Jews comprised less than 2% of the population of Spain, perhaps less than 80,000 persons. Most lived in small towns in the country-side. Most made their living off the land.
Many of this number had recently fled from North Africa because of the bitter persecution of Jews and Christians by the Muslim Almoravids.
Spain, unlike other European nations, never enforced the anti-Jewish Council of Arles (France) in 1235 which called for Jews to wear a round yellow patch, 4 fingers in length, over their hearts as a mark of identification. Jews in Spain were under the personal jurisdiction of the soveriegn. They were not limited to certain professions or unable to own property. Ghetto laws, so common in Europe during this time, were not enforced in Spain.
In 1290 England expelled all its Jews. In 1306, France followed suit. After the Black Death, Jews faced violent persecution in Spain. Tens of thousands converted during this period. They were called Conversos.
By 1492, their collective annual tax contribution represented only 0.33% of ordinary revenue. Jewish sectors of most major cities were empty or extremely small. In Toledo, the ancient Jewish sector consisted of only 40 houses.
Most of the Jews that left Spain were poor. Only half of Spain's Jews left, perhaps 40,000. They were only forbidden to export gold or silver. Embarkation lists for the ports of Malaga and Almeria show that Jews took substantial sums out of the country. Most, however, were poor to begin with.
Most left for Italy, Navarre, Portugal or North Africa. Few left for Turkey (that would come later).
From: The Spanish Inquisition, A Historical Revision by Henry Kamen, Yale University Press, 1997.
I'd like to aim for a modern relevant point:
Islamofascists are murdering Jews, Christians and co-religionist women and children with blood lust.
Can we agree to oppose the barbaric murdering Muslims today, whatever the history that got us here?