The Life of Ottoman Jews
For 300 years following the expulsion from Spain, the prosperity and creativity of Ottoman Jews rivalled that of the Golden Age of Spain. Four cities became the centres of Sephardic Jewry: Istanbul and Ïzmir in modern Türkiye, and Safed (now in Israel) and Salonica (now Thessaloniki, Greece).
Court physicians
Most of the court physicians to the Ottoman sultans were Jewish. Among the most distinguished: Hakim Yakoub, Joseph and Moshe Hamon, Daniel Fonseca, and Gabriel Buenaventura. The tradition reflected both the advanced medical training in Sephardic communities and the trust placed in Jewish scholars by successive sultans.
The printing press
One of the most significant innovations Jews brought to the Ottoman Empire was the Hebrew printing press. In 1493 — only one year after their expulsion from Spain — David and Samuel ibn Nahmias established the first Hebrew-language printing press in Istanbul. Among the notable works produced: a copy of Midrash Teilim printed in Istanbul in 1512 is still preserved at the Zulfaris Museum of Turkish Jews. The Jewish contribution to classical Turkish music also flourished in this period.
Diplomats and women of influence
Ottoman diplomacy was often carried out by Jews. Joseph Nasi, appointed Duke of Naxos, was the former Portuguese Marrano João Miques. Another Portuguese Marrano, Alvaro Mendes, was named Duke of Mytilene. Salamon ben Nathan Eskenazi arranged the first diplomatic ties between the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire.
Jewish women also exercised considerable influence at court. Doña Gracia Mendes Nasi — “La Señora” — organised escape networks for Marranos fleeing the Inquisition. Esther Kyra wielded significant influence as an intermediary between the Sultan’s household and the outside world.
“In the free air of the Ottoman Empire, Jewish literature flourished as nowhere else in the world.”— Naim Güleryüz, History of Turkish Jews
Scholars and literature
Joseph Caro compiled the Shulhan Aruch — the authoritative code of Jewish law that remains central to Jewish practice today. Shlomo haLevi Alkabetz composed Lecha Dodi, the Friday night hymn welcoming the Sabbath. Jacob Culi began the Me’am Lo’ez, the monumental Ladino biblical commentary. Rabbi Abraham ben Isaac Assa became a pioneer of Judeo-Spanish literature.
The Blood Libel Ferman, 1840
On October 27, 1840, Sultan Abdülmecid issued his famous imperial decree (ferman) concerning the Blood Libel accusation, declaring the Jewish nation’s innocence “evident” and forbidding persecution based on accusations that had “not the least foundation in truth.” This document — issued while Blood Libel violence raged across Europe — reflected the Ottoman state’s consistent protection of its Jewish subjects.
Community institutions
Under Ottoman tradition, each non-Muslim religious community was responsible for its own institutions, including schools. In the early 19th century, Abraham de Camondo established a modern school, “La Escola.” The Takkanot haKehilla (By-laws of the Jewish Community) was published in 1864, defining the formal structure of the community.
Sabbatai Sevi
An important and controversial event in 17th-century Ottoman-Jewish life was the movement led by Sabbatai Sevi (1626–1676), the self-proclaimed Messiah from Ïzmir. His movement drew enormous followings before his conversion to Islam in 1666, after which his followers (the Dönmeh) continued as a distinct community for centuries.
Next: the Ottoman reform era, the founding of the Republic, and the trials of the 20th century.
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