Dawn Ponders: It's Not Easy Being a Jew in Spain

There are churches on every corner here in Madrid. Literally. Every single corner. The Spanish are certainly pious members of the faithful. We took a quick jaunt up to the roof of our hotel last evening, and I lost count of the number of spires I could see. Churches churches everywhere and not a synagogue in sight. There are obvious historical reasons for the lack of Jewish presence, but it really is remarkable how powerful The Church's reach is here.

Spain is one of the seats of Sephardic Jewish culture, so we were anxious to visit whatever sites and historical landmarks we could find on this journey. There really was a time when Christians, Muslims, and Jews all lived together here in peaceful coexistence, but like so many other times in our history, we were marginalized, ostracized, beaten, tortured, and finally expelled. We knew that we had to make our way to Toledo to find some of that long-buried Jewish heritage.

We met our guide, Irene, at the train station on the outskirts of the town for our walking tour of Toledo. It is an ancient and medieval city with high walls and fed by the river Tajo. At various times in its existence, it has been ruled by Visigoths, Romans, Muslims, Jews, and Catholics. The city is known as the "City of Three Cultures" because all three major religions are well-represented in the symbols and ancient buildings. I need to say that there was excitement mixed with a palpable discomfort. We asked Irene how many Jews still reside in this town of 86,000 citizens and her reply was a stunning 4. We literally doubled the Jewish population of Toledo today by our mere presence. Jews established themselves in Toledo as early as the fourth century, although Jews may have settled in the area even before Roman times. The very narrow and cobblestoned streets are filled with archeological remains and found documents that have made this town one of the most important Jewish quarters in all of Europe. We saw remnants of old mikvah in an excavated home and a basement of another abode that could very well have served as a secret synagogue, complete with mikvah. An excavation of one wall revealed a remnant of a Torah scroll with the Song of the Sea. The archeologists have surmised that whoever put it there, might have wanted to remember their own exodus from a place of bondage to a land of freedom. While Jews coexisted quite well here with their Muslim brothers, the influx of Catholics was another matter altogether. The domination was total and ruthless. They constructed a monastery on the site of the demolished mosque. There is a belief that there might have been at least eleven synagogues in the walled city. Several foundations have been unearthed, but so far, only two are identifiable.

The Synagogue de Santa María la Blanca is one of the oldest in Europe and was built in an oriental style very similar to a mosque. The builders probably used architects from Muslim projects. After the expulsions, the synagogue was converted into a church, but today stands as a testament of resilience. El Tránsito Synagogue was built by Samuel Leví. A treasurer to the king, he was afforded great power and wealth. Even though Jews were limited in their professional choices at this time, Samuel Leví managed to get this synagogue built through his close personal relationship with King Pedro. The rich plasterwork in the sanctuary survived its eventual conversion to a church. When we queried Irene about why Hebrew Psalms are adorning the walls, she said, "We Spaniards are a very lazy people. Since nobody could understand the Hebrew anyway, they left it alone." Thank God for Spanish sloth. El Tránsito houses the Jewish Museum of Toledo which seems to serve as an educational hub for tourists. It felt bizarre to wander by Jewish artifacts like channukiyot and tallitot and realize that other people in the room were treating Jewish existence as if it were a part of a forgotten history. It was unnerving.

This is a place that is a must-visit on your Spanish itinerary. It is lovely, fascinating, and vital in our quest to keep Sephardic Judaism alive.

A few random thoughts.

We managed both the crazy metro system and the Renfe trains. There were myriad ways we could have ended up in Barcelona today. We actually made it Toledo without a hitch.
Irene wasn't just a wonderful and knowledgeable guide, she is also really cute. I know this because The Husband mentioned it at least three times.
We paid the four euros to see the most magnificent painting by El Greco, who made his home in Toledo. I am not usually a fan of artworks from this period, but El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz was absolutely worth our time and cash. If you find yourself in this part of the world, check it out. It is so beautiful.
Miguel Cervantes seemed to have spent a great deal of time here. While there is no evidence that he actually wrote Don Quixote in Toledo, the locals like to pretend that he did. He has a large and playful likeness in the Plaza de Zocodover and a statue at the city entrance. I can't think of another Cervantes work. That seems odd.
There are several markers throughout the Jewish Quarter that resemble menorahs, chais, or a stylized "sefarad" in Hebrew text. The city decided to mark the Jewish Quarter but there is no logic to their placement. Irene told me that one of her clients asked if they were WiFi symbols. I told you all that Judaism is a vanished culture here that is only found in museums.
All photos today are credited to The Husband.