Sephardic Jews invited back to Spain after 500 years

By Gerry HaddenPRI’s The World

A boy during a ceremony in Palma de Mallorca's synagogue
More than 500 years ago, tens of thousands of Jews fled Spain because of persecution. Now their descendants are being invited to return.

Before the infamous Spanish Inquisition of the 15th Century, some 300,000 Jews lived in Spain. It was one of the largest communities of Jews in the world.

Today, there are about 40,000 or 50,000 – but that number could be about to swell dramatically.

In November, Spain’s justice minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon announced a plan to give descendants of Spain’s original Jewish community – known as Sephardic Jews – a fast-track to a Spanish passport and Spanish citizenship.

“In the long journey Spain has undertaken to rediscover a… read the rest @ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21631427

Categories: Europe, Spain

2 replies

  1. The muslims came as conquerors, the jews lived there for many centuries peacefully without imposing their laws on others. Thats not unfair at all.

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