Latest news with #SephardicJewish
Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Town where 'nearly everyone is a cousin' ravaged by extremely rare disease
In the small remote town of Serrinha dos Pintos in Brazil, lots of children were left unable to walk and were losing strength in their limbs, leaving medics baffled A remote town where nearly everyone is a cousin has been ravaged by an extremely rare disease which left thousands of children unable to walk. In north-eastern Brazil, Serrinha dos Pintos is home to fewer than 5,000 locals and a rare genetic condition called Spoan syndrome, which appears when the gene is inherited from both parents. It affects the nervous system and slowly weakens the body. The condition was previously unknown, and many families were baffled as to why their children in the town couldn't walk. People had no explanation for the illness until geneticist Silvana Santos arrived more than 20 years ago. Her groundbreaking research identified the disease, and she was named one of the BBC's 100 most influential women in 2024. Patients now can confidently talk about their condition, which has left many of them unable to walk. "She gave us a diagnosis we never had. After the research, help came: people, funding, wheelchairs," patient Marquinhos told the BBC. Santos, from São Paulo, Brazil's largest and wealthiest city, discovered that many of her neighbours were from the same extended family in Serrinha. It later emerged that lots of them were cousins, married to each other. She was able to research and identify many of the symptoms, which included eyes moving involuntarily, losing strength in limbs, and needing a wheelchair to carry out daily tasks. Eighty-two cases were also discovered worldwide. Santos was invited to visit Serrinha on holiday and stepped into a " world of its own" where she was left stunned at how common cousin marriages were. Due to the town's isolation and little migration, much of the population is related, making marriage between cousins far more likely. Experts say marriages between relatives were believed to be around 10% worldwide in the early 2010s. However, more recent data shows that it's over 50% in countries like Pakistan, 1% to 4% in Brazil and less than 1% in the US and Russia. Despite research showing most children born to pairs of cousins are healthy, the risks of a harmful genetic mutation being passed down the family remains. "If a couple is unrelated, the chance of having a child with a rare genetic disorder or disability is about 2–3%. For cousins, the risk rises to 5–6% per pregnancy," geneticist Luzivan Costa Reis from Brazil's Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul said. According to a 2010 study led by Santos, more than 30% of couples in Serrinha were related, and a third of them had at least one child with a disability. The genetic mutation is likely to have arrived more than 500 years ago with early European settlers in the north-east of Brazil. "Sequencing studies show strong European ancestry in patients, supporting records of Portuguese, Dutch, and Sephardic Jewish presence in the region," says Santos. Two Spoan cases were discovered in Egypt, which also shared European ancestry. "It likely came with related Sephardic Jews or Moors fleeing the Inquisition," says Santos. She believes more cases may exist globally, especially in Portugal. Despite little progress towards a cure, tracking the mutation has brought some change. Locals previously known as "cripples" are now said to have Spoan. In addition, wheelchairs have also helped people and given them independence, whereas before they were likely to be bed-bound. Experts say the symptoms get worse with age, and by 50, all patients become reliant on carers. Larissa Queiroz, 25, discovered her husband, Saulo, was a distant relative after several months of dating. "In Serrinha dos Pintos, deep down, we're all cousins. We're related to everyone," she admitted.
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Rare genetic disorder detected in Brazilian town where ‘everyone is a cousin'
For decades, the residents of Serrinha dos Pintos, a remote town in northeastern Brazil, were victims of an illness that robbed many children of their ability to walk. The town, home to fewer than 5,000 people, had no answers—until Silvana Santos, a biologist and geneticist from São Paulo, began investigating over 20 years ago. Santos would eventually identify and name the unknown condition: Spoan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the nervous system, gradually weakening the body. The syndrome only manifests when a person inherits the same mutated gene from both parents, as per BBC. Before her arrival, locals could only speculate about the cause of the illness. Santos was drawn to Serrinha through her neighbours in São Paulo—many of whom were extended family from the town. They told her about many people back home not being able to walk. And no one knew why. When she finally visited, Santos described Serrinha as 'a world of its own,' not only for its scenic beauty but also for its tightly-knit social fabric. Due to the town's isolation and minimal inward migration, intermarriage between cousins was remarkably common—more so than in most parts of Brazil. According to a 2010 study led by Santos, over 30% of couples in Serrinha were related. Among them, a third had at least one child with a disability, according to a BBC report. Globally, cousin marriages make up about 10% of unions, though the rate varies by country. In Brazil, it stands at 1–4%. Experts note that while most children of cousins are born healthy, the risk of passing on rare genetic disorders roughly doubles. 'If a couple is unrelated, the chance of having a child with a rare genetic disorder is about 2–3%. For cousins, the risk rises to 5–6% per pregnancy,' said Luzivan Costa Reis, a geneticist at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. What began as a short research trip turned into years of dedication. Santos drove the 2,000km between São Paulo and Serrinha multiple times, collecting DNA samples door-to-door, sharing coffee with families, and eventually putting two and two together. In 2005, her team published the first scientific study describing Spoan syndrome. The condition is caused by a small deletion on a chromosome, leading to the overproduction of a key protein in brain cells. The mutation appears to be centuries old, predating even the town's folk tales. Genetic sequencing of Spoan patients revealed strong European ancestry—traces of Portuguese, Dutch, and Sephardic Jewish roots. Further evidence came when two Spoan cases were discovered in Egypt, with matching genetic markers. 'It likely came with related Sephardic Jews or Moors fleeing the Inquisition,' Santos told the BBC, adding that more undiagnosed cases may exist, especially in Portugal. Although there's still no cure, Santos' work has helped shift the community's understanding of the disease. In the past, many patients were left confined to their beds or the floor, while now mobility aids like wheelchairs have enabled comparatively more independence. Spoan progresses over time, with most patients becoming fully dependent by their 50s. Today, Santos is contributing to a government-backed project that will screen 5,000 couples for recessive genetic diseases. The initiative, supported by Brazil's Ministry of Health, aims not to discourage cousin marriages but to empower families with knowledge of their genetic risks. Now a university professor, Santos continues to advocate for better genetic education and testing across Brazil's northeast. (With inputs from BBC)
Local Spain
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Local Spain
Does being unemployed hurt my chances of Spanish citizenship?
