PUBLICATIONS

Leon publishes a triptych on the Jewish Route.

As part of the project of dissemination of information about the municipal patrimony, the Council of Patrimony of the City Council of Leon has recently published a triptych entitled: The Jewish Route. It covers the area occupied, in the Middles Ages, by the Jewish quarter in Leon. The quarter was located to one end of the medieval town and founded outside of the old Roman walled enclosure; it was inhabited mostly by members of the nobility and church. Unfortunately, no buildings from the area have survived, although its mark can be followed these days with clarity in the layout of its streets and the naming of some places (Prado de los Judios, meadow of the Jews, and Postigo de los Judios, gate of the Jews). We trust, however, that the archaeological excavations that are being carried out in the area will soon provide remains pertaining to this Jewish quarter.
On 30th April, the magazine entitled Entrelineas will be presented in this city. It will be published in Israel and coordinated by the writer of Sephardic origin Margalit Matitiahu. This publication is distributed all over the Spanish-speaking world and on this occasion it will be dedicated to the writers from Leon, in tribute to the Leonine origin of this writer.
In addition, the cookery book La cocina judia (Jewish Cooking) by Uriel Macias will be presented on 15th April at 7:30 pm in the Cervantes Bookstore in Oviedo.

THE EUROPEAN ROUTES OF JEWISH HERITAGE

The European project is presented

The project of the European Routes of Jewish Heritage is a unique example of putting together experiences from many walks of life, for a common goal shared by all, the preservation and the promotion of Jewish heritage as a European heritage.



The creation of an European Routes of Jewish Heritage is important in itself, in order to enhance, maintain and develop the rich heritage and the scattered initiatives that was left over from the past. However this heritage must not only be preserved only for the past itself, as a leftover from Europe´s history in different regions. It must also be used as an educational tool, by teaching the customs and traditions of the Jewish people as a minority, which has lived in Europe for two thousand years.



The European network which organises the European Day of Jewish Culture is made up of four partner organisations. These organisations are Agence de Développement Touristique du Bas-Rhin, B´nai B´rith Europe, European Council of Jewish Communities and Red de Juderias de España - Caminos de Sefarad.



Agence de Développement Touristique du Bas-Rhin (Agency for Developpment of Tourism of the Bas-Rhin in Alsace). The ADT developed a programme to highlight and promote Jewish heritage in Alsace entitled Discovering Judaism in Alsace and raised it to the level of a priority subject supported by the General Council of the Bas-Rhin. In this framework the ADT launched the Open Days in 1996 and in response to the growing and repeated success of the event decided to broaden the project to the whole of France and Europe.



B´nai B´rith Europe. B´nai B´rith Europe is a Jewish association that intends to humanitarian and social aid and is present in 27 countries. It has the non-governmental organisation status. B´nai B´rith means Son of the Alliance, the concept of alliance is a key concept in the Bible and in Judaism. B´nai B´rith Europe pursues the action initiated by the Strasbourg branch and intends to spread it to its entire network. It mobilises many volunteers.



European Council of Jewish Communities (ECJC). ECJC is a federation of European Jewish communities and of Non Governmental Jewish Organisations and consists of 58 members across 37 European countries. This network is active in the fields of social welfare, education, culture, communities development and in restitution matters. ECJC takes an active role in broadening the European Day of Jewish Culture throughout Europe.



Red de Juderias de España - Caminos de Sefarad. This Route of Judaism in Spain is a cultural and touristy network that brings together 18 Spanish towns. Each of these towns has highlighted its ancient Jewish heritage and manages a programme of animations, tours and training. This network has actively participated in the organisation of various events since 1999.



Font: http://www.jewisheritage.org/route/index.php

More Information: http://www.jewisheritage.org/route/index.php/

LA CONVERSA DE HERVAS

Solly Wolodarsky´s play is performed in Hervas

The Jewish quarter of Hervas was the place for performing the play La judia de Hervas, by Solly Wolodarsky, directed by Miguel Nieto and Isabel Castro. The theatre performances took place on July 11th, 12th and 13th.

