Turkish Jews

For centuries, Jewish life vanished across the Muslim world, but Turkey was the exception. Shaped by Romaniote roots, Sephardic arrivals, and centuries under Ottoman rule, Turkish Jews survived upheaval, nationalism, and pressure to assimilate. At the crossroads of empires, the community was held together by Ladino culture and a quiet code of survival.

Today, their numbers are small and the future is uncertain. Still, Ladino melodies echo, old recipes live on, and their centuries-old community continues to endure.

Big Ideas

1. Jews have a long and storied connection to the land that is present-day Turkey.
2. In the 20th century, Turkish Jews adopted an unofficial policy of kayades – staying silent in the face of discrimination and persecution – as a strategy for survival.
3. Ladino, a Judeo-Spanish mix, was the language of Jews in Turkey for centuries and has experienced a small resurgence in recent years. 

Essential Questions

1. How were Turkish Jews able to withstand generations of persecution?
2. How do local languages help shape communities and hold them together?
3. How can Jewish communities in the diaspora negotiate the tension between being openly Jewish and surviving in countries that are not friendly to Jews?