Product Description

At the end of the 15th century, hundreds of thousands of Jews who refused to convert to Christianity were expelled from Spain, leaving behind a glorious past. After many adventures, most of the Sephardi (Sfarad means Spain) fled to the Ottoman Empire, where with their skills, know-how and culture, they built a new life. They settled in the major port cities, established dozens of communities with an advanced form of autonomy, and excelled in medicine, diplomacy and international trade. In particular, the community of Thessaloníki developed at a rapid pace, experienced days of glory, and its glare as the “Jerusalem of the Balkans” was preserved for hundreds of years after its sun had set. Five centuries later, most Sephardi of Thessaloníki had a tragic death in Auschwitz.

A documented tour of the history of the Sephardic Jews, chronicling their persecution from the Iberian Peninsula and recounting their life in the Ottoman Empire, with an emphasis on Thessaloníki, until the first decades of the 20th century.