Abstract
This research focuses on the social reality of the Jews of Yugoslavia, who are divided into Sephardic and Ashkenazi. They migrated to the Yugoslav territories from different regions and at different times. Their population at the establishment of the Yugoslav state in 1918 was approximately 64,746, which accounted for 0.5% of the total population of Yugoslavia, estimated at around 12 million according to the 1921 census. The majority of the Sephardic Jews were from Andalusia (Spain) and immigrated to Yugoslavia in the 16th century due to the persecution they faced. On the other hand, the Ashkenazi Jews, mostly from Eastern Europe, migrated to Yugoslavia in the 19th century due to mistreatment. Their different historical and cultural experiences resulted in distinctions between the two communities in terms of language, religious practices, and culture. The Yugoslav state recognized them as a religious minority rather than a national one, and the Yugoslav Jews established an official religious institution representing all their sects to the state (the Union of Jewish Religious Communities). They also founded numerous humanitarian, cultural, scientific, and sports associations and had several newspapers. The majority of Yugoslav Jews lived in cities and excelled in professions such as banking, commerce, and industry. Politically, most Yugoslav Jews adhered to the Zionist movement, despite the emergence of opposing movements such as the Integrationist Jews and the Sephardic movement. Yugoslav Jews supported the idea of Jewish nationalism, but not in Palestine, as envisioned by the Zionist movement. The research is divided into an introduction and two sections, with the first section addressing the social reality of Yugoslav Jews, both Sephardic and Ashkenazi, and the second section tracing the political activity of Yugoslav Jews. The research relied on various foreign sources, including English, Serbian, and Croatian documents, as well as several Arabic sources.
