Last modified: 2024-01-20 by martin karner
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The current party of Sephardic Jews is SHAS (Mifleget
Sfaradim Somrei Torah) which is mainly a religious party and
is the third in strength in the Knesset. No official flag but I
saw a bold black 'shin' and 'samekh' letters over white
background here and there. As in other parties where the party
letters became its common name, the same is with Shas.
Dov Gutterman, 14 November 2001
Shas is a Hebrew word – an acronym meaning the Talmud,
standing for Shisha Sedarim, the "six orders"
or sections of the Talmud. It always seemed to me that Shas had
to twist the letters of its real name to get Shas – the normal
acronym should be "MaSaSHaT" or at most
"Sash", but those mean nothing.
Dov Gutterman, 14 November 2001
This week there was the "official" begining of 2003
elections campeign. (Elections due to 28 January). I am watching
the TV promotions just to see if any flags are used.
I saw the flag of the SHASH party (Histadrut Sefaradim Shomrei
Torah – Federation of Sefaradim (Spainians = Oriental Jews) Torah
Guardians) – black party's initials (shin-samekh) inside gold (or
green in another variant) torah tablets on white background.
Dov Gutterman, 9 January 2003
Aren't Sephards (as opposed to Ashkenzi) the Jews from the
Iberian Peninsula, fled to the New World, Flanders, Anatolia and
Northern Africa in the 1500ies? Wouldn't that make them western
Jews?
António Martins-Tuválkin, 12 January 2003
Well, yes, strictly speaking. But the term
"Sephardim" is used to refer (perhaps incorrectly) to
Jews from Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, Yemen, and so on, not to
mention Greece, the Balkans, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey (the
latter actually settled by Spanish Jews). That's all
"East," but a more correct term for the former
communities is "Edot HaMizrach," (Communities of the
East).
Nathan Lamm, 12 January 2003
Full name in 2003 elections: Hitahdut HaSfaradim HaOlamit
Shomrei Torah (Federation of World Sefaradic Torah Guardians)
Letters: Shin Sameh (SHAS)
Flag/logo: The letters in bleck inside Torah tablets in green
over white background. There is also an inscription in the lower
side.
Remarks: Religious party of the Oriental Jews
(Sepharadim=Spanish).
Dov Gutterman, 27 January 2003
Here
is another example how the party letters became its popular name.
The list of Shas – Hitakhdut HaSfaradim HaOlamit Somrei Torah
(Torah Keepers SefaradicGlobal Federation) was submitted by party
with the same name. Its leader is Eli Yishai and its letters are,
of course, shin-samekh. Web site at <www.shasnet.org.il>.
Shas is also an Hebrew initials which is an acronym meaning the
Talmud, standing for Shisha Sedarim, the "six
orders" or sections of the Talmud.
Shas was founded in 1984 by its spiritual leader Rabbi
Aqiva Yosef to represent the Sefaradic religious people and as
counter-weight to the "Askenazian" religious parties.
It biggest success was in 1999 elections with 17 seats. It got
only 11 seats in 2003 elections and 12 in 2006 but still is the
strongest religious party in Israel.
Shas is also became infamous as some of its leader found
themselves in prison following corruption charges.
Party logo is the letters shin-samekh inside tablets. As a
flag the letters are black while the tablets are green, all on
white background as seen at a photo here.
Dov Gutterman, 26 March and 7 June 2006