Aaron Nommaz

During the 16th century Inquisition led by the Grand Inquisitor, Tomás de Torquemada, the Vatican in concert with the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V of France, enforced a holy war that required Jews and Muslims to convert to Catholicism or be subject to prosecution, torture, and death by fire. Assets of the accused were seized and deposited in the royal treasury.

After a lifetime running an electronics business, Aaron Nommaz turned his attention to the historical figure, Dona Gracia. In this, his first book translated into English, is the intimate story of Dona Gracia, Europe’s wealthiest woman, who led Jews fleeing Lisbon, Antwerp, Bristol, and then briefly through the free cities of the Italian peninsula. When the Inquisition reached there too, Dona Gracia’s merchant fleet sailed from Europe, with refugees on board, into the waiting arms of Suleiman the Magnificent, ruler of the Ottoman Empire and arch enemy of Charles V. The Sultan was a just man who rewrote Ottoman law to guarantee religious freedom to every taxpayer. Grateful for the chance to practice her religion without the threat of ruin or torture, Dona Gracia helped finance the Sultan’s quarrels with the European powers that were persecuting Jews and Muslims. In an exciting and provocative story that was lost for five centuries, Dona Gracia reflects both courage and human failings. She is a heroine whose story we can enjoy in this narrative skillfully put together by author Aaron Nommaz who was intrigued with Dona Gracia the more he pieced together the life she lived.

The tale of the 16th century heroine, Dona Gracia, will appeal to modern feminists, to progressives, history buffs, and to anyone interested in a unique story. It will appeal especially to readers of Jewish history and to those interested in the past and future possibility of peace between Jews and Muslims. It is a reminder of when both Jews and Muslims fled for their lives while Europe was in the grip of cruelty fanned by bigotry.

Dona Gracia is a story of resilience through flight through the cities of Europe where protection from mayhem is promised but only temporarily delivered. Relief was not granted until the family of Dona Gracia grasped the possibility of religious freedom in Ottoman lands where the leader, Suleiman the Magnificent, rewrote the laws to advance religious freedom for everyone who paid taxes. This story will appeal to those who feel for refugees seeking freedom from tyranny and to those seeking a story well-told. It is the tale of a wealthy woman who used her resources to help her people escape persecution.