Jewish cemetery Jewish community Jewish population Jews of Salonica Judeo Judeo-Spanish kabbalistic Kehila known Ladino language literally Macedonia magical Marrano Me'am Lo'ez meaning melammed Michael Molho modern Spanish Molho notes Molho writes mother mourning novia original Ottoman Empire parida Passover Pesach popular prayers Purim raki recite reference refugees religious Romaniote Sa'adi Sabbath Salonica Salonique Sephardic Jews Sephardim sing songs Spain Spanish Spanish word Sukkot synagogue Talmud Talmud Tora teacher Temple Thessaloniki Tora TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS translation Turkish twentieth century wedding wife woman women Yosef young לוס לי ליל לין לס סי פול קי