A Trip to Sefarad

This week’s parasha Ma’asei begins with a detailing of our people’s many journeys. I must say that the cantors trip to Spain that we took part in this summer -- with 50 cantors and another 280 congregants from all over the country, felt a bit like moving B’nei Yisrael through the wilderness (although the nine air-conditioned buses did help quite a bit!).

The Cantors Assembly organized what was, actually, a very rich and educational trip to the Jewish sites of Old Spain. We stood in the famous Alhambra, where the 1492 edict to expel Spain’s Jews was announced. We sang in ancient synagogues, prayed together, concertized, visited the remnants of the old Jewish quarters, and made our presence known. And it was really wonderful sharing these experiences with several of our VBS friends who joined us on the trip. 

So, who are the Jews of Spain today? Until the mid-seventies, the majority of Madrid's Jews were Sephardic, of Moroccan origin. Thanks to post-Franco religious freedom, a 1976 military coup in Argentina, and economic strife in subsequent decades, thousands of Argentinean Jews have settled in Spain, although most are unaffiliated. Estimates are of around 60,000 Jews in all of Spain. 

In Madrid we met with leaders of Comunidad Masortí Bet-El, the budding Conservative community of that city, and learned about their challenges to re-establish a foothold in the land where we once flourished. Their biggest challenge may surprise you. You may recall that in the book of Genesis (chapter 23), the first land owned by a Jew was established by Abraham’s purchase of a gravesite for his wife Sara. After all, you can’t establish a Jewish community without a Jewish cemetery. Similarly, getting land grants or permits for a cemetery in Madrid has proven exceedingly difficult for the Conservative community there (although a highly restricted Orthodox cemetery does exist). To grow and thrive, these Jews need public support and funding in order to get the wheels of Spanish bureaucracy turning, and to overcome still-present biases in this overwhelmingly Catholic country. 

After visiting Granada, Cordoba and Seville, Michelle and I went on alone to the beautiful little town of Segovia where we stayed in a hotel housed in a 13-century building. Just down the block we visited an ancient synagogue (now a church) and ate at the “Juderia” restaurant. It is remarkable to see how Spain is honoring its Jewish past and frankly admitting the cruel excesses of the Inquisition and the heartlessness of the Jewish expulsion. It’s amazing to see small plaques embedded in the walkways with the word “Sefarad” written on them in Hebrew, designating what once was a Jewish quarter or historical site. 

And yet, there is a museum-like feeling to these Jewish areas. Here there once was a synagogue; here a Jewish home. Over there a Jewish quarter once thrived. Once we thrived in Spain, raised children, conducted trade and advised the powerful. Historical footnotes, which make one reflect on the importance of holding fast to the remarkable era of Jewish independence we currently live in. 

Please join me after Shabbat morning services on November 19 when I plan to share photos and many more stories of our trip to Spain.