At the turn of the century, the Ottoman city of Salonica (now Thessaloniki) was home to the world’s largest Ladino-speaking population, descended primarily from Jews who came there from Spain following the expulsion of 1492. In 1912, the city became part of Greece. Devin Naar, discussing his recent book Jewish Salonica, explains how the community was transformed by the events of the early 20th century. (Interview by Lisa Newman. Audio, 19 minutes.)
Read more on Yiddish Book Center: http://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/language-literature-culture/the-shmooze/127-between-ottoman-empire-and-modern-greece