The history of the Jews of Montenegro dates back to the times when that area was connected to the division of the Roman Empire between Roman and Byzantine rule. Since modern-day Montenegro is a young country the Jewish community of Montenegro is the youngest and one of the smallest Jewish communities in the world. The decision on forming a formal community was made in June 2011 at the home of Mrs. Đina Lazar in Herceg Novi. At the end of July of the same year, the community was registered as a citizens' association and thus gained certain legal legitimacy. Very soon after registering, the Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Yona Metzger visited Montenegro and the Jewish community. Rabbi Metzger, along with escorts and leading members of the community, was received by the most important state officials: the Presidents of the State, the Parliament and the Government.
At the end of January 2012, the Jewish community of Montenegro signed a treaty with the Government on mutual relations, thus recognizing the Jewish religion as one of the official religions in the country with all the rights and obligations resulting therefrom. Jews have full autonomy in regulating their religious and national relations to the extent that it does not conflict with the law. In 2013 The Jewish Community of Montenegro has appointed his first ever Chief rabbi since the country’s independence after the break-up of Yugoslavia. On that occasion, December 26th 2013. Rabbi Prelevic, together with Jewish community president Jasha Alfandari, met with Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic in the Prime Minister’s office in Podgorica. Since its registration, the leadership of the Community, headed by Jaso Alfandari as president and Djordje Raičević as vice-president, managed to provide the basic funds for financing unobstructed work, the necessary business premises, its maintenance, as well as organizing modest celebrations of all holidays starting from the arrival of the new 5772, through Hanukkah, Purim, Pesah and the ceremonial Seder evening organized on this occasion. There is a small organized Jewish community in Montenegro. The 2007 Montenegrin Statistical Yearbook lists 12 Jews in the country, spread across nine towns. In 2017, Los Angeles-born Rabbi Ari Edelkopf of the Chabad Hasidic movement settled in the capital city Podgorica with the mission of promoting Judaism among the country's few Jews, as well as providing assistance to Jewish visitors to Montenegro. Groundbreaking for the country's new synagogue took place in December 2017 in Montenegrin capital city Podgorica. Every year at close of October, JCMNE organizes the Mahar Conference for the Communities over the region and further with the support of World Jewish Congress, European Jewish Congress, JDC, Israeli Embassy in Serbia and Montenegro…. Ms. Nina Ofner Bokan has been elected President of the Jewish Community of Montenegro. She took up her role in September 2020. Vice President is Slaven Radimiri. R. Luciano Moshe Prelević is the Cheaf Rabbi of Montenegro. Under their leadership, Jewish Community of Montenegro looks forward to seeing the great things, to enrich the lives of Jews in Montenegro.
History
The history of Jews in the area of today's Montenegro has not been sufficiently explored. The research was fragmentary as part of other scientific treatments.
The history of Jews in these areas lasts for two millennia. Their first traces appear in the ancient Duklja, whose ruins are located in the immediate vicinity of the center of Podgorica, the capital of today's Montenegro. This very important urban center of the Roman province Prevalitane, which in its zenith counted over 70,000 inhabitants in its necropolises, reveals the grave places that archaeologists have established that they belonged to the Jews, which is not at all odd if one takes into account the size and importance of Duklja as military, commercial and administrative center until its destruction in a devastating earthquake.
In the Middle Ages, Jews within the boundaries of today's Montenegro were in those parts that were under Ottoman rule, especially in the area of the Novi Pazar sanjak in today's Pljevlja, Plav, Gusinje, Bijelo Polje and Berane, as well as in the area of the Montenegrin coast, especially in Ulcinj . Most of this Jewish life belonged to the Sephardim who came from Spain and Portugal across Bosnia or directly from Constantinople to the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, Sabbatai Zevi a famous false "Messiah", lived and is presumed to be buried in Ulcinj, after being banished from Constantinople by the grand vizier there to Dulcigno (modern-day Ulcinj).