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Ashkenazi Swot Analysis

Decent Essays

Lukewarm Welcomes Depending on Region, Culture and Wealth
Most Jewish people are classified as Ashkenazic or Sephardic depending on ethnic backgrounds from the regions they, or their ancestors came from. There are major differences between these ethnic groups, and they did not try to create a single community that brought the Sephardic and Ashkenazic together as one people. On the contrary, they further divided into a variety of cultural and linguistic groups. (Behar 2013:6). These differences add to the list of barriers that divide the Sephardim from the Ashkenazim. Overall, they never seemed to get along with each other, and this made it difficult for Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews to accommodate amongst one another, especially when they were …show more content…

Sephardic men immigrated from Turkey to avoid going into the Turkish army, but some immigrated from Spain. The Sephardic Jews placed a high value in their families, just as Cubans did, and even though it was expensive, and they were poor, they brought their families to join them in their new homes in Cuba. (Levine 2010:42). Having large families caused an implication for them economically because work was scarce, and they had many people to take care of per family. Despite of them having a difficult time trying to provide for their families, getting accustomed to a new life style in Cuba was easier for the Sephardic Jews because they came from a land where there was similar climate and the language the spoke, Ladino, and old form of Spanish, was very convenient in a place where Spanish was spoken. (Levine 2010:40). Being able to communicate with the people in Cuba was a way to be accepted in their new communities. Jobs they acquired as peddlers, worked out for them, since they could communicate with their …show more content…

These Jews immigrated to Cuba from Poland, or eastern, western and central Europe. Ashkenazi Jews spoke Yiddish, so for them it was extremely difficult to communicate with the Spanish speaking Cubans. Not only did Cubans adopt the term polaco, to refer to Ashkenazi Jews in general, they referred to Yiddish as the polaco language, and polaco has stuck to this day, even with so few Jews left in Cuba. (Behar 2010:5). They may have all appeared to be polacos to outsiders, but amongst themselves, they were distinct groups of people with different ethnic backgrounds. The Cubans did not make these foreigners feel as welcomed as the Sephardic Jews, but the Ashkenazi did not make the effort to get involved with anyone who was not Ashkenazi, further adding to their seclusion. The Ashkenazim maintained their traditions tremendously intact, and had stricter religious practices than Sephardic Jews. Something like intermarriage between an Ashkenazi Jew and a Sephardic Jew, or with a Cuban was taboo. The Ashkenazi Jews were more concerned with preserving their Jewish identity and Yiddish culture, so they made sure their traditions were passed on and taught to their children. (Levine

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