The Golden Age PDF
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Discover Jewish Civilization Around the Globe The Golden Age of Spain May 26 to June 7, 2016 The Golden Age of Spain Study Tour Led by Jonathan Ray Samuel Eig Associate Professor of Jewish Studies Georgetown University Introduction For over a thousand years, Spain was host to one of the most remarkable and fascinating civilizations in the long history of the Jewish people. This journey though Spain will bring to life the history and culture of the Sephardic Golden Age. We will tour through great cities and charming market towns, grand palaces, and labyrinthine streets of medieval Jewish quarters, with an expert historian and guide who will help put this complex society into historical perspective. We will get to know the great lives and works of luminaries such as Maimonides, Judah Halevi, and Abraham ibn Ezra, and learn why their contributions to Jewish life helped to create the image of a Jewish Golden Age. But we will also go beyond the highlights to get an in depth look at the daily life of average Jews. Even in the best of times, not all Jews were equally prosperous or in agreement on the right way to live. Philosophers argued with mystics, poets with Talmudists, and various clans of wealthy Jewish merchants vied for royal favor. Our journey through Spain will introduce us to this society in all its complexity. We will have the chance to learn about the highlights of the Golden Age, and come to appreciate the special challenges these Jews faced as they struggled to govern themselves and to maintain their religious identity under Muslim and Christian rule. Our discussions of Jewish life in the times of interfaith conflict and cooperation will illuminate the history of the Golden Age, from the revival of the Hebrew language, to the rise of the Spanish Inquisition. In the end, we will come to know the men and women who live centuries ago, but whose lives echo many of the same triumphs and trials that remain central to Jewish life today. 1 Discover Jewish Civilization Around the Globe The Golden Age of Spain May 26 to June 7, 2016 Our study tour will visit the following cities: Barcelona Barcelona was home to one of Spain’s largest and most important Jewish communities, and is the ideal place to begin our exploration of medieval Jewish society. The organized chaos of Jewish politics – from local synagogue boards to the Israeli Knesset – is part of a long, fractious tradition. A visit to Barcelona’s old Jewish Quarter is a great opportunity to talk about the challenge of Jewish self-government, and other aspects of daily life within the medieval Jewish aljama (community). As we walk through the winding streets of the Barcelona’s Gothic neighborhood, we will learn about the powerful clans of Jewish merchants that vied with one another for influence in the Jewish community, and at the royal court. Girona and Besalú While the Jews of Spain often settled in the bustling cities of Barcelona, Granada, and Toledo, many others lived in much smaller towns where they often made up a larger percentage of the population. We will visit Girona, one of Europe’s leading centers of medieval kabbalah, and home to the great rabbinic authority, Nachmanides. Here we will have the chance to stop and consider the varied intellectual landscape of Spanish Judaism, and the way it was shaped by trends in medieval Christianity. From Girona, we will travel to the beautifully preserved town of Besalú, and gain a unique glimpse of medieval Jewish life. Here, we will get a sense of just how Spanish, or in this case, Catalan, Jews actually were. Granada Our exploration of the great cities of Muslim Spain (al-Andalus) begins with a tour of Granada, home of the great courtier and scholar Samuel ha-Nagid. Here we will learn about the golden age of Jewish poetry that characterized Jewish life in al-Andalus, and the way in which theses poets helped produce the first great renaissance of the Hebrew language since biblical times. Granada – Alhambra The great palace complex of the Alhambra, home to the Muslim rulers of Granada, is one of the highlights to any trip to Spain. Its intricate courtyards and graceful gardens evoke the glittering world of the court Jews of al-Andalus, who formed an important part of Muslim political administration for centuries. 