New Centers of Jewish Life in the Mediterranean

As political and religious landscapes shift, active Jewish cultural and intellectual centers flourish around the Mediterranean, particularly in:

• North Africa:

  • Alexandria (Egypt)
  • Kairouan (Tunisia)
  • Fez (Morocco)

• Sicily (under Norman rulers Roger II and Frederick II)

  • Palermo becomes a major hub of Jewish scholarship and commerce

• Southern France:

  • Montpellier, Avignon, and Orange serve as important centers for Jewish learning and trade

• Italy:

  • Pisa, Rome, and Lucca host thriving Jewish communities engaged in commerce, medicine, and scholarship

Impact of the Reconquista and Mediterranean Jewish Life

As the Reconquista progresses, many Jewish communities in Iberia remain influential, but others migrate to these Mediterranean centers. These cities become key locations for Jewish intellectual and commercial activity, fostering the exchange of scientific, philosophical, and religious ideas across Christian and Muslim lands.