Tefillin

• Sephardim do not put on tefillin during Ḥol ha-Mo`ed (the middle days of festivals). 
• They say only one blessing to cover the tefillin of the arm and the head, rather than one for each. However they say the second blessing if they are interrupted and have to say something after placing the arm tefillin.
• Sephardim wind the tefillin strap anti-clockwise (for a right-handed person). The form of the knot and of the wrappings round the hand is also different from that of the Ashkenazim.
• The letter shin on the head tefillin has a different calligraphy than on the Ashkenazi tefillin.
• The script used in Torah scrolls, tefillin and mezuzot is different from the Ashkenazic and nearer to the printed square characters.^[16]

Tefillin straps Sephardic knot photo credit Wikicommons

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Tzitzit

• It’s not a Sephardi practice to let the tzitziyot of the tzitzit katan hang out.
• In the tzitzit, each winding loops through the preceding one, and the pattern of windings between the knots is either 10-5-6-5 (in some communities) or 7-8-11-13 (in others, per Shulḥan `Arukh).^[17]

Mezuzah

• Mezuzot are placed vertically rather than slanting, except among Spanish and Portuguese Jews in western countries.

Liturgy

• In many of the prayers, Sephardim preserve Mishnaic patterns of vocalization and have mostly not altered them to conform with the rules of Biblical Hebrew: examples are “Naqdishakh” (not “Naqdishkha”) and “ha-Gefen” (not “ha-Gafen”).^[18]
• Sephardim read/chant most of the prayers end to end out loud, unlike the Ashkenazi practice that the Hazan reads the first line out loud, followed by silent reading, and finishing up by reading the last couple lines out loud before moving to the next prayer.
• Sephardim start Mincha with Patach Eliyahu, Leshem Yihud, Ma Yedidot, Korban HaTamid, and Parashat HaKtoret before Ashrei. While Patach Eliyahu is sometimes omitted, the other prayers are standard practice by most Sephardim.
• Friday evening, they sing the Shir hashirim between Minha and Kabbalat Shabbat. 
• The order of the prayers in the Zemirot differs from the Ashkenazi practice and has some additional prayers included.
• Close to the end of the Zermirot, the Sephardi Hazan doesn’t sing Shoken ad. Instead, Shavat aniyim is sang. It has many melodies that vary by the Weekly Maqam.
• Before the Amida they don’t say Tzur Yisrael.
• The second blessing before the Shema begins “Ahavat `Olam” (and not “Ahavah Rabbah”) in all services.
• Many Sephardim don’t take 3 steps back and 3 steps forward before the Amida nor bend their knees.
• In the summer months they use the words Morid ha-Ṭal in the second blessing of the `Amidah. 
• The Qedushah of the morning service begins “Naqdishakh ve-Na`ariṣakh”, and the Qedushah of musaf (the additional service for Shabbat and festivals) begins “Keter Yitenu L’kha”.
• There are separate summer and winter forms for the “Birkat ha-Shanim”.
• There is no Birkat ha-Kohanim in minḥah (the afternoon service) on any day. 
• In most communities, Kohanim say the Birkat ha-Kohanim every day during Shaharit and Musaf even outside of Israel, unlike the Ashkenazi practice to say it only on the major Festivals. However, in Spanish and Portuguese communities, it is recited only on festivals like Ashkenazim, and in some communities, it is done on Shabbat but not during the week.
• The last blessing of the `Amidah is “Sim Shalom” (and not “Shalom Rav”) in all services.
• In most communities (except for Spanish and Portuguese) since the times of the Ari, the short Tahanun includes the Vidui, the Thirteen Attributes, and Psalm 25, among others. The order of the long Tahanun varies based on the particular rite and includes 3 additional Thirteen Attributes. Most communities stand for the beginning of Tahanun (including the Vidui, the Thirteen Attributes) and sit erect (without resting their head on their arm) for Psalm 25, but customs vary between communities.
• When taking out the Torah on Shabbat, most Sephardic communities recite Ata horeta ladaat.
• Some of the haftara readings are different than the Ashkenazi practice.
• Close to the end of the Musaf service, Sephardim read Kol Yisrael before Ein Keloheinu.
• The Hazan calls Barchu before the Aleinu.
• After Aleinu, some Sephardim say Uvtorateha Hashem Elokeinu katuv leimor Shema …
• Most Sephardim sit for Kaddish unless they were standing previously.
• The Kaddish is longer and the congregation responds Amen after Brich hu.
• Adon Olam has an extra stanza (and is longer still in Oriental communities^[19]).
• Shalom Aleichem has an extra stanza.
• The verses recited at the beginning of Havdala are different from the Ashkenazi practice.
• The blessing before Hallel concludes with לגמור את ההלל, rather than לקרא את ההלל.

