Prof. Moshe Bar Asher of the Hebrew University has published in recent years several studies about the particular religious customs of the Jews of southwestern France.
Prof. Bar-Asher discusses the history and the religious life of the Jews of Bordeaux, Bayonne, Biarritz and other towns and cities of southwestern France. These communities were founded by Marranos, fugitives from Spain and Portugal who began coming to southwestern France in the 16th century. In 1550, the Marranos were granted by the authorities, the rights of residence as “New Christians.” For a long time they had to continue to observe Judaism in secret. Only around the middle of the 17th century were they able to a certain degree, to profess the Jewish religion in public. By the end of the first quarter of the 19th century they had developed well organized communities, which maintained regular synagogues, Talmud Torah schools and charity organizations.
Around that time the former Marrano communities began to be joined by Jews from the Avignon area as well as by Ashkenazim from Alsace and other countries. Some time later Jews from North Africa began arriving. These newcomers, though they were active in their new communities, did not influence in a great measure the prayer services and customs of the already established communities.
Not so the mass immigration of North African Jews into France during the 1960s. This immigration, which brought large numbers of North African Jews to southwestern France, introduced fundamental changes in the local communities.
But in Bordeaux, and to a lesser degree in Bayonne, many of the particular customs of the former Marrano communities are still being observed in our time.
A most interesting custom still observed in Bordeaux is the recital, on Yom Kippur night after Kol Nidrei, of a prayer in memory of the deceased rabbis of the community. The Hashkava is recited with great emotion by the cantor. Prof. Bar Asher was told by Jews of Bordeaux and Bayonne about the important place of this prayer in the Yom Kippur service of their communities and about the great devotion with which it is listened to by the entire congregation.
Prof. Bar-Asher writes in Kovetz Hatziyonut HaDatit (Jerusalem, 2002 in memory of Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Burg) that this custom was also observed in the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam, and he is inclined to believe that it originated in Spain. In the synagogue of Algiers, they used to recite, on the night of Yom Kippur, a Hashkava prayer for Rabbi Isaac Bar Sheshet Perfet and for Rabbi Shimeon Ben Zemach Duran, both of whom came to Algiers from Spain after the anti-Jewish riots of 1391, as well as for later great rabbis of the community. The prayer was called “Hashkava for great rabbis in accordance with the custom of our fathers in Spain.” The Algiers custom came to an end with the dissolution of the community in 1962.
(Prof. Ben Asher notes that Yom Kippur night Hashkavot for rabbis were also recited in several other towns of North Africa.)
Speaking about a custom of Kol Nidrei night we might also mention that in the ex-Marrano communities of southwestern France, seven Torah scrolls were taken out from the Ark for the saying of Kol Nidrei. This custom is still being observed in Bordeaux.
Another interesting custom of the Jew s of Southwestern France is associated with Simchat Torah.
Continued next week
The Jewish Press Friday, September 20, 2002
in the new (5763) issue of Shana BeShana, the yearbook of Jerusalem’s Hekhal Shlomo, Prof. Moshe Bar Asher writes about the Torah reading customs of the Jews of southwestern France.
In the opening chapter of his study, the author describes the customs of the reading of the Torah as they are generally observed by all communities.
On most occasions one scroll is removed from the Ark for the reading of the Torah.
On certain days the Torah is read from two scrolls: On Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur in the morning, on the three pilgrim festivals, Shabbat Hol HaMoed Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret (in the Diaspora), Hol HaMoed of Passover, Shabbat Rosh Hodesh, Shabbat Hannukah and on the four special Sabbaths, Shabbat Shekalim, Shabbat Zakhor, Shabbat Parah and Shabbat HaHodesh.
On a few occasions three scrolls are removed from the Ark for the reading of the Torah. This is done when Shabbat Hanuukah coincides with Rosh Hodesh Tevet, Shabbat Shekalim with Rosh Hodesh Adar, and Shabbat HaHodesh with Rosh Hodesh Nissan.
In addition to these three days there is another occasion on which the Torah is read from three scrolls. This is Simhat Torah (Shemini Atzeret in the Land of Israel).
From the first scroll we read the entire Parasha of Vezot HaBerakha and the Hatan Torah is called up for the reading of Devarim 33:27 until the end (34:12). In the second scroll we read the beginning of Parashat Bereshit (1:1-2:3 for the Hatan Bereshit.
The Maftir (in Parashat Pinhas) is read from the third scroll.
Prof. Moshe Bar Asher informs us that in the Jewish communities of southwestern France they used to read the Torah on Simhat Torah from four scrolls.
Five persons were called up to the first scroll from which Parashat VeZot Habracha was read, from the beginning until Shishi (Devarim 33:1-26).
From Shishi to the end (Devarim 33:27-34:12) the reading was from the second scroll, for the Hatan Torah.
From the third scroll, Bereshit (12:1-2:3) was read for the Hatan Bereshit.
The Maftir (from Parashat Pinhas) was read from the fourth scroll.
Prof. Bar Asher further informs us that on Shabbat Parashat Bereshit, too, the Torah was read from four scrolls. To the first scroll they called up the person who was the Hatan Torah on Simhat Torah. Bereshit 1:1-2:3 was read for him. The person who was the Hatan Bereshit on Simhat Torah was called up to the second scoll, and Bereshit 2:4-2:19 was read for him. A dignified member of the community was called up to the third scroll for the reading of Bereshit 2:20-3:21. Seven men and one for Maftir were then called up to the fourth scroll, from which the entire Parasha of Bereshit (plus Maftir) was read.
The custom of reading from four scrolls on Simhat Torah and on Shabbat Parashat Bereshit is still observed in Bordeaux.
Prof. Bar Sher writes that there were also other occasions when the Torah was read from four scrolls in the communities of southwestern France. These communities observed the old and once quite common custom of reading in the synagogue the passage “VeAvraham Zaken…” (Bereshit 24:1-7) in honor of a new Hatan on the Sabbath of the seven Yemei Hamishteh (the wedding week). This reading was done from a separate scroll. Thus when this Sabbath happened to be on a Sabbath on which the Torah was read from three scrolls (e.g. Shabbat Hanukkah which coincided with Rosh CHodesh Tevet) an additional fourth scroll was taken out in honor of the new Hatan.
Prof. Bar Asher is of the opinion that the custom of reading the passage for a new Hatan of Bereshit — which was read from a separate scroll– greatly influenced the Simhat Torah readings in the Jewish communities of southwestern France (the readings on Shabbat Parashat Bereshit mentioned earlier were an extension of the Simhat Torah custom intended to increase the joy with the Torah and especially the joy of the two Hatanim). As a result the reading for the Hatan Torah was made from a separate scroll and thus four scrolls were used on Simhat Torah. The great influence of the reading for a new Hatan on the Simhat Torah readings, writes Prof. Bar Asher can also be seen from the fact that in the Jewish communities of southwestern France the honors of Hatan Torah and Hatan Bereshit were not accorded to rabbis and community leaders but to real Hatanim. The two men who had been the first to marry in the year which had just ended were chosen as Hatan Torah and Hatan Bereshit respectively.
The Jewish Press, Friday, September 27, 2002