Talk: Jewish Heritage in Smyrna/Izmir

In past festival editions and in projects such as the YAM Ensemble, Yiddish Summer Weimar has repeatedly engaged with Sephardic culture. One of the most important centers of Sephardic culture after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 is the Anatolian city of Smyrna, nowadays Izmir—where, for more than 15 years, an extraordinary individual has been working to restore many synagogues and to promote the recognition of Sephardic culture in Turkey: Nesim Bencoya.

In his talk, Nesim will present the history of the massive Jewish migration to Ottoman lands in the late 15th century. Settling in the port area of Smyrna/Izmir from the late 16th century onward, Jews created a strong community and established the Old Jewish Quarter.

The Jewish community with roots reaching back to antiquity, had an unquestionably strong religious and cultural influence on the Jewish world in the 17th and 18th centuries. It also played an important role in the town’s development and created many tangible and intangible cultural assets. Some of these have survived to the present day and form the basis for the Jewish Cultural Heritage Quarter in Smyrna/Izmir.

Nesim will review the background, goals, and achievements of the Izmir Jewish Cultural Heritage Project, which has been institutionally implemented since 2010.