Torah scroll

• In many communities (mostly Mizrahi rather than Sephardi proper) the Torah scroll is kept in a tiq (wooden or metal case) instead of a velvet mantle.
• They lift the Torah scroll and display it to the congregation before the Torah reading rather than after.^[20] 

Synagogue

• Typically, the Torah reading platform bima is not in the front of the sanctuary but in the center or back of it.
• In Middle Eastern communities, the Torah is read on a horizontal box called the Teva/Teba rather than a slanted table as the Ashkenazic or Western Sephardic tradition.
• The ark where the Torah scrolls are stored is called Hekhal, rather than Aron kodesh.

Torah service

• The blessing after the Torah service includes Torato before Torat emet.
• After an Aliya, the oleh is congratulated by other congregants with Hazak uvaruch rather than Yasher koach and the ole responds with Hazak ve’ematz.
• Most Sephardim remain seated when the 10 Commandments are being read. However Western Sephardim (UK and the Netherlands) stand, similar to Ashkenazim.

Kashrut

• Most Sephardim regard it as permissible to eat Kitniyot (grains and seeds such as rice or beans) on Passover.
• Many Sephardim avoid eating fish with milk, as in Eastern Mediterranean countries this is widely considered to be unhealthy (by non-Jews as well as Jews). Ashkenazim argue that this practice originated from a mistake in the Bet Yosef, and that the prohibition really concerned the eating of fish with meat.^[21]
• The laws of sheḥitah are in some respects stricter and in other respects less strict than those of Ashkenazim (modern kashrut authorities try to ensure that all meat complies with both standards).
• The Sephardi definition of bread is significantly stricter than the Ashkenazi one. Many challot consumed by Ashkenazim on Shabbat contain too much sugar, raisin, even chocolate to Sephardi standards and are considered cake (uga, עוגה) rather than bread (lechem, לחם). Therefore the hamotzi lechem (המוציא לחם) blessing cannot be said over it and in turn the kiddush is not valid. Ashkenazi hosts are encouraged to be sensitive to this difference when having Sephardi guests over.

Holidays

Yamim Noraim

• Seliḥot are said throughout the month of Elul in the morning rather than at night.
• Around Rosh Ashana, the typical new year greeting is “Tizku leshanim rabot” (תזכו לשנים רבות). The answer is “Neimot vetovot” (נעימות וטובות).
• Sephardic Rishonim (medieval scholars) reject the customs of Tashlikh and Kapparot, though they were re-introduced by the Lurianic school (Spanish and Portuguese Jews still do not observe them).

Hanukkah

• Only one set of Hanukkah lights is lit in each household.
• The shammash is lit together with the other Hanukkah lights, instead of being used to light them (which would be impractical, given that the lights are traditionally oil lamps rather than candles).

Passover

• Sephardim only say blessings over the first and third cups of Passover wine, instead of over all four.
• The items on the Seder plate are arranged in a fixed hexagonal order (except among Spanish and Portuguese Jews: this usage is increasingly popular among Ashkenazim). L

Counting of the Omer period

• During the Counting of the Omer period, observant Sephardi men avoid cutting their hair and shaving/cutting their beard for 34 days, rather than 33, as the Ashkenazi practice.

Bereavement

• The Sephardi term of commemorating a close relative’s death is nahala (נחלה) or meldado. Ashkenazim use the Yiddish term Yahrzeit instead.
• The common Sephardi greeting to express a condolence is Min hashamayim tenuhamu (מן השמים תנוחמו).
• If a relative passed away in the month of Adar, in a leap year, most Sephardim commemorate it in Adar II rather than the Ashkenazi practice of Adar I or both.
• The Sephardi memorial prayers (Hashkabot) serve a similar role to the Ashkenazi Yizkor.

Date Conversion Calendar

Given names

• Sephardim often name their children after living grandparents, which is a great respect. On the other hand, Ashkenazim never name their children after a living person.