Today In Jewish History

Sponsored by Aish:

In 1492, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain signed a decree expelling all Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. Tomas de Torquemada served as "Grand Inquisitor," charged with uncovering those who continued to practice Judaism in secret (called Conversos or Marranos -- "pigs"). In the ensuing Inquisition, an estimated 32,000 Jews were burned at the stake in elaborate public ceremonies, and another 200,000 were expelled from Spain. At the time, Jews held many prominent posts in Spain; Rabbi Don Yitzhak Abrabanel, who served as finance minister, reportedly offered Queen Isabella the astronomical sum of 600,000 crowns to revoke the edict. Abrabanel was unable to prevent the expulsion and was exiled along with his people.

Spain, NATO, and Israel

From Spain, NATO, and Israel:

In recent years there has been a change for the better in Israel's portrayal in the Spanish media. Now at least a few columnists expose Palestinian terrorism, attack anti-Semitism, and outline the problematic context in which Israel has to operate. Both the terror attacks in Madrid on 11 March 2004 that killed about two hundred, and the Israeli disengagement in 2005 have changed Israel's image.

In general, the Spanish media remain biased against Israel, often portraying the Israeli government in a harsh light. The correspondents of Spanish papers are based in Jerusalem and spend a large part of their time with the Palestinians. One point of light is former prime minister Jose Maria Aznar. Through FAES, the think tank he heads, he promotes Israel joining NATO.

Raphael Bardaji is head of International Policy Studies at the Foundation for Social Analysis and Study (FAES) in Madrid and is a personal adviser to FAES head Jose Maria Aznar.

Iberia Reconnects with Its Jewish History

From Iberia Reconnects with Its Jewish History:

Now, more than five centuries after Spain violently expelled its Jews, the country is experiencing a revival of interest in Sephardic heritage. Unlike Berlin, Prague, and other European cities where a lost Jewish heritage has been a cultural steppingstone for years - and where old Jewish quarters, synagogues and cemeteries are almost mandatory tourist stops - the curiosity in Spain's Jewish sites has grown up almost overnight. A growing number of tourists are coming to Segovia, a city in Spain's Castile region, not only to see its towering Roman aqueduct but also to get a glimpse of a rediscovered Jewish past.

Al-Qaeda Targets "Al-Andalus" (Spain)

From Al-Qaeda Targets "Al-Andalus" (Spain):

Nearly 300 suspected Islamic militants have been arrested in Spain since March 11, 2004, after bombs ripped through four Madrid train stations, killing 191 people and injuring nearly 2,000. Roughly 80% of the militants are from the Maghreb, according to a study by Madrid's Elcano Royal Institute. In February, Ayman al-Zawahri, the No. 2 leader in al-Qaeda, called on
Islamic radicals in the Maghreb to "raise the flag of jihad" over North Africa and Spain "to once again feel the soil of al-Andalus beneath your feet." "Al-Andalus" refers to that part of Spain controlled by Islamic forces for seven centuries until their expulsion in 1492.

Spain opens Sephardic cultural center

From the Jerusalem Post:

Spain on Thursday inaugurated a culture institute, "Casa Sefarad Israel" honoring the Sephardic Jews and said it was settling a debt dating back to their expulsion during the Spanish Inquisition.

"Today is a historic day for the Jewish communities, Israel and Spain. With this act we settle a very old debt with Sepharad," said Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. "We're moving on from our own history to confront the present and the future," Moratinos said.

Sephardic Jews are those who trace their origins back to Spain before the expulsion.

After the Inquisition and the edict Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon signed in March 1492 expelling the Jews, attitudes in Spain toward Jews and Judaism were characterized by official religious and political hostility. Most Jews either fled Spain after the royal edict or converted to Roman Catholicism.

Spain: the European Iran

Spain, the first domino, falls. From FrontPage:

Ciempozuelos is a village near Madrid. Excluding punctual scandals – like the major’s recent resignation under charges of corruption – for the 12,768 inhabitants of Ciempozuelos, life is good – and progressive. The Socialist Party PSOE calls the shots, so it was no surprise when the town announced there was not going to be any commemoration of the Holocaust Memorial Day,
which Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Spanish Foreign Minister, likes to say he established in Spain (even though the date was established in the Berlin Accords signed by previous Prime Minister Jose María Aznar in 1995). The townhall will host the Day of the Palestinian Genocide instead, a hate-fest against Israel, Israelis and Jews in general.

Barcelona restoring Jewish quarter

Barcelona is restoring its old Jewish quarter, but the local Jewish community says it’s being shut out of the process. In the Middle Ages, Barcelona’s Jewish community of 4,000 people played an integral role in the city. Acting as a bridge to immigrants from throughout the Mediterranean, the local Jews spoke Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, Catalan, Latin and Arabic.

But in 1391, anti-Jewish riots moved up the Iberian Peninsula. A large number of Barcelona’s Jews were forced out, killed or converted. Six hundred years later, the city is in the process of restoring its old Jewish quarter, known as the Call, renovating 21 buildings and creating an interpretive center. Similar projects have been carried out in other Spanish cities such as nearby Gerona, where Jewish life also flourished.

These programs are part of a government initiative to restore ancient Jewish neighborhoods throughout the country and present them as tourist attractions.

What distinguishes the Barcelona initiative is the presence there of a modern Jewish community numbering about 5,000. Representatives of the city’s Orthodox, Reform and Chabad communities say they are being ignored in the initiative.

Adding to the community’s resentment has been theissue of Montjuic, or “Mountain of the Jews,” in Catalan. Known for its massive sports stadium, which hosted the 1992 Olympic Games, Montjuic also is the location of one of the oldest and largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe, which was used from the ninth to the 14th centuries.

In 2001, more than 500 tombs were discovered during construction on the mountain, but still there are no monuments commemorating its historic importance. A meeting in late November between urban planners andcommunity members addressed Jewish concerns about construction plans that would affect the area where the cemetery lies. Community members at the meeting said some progress had been made in terms of protecting the site and eventually placing a monument there.

Keyword: Archaeology