Sephardic festive spirit bears echoes of the past in Türkiye’s Izmir

The International Izmir Sephardic Culture Festival opens with Sephardic songs and an exhibition showcasing the centuries-old history of the Sephardic Jewish community in the Aegean province.

Held annually since 2018, the festival includes synagogues tours and film screenings complemented by a slew of cultural activities — including Sephardic music concerts and meals based on traditional cuisine — in the historical Kemeralti district between December 18 to 27.

The festival's director, Nesim Bencoya, tells TRT World that, “The festival aims to promote Sephardic Jewish culture and provide intercultural communication between individuals from different cultures.”

The street with a long-term memory

The events have been hosted in synagogues located on Havra Street — namely Portuguese, Etz Hayim, Signora Giveret and Hevra — that date back some 400 years and welcome visitors to travel in time. 

Havra Street’s proximity to the Izmir port and its location in the centre of the old Jewish Quarter gives this street both a Jewish and a multicultural character thanks to the intermingling of Jews and non-Jews, says Bencoya.

The festival brings together Sephardic culture experts and participants from Spain, Romania, Germany and the US, offering visitors a unique backdrop to experience a stimulating blend of literature, music and cuisine. Through these encounters, culture enthusiasts can witness the trail of Sephardic Jews’ footprints, historically and sociologically.

“Encountering an unfamiliar culture causes attendees to have a highly emotional experience,” says Bencoya.

Erol Amado, deputy chairman of the Izmir Jewish Community Foundation, explains to TRT World that, “This event highlights the cultural element of Sephardic Jews rather than [the] religious one. The candle-lighting ceremony, which will be held for Hanukkah, aims to bring together representatives of as many cultural groups as possible in Izmir and convey the message of coexistence and multiculturalism to Izmir, Türkiye and the world.”

A warm welcome 

The story of Sephardic Jews is marked with pain and sadness as this distinct community came into existence on then-Ottoman soil following a tragic edict called the Alhambra Decree.

After Catholic Monarchs of Spain Ferdinand and Isabella issued a decree in 1492 forcing the Jews residing in their kingdom to convert to Christianity or to leave the country, thousands had no choice but to escape the inquisition and their homes in the Iberian Peninsula — and at the invitation of Sultan Bayezid II, many found safe refuge in the Ottoman lands of Istanbul, Izmir, Edirne and the Balkans.

As a migrating society, Sephardic people couldn’t carry any tangible items across the Mediterranean, so it was rather their intangible valuables — such as their language, professional knowledge, religion and cuisine — that they brought with them.

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Ladino, a Judeo-Spanish language, is a living example of how an ancestral community can sustain its centuries-old tongue, build its identity and revive its memory based on that. According to Ethnologue, a database of languages, only 8,000 residents of Türkiye speak this endangered language. 

An amalgamation of different languages including Spanish and Arabic, Ladino reveals a lot about the Ottoman policy of pluralism and contains many Turkish loanwords such as “kuti,” deriving from “kutu” (box), and “furca,” originating from “firca” (brush). The borrowing of terms was a mutual process as Turkish contains words deriving from Ladino, such as “boyoz,” which comes from bollos (pastry associated with Izmir).

However, this language teetering on the verge of extinction resonates in listeners’ ears thanks to Sephardic music of Türkiye, a distinctive tradition which exists in different forms. Janet and Jak Esim, Los Pasharos Sefaradis and Izzet Bana are some of the active Ladino folk musicians who are keeping the old language and stories alive and introducing them to future generations. 

Sephardic Jewish musicians not only brought their heritage with them from Spain to the Ottoman Empire, but also contributed significantly to Turkish classical music. Festival Director Bencoya considers Ishak Algazi, Hoca Santo, Avram Aryas and Hayim Alazraki as “some of the most well-known musicians in classical Turkish music.”

Centuries-old flavours

The festival also treats participants to a taste of traditional Sephardic Jewish cuisine, offering up a delectable selection of dishes, from fritadas and fongos to mogados, mustachudos and ojaldres. Attendees can revel in this gustatory journey — one that Bencoya claims offers a sensory experience as well as knowledge. 

Solid ties 

While the festival is just one event showcasing the history and culture of Türkiye’s Jews, the country has a long tradition of being home to a vibrant Jewish community. Although numbers differ, the current population size of the community is estimated to be around 16,000, with almost 90 percent of the Jews in Türkiye being Sephardic and the rest, mostly Ashkenazi. The vast majority of the population is located in Istanbul, while around 1,200 dwell in Izmir, and a small number live in the provinces of Ankara, Bursa and Antakya.

Turkish Jews, as citizens of Türkiye with equal rights to non-Jews, contribute to the development of the country in many fields, from science and culture to finance, and perform their religion freely. 

Istanbul-based Mendy Chitrik, chairman of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, tells TRT World  that, “The Jewish community, organised under the Chief Rabbi of Türkiye, has synagogues, schools, cemeteries and can perform circumcisions and students can receive proper religious and history classes.”

“Both Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews in Türkiye have complete freedom to celebrate their religion; they have never been under any pressure or involvement from the government,” he concludes.