Jews and Judaism in Italy - Divisions

Divisions

Italian Jews historically fell into four categories.

1. Jews of the Italian rite ("Italkim" in Hebrew) who have resided in Italy since Roman times; see below.
2. Sephardim, who may be divided into Levantine Sephardim and Spanish and Portuguese Jews, i.e. Jews who arrived in Italy following the expulsions from Spain in 1492, Portugal in 1497 and the Kingdom of Naples in 1533. These in turn include both those expelled at the time and crypto-Jewish families who left Spain and Portugal in subsequent centuries and reverted to Judaism.
3. Ashkenazi Jews, living mainly in the northern part of the country.
4. The Jews of Asti, Fossano and Moncalvo ("Appam"). These represent the Jews expelled from France in the Middle Ages. Their liturgy is similar to that of the Ashkenazim, but contains some distinctive usages descended from the French Jews of the time of Rashi, particularly in the services for the High Holy Days.

Historically these communities remained separate: in a given city there was often an "Italian synagogue" and a "Spanish synagogue", and occasionally a "German synagogue" as well. In many cases these have since amalgamated, but a given synagogue may have services of more than one rite.

Today there are further categories:

• The Jews of San Nicandro who are gerim descendants of the neofiti of San Nicandro Garganico;
• Iranian Jews living in Rome and Milan;
• Libyan Jews, mostly in Rome.