Abstract: After the end of the Second World War, the Jews of Yugoslavia found themselves in a unique position. This was primarily due to the demographic decline because of the Holocaust and migrations to Israel, as well as the profound transformation of the social and political context after the communist revolution. Under the influence of the Communist Party and official institutions and in order to adapt to the new environment, the Jewish leadership started a process of complete transformation of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Yugoslavia (FJCY) and the collective identity of Yugoslav Jewry. The main consequences of this process were the radical shift from religious toward secular character of FJCY, increased openness toward other ethnic and religious groups and the complete disappearance of orthodox Jewish communities across Yugoslavia. The main aim of this article is to shed some light on the process of decision making within the FJCY regarding the greatest shift of collective identity among the Jews in this part of Europe.
Keywords: Jews, Yugoslavia, Israel, Holocaust, national identity
Summary: The identity of the Jewish Community in the former Yugoslavia has undergone numerous transformations during centuries-long history. The archeological excavations have confirmed the presence of Jews in the Balkan region since antiquity, but the greatest demographical boost happened in the 16th century, when a significant number of Sephardic Jews, expelled from Spain, settled in the territory of the Ottoman Empire. After World War I, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians was established, but the existing Jewish communities at the territory of the newly formed state were very diverse. All those local communities developed their linguistic and cultural tradition under different foreign influences. For instance, German and Hungarian influence was visible in territory of present Croatia, Slovenia and Northern Serbia, Italian influence was the strongest on the Adriatic coast and Ottoman influence was predominant in Macedonia, Central and Southern Serbia and Bosnia and Hercegovina. In the case of Yugoslav Jewry, the period of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was exceptionally important for the process of identity development because this was the exact time when the Jews in this part of Europe formed strong and long-lasting ties that strengthened their collective identity.
The Second World War marked a decisive turning point for the entire Yugoslav Jewish community. Around 82% of Yugoslav Jews were killed during The Holocaust and around 60% of those who survived moved to Israel between 1948 and 1952. For less than a decade, the number of Jews in Yugoslavia decreased from around 73,000 at the beginning of World War II to just 4,800 at the beginning of 1950s. The Holocaust, wartime trauma, demographic decline and the change of political and social context in Yugoslavia after the end of the Revolution were the main reasons for the greatest shift of Jewish collective identity in the Balkans. The record of the 51st meeting of The Executive Committee of Federation of Jewish Communities of Yugoslavia that is published here as an Appendix provides invaluable insight into a real nature of those changes, their causes and broader context.