Melilla Spain

Melilla, a Spanish city on the North African coast bordering Morocco, has a rich Jewish heritage. Originally a military outpost conquered in 1497, it became a free port in 1862. A Royal Decree in 1864 invited Jewish and Muslim merchants from Morocco, sparking the growth of a vibrant Jewish community—many of whom were descendants of those expelled during the Spanish Inquisition. Melilla was the first Jewish community to officially re-establish in Spain after that period.

The Jewish population played a key role in Melilla’s economic, cultural, and architectural development, earning the city the nickname “Little Jerusalem.” By the 19th and 20th centuries, institutions like the Salama Synagogue, Alcazaba Cemetery, Chevra Kadisha, schools, a Yeshiva, and a Talmud-Torah were established.

Today, Melilla’s structured Orthodox community (COMUNIDAD ISRAELITA DE MELILLA) has around 550 members and 200 observant families. It supports 6 shuls, 3 cemeteries, a kosher restaurant, shops, a Mikvah, a Matzah Bakery, an Eruv, and Spain’s only private Orthodox Jewish school. The community recently partnered with the Mikvah Tahara Association to build a new, beautiful Mikvah so that no family turns away from observing Taharas Hamishpacha.