SERIES Sephard in Ashkenaz and Ashkenaz in Sephard. The Secunda Family of Ukraine
Ukrainian-born Sholom Secunda (b. 1894), star of the Yiddish entertainment world and renowned for such hits as Bei Mir Bist du Shein was-like celebrated Yiddish writer Y.L. Peretz- a Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazic Jew of Sephardic descent. Victoria Secunda in her biography of the man; Bei Mir Bist Du Schon; The life of Sholom Secunda, writes:
The Secundas believe that they are descended of Italian Jews who were expelled from Italy in the 16th century and settled in Russia. [1]
The Secundas apparently considered themselves Sephardic Jews (rather than “Italian”). Another member of this family, Arthur Secunda, is described “as the son of a Sephardic Jew who immigrated to the United States from Russia”. [2]
In the book White Lies: Race and the Myths of Whiteness Maurice Berger makes mention of his mother whose maiden name was Secunda. He describes her as follows:
More than anything, my mother's life was shaped by her otherness: the darkness of her skin, eyes and hair; her Sephardic heritage; her Hispanic sounding maiden name. More than once she had been called a spic. More than once she had been called a kike, a hebe, a Jew bastard. More than once she had lost a job because a producer or casting director thought she was 'too dark' or 'too Jewish'.. She was born in Germany in 1920. Her father Norbert Secunda, a research assistant in the mathematics department of the University of Hamburg. [3]
In the book White Lies: Race and the Myths of Whiteness Maurice Berger makes mention of his mother whose maiden name was Secunda. He describes her as follows:
More than anything, my mother's life was shaped by her otherness: the darkness of her skin, eyes and hair; her Sephardic heritage; her Hispanic sounding maiden name. More than once she had been called a spic. More than once she had been called a kike, a hebe, a Jew bastard. More than once she had lost a job because a producer or casting director thought she was 'too dark' or 'too Jewish'.. She was born in Germany in 1920. Her father Norbert Secunda, a research assistant in the mathematics department of the University of Hamburg. [3]
Labels: Jews Ukraine, Secunda, SERIES Sephard in Ashkenaz and Ashkenaz in Sephard
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