THE SEPHARDIC JEWISH COMMUNITY OF NIŠ
THE SEPHARDIC JEWISH COMMUNITY OF NIŠ

Summary/Abstract: In 1492, the Sephardic population was expelled from Spain, which spurred a great migration and caused them to seek refuge in other countries. One of these places of refuge was the city of Niš. Having arrived in the city on the Nišava River, a new phase of life for the Sephardim began in the 17th century. They slowly built their society, taking good care of their culture, language, customs, traditions, religion, in a word, of their ethnic identity. In this regard, the objective of this paper is to shed light on the existence and importance of a small community of Sephardic Jews in the city of Niš and its vital existence from Turkish times until the beginning of World War II. This community was very active in the city, and it spawned great merchants, bankers, craftsmen, and individuals who participated in wars and thus helped the local Serbian population. This community also invested in the education of youth and the creation of Jewish societies, whose role was to help all members of the community. The desire for survival and creation was unshakeable, but the inhumane events of 1941, when a large number of Jews were killed, stopped the Sephardic community in its intents and dealt a severe blow to this nation.

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