The Unique Sephardi-Ashkenazi Community of Timisoara (Temeshvar) in Transylvania

Timisoara in Transylvania (either Hungary or Romania depending which side you're rooting for) was one of the more intesting and unique communities of pre war Jewish Eastern Europe. Here is a list of Rabbis who served this community. As you can see there are a mix of Sephardim and Ashkenazim. At times the communities maintained separate kehillot -each one with its own respective spiritual leader. However this was not always feasible and often a sole Rabbbi (sometimes a Sephardi, at other times an Ashkenazi) served both communities.

There was a degree of intermarriage as well between the two groups, as late as the 19th century. This is very unique for Eastern Europe.

from חת"ם סופר ותלמידיו:

Levi Yerushalmi served both communities from 1681-1752. He was an Ashkenazi who had previously served in both the Sephardic and Ashkenazic congregations in Belgrade, Serbia. He was intimately familiar with both rites as well as fluent in Yiddish and Ladino often giving sermons in both tongues.

The minutes of several Transylvanian kehillot (for instance, Alba-Iulia or Karlsburg) were recorded in both Yiddish and Ladino, a very unique phenomenon to say the least.

מאת

תולדות יהודי טרנסליבניה (1944־1623) - משה כרמלי־וינברג  

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mmml