The Massacres of 1391: The beginning of the end for Iberian Jewry

The 1391 massacres marked the collapse of centuries of coexistence for Iberian Jews, beginning with anti-Semitic violence in Seville that spread across Spain. Thousands were killed, synagogues destroyed, and many forcibly converted to Christianity, creating a large population of conversos. These conversions, often under duress, sparked suspicion of secret Jewish practices, fueling the converso problem and leading to the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 and, ultimately, to the 1492 expulsion. These massacres also mark the beginning of a Sephardic diaspora, profoundly reshaping Jewish identity and culture for generations.

About the speaker:

Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Pereira is the director of adult education at the Chabad of Virginia, Richmond. He can be reached at shlomo@chabadofva.org. Rabbi Pereira was a Professor of Economics and has Rabbinical ordination. He is the author or co-author of "Jewish Ethics from Portugal" and other books. He is widely published and lectures around the world on history of Jews…