Nadene Goldfoot
1492 was when Columbus sailed the ocean blue, and it was the year of the SPANISH INQUISITION. The government of Spain wanted all Jews to leave the country. It had become a Catholic country and there was no allowance for Jews. The only way they could stay, and many mature Jews owned businesses there, and homes, was to convert and become Catholics-to give up Judaism.
This was something that many Jews were not about to do, and so they left, even though this in itself was a rather dangerous decision as travel was not safe. Many moved over to Portugal, but within a year, the same thing happened there. They were forced to convert or leave.
A few Jewish communities from Spain and southern Italy, for they were expulsed under the same conditions as well, and managed to get to the Balkan republic. They settled in the coastal ports of Durazzo and Valona and a few other places. This happened in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Since then many of these communities have died out. The main Jewish center in the 17th century was in Berat.
"Albania first came into contact with Islam in the 9th century when Muslim Arabs raided the eastern Adriatic. Islam was first introduced to Albania in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of the area. During the 17th and 18th century Albanians in large numbers converted to Islam, often to escape higher taxes levied on Christian subjects. As Muslims, some Albanians attained important political and military positions within the Ottoman Empire and culturally contributed to the wider Muslim world.
In the late Ottoman era, Albanian national ideology had developed in such a way that it claimed affiliation with no one religion and aimed for reconciliation between the different faiths in the country.
A video is out saying that it was Muslims that protected the Jews of Albania during WWII. Articles called the people "Albanians." They seem to show more of Pushtanwali acts of protecting people in their lands to me than the prevailing religions." It's called "Besa."
"Owing partly to what locals call Besa, a local code of honor and neighborly conduct, the rescue and survival of approximately 2,000 Jews by Albanians for decades had remained largely unknown. But thanks to recent studies and films, it is taking its place as a rare ray of light during otherwise dark times."
Shabbetai Tzevi, a Jew, spent his last years in Albania. Reports are that an organized Shabbetaian group existed in Tirana into the 20th century. There was also a small community in Scutari before World War II.
Shabbetai Tzevi was born in 1626 in Smyrna and died in 1676. He had become one of the false messiahs that have popped up occasionally when situations were bad and people hoped that he would appear. What had happened was that like many others, he was attracted to Kabbalah in his youth.
His personality was changing and he was demonstrating manic depressive traits which grew more pronounced as he aged.
The horrors of life, the CHMIELNICKI MASSACRES of 1648-1649 took place. This is when a Cossack leader led Cossacks and Ukrainian masses against Polish landowners, the Catholic clergy and all the Jews. The rebellion resulted in the annihilation of 744 Jewish communities and the brutal murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews. Only those who underwent baptism were spared. The horror of these events sent a shock throughout Jewry and the consequent messianic impulse served to gather support for Shabbetai Tzevi. The Ukrainians regard Chmielnicki as a national hero.
Shabbetai was moved by a "messianic spirit" and heard a "heavenly voice" proclaiming that he would redeem Israel. From then on, his actions assumed anti-nomistic features. He pronounced the Ineffable Name, announced the abolition of fasts, made up his own rules. He really was forced to leave Smyrna (Izmir) a Turkish port settled by Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, by the rabbis in 1654 for Salonica (Thessaloniki) a Greek port, where he declared he was the Messiah. In fact, Solonica had become a center of great messianic ferment. The original Greek speakers and immigrants from other countries became culturally absorbed by the Spanish-speaking immigrants and adopted their language. There were about 40 different congregations and synagogues reflecting the rites of the cities and provinces they had come from.
Many people believed Shabbetai was the messiah. In the end, he was banished to the citadel of Dulcigno in Albania. He was able to keep in touch with his admirers until his death. The history of Shabbetai and his movement has been investigated, and Gershom Scholem (1897-1982)was one of the main investigators. He was a scholar of mysticism. Though born in Germany, he lived in Jerusalem from 1923 and became a professor Jewish mysticism at the Hebrew University in 1933. One of his main writings included Shabbetai Tzevi.
"There was little history of in Albania between the local Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Most of the Albanian population was not hostile toward the Jews and helped to hide them during the war, especially when and occupied the country."
"Throughout the war, nearly 2,000 Jews sought refuge in Albania-proper. Most of these Jewish refugees were treated well by the local Albanian population, despite the fact that the country was occupied first by Fascist Italy, and then by Nazi Germany. "
"On April 7, , Italy invaded and annexed Albania. Jews were exiled from the coastal port cities and moved to Albania’s interior. Several Austrian and German families took refuge in Tirana and Durazzo in 1939 in hope of making it eventually to the United States or South America. Many Jewish refugees also passed through Albania on their way to . These refugees were well treated by the Italian forces and by the local population. Jewish refugee families began to scatter throughout Albania and assimilate into society. " "As with many other Jews who survived in Albania — most of them refugees from neighboring Greece, Italy, Bulgaria and Serbia — the rescue of the Aladjems was “an open secret,”
It's good to know that " Italians rejected the and therefore did not implement anti-Jewish laws."
Only about 300 Jews remained in Albania after the War. They were without any organized religious life; probably the children who had to grow up not experiencing any type of Jewish culture in wartime.
The country's Jews were airlifted to Israel after the change in regime in 1991.
This is the same year as Operation Solomon, airlifting the Ethiopians to Israel.
Most Albanians settled in Tel Aviv.
A few Jews remained in Albania. "Last month, the Albanian government appointed Rabbi Yoel Kaplan as the former communist country’s first chief rabbi, amid much fanfare", see above.
"But in an angry letter recently sent to The Jerusalem Post, members of the local Jewish community complained the position had been created without consultation, and declared that they refused to recognize his authority." Chabad is there now for them.
