The history of the Jews in Sicily goes back two millennia. Sicily, (Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia, [siˈtʃiːlja]: in Hebrew סיציליה) is a large island off the Southern Italian coast. There has been a Jewish presence in Sicily for at least 1400 years and possibly for more than 2000 years. Some scholars believe that the Sicilian Jewry are partial ancestors of the Ashkenazi Jews.[1]
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The history of the Jews in Sicily begins with the legend of Jewish captive slaves arriving in Sicily in the first century after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. However, it is generally presumed the Jewish population of Sicily was seeded prior to the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. Rabbi Akiva visited the city of Syracuse during one of his trips abroad.[2]
The Jews lived in many Sicilian cities such as Palermo [3] and Catania.[4] In the sixth century, communications were sent to Pope Gregory I about the plight of the Jews in the Kingdom of Sicily. In 1210, the Jews of Sicily faced so much persecution from Crusaders that Frederick II had to intervene on behalf of the Jews. Persecution of the Jews continued and in 1392 the Jews were ordered to live in ghettos. Despite persecution,the Sicilian Jews continued to thrive. Some Sicilian Rabbis communicated with Maimonides posing religious questions.[2]
The culmination of religious persecution finally came with the Expulsion of the Jews from Sicily in 1492.[5] Many of the Sicilian Jewish refugees escaped to neighboring Calabria where in time they were forced to emigrate again to the rest of Europe. A significant segment of Sicily's Jewish population were forced to convert to Catholicism and remained in Sicily. These converts were known as neofiti. Many neofiti remained Crypto-Jews.
There exists to some a popular, although unproven, theory that the Italian dish now known as pizza was invented by Jews in Sicily.[6]
Rabbi Stephano Di Mauro, an Italian American descendant of southern Italian neofiti, has been active on the island and opened a small synagogue in 2008, but he has not yet set up a full time Jewish congregation in Sicily.[7] In addition, Shavei Israel has expressed in interest in helping to facilitate the Sicilian Bnei Anusim back to Judaism. [8]