Expulsion of the Jews from Sicily

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Expulsion of the Jews from Sicily began in 1493 when the tentacles of the Spanish Inquisition reached the island of Sicily and its Jewish population of 30,000 Jews.

The Jews of Sicily - dating back to early Roman times - were relatively untroubled on the island until the acceptance of the crown of Aragon in Sicily in 1412.

In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella ordered the forced expulsion or conversion of all Jews on pain of death. The date of the expulsion was extended from September 18, 1492 to January 12, 1493, in order to allow the extortion of oportunist tax levies.

Witnesses recounted the sight of the Jews of Palermo waving from the departing ships at their former neighbours as they were bourne away.

The unique liturgy of the Jews of Sicily remains amongst certain communities, yet the Jews never returned, and to this day there exists no Jewish activity on the island.