Jewish history is a global story. This page will explore the rich journeys of Jewish communities around the world — from ancient Israel to Babylonia, Spain, Eastern Europe, North Africa, and beyond. For now, you’ll find a series of cards organized by region, each summarizing key moments, movements, and legacies. In the future, this page will feature an interactive map where you can click on each region to dive deeper into its unique story.
The Land of Israel is the spiritual and historical center of the Jewish people. From the time of the patriarchs and prophets to the modern State of Israel, it has remained the heart of Jewish identity and longing.
After the destruction of the First Temple, Babylonia became a major center of Jewish life, learning, and leadership. It was the birthplace of the Babylonian Talmud and home to the great Geonic academies.
Ashkenazic Jewry thrived in medieval Europe, producing halachic giants such as Rashi and the Tosafists, while enduring expulsions, pogroms, and rebirth in Eastern Europe.
Sepharad was a golden center of Jewish philosophy, poetry, science, and Torah during the Middle Ages, until the 1492 expulsion forced Sephardic Jews to disperse globally.
Jewish communities in North Africa preserved ancient traditions and produced renowned scholars like the Rif and the Rambam, even amid Islamic and colonial rule.
Jewish life in Persia dates to the Purim story and the exile after the First Temple. Communities remained for millennia, contributing to Jewish mysticism and leadership.
Yemenite Jews maintained a distinct, ancient tradition in relative isolation, preserving liturgical and halachic practices rooted in early rabbinic sources.
Eastern Europe became a powerhouse of Torah study and Hasidic spirituality, even amidst hardship, persecution, and cultural upheaval.
The modern Jewish diaspora is diverse and vibrant, building communities, schools, and institutions that carry Jewish life forward in new lands and new forms.