Resource: The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/albania-virtual-jewish-history-tour
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust_in_Albania
Video on facebook-Israel and Jirga group.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust_in_Albania
https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-made-muslim-albanians-risk-their-lives-to-save-jews-from-the-holocaust/
http://besathepromise.com/thefilm.html
This was something that many Jews were not about to do, and so they left, even though this in itself was a rather dangerous decision as travel was not safe. Many moved over to Portugal, but within a year, the same thing happened there. They were forced to convert or leave.
Since then many of these communities have died out. The main Jewish center in the 17th century was in Berat.
"Albania first came into contact with Islam in the 9th century when Muslim Arabs raided the eastern Adriatic. Islam was first introduced to Albania in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of the area. During the 17th and 18th century Albanians in large numbers converted to Islam, often to escape higher taxes levied on Christian subjects. As Muslims, some Albanians attained important political and military positions within the Ottoman Empire and culturally contributed to the wider Muslim world.
In the late Ottoman era, Albanian national ideology had developed in such a way that it claimed affiliation with no one religion and aimed for reconciliation between the different faiths in the country.
A video is out saying that it was Muslims that protected the Jews of Albania during WWII. Articles called the people "Albanians." They seem to show more of Pushtanwali acts of protecting people in their lands to me than the prevailing religions." It's called "Besa."
"Owing partly to what locals call Besa, a local code of honor and neighborly conduct, the rescue and survival of approximately 2,000 Jews by Albanians for decades had remained largely unknown. But thanks to recent studies and films, it is taking its place as a rare ray of light during otherwise dark times."
Shabbetai Tzevi, a Jew, spent his last years in Albania. Reports are that an organized Shabbetaian group existed in Tirana into the 20th century. There was also a small community in Scutari before World War II.
Shabbetai Tzevi was born in 1626 in Smyrna and died in 1676. He had become one of the false messiahs that have popped up occasionally when situations were bad and people hoped that he would appear. What had happened was that like many others, he was attracted to Kabbalah in his youth.
His personality was changing and he was demonstrating manic depressive traits which grew more pronounced as he aged.
The horrors of life, the CHMIELNICKI MASSACRES of 1648-1649 took place. This is when a Cossack leader led Cossacks and Ukrainian masses against Polish landowners, the Catholic clergy and all the Jews. The rebellion resulted in the annihilation of 744 Jewish communities and the brutal murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews. Only those who underwent baptism were spared. The horror of these events sent a shock throughout Jewry and the consequent messianic impulse served to gather support for Shabbetai Tzevi. The Ukrainians regard Chmielnicki as a national hero.
Shabbetai was moved by a "messianic spirit" and heard a "heavenly voice" proclaiming that he would redeem Israel. From then on, his actions assumed anti-nomistic features. He pronounced the Ineffable Name, announced the abolition of fasts, made up his own rules. He really was forced to leave Smyrna (Izmir) a Turkish port settled by Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, by the rabbis in 1654 for Salonica (Thessaloniki) a Greek port, where he declared he was the Messiah. In fact, Solonica had become a center of great messianic ferment. The original Greek speakers and immigrants from other countries became culturally absorbed by the Spanish-speaking immigrants and adopted their language. There were about 40 different congregations and synagogues reflecting the rites of the cities and provinces they had come from.
Many people believed Shabbetai was the messiah. In the end, he was banished to the citadel of Dulcigno in Albania. He was able to keep in touch with his admirers until his death. The history of Shabbetai and his movement has been investigated, and Gershom Scholem (1897-1982)was one of the main investigators. He was a scholar of mysticism. Though born in Germany, he lived in Jerusalem from 1923 and became a professor Jewish mysticism at the Hebrew University in 1933. One of his main writings included Shabbetai Tzevi.
"There was little history of in Albania between the local Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Most of the Albanian population was not hostile toward the Jews and helped to hide them during the war, especially when and occupied the country."
"Throughout the war, nearly 2,000 Jews sought refuge in Albania-proper. Most of these Jewish refugees were treated well by the local Albanian population, despite the fact that the country was occupied first by Fascist Italy, and then by Nazi Germany. "
"On April 7, , Italy invaded and annexed Albania. Jews were exiled from the coastal port cities and moved to Albania’s interior. Several Austrian and German families took refuge in Tirana and Durazzo in 1939 in hope of making it eventually to the United States or South America. Many Jewish refugees also passed through Albania on their way to . These refugees were well treated by the Italian forces and by the local population. Jewish refugee families began to scatter throughout Albania and assimilate into society. " "As with many other Jews who survived in Albania — most of them refugees from neighboring Greece, Italy, Bulgaria and Serbia — the rescue of the Aladjems was “an open secret,”
It's good to know that " Italians rejected the and therefore did not implement anti-Jewish laws."
Only about 300 Jews remained in Albania after the War. They were without any organized religious life; probably the children who had to grow up not experiencing any type of Jewish culture in wartime.
The country's Jews were airlifted to Israel after the change in regime in 1991.
This is the same year as Operation Solomon, airlifting the Ethiopians to Israel.
Most Albanians settled in Tel Aviv.
A few Jews remained in Albania. "Last month, the Albanian government appointed Rabbi Yoel Kaplan as the former communist country’s first chief rabbi, amid much fanfare", see above.
"But in an angry letter recently sent to The Jerusalem Post, members of the local Jewish community complained the position had been created without consultation, and declared that they refused to recognize his authority." Chabad is there now for them.
Resource: The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/albania-virtual-jewish-history-tour
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust_in_Albania
Video on facebook-Israel and Jirga group.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust_in_Albania
https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-made-muslim-albanians-risk-their-lives-to-save-jews-from-the-holocaust/
http://besathepromise.com/thefilm.html
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