Danon Dr Jakov - Jadovno 1941.

with that, definitely, according to all lines of national identity, not only numeral but cultural
and economic as well, strenghtened the existing Jewish communities on Balkans.
The settlement of Sephard Jews on the ground of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in greater
part, went from the direction of the South, more exactly, Turkey, Egej, Albania, across
Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia, and, in smaller part from the direction of Italy and
Venice. In Jewish encyclopidia, written by M. Franc, as the day of the Coming of the Jews in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1575, was the occupying of the position of Don Joseph Nasija
(Spanish-Jewish dignitary on the Court of sultan Selim II and his aunt Donna Grazia). Their
presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, more exactly in Sarajevo, according to official protocol
of Muslim religious law court in Sarajevo, dates yet from 1541, under the regime of Hadim
Alibeg, at first at the domain of tradesmen, individuals, agents and intermediators in the
representing of the interest of Turkish tradesmen, and later on their own ones, without
intermediators. But, as the official year of coming of the Jews in Sarajevo was registered 1565
year. By the coming of Siavuš Pasha in Sarajevo in 1580/81 it was established Bosnian
pashadom, with more sanjacs, in which the head was pasha or belgerbeg. Already in 1581, it
was being spoken about the number of 100 of Jewish families, which, on an earlier appeal of
the Muslims, were placed in a separate section Cortige.
Great Yard with the building of a
synagogue Il Kal Grandi. By the fast
development of turnover and import trade, it was
recorded faster coming of Sephards with the
families from the South to Bosnia, and therefore
their number was becoming far greater. Caravan
roads led to Solun, Constantinople (Istanbul),
Izmir, Jedrene, Valona, Bitolj, Skoplje, Novo
Brdo and Novi Pazar, and across Višegrad and
Zvornik (by the ship over the Drina and Sava
rivers to Belgrade, Zemun and Neoplanta) and
Sarajevo, the main crossroads of roads to Konjic,
Mostar, Stolac, Čapljina, and then toward the ports on the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik and Split,
and then by the sea ways for Ankona and Venice, and further by the roads for Paris, Rome,
Vienna, Amsterdam and other European metropoles.
The goods, Jews were trading with on the Slavic zone, between the Adriatic and Black
sea, the East and West, was various. There were exported iron, leather, wool, wheat, honey,
fat, wax, fabrics, neat cattle, sheep and goats, and whole series of other products, and the
imported goods in the inside were fish, vine, olive oil, salt, brandy according to calculated
margin in advance.
The significance of Dalmatic ports for the esablishment of a great export-import trade
was really great. Dubrovnik and Republic of Dubrovnik, because of their forward
geographical position, on the junction of three borders: Turkey, Italy and Venice, maintained
the precedence in the trade between Porta and West for almost 4 centuries. By the further
establishment of vassal relations with Levant, first of all because of the protection from the
enemy, with the friendliness of Porta and with its ship fleet it sailed many seas and ports, and
therefore having wide trade field all to Small Asia and Egypt (Alexandria). It opened its great
trade agencies, councils as well insurance houses along the borders of Ottoman Empire. The
Jewish tradesmen from Bosnia were taking more and more a part in that business, who –
because of the inborn knowing of the nature of business, turnover and trade, and the Spanish
language with Hebrew cursive, as well as other languages with both sides of the trade fields,
slowly and surely and inspite of permanent war ferments between Turkish Empire, from one
side, and Spain, Italy, Venice and Austro-Hungary from the other side, were taking over
complete economic trade between Levant and more and more rushing the western forces.
17
Synagogue Kal Grandi in Sarajevo