|
Spain, Portugal and Italy host a particularly rich
Jewish Sepfardic heritage. The term "Sefarad" originally appeared
in the Bible to refer to the children of Israel who were exiled
from Canaan to Sarepta (Ovadiah XX). Since the end of the VIIIth
Century, "Sefarad" refers to Spain and Spanish Jews. It was then
furthered to all Jews from the Communities around the
Mediterranean.
|
 |
In Spain, Toledo also known as the Jerusalem of
Sefardic Jews remains the jewel of Spanish Sefardic heritage. At
the peak of its activity, around 1391, there were ten synagogues
and between five to seven Yeshivot (Talmudic school) in
Toledo itself. Today, the town of Toledo has been classified as
world heritage.
|
Other towns of Spain which have a significant
Jewish heritage include Cáceres, Córdoba, Gerona,
Hervás, Oviedo, Ribadavia,Segovia, Toledo, Tortosa, Tudela,
Besalú, Calahorra, Estella-Lizarra, Monforte de Lemos,
Plasencia and Tarazona. One should also not omit the Jewish quarter
of Palma de Majorca which is still today very apparent.
|
Tudela, Spain. Photo Red de Juderias
|
Moving southwards on the Iberic Peninsula into
Portugal, one should note the legacy of the presence of Jews in
Castelo de Vide, Porto or Faro.
 greece
On the Eastern side of the Mediterranean, in
Greece, there is a much to discover. Exiled Sefardies were welcome
to Thessalonica in the XVIth century. In Athens, at the foot of
Acropolis, archaeologists have identified the traces of a synagogue
dating from the III rd century of the common era. On the Greek
island, Rhodes's synagogue which dates from 1577 attests of its
Sefardic influence. Finally, on the island of Delos rests the ruins
of what has been considered as the eldest synagogue of the
Diaspora.
italy
|
Italy is another important centre of Sefardic
heritage. In fact the word "ghetto" appears to have originated from
one of the important Jewish centres, Venice. It seems that
geto would refer to the island (geto where there was a
foundry) where the Jews were installed. Jewish catacombs can be
found in Rome and in Florence, there is the imposing neo-Mauresque
Tempio Maggiore synagogue founded in 1882.
|
Rome synagogue, Italy. Photo L.A.
|
The Lido Jewish cemetery in Venice also deserves a
visit since it is as old as the famous Jewish cemetery of Prague
and has a tomb stone which dates from 1389.
turkey
|
Finally, Turkey has also benefited from Sefardic
heritage. Other than the famous synagogues in Istanbul, there are
beautiful synagogues in many other towns of Turkey. Some are solely
ruins but nonetheless, all their aura remains like in Edirne, the
big city close to the Bulgarian border, where the Jewish community
was particularly affluent in the past.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 other web sites
|
|
|
|
notes
|
|
|
|
documents
|
|
|
|
media library
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
