Sephardic Jewry originated in the Iberian Peninsula about 1000 years ago. Since then, it has spread across the Mediterranean to the Middle East, North Africa, Southern Europe, and the Ottoman Empire. Sephardim currently account for approximately 15% of today's Jews.
Jerusalem Sephardic
This nusach, used by Palestinian Sephardic communities, is currently the most commonly used among Sephardic traditions. It is used in Israel as well as in most Sephardic communities in the United States.
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Spanish/Portuguese
Though few Jewish communities remain in Spain and Portugal, there are several communities which follow the Spanish/Portuguese liturgical tradition. Many Spanish Jews fled to the Netherlands during the Spanish Inquisition and started communities there which followed the Spanish/Portuguese tradition. Jewish communities in Amsterdam use Spanish/Portuguese nusach to this day. In addition, many of the Dutch Jews moved to different parts of the world, bringing their liturgy with them, and eventually settled in the United States. Some of the oldest synagogues in the United States follow the Spanish/Portuguese tradition.
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Moroccan
Until well into the twentieth century, Morocco boasted a large Jewish population. Many of the Jews had lived in Morocco for centuries. However, in recent years, that population has declined dramatically, and most Jews of Moroccan descent have emigrated to Israel, France or Canada.
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Balkan/Turkish
The liturgical tradition of the Jews of the Ottoman Empire is closely related to the Jerusalem Sephardic tradition--both are part of a larger group of Eastern Sephardic Jews.
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Italian
A Jewish presence in Italy has existed for thousands of years, since the pre-Christian Roman period, and has survived until this day, albeit in small numbers. The Roman tradition of cantillation, though it has not spread far from where it was born, can still be heard in Roman synagogues.
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