Tourism to Sicily is booming. Dubbed the “White Lotus” effect, after the hit HBO series filmed there, the number of visitors to Italy’s largest region has increased dramatically. Visitors marvel at Sicily’s natural beauty and its outsized role in popular culture: the island has long been associated the mafia, colorful pageants on Catholic holidays, and some of Italy’s most iconic cuisines and music. The UN has highlighted Sicily’s Arab heritage as one of its most important legacies.
Yet for over a thousand years Sicily was home to a vibrant Jewish community, at times one of the largest in the world, which profoundly shaped the island’s heritage, customs, and culture. Here are little-known fascinating Jewish facts about Sicily that deserve to be remembered today.
