The English word Sephardic is ultimately derived from the Biblical Hebrew place name Sefarad (Obadiah 20), whose original reference is uncertain but which in the course of time came to designate the Iberian Peninsula in Hebrew sources.

The term Sefaradi and it plural Sefaradim refer to the natives or inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula. In a more limited sense they are used to denote the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula and their descendants. In Jewish sources, the terms, Anglicized into Sephardim and the adjective Sephardic, have been extended to embrace the ethnic or cultural descendants of the Jewish refugees from the Iberian Peninsula beginning in the fifteenth century who settled in various places, especially North Africa and the Middle East. In the twentieth century, and especially after the establishment of the State of Israel, an increased cultural affinity with the Sephardim has grown among Near Eastern Jews, the Mizrahim.

The term "Sephardic studies" denotes the field, or, more precisely, the many intersecting fields of learning dealing with the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula and their biological and cultural descendants.

Click on one of the links below to view a list of core readings, or course guides to teaching Modern Jewish History or Jewish Thought.

Core Readings

The texts recommended here represent the beginning of an ambitious effort to provide a collection of important readings of both primary and secondary sources in the field of Sephardic studies. They are intended for adult students of all ages and reflect the emphases utilized by Dr. Martin Cohen in his decades of teaching and public speaking in this field. 		Modern Jewish History

This Guide reviews recent academic studies on Modern Sephardic and Mizrachi Jewish History. During the 19 th Century communities in the Ottoman Empire and Arab Lands were in many cases vibrant. In the 20 th century these communities dispersed to Israel, the Americas, Europe and other places in the world. Often their histories and contributions are unknown. This select list prepared by faculty will introduce students to information and new studies of Sephardic and Mizrachi Jewish life. 		Jewish Thought

This Guide reviews selected academic sources to aid in an understanding of the Sephardic contribution to Jewish Thought. The primary focus is the Medieval to the early Modern Period. These are reviews prepared by faculty members with the aim to introduce various sources.
19th cent. Middle Eastern amulet from the Levy Family Collection. Photograph by David Greenfield.