Page "Reggio Emilia" Paragraph 26

Jews began arriving Reggio in the early 15th century.

Many Jews were Sephardim from Spain, Portugal and other parts of Italy.

Nearly all were fleeing religious persecution.

The Jewish community was prosperous and enjoyed considerable growth for the next several hundred years.

After the Napoleonic era the Jews of Reggio gained emacipation and began to migrate to other parts of Europe looking for greater economic and social freedom.

Thus, the Jewish community in Reggio began to decline.

The German occupation during World War II and the Holocaust hastened the decline.

Today, only a handful of Jewish families remain in Reggio.

However, a functioning synagogue and burial ground still exist.