Sephardic

Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula and their descendants. The term "Sephardic" comes from Sepharad, the Hebrew word for Iberia. These communities flourished for centuries in Iberia until they were expelled in the late 15th century. Over time, Sephardic has also come to refer more broadly to the diverse Jewish peoples, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, who adopted Sephardic religious customs and legal traditions. In some cases, Ashkenazi Jews who settled in Sephardic communities and adopted Sephardic liturgy are also included under this term. Today, Sephardic Jews form a major component of the global Jewish population, with the largest Sephardic-Jewish population now living in Israel.