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1 THE SER-CHARLAP FAMILY NEWSLETTER Volume 4, Number 1 February 1993; Shevat/Adar 5753 OUR SEPHARDIC HERITAGE It is all too common to hear talk about the differences between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews. Research into our family's history has indicated that we can be called Ashkenazi because of our sojourn in eastern Europe for at least 400 years. We can also be called Sephardic because our ancestors lived in Spain and Portugal for almost 500 years prior to arriving in, what is today, Poland, Russia, and Lithuania. How did our forebears make this transition and what brought them to northeastern Europe? Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 and from Portugal in 1497. Most left for Mediterranean lands: Italy, North Africa, the Ottoman Empire, Greece, Palestine, Egypt. Salonika and Constantinople became major Sephardic centers. Jewish presence stimulated trade and the Ottoman Empire experienced a surge in growth. Turkish power extended through Greece, much of the Balkans, the Crimea, and was pushing north towards Poland. During the same period, Poland was securing its claim as a great power. Poland had gained dominion over Prussia, Bohemia, and parts of Hungary and Romania in the latter part of the 15th century. By the end of the 16th century, the Baltic region of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia had come under Polish control, as had much of Ukrainia. Yet, the Polish kings were under constant pressure from surrounding forces. On the east and south, Turks and Russians were constantly testing their hold on border regions and the Hapsburg Empire was doing the same towards the west. To ease the pressure, the Polish throne entered into an alliance with the Turks. A result of this detente was Turkish access to Polish commerce in northern Europe. It was inevitable that many Jews from Ottoman lands would find their way into Poland. One of these was Eliezer ben David Ibn Yachya, who assumed the honorary title of Charlap (Chochom Rosh Legoleil Polonia) . While most Jews from Iberia spread out in the Mediterranean basin, others found safe haven in Holland and Belgium. Amsterdam and Antwerp had thriving Jewish populations, a good percentage of whom were involved in trade and commerce. It was natural that these worked their way north and east to the ports of the Hanseatic League. In the 17th century, Hamburg had a large Sephardic community, many of whom were engaged in commerce with Hanseatic cities under Polish influence. "Sephardim arrived in Poland along both the northern and southern routes." (Susan Sherman, "Sephardic Migrations Into Poland", Avotaynu, Summer 1990, pp.14-18.) Sherman documents a Shmuel Ibn Yachya (Jachia) who was a successful Hamburg merchant involved in the salt trade. He established offices in Danzig and his descendants moved into Suwalk Gebernya as early as the 17th century. Suwalk was a center of the Ser-Charlap family [we are now editing the Suwalk Yizkor Book] and many Charlaps, Pakcziars, Sers, Tamas, Lapins, and (continued next page) £:! SEPHARDIC RCX:n'S (cont.) Polish word for bay. It is noted that Shmuel Ibn Yachya's mercantile success came others on our family tree have been from a monopoly on the valued salts trom identified as living rn Mariampole, the Bay of Biscay, which is the probable Bakelerowe, Augustow, Nowograd, Lozdzieje, source for the name. and other towns in the area. Shmuel Ibn In the same area of northeastern Yachya was also known as Alvaro Diniz and Europe were other families derived from the Albertus de Nyes. Diniz is believed derived Ibn Yachyas. By eliminating the Arab flavor from the feminine Dinah. The name Dinah of the name, this group had become known as appears repeatedly in the family of Shmuel Don Yachya. In Slavic lands it was further Ibn Yachya. Sherman quotes a Hermann shortened to Donchin. The progenitor of Kellenbenz who had done considerable this branch was Yeshayahu Shapiro. It is research on trade between Spain, Portugal, claimed that Yeshayahu had a clearly and Hamburg. He came to the conclusion that defined pedigree going back to the Ibn "the combination of Italian and Dutch Yachyas of Spain and Portugal. He lived in elements in his correspondence permit us to German controlled lands, most likely in the assume that he (Alvaro Diniz) was in the city of Shpair. To avert Christian Netherlands and in Italy before coming to persecution his family had taken a variant Hamburg. 