Despite the small community still living there today, Croatia has been a home to Jews since at least the 3rd century CE. A Jewish presence was maintained until the mid 15th century when Jews, as well as other non-Christians, were expelled from the country. They returned over the next few centuries, building a thriving community in several cities throughout the country. That community would be almost completely destroyed during the Holocaust.
Croatia is currently home to a Jewish population of 1700, out of a total 4.154 million. Croatian Jews currently enjoy equality and the support of the democratic government. Despite its small size, Croatia’s Jewish communal life is relatively strong, with a synagogue in Zaghreb as well as a Jewish art gallery and a Holocaust documentation and research center. The Jews of Split enjoy a small, tight-knit community and a positive relationship with their non-Jewish neighbors.
February 19, 2019