Jews in Palestine from Ottoman Empire From 1517-1917 and What They Endured; During These 400 Years

 Nadene Goldfoot                                   

        Palestine:          400 Years Under Ottoman (Turkey) Rule 

                                             Ottoman Empire (1517–1917)

After  1492 (when Columbus sailed the ocean blue) the Sultans opened the gates of the Ottoman Empire generously to the refugees from Spain and later from Portugal and other lands, and the Turkish Jewish community, now mainly Sephardi, became of great importance.  The Jews were favored as a valuable trading and artisan element and also as a counterpoise to the potentially disloyal Christian minorities.  

• The Ottoman Empire conquered Palestine in 1516 and ruled the region for four centuries. It was governed as part of Ottoman Syria until World War I. 
• Jews resided in Ottoman Palestine from 1517 until the Empire's fall, with their presence growing from a small, poor community to a significant and politically organized minority by the early 20th century. By the time the Ottoman Empire rose to power in the 14th and 15th centuries, there had been Jewish communities established throughout the region in Palestine.
• The Jewish population in Ottoman Palestine varied, with an estimated 10,000 people in the mid-16th century and growing to about 13,000 by 1850, though some sources report higher numbers around the mid-19th century, such as 26,000. This population increased further by the early 20th century, with approximately 60,000 Jews living in Palestine by the time the Ottoman Empire ended. 
•  Following the Ottoman conquest in 1517, the Land was divided into four districts and attached administratively to the province of Damascus and ruled from Istanbul. At the outset of the Ottoman era, an estimated 1,000 Jewish families lived in the country, mainly in Jerusalem, Nablus (Shechem), Hebron, Gaza, Safed (Tzfat) and the villages of Galilee. The community was comprised of descendants of Jews who had never left the Land as well as immigrants from North Africa and Europe.
• Initially a refuge for Sephardic Jews fleeing the Iberian Peninsula, the community grew through a series of Aliyot (waves of immigration), though early immigration was largely motivated by religious concerns, with Zionism later driving more politically motivated settlement. 
• By the eve of World War I, the Jewish community was expanding, purchasing land, and establishing new agricultural settlements, setting the stage for later political developments.  
• Refuge and Early Growth: 

  After the Ottoman conquest in 1517, Sephardic Jews who had found refuge in the wider empire were able to move to Palestine, contributing to a gradual increase in the Jewish population. 
• Community Structure: 

  Early Jewish communities were concentrated in the "holy cities" of Jerusalem, Safed, Hebron, and Tiberias. 

• Recovery and Immigration: 

  The 18th century saw a relative recovery, with Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews making up the majority of the population. 
• First Aliyah: 

  Beginning in the late 19th century, the First Aliyah saw immigrants primarily from Europe arrive with religious and economic motives, rather than political Zionism. 
• Jewish Population Growth: 

  The Jewish population in Ottoman Palestine rose significantly, with Jerusalem achieving a Jewish majority by 1880 and the city beginning to expand beyond its walls. 

Late Ottoman Period and Zionism

• Zionist Immigration: 

  From 1880 onwards, and especially during the Second Aliyah (1904-1914), Zionist-motivated immigrants established agricultural settlements known as moshava. 
• Land Purchase: 

  Jewish groups and private buyers purchased land across the region, a process often leading to the eviction of Arab tenants, so they might say, but most sold out happily, looking for buyers and they charged fantastic amounts that were paid by the Jews.  The Palestinians could not pay the taxes to the Ottomans and wanted out to go to the larger cities of Damascus etc.. 
• Political Organization: 

  The Jewish community began to act as an independent political entity within the Ottoman Empire. 
• 1917 Jaffa Deportation: 

  As a prelude to the British Mandate, the Ottoman authorities deported the Jewish population of Jaffa and Tel Aviv in 1917, resulting in significant suffering and loss of life. 

Rabbis in Palestine from 1517 to 1917 were part of the Palestinian Jewish community, a diverse group that included both indigenous and immigrant populations. This period, marked by Ottoman rule, saw the study of Kabbalah flourish, particularly in Safed, and was characterized by the codification of Jewish law. Prominent rabbinic scholars, such as Joseph Karo and Isaac Luria, were active in the region, with many contributing to the Shulhan Arukh, a significant legal text. 

Rabbis in Palestine were Jewish spiritual and legal leaders, with roles evolving from the scholars who compiled the Talmud to the recognized Chief Rabbis (like Yaacov Meir) and the influential figures such as Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) CHIEF RABBI IN PALESTINE who helped establish the Chief Rabbinate of the Land of Israel in 1921. Their duties focused on applying Torah law to daily life, influencing community practices, and serving as the central religious authority for the Jewish population.

By the late 19th century, Zionist immigration began to increase, contributing to the growing Jewish presence in the area. 

Resource  :  The Settlers by Meyer Levin 

A book I have read that made a great impression, a historic novel  so interesting.