If you are a Jewish traveller, in the mode of Benjamin of Tudela of blessed memory, you would make note of the particularities of the observances of different jewish communities you may have visited.
I will never forget being presented with a key on a velvet cushion to open the Aron ha-Qodesh at the synagogue of the Libyan Jews in Milano, when I attended an International conference of World Union of Jewish Students Union Mondial des Etudiantes Juives..
the beautiful Moroccan melody of a visiting teacher of Alliance Francaise in Kingston, Jamaica, with its sand floors.
Or the exotic synagogue and the caretaker Elias at Cochin in India.
One thing is clear: religious adherence varies by the countries and in general, oriental jews are more fastidious in the observation to the letter of the law, and the western jewish mind allows liberal interpretation of the spirit of the law.
We could broadly divide them as Halachic and Talmudic. In my mind there is no doubt that I fall into the Talmudic bent of Jewish thought rather than the strict interpretation of the Law of the Bible.
The author of the above is Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz.
He died in Jerusalem 7/8/2020 7 ab 5780
He has touched many of us who are nomads in this jewish world, with superficial knowledge of Torah and an eagerness for the Talmud. It was he, I am sure that fired up many jewish people of all ages to delve into the Talmud.
Instead of saying the Kaddish, the jewish prayer for the Dead, I shall read my copy of the above book by him.
