Sephardic Jews After the Expulsion of 1492

The expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, followed by that from Portugal in 1497, dispersed the Sephardim toward the Maghreb, the Ottoman Empire, Italy, and later the Netherlands. In these lands of refuge, they reconstituted vibrant communities, sometimes in tension with preexisting indigenous Jewish communities. They brought with them their language, Judeo-Spanish, their customs, and a considerable intellectual heritage that influenced local religious and cultural life. Centers such as Salonique, Istanbul, Fès, Amsterdam, and Livorno became major Sephardic hubs, active in commerce, printing, and study. The post-1492 Sephardic diaspora thus formed a Mediterranean and Atlantic network whose imprint extended into the contemporary era.

Quellen & Ressourcen

• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan
• Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World — Brill