Study: Ashkenazim Feel Superior to Sephardim.

By YnetNews.com

According to a study presented during a recent Van Leer Jerusalem Institute conference, Ashkenazim consider their culture superior to that of the Sephardim.

Additional studies on the matter indicate that people of Ashkenaz origin tend to refer to themselves as "Ashkenazim," while Sephardim usually define themselves as "Israelis."

The number of Sephardim who deny their origin is larger than the number of Ashkenazim who are reluctant to admit to their European descent, the studies revealed.

The studies' findings also show that over the past five years more and more Israelis of European descent have stressed their Ashkenaz origin as a dominant factor of their identity.

Prof. Yehuda Shenhav of the Van Leer Institute says the past five years have seen a revival of the Ashkenaz culture, and more people are searching for their Ashkenaz roots. Shenhav said the revival is also expressed in the establishment of a new Ashkenaz movement in Israel.