Eden Sher
Sher in 2016, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Eden Rebecca Sher
Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: December 26, 1991
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish, Sephardi Jewish, likely some Romaniote Jewish
Eden Sher is an American actress. Her roles include the series Weeds, Sons & Daughters, The Middle, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and Jane the Virgin, and the films The Outcasts and Step Sisters.
Her mother is a school teacher. She is married to screenwriter Nick Cron-Devico, with whom she has two children.
Eden’s paternal grandfather was Hans/John Leslie Sher/Schehr (the son of Michael Sher and Clara Driller). John was born in Vienna, Austria.
Eden’s paternal grandmother is named Eva Tschaikowsky. Eva was born in Vienna, Austria. Her father was from Russia.
Eden’s maternal grandfather was Benjamin M. Levine (the son of Morris Levine and Ida Levy). Morris was born in Russia. Ida was born in New York.
Eden’s maternal grandmother is Miriam Askinazi (the daughter of Max/Morris Askinazi/Askenazi and Rebbeca/Betty Coffino). Max was born in New York, to Greek Jewish parents, Joseph Askinazi/Askenazi and Esther Askinazi. Betty was born in New York, also to Greek Jewish parents, Tzadik/Zadik/Zadick “Charlie” Coffino and Anna Mazza, from Ioannina. The Mazza family were likely Romaniote.
Sources: https://twitter.com
http://www.celebuzz.com
Genealogy of Eden Sher (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com
The majority of Jews of Loannina were “Romaniote Jews”. They weren’t Sephardi nor Ashkenazi rather than their own distinctive Jewish ethnic group that inhabitated Greece before the Sephardi arrived from Spain after 1492. The city of Salonski was the center of the Ladino speaking and Sephardi commuity of the Balkans before the German ocupation and the Holocaust. https://www.kkjsm.org/the-jews-of-ioannina
https://www.jpost.com/food-index/the-jewish-palate-the-romaniote-jews-of-greece#:~:text=They%20adopted%20Greek%20customs%20and,a%20form%20of%20Judeo%2DGreek.
However, they referred to themselves as Yanniote Jews. Scholars called them Romaniote. I recommend that this site creates a new category for Romaniote/Yanniote Jews.
But her ancestors have Sephardic last names. There were even some Kofinos/Konfinos here in Yugoslavia. Even Askinazi (despite the implications) is a common Sephardic name.
Are you familiar with Romaniote surnames and their origins ? Their names do sound similar to Sephardi. But, make no mistake that the Jews of Loannina were in fact Romaniote. Most of the Sephardi Jews of Greece inhabitated cities such as Saloniki/Thessaloniki and islands such as Rhodes. Yes, i’m aware Sephardi communites have existed throughout the Balkans which includes Yugoslavia where the majority perished in WW2.
Was there a ban on Sephardic Jews in Ioannina? Their names sound similar to Sephardi? Now you’re just talking out of your behind.
I’ll give you that the Mazza family might be Romaniote since it looks like Romaniote name Matsas (which is in line with how Romaniote names look like, i.e. not Spanish), but Coffino is a Spanish Jewish family, no if or buts about it.
No need to be defensive or rude, we’re just having a “mature” discussion.
Agree, she is Romaniote Jewish, that is a distinct Jewish ethnic group.
I think her paternal grandparents are John Hans/Leslie Sher and Eva Tschaikowsky. Both Jews from Austria.
Yes those are her grandparents.
Eva says Eugene (Eden’s father) was here son, here
http://digital.cjh.org/R/FRC7TYS8GFQ4MFS9D5TH4XT1L9T5MACGT5AE4PSINMIMH94C2U-02985?func=results-jump-full&set_entry=000001&set_number=000013&base=GEN01
Eden’s paternal grandfather was Hans/John Leslie Sher/Schehr (the son of Michael Sher and Clara Driller). John was born in Vienna, Austria.
Eden’s paternal grandmother is Eva Tschaikowsky. Eva was born in Vienna, Austria. Her father was from Russia.
Eden’s maternal grandfather was Benjamin M. Levine (the son of Morris Levine and Ida Levy). Morris was born in Rusia, while Ida was born in New York.
Eden’s maternal grandmother is Miriam Askinazi (the daughter of Max/Morris Askinazi/Askenazi and Rebbeca/Betty Coffino). Max was born in New York to Greek Jewish parents, Joseph Askinazi/Askenazi and Esther Askinazi. Betty was born in New York, also to Greek Jewish parents, Tzadik/Zadik Coffino and Anna Mazza.
https://www.geni.com/people/Morris-Askinazi/6000000007266722564
It’s kinda weird Betty Coffino’s parents had 2 Italian surnames (at least under this spelling).
The reason for that being is because Romaniote Jews also inhabited southern Italy during the Byzantine Empire and remained a Greek Speaking Jewish minority until they were expelled back to Greece. This is why Romaniote surnames can be mistaken as Sephardic since Italian and Spanish are both Latin/Romance languages. I suppose I can post some articles supporting this. There’s truth that many Romaniote’s intermarried with Sephardic as well.