Rabbi Haim Ovadia, rabbi of Magen David Sephardic Congregation (www.magendavidsephardic.org/) in suburban Washington DC presents his lecture “Why Are There No Reform or Conservative Sephardic Movements” before an audience at Temple Solel in Paradise Valley, AZ.
ABOUT THIS LECTURE: The different cultures and religious approaches of Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews are products of over a thousand years of living under the rule of two opposing religions, Islam and Christianity. Though both religions, as well as Judaism, are often bundled together as the Monotheistic or Abrahamic religions, there are fundamental differences between them. For better or worse, the unique characteristics of each dominant religion shaped the lives, cultures, and theology of its Jews. The rift which started thousands of years ago, has deepened after the emancipation in Europe, as religious leaders in the Ashkenazi world retreated into a spiritual ghetto, while Sephardic kept a vibrant and innovative legal approach. The lecture will review some of the influences of Islam and Christianity on Judaism, will track the path of Halakhic innovation over the centuries, and will explain why the Sephardic world appears to be more homogeneous than the Ashkenazi world.
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