Episode Details

Long before Sephardi and Ashkenazi became the dominant Jewish stories of Europe, there were the Romaniote Jews—Greek-speaking Jews with roots stretching back to antiquity. On today's episode of our daily Jewish podcast, we're uncovering the history of this lesser-known but deeply ancient community that flourished in the Byzantine world, developed its own liturgy and customs, and preserved traditions distinct from both Spain and Germany. Who were they? How did they survive centuries of empire, upheaval, and eventually the devastation of the Holocaust? And what remains of their unique minhag today? This is a story of continuity, adaptation, and a Jewish culture that most people have never heard of—but absolutely should.