sephardic Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

The Jewish Astronomer Behind Vasco da Gama’s Maiden Voyage

Want a moon crater named after you? Easy: just follow Abraham ben Samuel Zacuto’s lead. Zacuto, born in Salamanca, Spain in 1452, was a Sephardic astronomer, mathematician, rabbi, and historian who dominated every field he entered. After the Spanish expulsion of the Jews in 1492, Zacuto relocated to Lisbon where he was offered a gig […]

The Rosh Hashanah Sephardic Seder

Pop quiz: How many seders are in the Jewish year? If you said “one,” sorry, but we have to send you back to Hebrew school. Though it’s relatively unknown to the Ashkenazim among us, the Sephardic Rosh Hashanah seder ushers in the new year with more than Granny Smiths and honey: More like a near-encyclopedia […]

Make a Sephardic Seder, Whip Your Friends With Scallions

After sitting for hours—and hours and hours—around the seder table with your family, you may feel like hitting someone (looking at you, drunk Uncle Ivan). If your family is Sephardic and has some large onions on hand, you may just be in luck. There is a tradition among Sephardic Jews to whip your seder-mates […]