Schaal (surname)

Schaal (), sometimes spelled Shaal or Shael, is a Sephardic Jewish Surname, common among Jews of French, East-European and Middle Eastern background, descended from Spanish exiles.
Etymology.
The source of the name is debated. Some have linked it to the Hebrew phrase "shaal" (to ask, inquire). Some linguists argue that it is rooted in the ancient town ShaalBim as mentioned the bible as a "place of foxes" (Joshua 19:42), indicating that the Schaal name-bearers are members of the Cohen tribe. Due to phonetic differences the Schaal family members who lived in Salonika bore the name "Shaul," "Shoual" or "Shaoul", indicating that the name derives from King Shaul.
Since the 18th century, members of the family had settled predominantly in France, South-Eastern Europe and parts of Germany.
People.
Schaal family of France.
Schaal is the name of a notable Jewish family descended from Spanish exiles who, after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 and the following decades, settled in France and Germany. The family includes: