The Alhambra Decree orders Spain's Jews to convert or leave; tens of thousands depart for Portugal, North Africa, Italy, and the Ottoman world, ending the great Sephardic civilization of Spain and scattering it across the Mediterranean.
Tagged: Persecution Conservative Judaism Jewish Orthodox Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism Reform Judaism Secular Judaism
The Event
- Date
- 1492 (exact)
- Era
- Medieval; Standard periodization of Jewish history
- Location
- Spain
- Traditions
- Judaism
- Streams
- Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism, Reform Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, Secular Judaism
- Key figures
- Ferdinand II, Isabella I
Primary Sources
- The Alhambra Decree (1492)
Secondary Sources
- Cohen, Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages (Princeton, 1994)
- Johnson, A History of the Jews (Harper, 1987)
Provenance: HIST-0119; confidence 0.95; accessed 2026-10-27.
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