You can apply for Spanish citizenship if you've resided legally in Spain for 10 years or two years if you're from a Spanish or Portuguese-speaking Ibero-American country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, or are of Sephardic Jewish origin. You can also apply after one year of residency if you are married to a Spaniard or if you were born in Spain. Anyone with Spanish blood ties, such as having one or both Spanish parents can also apply after only one year in the country. But what happens when you meet one of these requirements and you apply for Spanish citizenship, but you recently lost your job and are now unemployed. Will this affect your application? There are many different factors which affect your nationality application, from how long you've been in the country to your Spanish language abilities and your knowledge of Spanish culture and history as you'll have to pass two different exams, but is having a job one of them? The quick and easy answer is no, there are not any financial requirements to become a Spanish citizen. This means as part of your application you won't have to show an employment contract, employment history, registration as self-employed or pay slips showing how much you earn. You also don't have to show your tax returns, so there's no financial requirement for the application at all. The main reasons for having your Spanish citizenship application rejected are having a criminal record or not fulfilling residency requirements – ie you haven't legally lived in Spain for the correct number of years. You can also be denied for submitting the wrong documents, not responding in time when authorities ask you for more information or leaving Spain for too long. As you can see none of these reasons are not having a job, being unemployed for a certain amount of time or not having enough income. Being unemployed will not even affect your Spanish nationality once it's been granted either if you lose job. The main way that could lose your Spanish citizenship are if you move and live abroad and take up another nationality or use your old nationality for more than three years, unless within that three-year period you declare to the Civil Registry your will to keep Spanish nationality. Therefore, if you qualify, have all the right documents and proof to apply for Spanish citizenship and you want to, then there's no reason you shouldn't even if you're currently unemployed. The authorities will not look at this unfavourably.
Local Spain
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Local Spain
72,000 foreigners with Sephardic Jewish ancestry granted Spanish citizenship
More than 72,000 people of Sephardic Jewish origin gained Spanish citizenship in a decade, figures from Spain's Justice Ministry have revealed. In 2015 the Spanish government passed legislation that meant the descendants of Jews banished from Spain in 1492, known as Sephardim, could take up Spanish nationality. Historians believe at least 200,000 Jews lived in Spain before the monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand ordered them to convert to the Catholic faith or leave the country on pain of death. The ancestry law allowed for dual citizenship, and essentially gave the opportunity to anyone who could demonstrate they had a Jewish ancestor expelled from Spain. Applicants themselves didn't need to be practising Jews or even Jewish, or necessarily live in Spain, but a basic Spanish language and citizenship exam was required. Looking at the figures, in the near decade since the law was passed (up until 31/12/2024) a total of 72,199 applicants were granted Spanish citizenship via Sephardic origin. A not insignificant 7,189 were rejected, and a further 9,361 files are still pending. These denials and the application backlog has angered many applicants in recent years, in particular Americans, as was covered by the New York Times back in 2021. The ministry data also provides interesting insight into who, or where in the world, Sephardic Jewish origin applicants come from. The most common nationality, in terms of total citizenship requests approved, was Mexico, with 23,634. Next was Colombia, with 18,436 successful applications, followed by Venezuela (9,168) and Argentina (5,142). When Sephardic Jews were expelled from Spain, many went to Latin America. As might be expected, a significant number of Israelis (3,938) also gained Spanish citizenship through the scheme in the last decade, as well as Americans (2,344), Panamanians (2,055) and Brazilians (1,099). According to Spanish law, Sephardic ancestry includes the mother or father, whether biological or adoptive, as well as grandparents, great-great grandparents and great-great-great grandparents. The main citizenship routes are the carta de naturaleza which doesn't involve moving to and living in Spain, and a second, longer option via residency after two years in Spain. Giambrone Law notes that 'the c arta de naturaleza, or citizenship through naturalisation, was the preferred route of most people of Sephardic ancestry prior to the dedicated law passed in June 2015.'
