The Jews of Ottoman Izmir
"The Jews of Ottoman Izmir: A Modern History" was published in 2020 by Stanford University Press. The book was authored by Dina Danon, an esteemed researcher specializing in Sephardi Jewish history. With its publication, Danon offers a fresh and comprehensive exploration of the Sephardi Jewish community in Izmir during the late Ottoman period, drawing on previously untapped Ladino archival material. The book has received critical acclaim for its unique perspective and meticulous research, providing valuable insights into the experiences of the Jewish community in Izmir.
"The Jews of Ottoman Izmir" sheds light on the often-overlooked Sephardi Jewish community that thrived in Izmir, a prominent port city in the eastern Mediterranean, for over four centuries. Drawing from previously untapped Ladino archival material, Dina Danon delves into the unique dynamics of this community. Contrary to the prevailing European narrative, where Jewish distinctiveness was often viewed as incompatible with modernity, Ottoman Izmir presents a different perspective. Here, Jewish difference was unremarkable, allowing for a more nuanced exploration. Danon argues that while religious and cultural distinctiveness remained unquestioned, other facets of Jewish identity, such as poverty and social class, emerged as significant sources of tension.
Through the voices of diverse individuals spanning different socio-economic backgrounds, from beggars to mercantile elites, shoe-shiners to newspaper editors, rabbis to housewives, Danon demonstrates that it was the changing attitudes towards poverty and class, rather than Judaism itself, that shaped the Sephardi community's encounter with the modern era. “The Jews of Ottoman Izmir" offers a compelling narrative that challenges preconceived notions and presents a fresh perspective on the complexities of Jewish life in a multicultural context. By highlighting the intersections of identity and social dynamics, Danon illuminates the multi-layered experiences of the Sephardi Jewish community in Izmir during this transformative period.
About the Author: Dina Danon is Associate Professor of Judaic Studies at Binghamton University. She holds a doctorate in History from Stanford University. She is the author of The Jews of Ottoman Izmir: A Modern History (Stanford University Press, 2020), a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in Sephardic Culture. She was recently a fellow at the Katz Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where she began work on a new project on the marketplace of matchmaking, marriage, and divorce in the eastern Sephardi diaspora. She is currently at work, with Nancy Berg, on a co-edited volume entitled Longing and Belonging: Jews and Muslims in the Modern Age.
Meet the Authors: Dina Danon (Dec 7, 2020) - 06:51
Book Talk: Dina Danon (March 19, 2022) - 78:23
Dina Danon with Devin E. Naar (May 6, 2021) - 80:14
Podcast: megaphone.link/NBN1146323363 - Interview with Dina Danon (Feb 18, 2021) - 48 min