Benim doğduğum şehirde de bir zamanlar bir Musevi azınlığın varolduğundan bahseden bir döküman beni bir hayli şaşırttı. Akın Tütüncü tarafından hazırlanan bu araştırma kitapçığındaki bazı fotoğrafları taradım. Aynı kitapçıktan alınan, özet babında, bazı cümleleri de, fotoğrafların altına ekliyorum. İtalik ve tırnak içinde yazılanlar kitapçıktan, değiştirmeksizin aktarılmıştır.
A group of people(1), which was spread all over the world, lived under despotism for thousands of years, despised, not welcomed anywhere but survived throughout the history. The same group of people founding a state, which has caused another nation to suffer in the last 50-60 years. Anyway, let us not jump into endless political discussions, where everybody looks at the scene from their standpoint. I am personally interested in the history of Sephardic clan, which lived in our geography. When I say 'our geography', I mean lands from Bosnia to Palestine and as addition of course 'Andalusia'.
It was very interesting to encounter a document about a Jewish minority has existed once upon a time ago in the town that I was born. I scanned some images from this document (a leaflet) that was prepared by Mr. Akin Tütüncü in English . Some sentences taken from the same leaflet are also given below without changing anything (in italic fonts and in quotation marks).
(1) It seems that the race or nation are not the right words in English (see http://judaism.about.com/od/abcsofjudaism/a/beingjewish.htm)
Reference: Leaflet prepared by Mr. Akın Tütüncü
"Jews of Salonika, came to settle in Akhisar in order ro produce and sell CUKA -special lining for the woolen fabrics used by the Ottoman soldiers."
"Agriculture Boarding School:"
"This building is situated Kayalıoğlu town that is 10km far from our city. It is a three-storied building and built with timber material.
The building was purchased in 1905 from the French, who constructed the railroad between İzmir & Akhisar and it has been used as educational center so far. But this residence was emptied in 1966 ....
This school is the most famous one of the ALLIANCE schools whose numbers are decreasing at present and which has the same function at the precious Country Institutions in Turkey, where lots of Turkish intellectuals were educated..."
"Synagogue:"
"This building is very close to a busy street in our city. Tahir Ün Street. It is located at the end of 31st Street.
Eventhough the Synagouge was safe for long, in recent years the roof has collapsed because of the lack of interest and still treasure hunters are digging the place from time to time. Today, of the whole Synagouge, there are only the walls and the door left behind."
"Jewish Cemetery:"
"This place is on the south of our city, next to the industrial center and Community Education Center. It is split from the ancient Reşatbey Muslim Cemetery, which is not longer being used, by a main road. Today there are still 32 tombstones, which could survive the destruction but this number is getting smaller day by day... Even though it was a 4230 m2 territory at the beginning but now it is become two pieces of lands totally 673 m2."
