the golden age of spain - giltravel · 2018-02-21 · 3 discover jewish civilization around the...

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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


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.

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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


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.

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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.

Evening:

Dinner on your own and evening at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight:

Abades Recogidas, Granada

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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

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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

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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

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Friday, June 3rd – Day 9 – Cordoba / Madrid

Morning: After an early breakfast and check-out, we will travel by bullet train to Madrid.

Our first stop in Madrid will be at one of the world's most renowned art museums,

the Prado.

We will then visit to the Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor to bear witness to the

many auto de-fe's that took place. We will use the setting of the Plaza Mayor for

our ninth Learning Session on THE CONVERSOS AND THE RISE OF THE SPANISH

INQUISITION.

Afternoon: Lunch on our own in the Plaza Mayor. Before heading to our hotel, we will take a

panoramic city tour including Puerta de Alcala, "Alcala Gate", and a monument

in the Plaza de la Independencia, "Independence Square". We will also see Plaza

Colon, known for its unique statues celebrating the voyages of Columbus, view

the magnificent fountains of Poseidon and Cibeles.

We will arrive to the hotel for check-in and time to relax. We will then take the

motor coach to services.

Evening: Kabbalat Shabbat services in Madrid will be hosted by the Bet El Synagogue, a

Masorti congregation founded in 1991. Services will be followed with a festive

Erev Shabbat meal with members of Bet El Synagogue at the synagogue.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Overnight: Nuevo Madrid, Madrid

Saturday, June 4th – Day 10 – Shabbat in Madrid

Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, you are invited to Shabbat morning services at Bet El

Synagogue. Services will be followed by Shabbat lunch and a dialogue with

leaders of Bet El Synagogue.

Afternoon: The afternoon is at leisure.

Evening: Dinner on your own and evening at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch


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Toledo

Sunday, June 5th – Day 11 – Toledo / Madrid

Morning: After breakfasting at the hotel, we will have our tenth Learning Session on

BETWEEN CRESCENT AND CROSS – SPANISH JEWS AS TRANSMITTERS OF

KNOWLEDGE. We will board the motor coach for our ride to Toledo.

It is not by accident that we saved this breathtaking city for the end of our study

tour. Toledo remains much as it was in the 16th century.

Panoramic tour of the city before heading down to the city itself.

Our tour of the city will include the Jewish Quarter, the Samuel Halevi Abulafia

Synagogue - which was turned into a church known as Nuestra Senora del

Tranisito - the Sephardic Museum and the Santa Maria La Blanca Church

(formerly the Grand Synagogue).

Afternoon: We will have lunch on our own, en route. If time permits, we will visit the El Greco

Museum, dedicated to the painter, and the influence his work and personality

had on early 17th century Toledo and the Grand Toledo Cathedral.

We will then return to Madrid for free time for last-minute packing, shopping, or to

relax.

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Evening: We will then gather together at a local restaurant for our eleventh and final

Learning Session AFTER 1492: THE SEPHARDIC LEGACY to wrap up our study tour.

Then we will partake in a festive Farewell Dinner.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner


Monday, June 6th – Day 12 – Departure

Breakfast: After breakfast and check-out, we will transfer to Madrid International Airport for

those who wish to return to the U.S. or travel elsewhere. Arrive in the USA the same

day.

Meals: Breakfast

This Itinerary is subject to change.

Please Note

It may get extremely hot in southern Spain. Please bring a hat and drink water constantly to avoid

dehydration. Also, we will be doing a good deal of walking during the study tour including on

cobblestone streets and climbing stairs. This may be difficult for some.

The Scholar

Jonathan Ray, Ph.D., is the Samuel Eig Associate Professor of Jewish Studies at

Georgetown University. He holds degrees from Tufts University in History and Religion

and a Ph.D. in Jewish History from The Jewish Theological Seminary. Jonathan

specializes in medieval and early modern Jewish history, focusing on the Sephardic

world. He has taught at UCLA, Yale University, Drew University, and The Jewish

Theological Seminary. His research explores the convivencia, or coexistence,

between Christian, Muslim, and Jewish societies in Iberia and throughout the

broader Mediterranean world.

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For Questions and to Register

For Travel Questions and Registration:

Miriam Osman, Travel Consultant

Gil Travel Group in the NYC Office

212-284-6666

[email protected]

For Other Questions:

Moshe Margolin, Director

Jewish Explorations

866-898-0037

[email protected] The Registration Deadline is February 12, 2016

Special Features

• Professor Jonathan Ray will be our Scholar and will present 11 Learning Sessions during

the course of the study tour.

• Sonia Marin will be our Gil Travel Escort throughout the study tour. Guides in Spain are

licensed by region. Sonia will serve as our guide in the Barcelona area and will be joined

by her colleagues in other parts of the country.

Educational Materials

• Pre-Departure Bibliography prepared by Professor Ray.

• Source Book prepared by Professor Ray.

mailto:[email protected]

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Based on a minimum of 20 participants.

$500 deposit required upon registration.

The above prices include:

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International Flights

(Complete Package Only)

FLIGHT DATE FROM/TO DEPARTURE

TIME ARRIVAL TIME

UNITED 120 MAY 26, 2016 NEWARK/BARCELONA 6:50 PM 9:05 AM (MAY 27)

UNITED 965 JUNE 6, 2016 MADRID/NEWARK 11:35 AM 2:15 PM

The experts at the Gil Travel Group stand ready to help with your flights

from departure locations other than Newark Liberty International Airport.

Meals

DATE MEAL

MAY 27 WELCOME DINNER

MAY 31 BOXED LUNCH

JUNE 3 SHABBAT DINNER AT BEIT EL

JUNE 4 SHABBAT LUNCH AT BEIT EL

JUNE 5 FAREWELL DINNER

BREAKFAST DAILY AT THE HOTEL

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Also Includes:

Sightseeing and Transportation

10 days of sightseeing including entrance fees to all sights on itinerary using a deluxe air

conditioned motor coach and the services of an English speaking guide.

Internal Airfare

Flight between Barcelona and Cordoba.

Porterage

1 piece of luggage per person at each hotel and airport.

Tips

Tips to the guides, driver, and chambermaid are included. Tips

for all group meals are included.

Other Special Features

• Gil Travel document kit.

• Bottled water on the bus each day.

Package does not include:

Travel Insurance Provided exclusively by Travelex, purchased through Gil Travel:

http://www.giltravel.com/israel-travel-resources/israel-travel-insurance.html











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Meals

Lunches and dinners not mentioned in itinerary.

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic beverages are not included and will be billed per consumption.

Guests Guests for meals are not included and will be billed at the end of the trip.

Personal Expenses

All personal expenses including souvenirs, laundry services, valet service, phone calls, etc. are

not included in the package price.

SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

• $500 deposit per person due with application by February 12, 2016.

• Balance due 60 days prior to departure – March 25, 2016

CANCELLATION POLICY • Cancellations received up to January 20, 2016– forfeit $100.00 per person

• January 21 –March 24, 2016- $500.00 per person will be assessed

• March 25-April 22, 2016- $2,000.00 per person will be assessed

• April 23, 2016 to departure – no refund

© 2015 Gil Travel Group and Adult Jewish Learning Programs | All Rights Reserved |

Reproduction without permission is prohibited by law.

the golden age of spain - giltravel · 2018-02-21 · 3 discover jewish civilization around the...

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