TURKISH AND JEWISH CONNECTION Medieval Kingdom of Khazaria, 650-1016

•The history of Khazaria presents us with a fascinating example of how Jewish life flourished in the Middle Ages. In a time when Jews were persecuted throughout Christian Europe, the Turkish kingdom of Khazaria was a beacon of hope.

•Jews were able to flourish in Khazaria because of the tolerance of the Khazar rulers, who invited Byzantine and Persian Jewish refugees to settle in their country.

• Due to the influence of these refugees, the Khazars found the Jewish religion to be appealing and adopted Judaism in large numbers.