11 That would seem to connect the of the town name as a surname. In 1750, Ibn Yachyas who took the northern route Yeshayahu settled in Ushatz (Vitebsk into Poland with the Ibn Yachyas who took region). In 1804, when Jews were forced to the southern route. Indeed, there is assume family names, his son Baruch evidence to indicate that Eliezer Charlap, restored the venerable Don Yachya name; a the first known family member to take the name of Torah scholars, rabbis, poets, and southern route, may have been descended statesmen. [Benny Don Yachya and Ruth from the same branch as Shmuel Ibn Yachya. Charif, "The Don Yechiya Family", Ramat Going back from Eliezer we see that his Gan, Israel, Sept. 1988]. Baruch married father was David son of Yehuda son of the daughter of Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Hozenfot Gedaliah son of Yosef son of David. This of Kurland and had four children. His two earlier David (1465-1543) was a noted sons, Menachem Mendel and David were philosopher who was forced to flee eminent scholars and tzaddikim (righteous Portugal. In 1496 he arrived with his men). A daughter, Chana, married a cousin family in Italy and became Rabbi of Naples Rabbi Yitzhak Donchin who was a grandson of in 1518. He held that position until 1540 Rabbi Eliyahu, the Vilna Gaon. David ben when Jews were expelled from the Kingdom of Baruch had a son Chaim who, in turn, had Naples. [Jewish Encyclopedia] David's wife five sons, all of whom were revered rabbis. was Dinah. This may well be the same Dinah [Dov Baer Owtchinski, L'Toledot Yishivat Ha who was an ancestor of Shmuel Ibn Yachya. Yehudim V'Kurland, 1908]. This group of Don Some of his descendants in Suwalk, known by Yachyas has been(iescribed as being closely the family name Bejm, had a tradition of related to Ephraim Eliezer Tzvi Hirsch being descended from a Mumma Dinah who had Charlap (3169,Pl.A-2), however we have not fled the Iberian peninsula during the been able to confirm that connection. They Inquisition. Bejm is derived from the also are intermarried with the accomplished ****************************************** Zioni family of Israel. All of these THE SER-CHARLAP FAMILY NEWSLETTER is relationships are the subject of intense published quarterly. We encourage submittal study. Among those pursuing this work are of news items, essays, poems, and the distinguished surgeon, Dr. Neil historical articles. Correspondence should Rosenstein, and Trudy Donchin Chityat, a be directed to: teacher and a member of our family Arthur F. Menton, Editor association. Dr. Rosenstein is a founder of P.O. Box 108 the New York Jewish Genealogy Society and Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 11724 author of several works including the two­ Tel. and Fax: (516) 754-1742 volume The Unbroken Chain, a genealogical Copyright ~ 1993 study of illustrious Jewish families from All rights ~erved the 15th to the 20th century. 3 ENCYCI..DPEDIC ENTRIES OF SCX'fE NCJI'ED IBN YACHYAS YACHYA IBN YAISH ordeals. An illuminated copy of Maimonides' Mishna Torah was made for him by Solomon Prominent in Lisbon during the 11th Ibn Alzuk. This volume resides in the century, he died circa 1150. He was held in British Library in London. (see Ser-Charlap high esteem by the Jewish community and was Family Newsletter, Vol. 2,No. 2, p. 5.) honored by the Portuguese King Alfonso I for courage in battle. After the conquest GEDALIAH IBN YACHYA of Santarem the king deeded him two country estates which had previously Gedaliah was a talmudic scholar born in belonged to Moors, whereupon he assumed the Imola, Italy in 1515. He studied at the name "Negro." yeshiva in Ferrara and lived in Rovigo until 1562. In that infamous year, the JUDAH IBN YACHYA NEGRO burning of the Talmud was "celebrated" throughout Italy. Gedaliah fled to Ottoman Born in Toledo in the middle of the 14th controlled lands. He lived in Salonika century, he and his brother Solomon fled to until 1567 when he returned to Italy. For Portugal after the 1391 massacres. Judah the next eight years he went from city to was employed by Queen Philippa, the consort city, but he found them all hostile to Jews of Joao I. He was a confidant of the king and in 1575 he left Italy, finally settling and wielded considerable influence. Judah in Alexandria, where he died in 1587. His was one of the most prominent poets of his major work was Seier Shalshelet ha­ time and wrote several elegies deploring Kabbalah, a monumental tome on which he the sorry fate of his brethren. His poems labored for 40 years. It contains the are included in Carmoly' s Dibre ha-Yamim genealogy of Jews from Moses until 1587; Ii-Bene Yahya. He was also the author of their history and the history of the several responsa and piyyutim, published peoples among whom they dwelled; a in, among others, Shekel ha-Kodesh. Judah's description of anti-semitic actions taken descendants were rabbis and communal against his people; and an account of the workers in Italy, where many spelled the heavenly bodies, the Creation, the soul, name Iacchia. and the like. The Shalshelet was published in Venice (1587), Cracow (1596), Amsterdam JOSEPH IBN YACHYA HEN DAVID (1697), Zolkiev (1802, 1804), Polonnoye (1814), and Lemberg (1862).

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