BOOK REVIEWS: ROUTES THROUGH THE JEWISH HERITAGE

New editions

- Martine Berthelot: Jewish Route Narbonne-Girona, Sources, 2002.
Martine Berthelot (Samuel Toledano Award 2002 - Jerusalem) is lecturer in Jewish Studies at the University of Perpignan. This books recalls the routes taken between Narbonne and Girona by Jews in the course of history, from the Middle Ages through to the final Walter Benjamin\\\'s trip. The texts of the present edition are in Catalan, French and English.
- Ruth Ellen Gruber: Virtually Jewish: reinventing Jewish culture in Europe, University of California Press, 2002.
The author of Jewish Heritage Travel examines the present-day Jewish culture in Europe. She travels through Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy to observe the phenomenon of the virtual Jewish culture more than half a century after the Holocaust. This book describes the redefinition of European identity in places where Jewish culture once flourished, but Jews are no longer to be found or are very few in number. - Ramon Alberch: Jewry Guide of Girona, Certeza: Ajuntament de Girona, 2003.
This is a recent reedition of the work of the archivist and historian Ramon Alberch, the first popular book to inform us of Girona\\\'s Jewish Community. The Jewry guide is a sort of historical route through the maze of narrow, hilly streets that make up this important Jewish quarter. The book is a journey through a period of more than five centuries, from the arrival of the first Jewish families to the expulsion of 1492.

SEPHARDIC EVENING IN CÓRDOBA

Córdoba hosted the Jewish New Year with a nice Sephardic dinner

27 September (Tishri 1): After the successful celebration of the European Day of Jewish Culture in Córdoba, more than two hundred people, divided into four groups, visited the Jewish Quarter of Córdoba and its unique synagogue. Córdoba commemorated the entrance of the new Jewish year (Rosh Hashanah) with an evening of delicious Sephardic food. Each plate of the supper was delicious and there was no lack of kosher wine. The evening was further brightened up with a brilliant concert of Klezmer music.

More Information: turismo@ayuncordoba.es

EXCAVATIONS IN THE JEWISH QUARTER IN LEON

The excavations in the Jewish quarter of Puente Castro continue.

Archaeological excavations are once again taking place in the Jewish quarter of the Puente Castro district, which is also known as Castro de los Judios (Castle of the Jews). The digs are lead by professors Jose Luis Avello and Jorge Sanchez-Lafuente. The abandoned area has been the object, for several years, of a systematic excavation by a team from the University of Leon. The City Council of Leon has provided the human, material and economic resources necessary to carry out the work. The work done, up until now, has made it possible to glimpse the great possibilities - scientific as well as dissemination of the patrimony - that come together at the site. Being aware of this circumstance, the Council of Patrimony, in collaboration with Culture and Tourism, has decided to make a clear commitment to the social, cultural and tourist possibilities of Castro de los Judios, remembering that the best way to raise public awareness on the defence and protection of the patrimony consists in making it known so that it is valued, protected and enjoyed, which will make this patrimony an educational and cultural resource for a certain part of the community.
One of the first results of this collaboration will soon be the signing of a collaboration agreement between the City Council of Leon (Council of Patrimony) and the University of Leon for the purpose of establishing the conditions that regulate the development of the archaeological excavations.
Likewise, within the strategic plans of this council, an Archaeological Classroom and a Interpretation Centre will be created in the old church of Santo Tomas de Canterbury, located in the city centre of Puente Castro. In this way, there will be a suitable exhibition area in which to develop a route of the history, society and Hispanic-Jewish culture, its implantation in the city of Leon (Aljamas of the district of San Martin-Santa Ana and Puente Castro) and in the rest of the province where there are up to 23 known Jewish quarters (Sahagún, Astorga, Valderas, Cea, etc.), as well as in other Hispanic kingdoms.
Information will also be included on the Sephardic world, and the importance of the Way of St James will be remembered and special emphasis placed on the relevance that it implied for Puente Castro and Leon.

More Information: www.aytoleon.com; E-mail: victrix@telefonica.net

PUBLICATION OF THE SEFER HA-ZOHAR OR THE BOOK OF SPLENDOUR

The City Council of León will collaborate on a new edition of the Sefer ha-Zohar.

The City Council of León, in collaboration with the publishing company, El Lobo Sapiens, plans to publish in 2004 an edition of the most important Cabalistic work entitled Sefer ha-Zohar or The Book of Splendour, written by the Jewish Spaniard and Cabalist who was born in our city, Moshe ben Shem Tov Of Leon (1240-1305), better known as Moses de Leon.

More Information: http://www.aytoleon.com

MUSIC FOR PEACE FESTIVAL

The festival Music for Peace will be held in Leon from 17th to 23rd May

The festival Music for Peace will be held in Leon from 17th to 23rd May as part of the activities included in JACOBEO 2004. Soloists and musical groups from the three cultures, Moslem, Christian and Jewish, will participate. Participants from the latter will include: Sheva, a modern music group, Emil Zrihan, who plays religious music, and the Classical Orchestra of Nazareth.

More Information: www.aytoleon.com; E-mail: victrix@telefonica.net