The relationship between Macedonians and Jews is one of history’s lesser-known but most profoundly significant connections. Stretching back more than 2,000 years, this bond has its roots in the crossroads of civilizations, where Jewish life once flourished under Macedonian rule.
These days, as both populations navigate the challenges posed by an increasingly complex world, there is a pressing need to rediscover and strengthen these ancient ties.
The Jewish presence in the territory of modern-day North Macedonia, a former Yugoslav republic, dates back to antiquity. The conquest of the Near East by Alexander the Great in the fourth-century BCE opened new horizons for Jewish communities, allowing them to integrate into the vast network of Hellenistic cities and trade routes.
Alexander himself is celebrated in Jewish tradition. In the Talmud, he is referred to as Alexander Mokdon (“the Macedonian”) and is portrayed in a positive light. The Talmud (Tractate Yoma 69a) recounts a meeting in Jerusalem between Alexander and the Jewish high priest Shimon HaTzaddik, who had gone out to greet him in his full priestly garments. Alexander bowed before Shimon HaTzaddik, explaining to his men that he had seen this figure in a dream before his battles, predicting his victories.
In gratitude, Alexander spared Jerusalem and allowed the Jews to practice their faith.
Subsequently, many Jewish boys born that year were named Alexander, which became a common Jewish name. Clearly, the Jews welcomed him as a benevolent ruler who respected their traditions.
This Talmudic account reflects more than just an interesting story. It symbolizes the deep and enduring respect between the Jewish people and Macedonians. As the cradle of Alexander’s empire, Macedonia thus occupies a special place in Jewish memory as a gateway to a world where Jewish identity and civic participation could coexist.
Archaeological discoveries in North Macedonia, a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, further attest to this ancient bond.
Among the most important is the synagogue unearthed at Stobi near the Vardar River in the center of the country. Dating from the third or fourth century C.E., the Stobi synagogue is one of the oldest ever discovered in the Balkans. Its mosaic floors—featuring Jewish religious symbols such as the menorah and the shofar—remain a testament to a vibrant Jewish community that lived, traded and prayed there. The synagogue’s existence is a living echo of the intertwined histories of the Jewish and Macedonian peoples.
Stobi was a major urban center in Roman Macedonia, a melting pot of cultures and religions. That Jews established a synagogue there—and that it thrived—is no coincidence. It reflects the relative tolerance of the region. The survival of these remnants of the distant past serves as a powerful reminder: Jewish history in Macedonia is not marginal, but deeply woven into the fabric of our two peoples.
Nevertheless, modern political and cultural ties between North Macedonia and the Jewish people, especially the global Diaspora, remain underdeveloped, and more needs to be done to cultivate and raise awareness about them.
Many Jews took part in the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising against Ottoman rule in 1903, struggling side by side with their Macedonian compatriots.
Decades later, when the Germans invaded Yugoslavia in 1941, some Macedonian Jews took up arms and joined the partisans to fight the Nazis. These included Estreya Haim Ovadya, a Jewish woman from Bitola, who served in the Seventh Macedonian Brigade and was heroically killed in combat in late August 1944.
Sadly, most of the Jewish community of Macedonia was murdered during the Holocaust, when nearly all the Jews of Bitola, Skopje and Štip were deported by the Bulgarian occupiers and then murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. After the war, the tiny community that remained struggled to rebuild; today, only a few hundred Jews live in North Macedonia.
Yet memory endures, and along with it, so does the possibility of renewed friendship.
In recent years, North Macedonia has made commendable efforts to honor its Jewish heritage. The Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia in the capital of Skopje stands as a testament to this commitment. It is one of the most significant Holocaust museums in the Balkans, preserving the memory of Macedonian Jewry and educating future generations. It serves not only as a place of remembrance for the 98% of the Jewish population killed during the Holocaust, but also as a venue where regional politicians can negotiate and foster understanding.
Moreover, successive Macedonian governments have taken steps to safeguard Jewish cemeteries, synagogues and other heritage sites, recognizing their importance not only to Jews but to the Macedonian national story.
But much more can be done to deepen the ties between Macedonians and Jews around the world. Cultural exchange programs, academic partnerships, investment forums and tourism initiatives focused on Jewish heritage and interfaith dialogue could serve as platforms for strengthening bonds. North Macedonia could also benefit from building stronger relationships with Jewish communities in the United States, Israel and Europe, opening avenues for economic cooperation, innovation partnerships and diplomatic support.
An example of such potential was the first-of-its-kind parliamentary delegation to Israel last month, led by Parliament member Rashela Mizrahi, chair of the Israel-North Macedonia Parliamentary Friendship Committee and the country’s first Jewish minister. Supported by the American Jewish Committee, the visit focused on practical cooperation in IT, agronomy, tourism, cyber security, water management, health care and transportation.
For the extended Jewish community, embracing the Macedonian connection offers a profound opportunity to honor an ancient chapter of Jewish history. And in a world increasingly divided by ignorance and extremism, reviving ancient bonds of respect and mutual recognition is more important than ever.
Supporting Jewish life in Macedonia, helping preserve its historical sites and fostering Jewish tourism to the country are not merely acts of nostalgia; they are investments in a future where Jewish history is not just remembered, but lived and celebrated.
