A branch of the family moved to Livorno, and another (from there?) to Amsterdam, assimilating in the local Sephardic communities. Abramo Vittorio De Benedetti, born in Livorno in 1847, served as Rabbi of Pisa for 40 years. R. Emanuel De Beneditty, born in Amsterdam in 1808 and known locally as Ribi Maantje, was a beloved teacher in the Amsterdam Portuguese community of the late 19th century. Mr. Nochem De Beneditty (1883-1944) was an important jurist in Amsterdam and member of the Mahamad of the Portuguese community. He was murdered by the Nazis in Auschwitz.
Ribi Emanuel De Beneditty
There is a known claim of members of the De Benedetti family in Italy to be of Iberian ancestry, a claim that is accepted without question by some, and rejected by others. As the family for many generations was part of the Italian, French, and German rite communities of Piedmont, it seems logical to reject the claim in the absence of proof. Also because there are similar myths about other Piedmontese families whose supposed Sephardic origins have been disproved. A theory is that the origin of the family is French, and was originally De Benoît. This could make sense, seen that the family was mostly based in the French rite Jewish community of Asti.
But, as shown in the following article written by a family member in Israel, the Sephardic origins claim is more specific: http://www.hakeillah.com/4_07_17.htm
The family claims to be descended from/related to R. Yehoshu’aʿ Boʿaz ben Shimʿon Baruch, author of the famous work Shilté Haggibborim. R. Baruch was probably born in Italy, but testifies to be of “Meghorashé Qatalonia”, those expelled from Catalonia. He lived in Sabbioneta, and later in Savigliano, Piedmont, where he died in 1555.
When, thanks to Ton Tielen, I finally had the index to The Jews in Piedmont by Renata Segre again, I thought to look up the first De Benedetti’s, thinking to disprove this theory.
I couldn’t… In fact, what I found seemed more and more to confirm the theory!
The first person of a similar name found in the work of Segre is a Benedicto de Benedictis, who in 1547, together with another Jew named Anselmo Montagnana, asks permission to settle in Cherasco (not far from Savigliano). He has already obtained permission of the Prince of Piedmont to settle in the area of Asti. Where he came from is not mentioned, but permission to settle in Cherasco is granted.
In 1552, a local Jewish banker is mentioned in Cherasco, by the name of Intendadeo de Benedictis. He becomes an important local financer, often referred to as “Tadeo”. In the 1580’s, we start seeing a banker named Meir de Benedetti in Cherasco, who seems to be an important local figure, sometimes simply called “the Jew”. In 1587, Benaya de Benedetti is first mentioned, merchant and banker, with an uncommon first name… Later we see the family spread from Cherasco and Asti to Fossano, Acqui, Turin, Alessandria, Nizza, etc.
Now back to the family of Yehoshu’aʿ Boʿaz Baruch. It’s clear from his writings, and those of contemporaries, that he wasn’t alone in Italy, he mentions several members of his family. He had at least three sons: Benayahu, Hanokh, and Moshe, and a daughter, Ruth, who was married to his nephew, Shelomo son of R. Shemaʿya Baruch. His grandson was apparently also named Yehoshu’aʿ Boʿaz, the son of Moshe, and lived in Asti, as he writes on his copy of one of his grandfather’s works. The family name is written as מברוך, “from/of Barukh” by R. Y. B. senior, and as מבית ברוך, “of the house of Barukh” by his grandson.
The first names could be important: We have seen two generations of Baruch named Yehoshu’aʿ Boʿaz, and there are many generations of De Benedetti’s named Salvador Boniforte, which looks very much like a translation of the Hebrew name. R. Baruch’s son was named Benaya(hu), not a very common name, and used by several generations of De Benedetti’s. The name Intendadeo could be a translation of Yehoyadaʿ, father of the Biblical Benayahu. But I haven’t seen the name come back in the following generations.
I have found no mention anywhere of a French or Provençal Jewish family by the name of De Benoît.
