Page 94 - NOVOPAZARSKI ZBORNIK 45

94 S. Bandžović, Novopazarski jevreji: tragovi u historiji i vremenu

Safet Bandzovic
History Institute of Sarajevo University

THE JEWS OF NOVI PAZAR:
THE TRACES IN HISTORY AND TIME

Summary: History is a multi-meaning process of returning to people and
events from the previous periods. It is defined as “the science on people in time”.
What is conditionally named “local” history out of the great narratives, confirms
various experiences, directs onto a multi-dimensional past, its characteristics and
specifics in a certain space. The settlements are built of buildings, but people make
cities, either. A small Jewish Sephardic community in Novi Pazar, having in mind
its huge economic significance, according to some statements, existed even since
XVI century. The Jews arrived to the past day Ottoman economic center mostly
from Thessaloniki and Sarajevo. They mostly did trade and artisanal jobs, giving
their contribution to the economic and social development of the town, surviving
its different crises and temptations during the next centuries, until World War II. In
Novi Pazar, before the war of 1941, 61 of Jewish families lived, with 247 of their
members. In March, 1942, this community, most of its parts, experienced the same
destiny like numerous Jews in Serbia, under the German occupation. After arre-
sting and taking people to concentration camps to the Belgrade fair ground, it was
almost completely destroyed. After the war, some of the very few survived Jews of
Novi Pazar, went to Israel, or they moved to Belgrade. Since 1972, in Novi Pazar,
there are no Jews people. Their history is a consistent part of the history of this
town, where they lived for several centuries.

Key words: Novi Pazar, development, multi-culturalism, Jews, wars, Serbia,
holocaust, culture of remembrance.