Discovering the Romaniote Jews: A Hidden Chapter in Jewish History
The Romaniote Jewish community is one of the oldest yet least known. Tragically, most of its members perished during the Holocaust, leaving this ancient community largely unfamiliar.
- יהוסף יעבץ
- פורסם ב' אדר ב' התשפ"ד
(Photo: shutterstock) #VALUE!
Are you Yemenite? Ashkenazi? Iraqi? Whoever you are, you probably think you know the different Jewish communities in Israel. But do you know about the Romaniote community?<\/p>
The Romaniote community is an ancient Jewish community. For hundreds of years, the Romaniotes lived on the border of Greece and Turkey. They are neither Ashkenazi nor Sephardi; they are simply Romaniote. According to their tradition, their ancestors were Jews exiled from Jerusalem after the Second Temple's destruction, and they settled there. Their original plan was to reach Rome, but upon reaching Greece, they encountered severe storms and chose to stay, ultimately residing in the area for about two thousand years. They lived around the city of Ioannina.<\/p>
The Romaniotes also had their own language, called Yevanitika, an ancient tongue as old as Yiddish or Ladino.<\/p>
About 900 years ago, Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela visited the Romaniotes. He met with the community leaders: Rabbi Solomon and Rabbi Hercules.<\/p>
In the 19th century, Rabbi Chaim Shmuel Halevi, known as "Chashmal," from Jerusalem, came to the area and had a significant influence on the community.<\/p>
Unfortunately, most of the community's members were killed by the Nazis, which is why it is not widely known today.<\/p>
However, remnants of the community still exist. In Greece, there is a Romaniote community of around fifty people. Their synagogue has an ancient chair for the community's sage, a stone seat estimated to be two thousand years old, called "Moses' Chair."<\/p>
In Israel, there is a synagogue in Jerusalem, in the Nachlaot neighborhood, called "Beit Avraham ve'Ohel Sarah," which serves the community there. At this synagogue, you can find a Romaniote prayer book, an interesting rite that, as mentioned, is neither Ashkenazi nor Sephardi.<\/p>
In New York, in Chinatown, there is the "Kehila Kedosha Janina" synagogue with remnants of the Romaniote community. If you're in the area on Shabbat, it would be worth stopping by to help complete a minyan, as the community is quite small.<\/p>
