The Diaspora

• In 135 CE, the Romans expelled the Jews from Judea, forcing them to take refuge in other countries.

• Diaspora means “dispersion” or “scattering.”

• This scattering among nations and the constant desire to return to Israel and Jerusalem is a key aspect of the history of Jews and their faith.

Jews in Christian Europe

• In the Diaspora, Jews became divided into two major groups: the Ashkenazim in northern, central, and eastern Europe, and the Sephardim around the Mediterranean.

• Both groups had an immeasurable influence on the intellectual, economic, cultural, and spiritual life of every country they lived in.