The Sephardic Jews after the expulsion of 1492

The expulsion of the 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 reception, they reconstituted vibrant communities, sometimes in tension with pre-existing indigenous Jewish communities. They carried with them their language, Judeo-Spanish, their customs, and a considerable intellectual heritage, which influenced local religious and cultural life. Centers such as Salonika, Istanbul, Fez, Amsterdam, and Livorno became major Sephardic hubs, active in commerce, printing, and scholarship. The post-1492 Sephardic diaspora thus formed a Mediterranean and Atlantic network whose imprint extended into the contemporary era.

Sources & resources

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