In 1992, Turkey celebrated the 500th anniversary of the welcoming of the Sephardic Jews, the Spanish Jews who were forced in 1492 to either sacrifice their religion or leave the country “never to return for any reason whatsoever”, to the Ottoman Empire, where they created a new homeland for themselves. On November 25, 2001, our Museum was opened as part of the Foundation.
THE MISSION OF THE MUSEUM
The Turkish Jewish community is one of the ancient wealth of Turkey, with its history and culture, its contributions and interactions, and all the tangible and intangible heritage of its existence, from the past to the future. It is the museum's responsibility to preserve the past and the present, to embrace them all and to create a more inclusive future. The Museum of Turkish Jews exists to develop this awareness.
THE VISION OF THE MUSEUM
The museum reveals the lives and cultures of the Jews who settled in Anatolia and Thrace from the 2nd-3rd century BC and who are today defined as Turkish Jews, their contributions to cultural literature, music, plastic arts, performing arts, political/economic/industrial/educational/scientific/technological developments in these lands. By revealing their contributions to inter-communal studies and interactions, it aims to be instrumental in the ownership, protection and preservation of all the material and spiritual Jewish heritage that has existed and continues to exist within the borders of our country and to inform foreign tourists visiting Turkey as well as Turkish citizens, to prevent prejudices, marginalization and hatred arising from ignorance and to reduce anti-Semitic discourses; to bring people closer to each other with intercultural similarities, to motivate coexistence and to help create a more creative environment by increasing the awareness that differences are the richness of this geography.
THE ADDED VALUE OF THE MUSEUM IN THE CONTEXT OF TODAY'S TURKEY
The Museum of Turkish Jews sheds light on Turkish society in many ways. It is the only public place to visit to learn and understand Turkish Jewish identity and to learn more about this entity. Therefore, the existence of the museum as a minority concept in the context of today's Türkiye has a very important added value. With its mission and vision, the museum represents a cultural asset of the Turkish community.
