The New Balkan Jew: The Merging of the Romaniotes and the Expellees and Their Relations with Christians and Muslims / Lecture

The Balkans have been a meeting place for different peoples, religions, and cultures for thousands of years. Within this region, diverse Jewish communities existed and left a significant mark on the history, culture, and society of the area. Following the expulsion from Spain in 1492, many exiles arrived in the territories of the Ottoman Empire, encouraged by Sultan Bayezid II, and settled in various cities throughout the Balkans, Asia Minor, and the Middle East. They joined the Romaniotes—the Jews of the Eastern Roman Empire—who had inhabited these areas for hundreds and thousands of years.

The lecture will focus exclusively on the Balkans. It will trace the development of the Romaniote communities, the arrival and initial dispersion of the exiles, and later the process of merging traditions, the Sephardization of most Romaniotes, and the transformation of most of the exiles into a unified, blended tradition. We will learn about the communities’ world and their place in trade, the economy, and cultural life, and examine how they integrated into the changing Balkan region while preserving their identity and traditions.

About the Lecturer

Dr. Eliezer Papo is chair of the National Authority for Ladino Culture, a member of the Israeli National Academy for Ladino, a corresponding member of the Royal Spanish Academy, and a senior lecturer in the Department of Hebrew Literature at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. His research focuses on Judeo-Spanish language, literature, and culture, and he was awarded the Ben-Zvi Prize for his contribution to the field.