Am Yisrael Hai
By Ariel Blacher
We
began our journey to Spain on Sunday June 29th. We were very conflicted to leave Israel at
such a critical time in our country’s conscience. Yet, the tickets were booked
and plans had been made. So, we decided to continue with our original plan and
travel to Spain, with somewhat bated breath.
One of
the criteria of our trip was to educate our children regarding the historical
significance of Spain for our Jewish people. The kids have learned about the Spanish Inquisition of 1492 in Jewish History lessons throughout
their school careers. Yet, we wanted the kids to tour the towns,
and learn the history of the Jews living in this area.
We
travelled to Toledo by train. We met our
tour guide, Shlomo(www.jewishtoledotour.com), at the historic Toledo train
station. The station itself is a work of
art. High ceilings, ancient chandeliers, and beautiful stain glass windows
adorn the station. It is a work of art.
Our
first stop, was to a panoramic view of the Old City of Toledo. The view was breathtaking. There, our tour guide , Shlomo
(www.jewishtoledotours.com), gave us a brief history of the city. There is mention of this area being settled from
the time of the Roman Empire. Yet, this area was clearly first settled during
the Visgoth rule. The Visgoths converted
to Christianity, and then the Muslims conquered the area. In the time of the Crusades, the Christians
re-conquered the area, and kept strategic control of the are.
The Jews settled into the area, and called it Taltulya , which is Hebrew for
wandering, for the Jews were
dispersed from Jerusalem , and wandered
to this land.[1]
Here, these Jews created a hub of life.
The city was complete with synagogues, a Jewish Castle (essentially a
Jewish community center), ritual baths, kosher butcher lane, and more. Jews lived as merchants, jewelrs, butchers,
rabbis, tailors, and more in this small town.
Originally,
the Jews maintained peace with the rulers of the area. The Muslim leadership had a quiet
understanding with the Jews of allowing them to worship freely. When the Christians took control of the area,
originally the same peaceful worshiping practices applied. Yet, by the early 1200’s there were
ordinances made upon the Jews. By the
mid-1300’s, Jews were ordered to wear yellow bands in order to show their
identity in the common public areas.
(Note: It is entirely possible that the Nazis took this history, and
used it to their benefit when making Jews wear yellow Jewish star armbands
during WWII).
Eventually,
the Jews were singled out as infidels and were tortured for not believing in
Christianity. Jews were told to either
convert to Christianity, or to leave Spain.
Many Jews were tortured during this horrific time in our history. Main leaders of the community, such as Shmuel
HaLevi (a prominent businessman at the time), were tormented and eventually brutally
killed for their belief in Judaism. Many
of these horrific crimes occurred in the Main Square of the town, with the
entire community forced to watch the torturous torment. The gate near this Square is called The Blood
Gate, due to this horrific fact.
It
should be noted that those who chose to convert were called “Muranos”. Yet, this term is considered derogatory. It literally means “pig.” These people prefer to be called “conversos”,
which literally means “converts”. To
this day, many stores hang pig legs in their shops in order to prove that they
readily eat pork. For, it is known that
Jews are forbidden to do so.
As
we walked throughout the streets of Toledo, there was a feeling of familiarity
for me. I am not of Sephardic descent, I
am an Ashkenazi Jew. Yet, my father recently had a genetic testing
done for a genealogical study. His
genetic report clearly stated Sephardic descent. It is no wonder that my father is often
confused for someone of Italian or Hispanic descent. So, I would not be entirely surprised if my
father’s family migrated from Spain to Eastern Europe.
As
we passed by a store, Josh quickly said to me, “Ariel, look into that store…you
look like the salesperson!” Sure enough,
she had my dark brown eyes, chocolate curly hair (mine is usually covered for
Orthodox reasons), and round face. She
could have been my cousin! My kids often
joke that they will marry Sephardim. Ah…but
now we know that we also have a drop of Sephardic blood, too!
Throughout
our tour, I felt as if I was walking through familiar alleys. The Jewish Quarter reminds one of the
cobblestone streets of Jerusalem or Safed.
It is hard to imagine that people rode donkeys and horses throughout these
narrow alleyways! And, people continue
to drive cars throughout them today!
As
we left Toledo, I was enamored with a sense of identity and purpose. I am so proud of my Jewish identity. I am proud that my people, despite the odds,
have continued to thrive. Spain was not
the only country to create ordinances against us. Yet, we survived! We continue to be graced
with G-d’s great light. Even in times of
darkness we are guided to survive the pain, and continue towards a better
future.
It
is with a heavy heart that when we returned to our hotel, we received messages
from Israel that Eyal, Naftali and Gil-Ad were found dead, near Hebron. No one can comprehend the pain the families
of these boys have suffered these past two weeks. And, now, the collective pain that an entire
nation currently suffers along with them.
If we have learned anything from this terrible ordeal, it is that we are
Jewish brethren that must unite against evil forces. And, despite the darkness, we will survive,
and thrive. From the time of Queen
Isabel and King Ferdinand, until now we have made it clear that we are a
stubborn people. We will not let this
terror scare us. We will rise to the
occasion, and use this as our strength for generations to come. Am
Yisrael Hai! And in the words of Rabbi Lau (Chief Rabbi of Israel), we are Am Echad, V’Lev Echad (One nation, one
soul).
1. [1]
Abrabanel's Commentary
on the First Prophets (Pirush Al Nevi'im Rishonim), end of II
Kings, p. 680, Jerusalem 1955 (Hebrew). See also Shelomó ibn Verga in Shevet
Yehudah, pp.6b-7a, Lemberg 1846 (Hebrew)
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