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Diaspora

Last modified by Ryan C on 2025/05/20 05:32

Jewish Diaspora and MigrationEdit

OverviewEdit

The Jewish diaspora refers to the dispersion of Jews from their ancestral homeland and their settlement across the globe. While some degree of migration existed before, large-scale exile began with the Babylonian conquest of Judah (587 BCE), continuing under Roman, Persian, Islamic, and Christian empires. For over two thousand years, Jews lived as a scattered but interconnected minority across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and later the Americas.

Ancient DispersionEdit

  • The Babylonian captivity began the trend of organized Jewish communities outside the Land of Israel.
  • After the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136 CE), Jews were expelled or migrated across the Roman Empire.
  • Jewish communities flourished in Babylonia, Egypt, and Persian territories, forming important religious centers.

Medieval and Early Modern PeriodsEdit

  • Jews were expelled from numerous Christian kingdoms (England in 1290, France in 1306 and 1394, Spain in 1492, Portugal in 1496).
  • Many resettled in the Ottoman Empire, Poland-Lithuania, and North Africa, forming new communities with distinct traditions (e.g., Sephardim and Mizrahim).
  • In Islamic lands, Jews were tolerated but often second-class citizens (dhimmi status), subject to periodic violence and limitations.

Modern MigrationsEdit

  • In the 18th–19th centuries, Jews fled pogroms and persecution in Eastern Europe and Russia, with over 2 million emigrating to the United States between 1880 and 1924.
  • The Holocaust drastically reduced Jewish populations across Europe, and survivors migrated to Palestine, the U.S., South America, and elsewhere.
  • The creation of Israel in 1948 sparked large migrations, including:
  • Expulsion of Jews from Arab countries
  • Migration from the Soviet Union, Ethiopia, Iran, and beyond

Current PatternsEdit

Today, over 85% of Jews live in Israel or the United States. Smaller communities exist throughout Europe, Latin America, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. Many historic Jewish populations (e.g., Yemenite, Iraqi, Moroccan) have dwindled or disappeared.

CommentaryEdit

The Jewish diaspora is not simply a story of exile, but of resilience. Despite centuries of displacement, Jews retained religious, ethnic, and cultural identity—often more tightly than surrounding populations. The diasporic mindset, rooted in collective memory of loss and longing for return, shaped the development of Zionism and modern Jewish nationalism.

See AlsoEdit