Spain

Jews arrived in Spain and Portugal in the wake of the Roman conquest and expulsion of Jews in Judea (and the destruction of the 2nd Temple) - and possibly even before. Their fortunes rose and fell under Roman, Visigoth, Christian, Moslem and again Christian rule. Despite some very dark periods, the 'Golden Age of Spain' (880's to 1060's) under the Moors gave rise to Jewish leadership in commerce, finance, literature, philosophy, and especially medicine. This was also a time of great Jewish scholarship giving rise to codes and commentaries that are still studied today. They developed a dialect of Spanish and Hebrew called Ladino, with its own literature and script.

As many as half a million Jews lived in Spain and Portugal in the year 1300. Under Christian rule anti-Semitism increased with restrictions, yellow badges, taxation, and pogroms. The persecution and massacres of 1366 and 1391 led to mass conversions. Synagogues were changed into Churches. Many converted, at least publicly. Some of the 'conversos' rose to positions of influence. Others had to prove their loyalty to Christianity in the Inquisition, through torture or trial by fire. Finally, in 1492, Ferdinand & Isabella, king and queen of Spain, ordered all Jews expelled from the kingdom. As many as 100,000 who had not already left the country, and who had not converted, left Spain by Tish'a B'Av 1492 and Portugal in 1497. As they spread to Mediterranean countries and beyond, they were known as 'Sepharadim', Jews from Sepharad/Spain.

Evidence of Jewish life in Spain before the expulsion in 1492.

