Ep. 16: The History: Flight and Expulsion of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa (Prof. Dr. Norman Stillman – University of Oklahoma, USA)

Guest: Prof. Dr. Norman Stillman, Emeritus of Judaic History at the University of Oklahoma Hosts: Yusuf & Efe Bio: Prof. Norman A. Stillman is a world-leading historian of Jewish life in the Islamic world. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Oklahoma and author of The Jews of Arab Lands and The Jews of Arab Lands in Modern Times. He was the founding editor of the Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, the most comprehensive reference ever assembled on the subject. His scholarship spans Muslim–Jewish relations, Judeo-Arabic culture, and Sephardic history. In this episode: We examine the flight and expulsion of roughly 850,000 Jews from the Middle East and North Africa (1940s–1970s). Prof. Stillman explores tensions before 1948, including antisemitism, the influence of European fascism, the Farhud in Baghdad, and the Holocaust’s impact. He discusses departures from Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, and Morocco, highlighting political pressures, violence, and migration factors. The episode also covers challenges faced by Jewish refugees in Israel, their integration and cultural adaptation, and the memory and framing of the exodus. Listeners gain insight into a pivotal demographic shift shaping modern Israel, where nearly half of the Jewish population traces its roots to these regions. This episode was recorded on August 12, 2025. Links: Prof. Dr. Norman Stillman: https://tinyurl.com/aufmzrpp Stillman, Norman A. The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1979. https://tinyurl.com/mr2jubac Stillman, Norman A. The Jews of Arab Lands in Modern Times. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2003. https://tinyurl.com/tcy83r4e Stillman, Norman A., ed. Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World. Leiden & Boston: Brill, 2010. https://tinyurl.com/53dzzxd6 Stillman, Norman A., et al., eds. Antisemitism: A Historical Encyclopedia of Prejudice and Persecution. 2 vols. ABC-CLIO/Bloomsbury, 2005. https://tinyurl.com/yeyv3kct Academia.edu: https://tinyurl.com/3n5krzjn Please also check out our other episodes to explore multiple perspectives. Disclaimer:Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast team. Technical legal terms are explained in Episode 36 with Prof. Claus Kreß; contested histories are addressed by Prof. Gudrun Krämer in Episode 21.