[net.religion.jewish] Sefardim on the Net?

sher@rochester.UUCP (David Sher) (10/21/85)

Some time ago I wrote asking if Y. Martillo's oft repeated opinions
were normative for Sefardic Jews.  Well I got a response from Y. Martillo
saying in effect that I had correctly summarized his viewpoint and this
sparked some discussion.  I did not get a response from any other Sephardic
Jew repudiating these opinions.  I did not get a response from any other
Sephardic Jew substantiating these opinions.  I did not get a response
from a any Jew who claimed he was Sephardic.  Are there any other 
Sephardic Jews on the net?  So far the evidence is that there are not
(but to a low degree of confidence).   If so why not?  If there are
why did you not respond to me at least by mail (of course there may be
sephardim who are too busy but ...)
I'll include my original message at the end.
-David Sher
sher@rochester
seismo!rochester!sher

>From: sher@rochester.UUCP (David Sher)
>Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
>Subject: Is Martillo a Typical Sefardim?
>Message-ID: <11290@rochester.UUCP>
>Date: 31 Aug 85 02:24:41 GMT
>Distribution: net
>Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept.
>Lines: 64
>
>----> line eater
>
>     Basically the subject says it all.  Can I consider  the
>opinions  expressed by Yakim Martillo (sp?) to be typical of
>Sephardic Jews in this country (USA) or in the world.  Espe-
>cially those opinions concerning Ashkenazim.  I hope he will
>not object to this paraphrazing  of  his  opinion  and  will
>correct  me  where I go wrong.  Yakim Martillo has expressed
>opinions of this form:
>
>(1)  The "Jewishness" of Ashkenazik Jews is always suspect.
>
>(2)  Ashkenazik customs are inferior  to  Sephardic  customs
>     with regard to expressing Jewish sentiments or beliefs.
>
>(3)  The word of a Sephardic "hacham" is can  be  considered
>     always  to  be more reliable than that of an Ashkenazik
>     rabbi.
>
>(4)  Ashkenazik Jews are responsible  for  all  assimilation
>     and assimilation is entirely an Ashkenazik problem.
>
>     Note that these views are  not  mine  and  may  not  be
>anyone's  they  are  just  a summary of my impression of Mr.
>Martillo's viewpoints as expressed  to  net.religion.jewish.
>It  is  important  to  me  with regard to my sense of Jewish
>identity to find out whether his viewpoint is  the  accepted
>view of the Sephardic community or conclusions he came to on
>his own.
>
>-David Sher
>
>
-- 
-David Sher
sher@rochester
seismo!rochester!sher

slerner@sesame.UUCP (Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner) (10/21/85)

> Some time ago I wrote asking if Y. Martillo's oft repeated opinions
> were normative for Sefardic Jews.  Well I got a response from Y. Martillo
> saying in effect that I had correctly summarized his viewpoint and this
> sparked some discussion.  I did not get a response from any other Sephardic
> Jew repudiating these opinions.  I did not get a response from any other
> Sephardic Jew substantiating these opinions.  I did not get a response
> from a any Jew who claimed he was Sephardic.  Are there any other 
> Sephardic Jews on the net?  So far the evidence is that there are not

I can not say whether there are other sefardim on the net, but having
lived in a sefardic community (iranian), I can say the Y. Martillo's comments
are highly NON-representative of general sefardic attitude.  (Maybe he is
trying to generate flames to save on fuel bills? :-) )

-- 
Opinions expressed are public domain, and do not belong to Lotus
Development Corp.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner

              {genrad|ihnp4|ima}!wjh12!talcott!sesame!slerner
                      {cbosgd|harvard}!talcott!sesame!slerner
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