In the year 1492 the Jews were expelled from Spain and most of them moved to Portugal in the hope to be able to return to their homes shortly. However, in 1494 they were expelled from Portugal as well by order of the king and pressure of the inquisition. Thousands of Jews who would not be baptized had to start wandering again over seas and countries to find refuge and a new home.
A daughter of the Marano family Miguis who was born in Lisbon was baptized in 1510 and named Beatrice de Luna, later became known as Gracia or Dona Gracia. At the age of 18 Dona Gracia married Francisco Mendez, a son of Maranos as well, who was a wealthy man, owner of the Mendez Bank in Antwerp, Belgium and engaged in international trade and trade with far east countries.
After the sudden death of her husband at young age Dona Gracia, the Jewish woman appeared in her full glory, charm and talent, soon running all the family bank and business in Europe. In spite of her wealth and connections Dona Gracia decided to move from her beloved Lisbon to Antwerp, where her husband's brother lived.

Travels in the shadow of the cross
At this stage Dona Gracia's life changed beyond recognition: politics and intrigues, lots of money, trade and world encompassing business as well as religion wars started to play a central role in the wonderful life story of Dona Gracia. The Catholic Church with the Pope at its head and the deadly weapon of the inquisition in his hand stood up against the Muslim world, with the "Upper Gate", the Turkish Sultan, conqueror of the world.
Between those two dominant factors operated Dona Gracia as a Jewish woman, faithful to her religion and belief, and fulfilled simultaneously the roles of courageous leader and shrewd, wealthy business woman. For 17 years, starting in 1536 and until 1553, Dona Gracia also had to move from country to country in tension and tricks laden trips.
From Lisbon, the capital of Portugal she arrived in London, then to Antwerp and from there to Venice and Ferrara in Italy, and finally, in 1553 she arrived at her almost final destination of her wandering, Kushta, Istanbul, capital of the Ottoman Empire.
Wherever she was, kings and princes were involved in plots and wars which were intended, among others, to rob her of her treasures and take part in her business.
Dona Gracia's name was admired all over Europe and in all the escape routes in which Jews traveled for fear of the inquisition.
The secret and complex organization that Dona Gracia established in order to aid the refugees was a wonderful masterpiece, which could have competed with the achievements of today's intelligence organizations. Literally hundreds of agents, moving around in all the cities of Europe, were ordered to help the Jewish refugees in everything and be responsible for their safety until they safely reached the safe havens such as Ferrara, Thessalonica in Greece and the shores of Turkey.
Dona Gracia became a revered leader, dominant and courageous in her actions until representatives of Jewish communities coined a medallion bearing her image and the inscription "Gracia Nassi"!

From dream to realization
The last journey
Whoever did not witness the reception Dona Gracia and her entourage received upon entering Kushta on their way to the Sultan's palace in Topkapi, never saw a procession in his lifetime…
In Kushta, the capital of Turkey, her palace or "Casa Dona Gracia" became a center for the Jewish communities in the world. Here came community leaders, Rabbis, learned people and great in the Torah. Here she started to be interested in the study of Judaism, encourage printing of important books, established printing shops, donated generously to the building of synagogues and seminaries and paid salaries to rabbis studying the Torah. They were all warmly invited to her home as guests.
Dona Gracia acquired a high standing with the Sultan in Kushta as Jewish leader and representative. The city of Tiberias was given to Dona Gracia, who was the richest Jewish woman in the world of her time, as a concession against a large payment to the Sultan.
She decided to establish a refuge in Tiberias for Jews in the land of Israel. Tiberias was the city out of which it was said that "from it (Israel) will be redeemed and it will be the spiritual center for all Jewish communities in the Diaspora". Tiberias turned into the city in which the the wise men wrote and signed the Talmud of the land of Israel, the "Talmud Yerushalmi" and in which the punctuation of the Hebrew language, the "Tiberias punctuation" was set!
More than 300 years before Theodore Hertzl's vision of the modern Jewish State, Dona gracia succeeded in being the "Visionary of the State" for Jews, with the political support of the strongest empire of the world, the Turkish Sultan.
Unfortunately, for the grief of all the Jewish nation, Dona Gracia passed away in 1569, when her delegates completed construction of only the southern city wall and were preparing to build the "Casa Dona Gracia" in Tiberias.
Why is the story of her life not told widely and in due respect in the annals of the Jewish people?
A hint to the answer maybe be found in the following words: "when Joan Kelly posed the historiography question: did women have a renaissance? the problem of the disregard of history of the role of women was exposed in its severity. It is not only the disregard of half of the world population, but a distortion of history. Relating to women in the general framework of human history may change the writing of history."
(From: Introduction - Judaism and the introduction of women from the public arena/Yael Atzmon. An article in "A window to the life of women in Jewish societies", edited by Yael Atzmon, the Zalman Shazar Center for Jewish History – Jerusalem).

The "Casa Dona Gracia" museum
The Amsalem family of Tiberias, a veteran family in Tiberias, decided to initiate and contribute to the establishment of a museum which will serve as "Casa Dona Gracia". This is a unique cultural institute which set its goal to emphasize the involvement and centrality of women in human history in general and that of the Jewish nation in particular, by glorifying the image and actions of the 16th century Jewish leader Dona Gracia, or in her Jewish name Hanna Nassi.
This, in order to note her role in saving the Jewish refugees from Spain and Portugal and dedication of her wealth and fabulous richness to the realization of her dream to build a safe refuge for her Jewish brethren in the holy city of Tiberias in the Land of Israel.
The "Casa Dona Gracia" is the museum and the museum is the house… as they were in the Galata quarter of Istanbul or in Venice – a spacious home where guests are warmly welcome.
Every weekend groups of women and men come to stay at the "Casa Dona Gracia" in Tiberias, spending a few days in the special program of the museum during which they become acquainted with the history and follow the actions and exciting life of Dona Gracia.
Conventions and seminars are conducted, focusing on the image of woman in history, and woman leadership is among the main work programs of the museum.

By Tzvi Schaick, Curator and Director of "The House of Dona Gracia Museum"