How many Jews got assimilated in the Balkans?

[Cumansky]

Discuss

[TheMaestro]

It's very rare you see jew being assimilated.

[MustafaTekin]

12

[Ford]

It's very rare you see jew being assimilated.

I think it's more common than you think. Especially in urban areas. In the Balkans I mean.

[Cumansky]

Origin of the Balkan Jews

"Why did the Balkan Jews come to the area under such disadvantageous circumstances? A small number of Jews lived in the Balkans since antiquity, but most arrived much later and came by way of Western Europe. During the Middle Ages, the European Jewish community became divided, physically and into two different cultural traditions: the Spanish (or Sephardic) Jews and the German (or Ashkenazic) Jews.

The Sephardic Jews were expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 1490s after Ferdinand and Isabella defeated the Muslim Moors and established Spain as a militantly Catholic country, intolerant of religious minorities. The Ottoman Muslims regarded the Jews with favor as "people of the book," part of the monotheistic tradition that led eventually to Islam. Ottoman rule offered a degree of religious freedom at this time while it was lacking in Christian Europe, so many of the expelled Sephardic Jews migrated to the Ottoman Empire, especially to Constantinople and other port cities like Salonika and Dubrovnik. There was a separate Jewish millet in the Ottoman system, through which Jews enjoyed some measure of self-government. Some Jews became influential advisors of the sultans. When the Turks completed their conquest of the Balkans in the 1500s, Sephardic Jews followed them into the interior, settling in the larger towns. Jews eventually became the majority in Salonika (in today's northern Greece). The Greek Jewish community survived there until World War II, speaking Ladino, a Spanish dialect.

The Ashkenazi Jews also came to Eastern Europe because of persecution. Many Jews who entered the Balkans from the north and northwest were the descendants of refugees expelled from England, France and the German states during the 1200s and 1300s. They moved east into Poland and Lithuania (which combined to form a federation in the early modern period, and a place with greater religious tolerance). Between 1772 and 1795 Poland-Lithuania was partitioned by Russia, Prussia and Austria, and many Polish Jews found themselves under less tolerant Russian rulers. Under the tsars, Jews were permitted to live only in certain provinces (the Pale of Settlement) and suffered legal and personal harassment.

A small number of Ashkenazi Jews had lived in the Balkans since the 1400s, and their reports of good conditions led others to follow. Beginning in the late 1700s and continuing in the 1800s, many Ashkenazi moved south into Austria, Hungary and the Romanian principalities. The Enlightenment ideals and toleration decrees of Joseph II made the Habsburg Empire an attractive place to live. Romania was of course still an Ottoman vassal state, and Jews there enjoyed some benefits from the millet system."

[Cumansky]

Why was there no Balkan Jewish state?

"If 1918 saw nationalism triumph over the multi-national model, why was there no Jewish national state in the Balkans? At the turn of the century there were more Balkan Jews (some two million) than either Slovenes and Albanians (each with perhaps one and a quarter million people) -- nevertheless, Slovene and Albanian states later came into being. The answer is three-fold.

First, the Jews were late in coming to Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and arrived everywhere as foreigners entering existing societies with strong claims on various territories. Simply stated, the land was taken.

Second, the Jews were late in coming to the concept of nationalism. Most of the modern Balkan states derive in part from "historic" nations that were independent in the classical or medieval past. By the time the Balkan Jews turned to nationalism, the land again had been claimed by other groups citing such historical precedents. Other "non-historic" peoples have suffered from this same handicap, including the Bosnians and the Macedonians.

Third, there was no Balkan Jewish state because Balkan Jewish nationalism aimed at a state outside the Balkans and achieved it. Balkan Jewish nationalism was part of the story of Zionism and the founding of the state of Israel, and never aimed at creating a Balkan nation-state."

[Blondie]

The jewish population of Balkans were not such significant like in Austria-Hungary, Poland, or Ukraine. I think all of them were deported or assimilated.

