Sephardic Jewish Resources (Genealogía Sefardí) 🕍
Sephardic genealogy traces the descendants of Jews expelled from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) in 1492 and 1497. Research often focuses on the communities they established across the Ottoman Empire (the Balkans, Greece, Turkey), North Africa, and the Netherlands (and their colonies, like Curaçao and Brazil). Genealogical records for these groups are unique, often relying on Ketubot, cemetery records, rabbinic court documents, and specialized databases.
Centralized Portals & Major Databases 🌐
- JewishGen Sephardic Research Division (The indispensable central hub for Sephardic research, databases, and projects)
- SephardicGen Resources (Comprehensive resource and guide site)
- Sephardic Genealogy (General guide)
- Resource Guide: Sephardic Genealogy Resources (Israel Genealogy Research Association)
- Sephardic Family History Research Guide (Center for Jewish History PDF)
- Sephardic Heritage Project (Genealogy website list)
- Sephardic SIG (Special Interest Group - Great Britain)
Academic & Regional Collections (Ottoman, Balkan, Dutch) 📜
- Ottoman Archives Guide for Jewish Research (Guidance on using Turkish/Ottoman records)
- The Amsterdam Municipal Archives (Holds vital records for the influential Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam)
- YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (Genealogy Collection: Sephardic Jews)
- Sephardic Studies & Culture (University of Washington academic portal)
- Consulate General of Spain in the Hague - Sephardic Nationality (Guide to the process of obtaining Spanish nationality by descent)
- Sephardi Jews (Wikiwand article on history and migration)
Genealogical Guides & Blog Posts 🧠
- How to Trace Your Sephardic Jewish Genealogy (Family Tree Magazine)
- Sephardic Genealogy (Hollander-Waas Blog)
- The Sephardic Surnames Project (Resource for historical and regional surname distribution)
Credits
Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.