The Ashkenazi Revolution

181The successes and advantages of Ashkenaz are truly unforgivable in theeyes of a zealous Sephardi, who sees, in them, unbearable audacity. This isthe source of the terrible Sephardi hatred toward Ashkenaz. In thesuccesses of Ashkenaz, the zealous Sephardi sees an event that shakes hisself-confidence and puts his historical standing under a question mark. Inhis eyes, Ashkenaz is a demon that tears Sepharad apart. The Ashkenaziattitude is completely different. The Sephardi does not shake hisconfidence. On the contrary, he adds to his pride. In the eyes of theAshkenazi, the Sephardi is a Jew who is on a lower level than his own, whotends to be devious, and who is only worthy of a lower, or intermediate,status. This Ashkenazi approach to the Sephardi is entirely personal andlocal and lacks the elements of any summation, or abstract idea, of thehistorical relationship between the two peoples.The humiliation of the Sephardim, before the Ashkenazim, is alarming, buton the other hand, there are but few instances where the Sephardi –especially the intelligent Sephardi – reveals a polite attitude toward theAshkenazi and his accomplishments. I have heard of only one instance, ofa learned Sephardi who deals with Ashkenazi history. This is anexceptional case. In contrast, hundreds, or thousands, of Ashkenaziresearchers and scholars have invested untold toil in the field of Sephardiwisdom and poetry. In my discussions with enlightened Sephardim, I havealways encountered an attitude of extreme disrespect toward the culture andhistory of Ashkenaz. Yiddish is, of course, “jargon”. The Ashkenazim donot know how to write, and their writing is cumbersome and unintelligible,which is in complete contrast to the clear style of classical Sephardicwriting. In my discussions with enlightened Sephardim, it became clear tome that, according to them, all that is found in the spiritual inventory ofAshkenaz has its origin in Sephardic brilliance, but Ashkenaz itself nevercreated anything original. It seems to me that the Sephardim attribute thesuccess of Ashkenaz, first and foremost to the abilities it has demonstratedin taking, or even stealing (a Sephardic Knesset member screamed at me inanger: The first was always Sephardi!) from foreign sources. According tothe Sephardim, Ashkenaz committed two great thefts: It stole Jewish