[Cumansky]

The jewish population of Balkans were not such significant like in Austria-Hungary, Poland, or Ukraine. I think all of them were deported or assimilated.

Some got killed by WW2, and most got assimilated

In Ukraine was about 10% Jewish population peaking in Eastern Galicia. In Balkans was 2 million Jews non-assimilated at the start of the war. I don't know the full population of Balkans at this time. Jews used to be the most numerous group in Europe before the Spanish Inquisition of 1492

[Blondie]

Some got killed by WW2, and most got assimilated

In Ukraine was about 10% Jewish population peaking in Eastern Galicia. In Balkans was 2 million Jews non-assimilated at the start of the war. I don't know the full population of Balkans at this time. Jews used to be the most numerous group in Europe before the Spanish Inquisition of 1492

Most these jews were deported by nazis when Germany invaded Balkans during the WW2, same happened in Ukraine.

[Cumansky]

Most these jews were deported by nazis when Germany invaded Balkans during the WW2, same happened in Ukraine.

No this is not true, I have to stress this is a lie. A propaganda nothing else. More Poles died in Auschwitz than any race go to Oswiecim and look on the wall it has all the pictures of deceased with names. My Jewish family members were never displaced by Germans, they went to Russia and after the war they returned

[Cumansky]

Most these jews were deported by nazis when Germany invaded Balkans during the WW2, same happened in Ukraine.

That slu in your avatar can take my long Jewish D tho

[Blondie]

More Poles died in Auschwitz than any race

I doubt, the victims were mostly jews not poles.

[Cumansky]

I doubt, the victims were mostly jews not poles.

No they were Poles, Jews barely got killed only 40,000 Jew parished in Auschwitz, but they said 6 million is a lie. I think almost 1 million people total died in Auschwitz (Oswiecim I been there more than once) with the majority Poles, but also Jews, Homosexuals, Disabled, Romani, Politicians, and many others. But Poles were counted as majority of the parished, some might have Jewish ancestor as I have but they were Polish with Polish first and last names. Very simple. Go to Oswiecim, take a picture on the walls and then you will know who died in Oswiecim

But this is only about Balkan Jews, so your derail attempt is done

[Blondie]

No they were Poles, Jews barely got killed only 40,000 Jew parished in Auschwitz, but they said 6 million is a lie. I think almost 1 million people total died in Auschwitz (Oswiecim I been there more than once) with the majority Poles, but also Jews, Homosexuals, Disabled, Romani, Politicians, and many others. But Poles were counted as majority of the parished, some might have Jewish ancestor as I have but they were Polish with Polish first and last names. Very simple. Go to Oswiecim, take a picture on the walls and then you will know who died in Oswiecim

But this is only about Balkan Jews, so your derail attempt is done

By the way you're jewish now or what? :D omg...

[Cumansky]

By the way you're jewish now or what? :D omg...

No, I'm Crnogorski UNCLE OG

[Pine]

No they were Poles, Jews barely got killed only 40,000 Jew parished in Auschwitz, but they said 6 million is a lie. I think almost 1 million people total died in Auschwitz (Oswiecim I been there more than once) with the majority Poles, but also Jews, Homosexuals, Disabled, Romani, Politicians, and many others. But Poles were counted as majority of the parished, some might have Jewish ancestor as I have but they were Polish with Polish first and last names. Very simple. Go to Oswiecim, take a picture on the walls and then you will know who died in Oswiecim

But this is only about Balkan Jews, so your derail attempt is done

The amount of brain cells you've lost is the true tragedy.

[Crn Volk]

Most these jews were deported by nazis when Germany invaded Balkans during the WW2, same happened in Ukraine.

Correct. Only few surving Jews from N Macedonia for example can be found in Israel and New York today. A handful exist in Skopje today. None were assimilated. They lived segregated lives from Macedonian Christians during Ottoman times.

[Voskos]

If you count neolithic people as Jews, around 50% of the balkans is of jewish descent.