Nusach Catalunya
About the sidur
The Sidur is based on six manuscripts from the 14th-16th centuries and constitutes the recovery of the ancient Nusach Catalunya, the nusach of the Tefillah used by the Jews in Catalonia, Valencia and Mallorca during the Middle Ages (at the time known as the Rishonim period).
about the nusach
Nusach Catalunya is the ancient liturgical tradition of the Jews of Catalunya, Valencia and Mallorca. In the wake of the 1391 pogroms and the expulsion in 1492, the Jews of Catalunya migrated to North Africa, Italy, the Ottoman Empire and the Land of Israel, and with them their ancient nusach and traditions.
NUsach & Minhag
During the time period of the Rishonim, Catalunya, and especially its capital city Barcelona, was an important Torah center. Great luminaries like Rabbi Yehudah ben Barzillai al-Bargeloni (1070-?), Rabbi Abraham bar Ḥiyya ha-Nasi (c. 1070 – 1136 or 1145), Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman, Ramban (1194–1270), Rabbenu Yona Girondi (1210-1263), Rabbi Aharon ha-Levi, Ra'aH (1235-1303), Rabbi Shlomoh ben Adret, Rashba (1235-1310), Rabbenu Nissim ben Reuven Girondi, RaN (1315-1376), Rabbi Hasdai Crescas (1340-1412), Rabbi Isaac bar Sheshet, Ribash (1326-1408), Rabbi Shimon ben Zemah Duran, Rashbatz (1361-1444), among many others, illuminated the Jewish World from the Catalan Beit Midrash. We used to refer to those sages as “Chachmei Sefarad” but it would be more accurate to refer to them as “Chachmei Catalunya” for their tradition was distinct from that of the Sefardic tradition.
Our purpose is to recover, re-establish and spread the Catalan halachic and liturgical customs that unfortunately were forgotten due to the diaspora, the persecutions and the final expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula.
the editor
Idan Perez
BLOG
סידור קטלוניא – רשימת הפיוטים
סידור קטלוניא – רשימת הפיוטים האדרת והאמונה לחי עולמים 26 177 כל ברואי מעלה ומטה יעידון יגידון (ר’ שלמה אבן גבירול) 36 187 יריבי תריב ומחריבי תחריב (יהודה; תחינה ליום שני) 61 יבואונו רחמיך ומרום הקשיבה (תחינה) 68 ה’ ארכו בגלות שני (לוי אבן אלתבאן?) 68 למה תהיה כאיש נדהם (לוי אבן אלתבאן) 69 Read more about סידור קטלוניא – רשימת הפיוטים[…]
קריאת התורה לפי נוסח יהודי אלג’יר
לימוד טעמי המקרא – לפי החוברת טעמים בראשית בראשית נח לך לך וירא חיי שרה תולדות ויצא וישלח וישב מקץ ויגש ויחי שמות שמות וארא בא בשלח יתרו משפטים תרומה תצוה כי תשא ויקהל פקודי ויקרא ויקרא צו שמיני תזריע מצורע אחרי מות קדושים אמור בהר בחוקותי תזריע מצורע אחרי קדושים במדבר במדבר נשא בהעלותך Read more about קריאת התורה לפי נוסח יהודי אלג’יר[…]
La tradición litúrgica de los judíos de Argelia. Taller de Etnomusicología – Universidad de Bar-Ilán (2000)
Después de la entrevista realizada en Radio Sefarad “El descubrimiento del «sidur» y «nusaj» catalanes” mucha gente me ha pedido los enlaces para poder escuchar las grabaciones del ‘Taller de Etnomusicología’ que se celebró en Israel el año 2000 en nombre de la Facultad de Música de la Universidad de Bar-Ilán, por iniciativa de “Renanot, Read more about La tradición litúrgica de los judíos de Argelia. Taller de Etnomusicología – Universidad de Bar-Ilán (2000)[…]
Barcelona & Girona – June 2019
On Wednesday 12/06/2019 I presented and officially handed the Sidur Catalunya to the Jewish Community of Barcelona (CIB). Before the presentation, I was honored to preside the Mincha prayers as Shaliach Tzibur. It was the first time in more than 500 years that the Tefillah was in Nusach Catalunya at a Catalan Synagogue. The conference Read more about Barcelona & Girona – June 2019[…]
Arizal: The four branches of Israel
There are four branches in Israel divided in different customs “The Israelites shall camp each with his Flag, under the banners of their ancestral house” (Bemidbar 2, 2). “The Arizal used to say that there are four Flags, as well as there are four branches in Israel divided in different customs. Sefarad, Ashkenaz, Catalunya and Read more about Arizal: The four branches of Israel[…]
Arizal: The secret of the twelve gates
According to Arizal there are 12 gates for prayers in heaven, one for each tribe of Israel as there were 12 gates in the Jerusalem Holly Temple “There are many differences between the [various] prayer rites, between the Sefardi rite, the Catalan rite, the Ashkenazi rite, and the like. Concerning this matter, my master [the Read more about Arizal: The secret of the twelve gates[…]