xixMy greatest thanks are due the Dönme interviewees who agreed to share
so much of their hidden or misunderstood past with me. Because of the
sensitivity of this book’s topic in Turkey, I do not refer to my interview-
ees by name or even location unless their identity as Dönme is already
publicly known.
Many people provided expertise that led me to, assisted me with, or
analyzed the oral and written sources upon which this study is based.
In Istanbul, Rıfat Bali shared with me his endless knowledge of Jewish
and Dönme history, as well as hard-to-reach sources. He also introduced
me to Ilgaz Zorlu, with whom I first began to conduct research. Paul
Bessemer and I had many discussions about Mehmet Cavid and the
Dönme. A descendant of the Kapancı family who goes by the pseud-
onym Barry Kapandji provided indefatigable energy and original sources
including family genealogies, postcards, and photographs. A Turkish stu-
dent bravely accompanied me to the main Dönme cemetery, giving me
courage in the face of stray dogs and ghosts. Thomas Berchtold helped
with the deciphering of Ottoman-language tombstones. Faruk Birtek and
Çagˇlar Keyder discussed the socioeconomic dimensions of the subject
with me. Erdem Kabadayı assisted me in deciphering Ottoman postcards.
The staff of the Atatürk Library provided published sources. The official
historian of the Jewish community, Naim Güleryüz, graciously agreed
to an interview. In Ankara, Director Ahmet Ceylan and the helpful and
earnest staff of the Archive of the Republic enabled me to successfully
conduct my research in a very short period of time. Mustafa Özyürek