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Avgolemono: It's all Greek for National Soup Month
When Ioannis Bougiouris was a boy in Athens, he split his time between the city he called home and the village where his mother grew up, Vresthena. 'For the holidays, for the weekends and every summer, we used to go,' says Bougiouris, chef/owner of Zorba's Kitchen in Orlando. There, his grandmother, Olga, lived among the villagers, 'maybe 200 people,' he says (a recent Greek census puts the number at 333). 'She was the one who taught my mom to cook. And she was always cooking for everybody, all the kids, all the grandkids.' And among the things he has remembered for so long that he cannot remember when he started remembering them was avgolemono. 'It is like medicine!' he says. 'When somebody was getting sick, you wouldn't hear anybody say, 'I need a doctor. My grandmother would say, 'I got you. I make you the avgolemono soup.'' Zorba's Kitchen is mini, but mighty in its Med-based fare | Review At its foundation, not surprisingly, avgolemono is what every other culture in the world employs during flu season: chicken broth. But this steaming cauldron of penicillin has its own unique twist that the name gives away up front, eggs and lemon, the former of which imparts a silky, creamy texture, the latter a wonderful burst of tartness. In Greece, and perhaps even more so in the States, avgolemono is considered a staple, something you'll find on virtually all Greek menus or at least, as is the case at Zorba's, a regularly rotating special, but many people — including those I spoke to for this piece — are unaware that its roots, which date back as far as the 10th Century, lie in Spain, and its Sephardic Jewish community. I didn't know, either. But the quest for knowledge took me down a warm and wonderful rabbit hole for this, the last in our National Soup Month series for 2025 (and on a day that began with 40 degree temps, yikes!). Born of a dressing called agristada, which combined lemon with egg to make a creamy, zesty accompaniment that adhered to kosher dietary laws, the Jewish people took with it them when they were expelled from Spain during the Inquisition, wrote Nosher's Emily Paster, and introduced it to the Mediterranean cultures where they settled, including Turkey, Italy and Greece. 'Ottoman diners already had a penchant for sour flavors…' Paster wrote. 'So it is not surprising that agristada, with its lemony bite, became part of the larger Greek and Turkish cuisine.' Over time, agristada morphed into a variety of dishes and condiments still used today in these countries, avgolemono perhaps the most famous of all. 'It is so unique and most important, it's so healthy,' says Vassilis Coumbaros, chef/owner of festive I-Drive favorite Taverna Opa, where every day you'll find the same version of the soup the Coumbaros family eats at home. Like Bougiouris, his personal history with the soup begins with his yia yia. 'She always would boil the chickens, make some rice … and the egg you put in just to thicken it up.' Timing and temperature, says Coumbaros, are the secret ingredients. 'After the beginning — you make the mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery) — and you put it in the hot water with the chicken and let it boil for about an hour. Then, when you take the ingredients out, in order to succeed, you have to drop the temperature of the broth down to about 90 degrees.' At the restaurant, a thermometer is employed. At home, a finger. 'Like my grandma used to do it,' he says. 'She'd say if her finger could tolerate the temperature, then it's good to mix.' This is because soup that's too hot will cook the eggs rather than temper them. Some chefs, and both chefs' grandmothers, would beat yolks and white separately before combining them with a few ladles full of cooler broth. Leaving the eggs out of the fridge for a spell helps, too, bringing them a little closer to room temperature. Steady stirring helps blend the eggs and broth together before a similar, slow and steady technique allows for combining with the larger pot of cooled-off soup. Lemon is at the chefs' discretion. 'I make it quite lemony here at the restaurant, which is how the people like it,' says Bougiouris, whose version skips the mirepoix. Fall-apart soup chicken and rice are added later, though, in later years, some regions of Greece began using orzo instead. 'In the restaurant, I like to add some dill and a little green onions for extra flavor,' says Coumbaros, chuckling. Meaty Beany Chili is a one-pot, plant-based super stew Green is always an appetizing touch on any plate (he doesn't do it at home; the kids don't like it), but grandma's recipe is something everyone loves when the weather gets cold, he says. Or if you happen to catch one. 'If we were sick or had a light flu or fever, she would always give us chicken-lemon soup,' he says. 'It's free medicine!' Open up and say ahhhhh. Find me on Facebook, X or Instagram (@amydroo) or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @ Email: amthompson@ For more fun, join the Let's Eat, Orlando Facebook group. Taverna Opa Orlando: 9101 International Drive in Orlando, 407-351-8660; Zorba's Kitchen: 7325 Lake Underhill Road in Orlando, 407-270-6505;