2 Discover Jewish Civilization Around the Globe The Golden Age of Spain May 26 to June 7, 2016 Seville If ever there was a place that symbolized the best of times and the worst of times for Spanish Jews, it is the beautiful Andalusian city of Seville. Staying in Seville’s old Jewish Quarter (la judería) will help take us back in time to the age when Jewish poets composed odes to beautiful gardens, women, and other earthly delights. Yet we will also stop and discuss darker aspects of the city’s history. Seville was the site of some of the worst anti-Jewish riots in the Middle Ages. We will learn about the tragic summer of 1391 that led to mass conversions throughout Spain, and the creation of an entire community of “Conversos” who were caught in limbo between Jewish and Christian society. Cordoba We will tour the great Mosque of Cordoba, truly one of the wonders of the medieval world. But Cordoba was also home to the greatest Jewish community in Muslim Spain. Our visit to the Moorish style synagogue and the statue of one of the city’s most celebrated sons – Maimonides – will serve as the setting for our discussion of the unique nature of Sephardic Judaism. Sitting in the charming Casa de Sefarad, we will learn about the way Sephardic sages drew upon sacred and scientific texts, Talmud and philosophy, to create a new means of understanding and enriching the Jewish tradition. Madrid The rise of Converso society in the period following 1391forever altered the course of Spanish Jewish history. A visit to Madrid’s expansive Plaza Mayor, site of grand royal processions, and chilling autos da fé, allows us to consider the nature and lasting legacy of the Spanish Inquisition. Shabbat in Madrid After 500 years, the Jewish community of Spain is now coming to life once again. On Shabbat, we will have the chance to get to meet members of Madrid’s current Jewish community, and learn about what it is like to be a Jew in 21st-century Spain. Toledo Our journey through medieval Spain ends in Toledo, the stronghold of Castilian kings, and one of the most beautifully preserved medieval cities in all of Europe. Toledo was the site of the famed “school of translators” of King Alfonso “The Wise,” and we will learn about the Jewish role as cultural intermediaries between the Muslim and Christian worlds of the Middle Ages. 3 Discover Jewish Civilization Around the Globe The Golden Age of Spain May 26 to June 7, 2016 Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Itinerary Thursday, May 26th – Day 1 – Fly to Spain Fly to Barcelona from Newark Liberty International Airport. Friday, May 27th – Day 2 – Arrival to Spain Afternoon: Transfer to our hotel. Time to freshen up before meeting the study tour team and the other participants at noon. After introductions, we head out for a panoramic tour of Barcelona including Plaza Espana and the Mountain of Montjuic, where the international Exhibition of 1929 was held and where the Olympic Ring (1992) is found, Passeig Maritim with the Columbus monument, the world-famous Las Ramblas, Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona's main avenue and its Modernist Houses designed by Antoni Gaudi. The tour ends with a visit to Gaudi's spectacular expiatory Church of the Sagrada Familia. Afterwards, we will check into the hotel. 4 Discover Jewish Civilization Around the Globe The Golden Age of Spain May 26 to June 7, 2016 Evening: Optional Shabbat services at a local synagogue. We will then go to a local restaurant to have our first Learning Session with Professor Ray on A GOLDEN AGE? THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE IN SPANISH HISTORY before our Welcome Shabbat Dinner. Meals: Welcome Dinner Overnight: Hesperia Presidente, Barcelona Saturday, May 28th – Day 3 – Shabbat in Barcelona Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, there will be optional Shabbat morning services at a local synagogue. Later, we will depart the hotel for a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter. According to archaeological evidence, there was a sizable Jewish community in Catalonia that existed from as early as the beginning of the Common Era. For centuries thereafter, the Jews of Barcelona managed their own local affairs and lived relatively well in their own Jewish Quarter. There we will have our second Learning Session on THE KING’S JEWS – JEWISH STATUS IN MEDIEVAL SPAIN. Afternoon: We will enjoy Shabbat lunch at a restaurant along the way. Walk along the world- famous Las Ramblas, the wide central promenade, with all its wonders, stalls and artists. Evening: At leisure. Meals: Breakfast and Lunch Overnight: Hesperia Presidente, Barcelona Sunday, May 29th – Day 4 – Girona and Besalú Morning: After breakfast, we will have our third Learning Session on GIRONA AND THE RISE OF MEDIEVAL KABBALAH. Afterwards, we will board our motor coach and head to Girona. The city is one of the most important historical sites in Spain and dates back to the 12th century. The highlight of our visit to Girona is a visit to its Jewish Quarter. Afternoon: After lunch on your own, we will see the remains of Medieval Girona, which was famous for its Kabbalists. It was also the home of the great sage Nachmanides, who defended the Jews of Spain in the 13th Century Disputation of Barcelona. 