| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Timbuktu | |
| Languages | |
| French,Arabic,Ladino | |
| Religion | |
| Judaism |
Thehistory of theJews inMali dates back to the 8th century CE. Today, around 1,000 descendants of Jews live in Mali, mostly in or nearTimbuktu.
The Jewish history of Mali begins in the 8th century, when multi-lingual African-JewishRadhanites first settled in Timbuktu in theSonghai Empire. These medieval merchants established a trading center in the city, from which a network of trading routes were created through the desert.
After 1492, more Jews arrived in Mali following theExpulsion of Jews from Spain. During the 14th and 15th centuries, Sephardi Jews settled in Timbuktu from Portugal and Spain. In 1492,Askia Muhammad I, the ruler of theAskiya dynasty of theSonghai Empire,threatened Jews with death if they refused toconvert to Islam. While some Jews chose to convert to Islam, the majority fled. In 1526, theBerberAndalusi historianLeo Africanus described the ruler's persecution of the Jewish community: "The king (Askia) is a declared enemy of the Jews. He will not allow any to live in the city. If he hears it said that a Berber merchant frequents them or does business with them, he confiscates his goods."
In 1496, aJewish community was founded atTindirma byIberianSephardi Jews who had been expelled fromSpain andPortugal.[2]
In 1860, theMoroccan Rabbi Mordechai Abi Serour settled in Timbuktu along with several other Moroccan Jews in order to engage in trading. The rabbi was able to negotiate with local authorities to gain aprotected status for the community. The community was able to establish a new synagogue in Timbuktu, as well as a Jewish cemetery.
By the early 1900s, no organized Jewish community remained in Mali.
In 1963, the ethnic consciousness of Jewish descendants living in Tindirma was revived after local fishermen wanted to build a village on top of the remains ofAl Yahudi Cemetery, causing local Jews to rise up in strong opposition.[3]
In the 1990s, a revival of Jewish identity began in Timbuktu, as "Hidden Jews" began to reconnect with their Jewish roots. These Malians of Jewish descent are predominantlyMuslim. Ismael Diadie Haidara, an historian from Timbuktu, established founded Zakhor (Timbuktu Association for Friendship with the Jewish World), an organization of Malians of Jewish descent, most of whom are Muslims. The organization, and others of Jewish descent in Mali, have worked to uncover Mali's forgotten Jewish history that had previously been concealed in order to avoidpersecution.[4] In 1996, Zakhor published a manifesto declaring themselves Jews and declaring themselves the descendants of the Jews ofTuat, a region at the edge of the Sahara in western Algeria.[5]
