A friend of mine, who spends summers on the Princes’ Islands, is a descendant of Sephardic Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 and settled in the Ottoman Empire. He studied at Galatasaray High School, received a degree from Istanbul University’s Faculty of Business Administration, and now successfully runs a medium-sized enterprise. At home, he speaks Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) with his family, while also being fluent in Turkish, French, and English.

One day, a high school friend who works in the same industry approached him with a proposal: “I’ll cover the travel expenses; let’s go to Spain. Help me with business negotiations, and you’ll benefit too.” Though he had never been to Spain before, my friend accepted the offer.

After arriving in Spain,........

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