5 Discover Jewish Civilization Around the Globe The Golden Age of Spain May 26 to June 7, 2016 Girona We will then visit Besalú. It is skipped on many tours, but has special significance to our subject. We will go to Casa Astruc were Dr. Ray will present our fourth Learning Session on BEYOND THE CITIES: JEWISH LIFE IN SMALLER COMMUNITIES. We will then discover some of the other archeological sites as well. Evening: After returning to Barcelona, dinner is on your own and the evening is at leisure. Meals: Breakfast Overnight: Hesperia Presidente, Barcelona Monday, May 30th – Day 5 – Granada Morning: After an early breakfast and check out, we will transfer to the airport for our flight to Granada. We will then arrive to Granada, the last stronghold of the Moors before it fell to Isabella and Ferdinand in 1492. 6 Discover Jewish Civilization Around the Globe The Golden Age of Spain May 26 to June 7, 2016 Our day’s touring will include a visit to the Albaycn: Old Moorish Neighborhood, with cozy narrow streets and white charming houses full of local color that has been declared cultural heritage by UNESCO. Afternoon: Lunch on your own, en route. After lunch, we will enjoy our exploration of the meandering streets and the traditional neighborhood with no physical remnants of the Jewish community but with stories that abound. We will then check into the hotel and enjoy our fifth Learning Session on AT THE EDGE OF THE WEST: JEWISH COURTIER CULTURE IN AL-ANDALUS. Dinner on your own and evening at leisure. Evening: Meals: Breakfast Abades Recogidas, Granada Overnight: 7 Discover Jewish Civilization Around the Globe The Golden Age of Spain May 26 to June 7, 2016 Alhambra Palace Tuesday, May 31st – Day 6 – Granada / Seville Morning: After breakfast and check-out, we will visit the fabulous Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens. A specially-licensed guide will take us through this UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the tour, Dr. Ray will conduct a sixth Learning Session on JEWISH LIFE IN CHRISTIAN SPAIN. Afternoon: We will have a boxed lunch en route to Seville, a city that was shaped by both Renaissance and Arabic influences. Evening: At leisure. Meals: Breakfast and a Boxed Lunch Overnight: NH Collection, Seville Wednesday, June 1st – Day 7 – Seville 8 Discover Jewish Civilization Around the Globe The Golden Age of Spain May 26 to June 7, 2016 Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, we will have our seventh Learning Session with Dr. Ray on THE DARKER SIDE OF CONVIVENCIA: PERSECUTION DURING THE GOLDEN AGE. Afterwards, our first stop will be the Alcazar Palace. Then we are off to visit the Great Cathedral, the burial place of Christopher Columbus, and the La Giralda, built in the 12th century whose bell tower became the city's symbol. Afternoon: Lunch on your own, en route. After lunch, we will visit the Santa Cruz neighborhood, formerly Seville's Jewish Quarter, once known as La Juderia, with its winding alleyways and remnants of Jewish life. Evening: Afterwards, there will be free time to explore Seville and have dinner on your own. Meals: Breakfast Overnight: NH Collection, Seville Statue of Maimonides in Cordoba Thursday, June 2nd – Day 8 – Cordoba 9 Discover Jewish Civilization Around the Globe The Golden Age of Spain May 26 to June 7, 2016 Morning: Breakfast and check-out, and then we head to Cordoba, the capital of the Moorish kingdom of al-Andalus. We will visit the world-famous Cathedral-Mosque with its 1,000 colored columns and many additions. Afterwards we will enter the Jewish Quarter, including Plaza Tiberias and the Yehuda Halevi Square. The walking tour will continue to view the Statue of Maimonides and then visit the small Moorish-styled building known as the Maimonides Synagogue. Afternoon: Lunch on your own, en route. We will visit Casa de Sefarad, dedicated to the history of the Sephardic Jews living in Cordoba and Spain prior to the Inquisition and expulsion in 1492, and meet with the people responsible for the creation of this private historical venture in the Jewish Quarter. There we will enjoy our eighth Learning Session with Dr. Ray on POETRY, PHILOSOPHY, AND JUDAISM IN MUSLIM SPAIN. Later, we will check into the hotel and have the late afternoon and evening at leisure. Meals: Breakfast Overnight: Eurostars Palace, Cordoba Prado Museum in Madrid 10
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