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Jewish quarter (diaspora)

Area of a city traditionally inhabited by Jews

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
6 min read
Source updated August 18, 2026
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In the Jewish diaspora, a Jewish quarter (also known as jewry, juiverie, Judengasse, Jewynstreet, Jewtown, Judería or proto-ghetto) is the area of a city traditionally inhabited by Jews. Jewish quarters, like the Jewish ghettos in Europe, were often the outgrowths of segregated ghettos instituted by the surrounding Christian or Muslim authorities. A Yiddish term for a Jewish quarter or neighborhood is "Di yiddishe gas" (Yiddish: די ייִדישע גאַס), or "The Jewish quarter." While in Ladino, they are known as maalé yahudí, meaning "The Jewish quarter".

Many European and Near Eastern cities once had a historical Jewish quarter and some still have it. The history of the Jews in Iraq is documented from the time of the Babylonian captivity c. 586 BC. Iraqi Jews constitute one of the world's oldest and most historically significant Jewish communities.

01Arab world

From the late medieval and early modern period onwards Jews, the only remaining dhimmi, were increasingly confined to ghettolike quarters, such as the mellah in Morocco, the hara in Algeria and Tunisia and the qa'a in Yemen. The mellah of Fez, founded in the fifteenth century, became the prototype of the Moroccan ghetto. Though it was probably founded in order to protect and not to punish the Jews, they resented the transfer and viewed it as bitter exile and manifestation of a painful segregation.

Later foundation were founded with the explicit intent of ostracism rather than protection. As such, Jews often had to wear distinguishing clothes and were not allowed to wear shoes outside the mellah. In cities, a mellah was surrounded by a wall with a fortified gateway, often close to kasbah of the king or governor, whereas rural mellahs were separate villages inhabited solely by the Jews.

The Jewish Cemetery of the Mellah of Fez
The Jewish Cemetery of the Mellah of Fez
Prague-Josefov, which was demolished between 1893 and 1913
Prague-Josefov, which was demolished between 1893 and 1913

02Europe

Jewish quarters in Europe existed for a number of reasons. In some cases, Christian authorities wished to segregate Jews from the Christian population so that Christians would not be "contaminated" by them or so as to put psychological pressure on Jews to convert to Christianity. From the Jewish point of view, concentration of Jews within a limited area offered a level of protection from outside influences or mob violence. In many cases, residents had their own justice system.

When political authorities designated an area where Jews were required by law to live, such areas were commonly referred to as ghettos, and were usually coupled with many other disabilities and indignities. The areas chosen usually consisted of the most undesirable areas of a city.

In the English city of Norwich, the Jewish quarter was close to the castle, as a source of protection in times of local pogroms. This pattern was seen in other English towns, where Jews were under the protection of the Normans.

In the 19th century, Jewish ghettos were progressively abolished, and their walls taken down, though some areas of Jewish concentration continued and continue to exist. In some cities, Jewish quarters refer to areas which historically had concentrations of Jews. For example, many maps of Spanish towns mark a "Jewish Quarter", though Spain hasn't had a significant Jewish population for over 500 years.

In Eastern Europe there were no Jewish quarters or ghettos. Jews lived in small towns known as shtetls.

Over the course of World War II, Nazi Germany reestablished Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe (which they called Jewish quarters) for the purpose of segregation, persecution, terror, and exploitation of Jews, mostly in Eastern Europe. According to USHMM archives, "The Germans established at least 1,000 ghettos in German-occupied and annexed Poland and the Soviet Union alone."

Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
The Warsaw Ghetto in May 1941
The Warsaw Ghetto in May 1941

03Africa

Algeria
Egypt
  • Cairo, Harat Al-Yahud Al-Qara’In and Harat Al-Yahud
Libya
  • Tripoli, Hara Kabira, Hara Sghira, Hara al Wastia
Morocco
Tunisia
Jewish Quarter of Třebíč, Czech Republic
Jewish Quarter of Třebíč, Czech Republic
The entrance, called the "Port de la Calandre", to the Jewish Quarter in Avignon, France.
The entrance, called the "Port de la Calandre", to the Jewish Quarter in Avignon, France.

04Asia

China
India
Lebanon
Turkey
Iran
Iraq
Syria
  • Aleppo, Bahsita and Jamiliyya
  • Damascus, Ḥārat al-Yahūd, a recently restored tourist destination popular among Europeans before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war where vacationers can stay in the neighborhood and beautified former homes of the completely vanished ancient Jewish community.
Uzbekistan
  • Bukhara, Jewish Quarter or Jewish Mahalla
  • Samarkand, Old Jewish Quarter or Jewish Mahalla
Yemen
Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Troyes, France
Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Troyes, France

05Americas

Argentina
Brazil
United States
Uruguay
Canada
Jewish cemetery of Legnica, Poland
Jewish cemetery of Legnica, Poland
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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Jewish quarter (diaspora)”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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