Spain and the Jews

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Five hundred years ago, Jews in Spain faced a grim choice: convert to Christianity or leave the country. This expulsion of the Sephardim marked a pivotal moment in Iberian history and Jewish heritage since the Diaspora. The Middle Ages saw a fragile coexistence between Christians and Jews, but by the 14th century, rising religious fanaticism and anti-Semitism led to devastating massacres in 1391. In March 1492, the Catholic Monarchs issued an edict, granting Jews three months to depart. Those who converted faced severe discrimination, persecuted by the Inquisition and their descendants suffering for generations as the Spanish Crown enforced Catholic uniformity. Those who fled struggled to rebuild their communities across Europe, the Ottoman Empire, and Morocco. Notable figures like Baruch Spinoza, a leading philosopher of the Dutch Golden Age, and Joseph Nasi, a financier favored by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, exemplify the successes of Sephardi exiles. In cities like Amsterdam, Istanbul, and London, they embraced the opportunities of a new world. To commemorate the quincentenary of this exodus, Professor Elie Kedourie has assembled an international team of experts to provide a comprehensive account of these events, exploring the conditions in Spain before 1492, the edict's impact, and the exiles' contributions to their new societies. Professor Kedourie offers a thought-provoking assessment of this tragic chapter, whose e