Toledo.Synagogue.de la Blanca Spain honored the La Blanca synagogue on a stamp in 1965. The building has been beautifully restored and is now a museum.	Toledo.synagogue.St. Maria The Jewish community of Toledo was perhaps the earliest and certainly one of the largest. Fortunes rose and fell under Visigoths, Christians, Moslems, Berbers and Christians again. R' Moshe ibn Ezra, Rabeinu Asher, and R' Yakov Ba'al Haturim lived here and it was a major center of learning. Yosef ben Shoshan built this synagogue in 1203 but after the expulsion it became a church dedicated to St. Mary the White - 'Santa Maria de la Blanca'. Its Moorish arches are its most distinctive feature.	Toledo.synagogue.El Transito The exterior of the El Transito synagogue is rather imposing and shows that Don Samuel was comfortable showing his status and wealth. It is located in the old Juderia but must have attracted attention. Don Samuel was later accused of treason and tortured to death.
Toledo.synagogue El Transito Built by Don Samuel HaLevy Abulafia, the kings wealthy treasurer in 1357, this is the 3rd remaining synagogue in Spain. It is called 'El Transito by Christians, who used it as a church after the expulsion. These synagogues are built in Mudejar style, by Moorish craftsmen and reflect that ornate and geometric style. We see where the Torah scrolls were kept in the three niches.	El Transito.detail The decorations are ornate, up to the ceiling. Large sculptured letters in Hebrew and Arabic remain after all these years. The arms of the Spanish king appear, but the Arabic shows what culture Jews identified with. These letters are a quote from Psalms 84:5.	Cordoba.synagogue One of 3 remaining original synagogues in Spain is this one in Cordoba. Refurbished in 1315 but of course abandoned to other uses after the expulsion. This is Maimonides territory and it was restored in 1985 to mark the 850th anniversary of his birth. Small in size, with a niche for the ark on the East. Here we see above the entrance the women's gallery.
Rambam & Juderia Near the Cordoba synagogue, in the Jewish Quarter ('Juderia') stands a statue in tribute to the great RAMBAM (Maimonides) - Torah scholar, philosopher and physician, who was born here in 1135. But he fled before the conquering Almohads to Morocco, died in Egypt, and is buried in Tiberias.	Seville.Street of Jews Seville was one of the 4 major Jewish communities in Spain (along with Toledo, Cordoba & Barcelona). Its history follows a familiar pattern of relative calm under the Moslems, turbulence due to wars with Christians, and eventual persecution and expulsion. Jews were accomplished in commerce, law, banking, and medicine. Pictured is the main street of the Juderia, the Jewish quarter. These names stuck centuries after there were no openly practicing Jews in the country.	Cordoba.Dirham.Ibn ShaprutP1030612 This is an Arab dirham from the Umayyad dynasty in Spain. The ruler was Abd el Rahman III (912-961). His faithful minister was the scholar, physician, and diplomat Hasdai ibn Shaprut, a wealthy, learned, and multi-talented Jew. Among other things he was in charge of the finances of customs and ports. This was the coin of the realm in his day. This side reads: 'There is no G-d but Allah He is alone Has no partner' and the mint and date.
Dirham.Ibn Shaprut "Allah is one, eternal, did not beget and was not begotten" - slogans to counteract claims of Trinity by the Christians. Ibn Shaprut was a linguist, a patron of science, poetry, and Yeshiva learning.	Sepharad.Ferdinand & Isabella A silver 1 Real coin of King Ferdinand & Queen Isabella of Spain. They reigned together from 1474 until 1504 when she died. As queen of Castile & King of Aragon they united Spain. Fervently Catholic, they instituted the Edict of Expulsion that forced Jews to convert or leave the country in 1492. Their names read 'Fernandus et Elisab'. The coat of arms shows the colors of 2 kingdoms united under one crown.	Spanish Real They are also remembered for subjugating the last Moslem Moors in the country, and also for sponsoring Christopher Columbus' expedition to the new world. The mint mark 'B' is from Burgos, a city in the north with a significant Jewish history until the expulsion. The symbols in the middle are a yoke and arrows, in Spanish 'Yugo' and 'Flechas', which begin with the same letters as 'Y'sabel and 'F'erdinand.
Spain.Sefarad routes In 1997 - 98 Spain issued 2 sets of stamps commemorating the Sephardic Jewish presence in the country. Pictured are several synagogues, 2 former Jewish Quarters, and Binyamin of Tudela, Spanish traveler who visited and reported on many far-flung Jewish communities.	Portugal.synagogue.Castelo de Vide Many Jews who fled Spain in 1492 came to nearby Portugal, although that refuge expelled them only 5 years later. This synagogue is the oldest in Portugal, dating to the 1400s. It's in the small town of Castelo de Vide. The stone building looked like an ordinary house on the block. It was restored in 2006 and this stamp issued in 2010.	Portugal.Illuminated.Genesis Manuscript illumination was a major Jewish art form in the middle ages. The workshop in Lisbon produced this 3 volume work of the entire Jewish bible. The scribe is named at the end: Samuel ben Samuel ibn Musa. Completed in 1482. The Lisbon Bible is famous for its excellence of manuscript & beautiful decorations. This one is a facsimile of the original, which is in the British Library. Numerous stages were involved in its production: layout, scoring, lettering, notes, and decorations.
Portugal.Illum.Micrography Micrography is an art form that creates images with artful lines of fine lettering. This page appears at the end of the 5 Books of the Torah. It lays down guidelines regarding musical notes and signs that are used to punctuate the text. This magnificent book was completed only 14 years before its owners fled Portugal, thankfully taking this treasure with them. Many others were no doubt lost.	Portugal.Illuminated.Mitzvot Hebrew printing was introduced in the 1480's but wealthy patrons commissioned these beautiful hand-made works of art for their homes. At the beginning of the book appears a list of the 613 Mitzvot in the order of their mention in the Bible. This is the first of those pages.	Portugal.Jewish heritage.stamps In 2004 Portugal issued this set of stamps to celebrate the heritage of the (long expelled) Jewish community. Pictured are items from the Portugal National Library. Two on the bottom are illustrations from the fabulous Cervera bible which was hand lettered and illuminated in 1300. A manuscript of Maimonides' Mishne Torah and other famous artifacts are shown.
Spain.stamps 2 sets