Spanish Jewish in Türkiye (Turkey)


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Jews of Europe arrived on the continent at least 2,000 years ago during the early days of the Roman empire. Since what is now Turkey was part of this empire, some of the Jewish people were settled there.
Others came to Turkey hundreds of years later from Spain. The word Sephard was the name used by Jews in medieval times for the Iberian Peninsula. Sephardim Jews, then, are the descendants of the Jews who lived in Spain or Portugal prior to expulsion in 1492 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Sephardim also have a distinctive language called Ladino, or Judeo-Spanish. This is a dialect of Castilian Spanish with Hebrew and Turkish elements. In Turkey they are likely to speak Turkish.
Ottoman Sultan Sultan Bayezid II Welcomed Jewish people from the emerging Spanish Empire, and it greatly benefitted his empire. Spanish Jews helped the economy of the Ottoman Empire. Some served in the medical profession while others helped the Ottomans improve in printing. Spain’s loss was Turkey’s gain.
Over half of Turkey’s Jewish population left for Israel in 1948 and beyond.


What Are Their Lives Like?

For hundreds of years, Spanish Jews in Turkey have gotten along well with the Muslim majority. There have been incidents of antisemitism, but this problem has been more prominent in other parts of the world. However, in the 2010s and beyond, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has leaned towards favoring Islamicists than his predecessors. Along with that, there has been increasing hostility towards Turkey’s Jewish population. The number of Jewish people leaving for Israel from Turkey increased after 2016. Time will tell if this trend continues.


What Are Their Beliefs?

For religious Jews, God is the Supreme Being, the Creator of the universe, and the ultimate Judge of human affairs. Beyond this, the religious beliefs of the Jewish communities vary greatly. European Jews are extremely diverse in religious practice. The Ashkenazic Jews are the most prevalent, representing the Orthodox, ultra-Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform movements. The unusual and adamantly traditional Hasidic movement was born in Poland and has gained a strong following in the United States and Israel. The Sephardic denomination is like the Orthodox Ashkenazic but is more permissive on dietary rules and some religious practices. Each Jewish denomination maintains synagogues and celebrates the traditional Jewish holiday calendar.


What Are Their Needs?

The Jews have a wonderful understanding of their connection with the Abrahamic covenant. However, they also have a history of rejecting Jesus Christ as Messiah, the one who has fulfilled that covenant. Those whose ancestors fled “Christians” in Spain 500 years ago count Christians as their persecutors. That adds another layer of resistance.


Prayer Points

Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth loving Christians to work among the Jewish communities in Turkey.
Pray that the Jewish people in Turkey will understand that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah.
Ask the Lord to soften the hearts of the Jews towards Christ followers so that they might hear and receive the message of salvation.
Pray that God will grant Jewish believers favor as they share their faith in Christ with their own people.
Pray that strong Jewish background fellowships in Turkey that believe in Christ’s redemption.


Scripture Prayers for the Jewish, Spanish in Türkiye (Turkey).


References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Turkey
https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-turkey
https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/about/communities/tr
https://www.allaboutturkey.com/jews.html


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Jewish, Spanish
People Name in Country Jewish, Spanish
Natural Name Spanish Jewish
Pronunciation SPAE-nish joo
Alternate Names
Population this Country 13,000
Population all Countries 60,000
Total Countries 3
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 19243
ROP3 Code 115653
ROP25 Code 303368
ROP25 Name Jewish
Country Türkiye (Turkey)
Region Asia, Central
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 50  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Mainly Istanbul; some in Izmir Province.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Türkiye (Turkey)
Region Asia, Central
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 50  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Mainly Istanbul; some in Izmir Province..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Map of Jewish, Spanish in Türkiye (Turkey)
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Religion Subdivision: Judaism
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
99.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
1.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Turkish
Language Code tur   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
Ladino
Primary Language Turkish
Language Code tur   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
  Ladino
People Groups Speaking Turkish

Primary Language:  Turkish

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1782-1985)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1819-1993)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1827-2009)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Love Story General / Other
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Turkish Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Campus Crusade for Christ
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Walk with the Prophets and meet the Messiah Al Massira
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Turkish YouVersion Bibles
Photo Source (Representative photo)
Dan Zelazo - Flickr  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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