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Jewish communities in North Africa and the Middle East have deep-rooted histories that intertwine with those of the local populations and the peoples who passed through these regions over the centuries. In modern times, Jewish life on the southern shores of the Mediterranean has been profoundly affected by European imperialism, world wars, and political and military tensions. The growing instability that characterized the second half of the twentieth century led many Jews to leave their countries of origin. Some found a new home in Italy, contributing to the diversification and enrichment of the local Jewish community.

The Beta Israel and Italy

Matteo D'Avanzo

The Beta Israel, the Jewish community of Ethiopia concentrated in the northern highlands, developed a distinct religious tradition shaped by geographical isolation and based on the Scriptures and its own longstanding practices. From the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, international Jewish circles became increasingly involved in their situation, largely through the work of Jacques Faitlovitch, who promoted educational initiatives and connections with Europe. Italy played a significant role through Florence, the Pro-Falascia Committee, and figures such as Taamrat Emmanuel and Carlo Alberto Viterbo. These relations contributed to the recognition of the Beta Israel and their migration to Israel.

Jews of Mashhad

Ariane Sadjed

The history of the Jews of Mashhad in northeastern Iran has ancient roots but became more structured in the eighteenth century under Nader Shah Afshar. Benefiting from Silk Road trade routes, the community prospered until 1839, when the Allahdad uprising imposed forced conversions to Islam. This event produced fluid and layered religious identities, marked by the coexistence of Jewish and Muslim practices. Over time, the community dispersed across Central Asia, Israel, the United States, and Europe, including a small community in Milan. Despite dispersion, the Jews of Mashhad maintained strong internal ties and distinctive traditions into the contemporary period.

Jews of Iran

Ariane Sadjed

The history of Jews in Iran dates back to antiquity, with early settlements linked to the Assyrian exile and Achaemenid Babylon. After the arrival of Islam, Jews became a recognized minority (ahl al-dhimma), maintaining religious and cultural autonomy while integrating into Persian society. From the nineteenth to the twentieth century, reforms, imperial pressures, and modernization reshaped the community, promoting education, social mobility, and new communal organizations. In the twentieth century, Zionist movements and migration to Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia increased significantly. Today, a small Jewish community continues to exist in Iran.

Paolo Zanini

For centuries, Italy has served as a point of reference—cultural, political, and often even legal—for Jewish communities across the Mediterranean. From Livornese merchants in Ottoman ports to the spread of European citizenships, and up to the “Sephardic policy” of the early twentieth century, there emerges a web of affiliations and influences in which Italy engaged with the growing French hegemony and British strategies. These ties, layered over time, prepared the ground for the migratory movements of the twentieth century, which brought Jewish groups to Italy from the Balkans, the Levant, and North Africa.

Chiara Renzo

Throughout the twentieth century, Italy played a strategic role in Jewish migratory processes, gradually transforming from a place of transit into a space of stable settlement. Initial migrations—limited in scope and driven by economic and geopolitical factors—intensified with the rise of totalitarian regimes and racial persecutions. The postwar period marked a turning point: thousands of Jewish refugees passed through the country, which became a logistical base for clandestine aliyah to Mandatory Palestine. From the 1950s onward, new migratory waves from North Africa and the Middle East profoundly reshaped the composition of Italian Jewry.

Martino Oppizzi

The Jewish presence in Tunisia dates back to the second century BCE, with historical records highlighting the Jews’ integration into Islamic society and their significant role in trade and craftsmanship. In the eighteenth century, the arrival of Iberian Jews from Livorno divided the community into two groups: the Twansa (Tunisian Jews) and the Grana (Jews of Livornese origin, who enjoyed greater privileges). During the French protectorate (1881–1956), Tunisian Jews experienced significant social progress, gaining access to new professions and modern education. However, mass emigration began after World War II, spurred by the creation of the State of Israel and Tunisian independence. Today, the Tunisian Jewish diaspora is primarily concentrated in France and Israel, with a reduced presence in their country of origin. Despite this dispersion, the community preserves a rich cultural heritage, evident in its language, music, and cuisine. Although relations with the Muslim population are generally peaceful, occasional terrorist attacks have sometimes strained coexistence.

Dario Miccoli

The origins of the Jewish community in Egypt date back to antiquity and extend into modern times. During the Ottoman period, the Jewish presence was primarily concentrated in Cairo and the Nile Delta. Later, the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the British rule led to a significant increase in the Jewish population, with migrants arriving mainly from the Ottoman Empire and across Europe. In the twentieth century, the Egyptian Jewish community thrived both economically and socially, contributing to the country’s cultural and commercial life. However, the rise of Egyptian nationalism and tensions related to the creation of Israel resulted in mass emigration, particularly after the Free Officers’ Revolution in 1952 and the Suez Crisis in 1956. Today, the Jewish community in Egypt is nearly extinct, but its cultural legacy endures through the diaspora and works that preserve the memory of Jewish life in Egypt.

Giordano Bottecchia

The Jewish presence in Libya, documented as early as the fourth century BCE, grew significantly with the arrival of those who were expelled from Spain in 1492. Under Ottoman rule, the Jewish community underwent profound changes, with the appointment of religious representatives to the imperial authorities and the establishment of equal citizenship for all inhabitants of the Empire. During the Italian colonial period, Jews experienced some social emancipation, but their legal status was diminished, culminating in the introduction of the racial laws in 1938 and the persecutions during World War II. After Libya’s independence was proclaimed in 1951, relations with the Muslim majority deteriorated, leading to mass emigration, primarily to Israel. The violence of 1967 and Gaddafi’s policies in 1969 marked the end of the Jewish community in Libya. Today, most Jews of Libyan origin reside in Israel and Italy.

Jews of Iran | Coming soon

The history of Jews in Iran dates back to the Assyrian exile and the Persian conquest of Babylon under Cyrus the Great. With the advent of Islam, they became a protected minority with certain restrictions, while maintaining religious autonomy and active roles in society. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, political reforms, European influences, and nationalist movements transformed the community, promoting social mobility, and migration. Judeo-Persian language and literature represent a key cultural heritage. After the 1979 revolution, many Jews emigrated, yet a significant community continues to live in Iran today.

Jews of Mashhad | Coming soon

The Jewish community of Mashhad in northeastern Iran has ancient roots but developed significantly in the eighteenth century under Nader Shah. Benefiting from its location along major trade routes, it prospered economically and attracted Jews from other regions. In 1839, the violent Allahdad incident forced many to convert to Islam, creating a complex religious identity often negotiated between public and private life. Despite persecution and tension, the community preserved its cultural and social traditions. In the twentieth century, political changes and episodes of violence led to large-scale migration to Israel, the United States, and other diaspora centers.