Newsletter
July 06, 2007Presentation
Dear Reader,
Once again we thank you for your interest and we send you the newsletter of the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters. You will find in it information about the most important and significant events and activities of the last three months: those planned and organized directly by our own association as well as those we get informed of by other public or private organisations, and whose interest is such as we are very pleased to help to spread.
At its recent general assembly, the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters has evaluated the work carried out during the last year, with 253 activities that have been held during 2006, which represents a 30% increase in activities in comparison to the year before, and an average of 7 activities per town. We are sure that this work will contribute to the recognition and comprehension of the diversity of our cultural spectrum, past and present.
Even though we don't evaluate our expectations in terms of number of events but in terms of their quality, we are proud to acknowledge the involvement of the towns and the acceptation we receive from you all, and we hope to continue in this direction during the next years. With municipal elections just been held on May 27th, we look forward to this next stage of development of the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters.
Assumpció Hosta
Secretaria General
Once again we thank you for your interest and we send you the newsletter of the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters. You will find in it information about the most important and significant events and activities of the last three months: those planned and organized directly by our own association as well as those we get informed of by other public or private organisations, and whose interest is such as we are very pleased to help to spread.
At its recent general assembly, the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters has evaluated the work carried out during the last year, with 253 activities that have been held during 2006, which represents a 30% increase in activities in comparison to the year before, and an average of 7 activities per town. We are sure that this work will contribute to the recognition and comprehension of the diversity of our cultural spectrum, past and present.
Even though we don't evaluate our expectations in terms of number of events but in terms of their quality, we are proud to acknowledge the involvement of the towns and the acceptation we receive from you all, and we hope to continue in this direction during the next years. With municipal elections just been held on May 27th, we look forward to this next stage of development of the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters.
Assumpció Hosta
Secretaria General
News
New object in Girona's Museum of the History of the Jews
The Patronat Call de Girona buys a Torah case in the United States
Torah case, of Sephardic origin, with cylindrical shape. The outside of the case is crafted in floral motives, with inscriptions and representations of sacred places of the Holy Land (synagogues of Hurvat R. Yehudah Ha-Chasid and Tiferet Israel, the West Wall and Rachel's tombstone). The crown or upper part of the case is encrusted with oval-shaped semi-precious stones. On the inside there are dedications, written with ink on paper, informing about the person who had donated the object to the community or synagogue.There are only few similar objects around the world, especially with regard to its Sephardic origin. It is a very interesting piece of art, as well because of its source and origin, as because of the peculiarity of its craftsmanship and good state of conservation. It is of great interest to the Museum of Jewish History to exhibit such an object, since, according to documents kept at the Girona archives, the synagogues of Girona in the Middle Ages had cases similar to this one to keep the Torah scrolls.This is the latest acquisition, made last December 2006, of the Municipal Board "Patronat Call de Girona" for the Museum of Jewish History. The Torah case is on exhibition at the Museum room number fourth.
More Information: girona@redjuderias.org
Jewish Film series
Oviedo
The II series of Jewish Film took place between April, 9th to April 13th, with the showing of five movies: "El hombre de la lluvia"; "La novia Siria"; "Una carroza verde"; "Ushpizin" y "Sunshine".
The cycle was held in the Convention Centre 'Principe Felipe' and gathered more than 300 people, being so sucessful that the organizers want to hold it in a bigger place next year.
The event was organized by the Concejalía de Turismo y Congresos, with the collaboration of the Comunidad Israelita del Principado de Asturias and the Israel Embassy.
More Information: oviedo@redjuderias.org
Conference Memory and Exile and
Delivered by Esther Bendahan Cohen, winner of the Tigre Juan Prize 2006
During her visit to Oviedo, where she also received the prize "Tigre Juan" for her novel "La cara de Marte", the Sephardic writer Esther Vendan offered a lecture on "Memory and Exile" in the Convention Centre "Príncipe Felipe" in Oviedo.Mrs. Bedahan presents the TVE show "Shalom" about Sephardic culture, and on this occasion she also recorded some parts for two shows that will be broadcasted in June.
More Information: oviedo@redjuderias.org
Historical signposting in Barcelona's Jewish quarter
Inauguration in June
During the first half of July the historical signposting of the Jewish Quarter ("Call") will be inaugurated in Barcelona.
This signposting consists of nine information-plaques, which contain a general explanation of a street or site, and what they had been during the Middle Ages, as well as more detailed locations to make the tour of the several sites of interest easier.
It's design is based on the already existing model for the Roman Route, but it features certain peculiarities due to the fact that a significant amount of elements to be signposted are assembled within a comparatively small space.
The locations of the signs are marked on the map. Eight of them belong to the "Call Mayor", and one to the "Call Menor". The design was made according to the same criteria as already existing signposting for other routes, like the roman or medieval. There are, however, some differences which enables distinguishing the different routes:
- The colour blue has been used for inscriptions and silk-screen drawings, as well as for the background of the accompanying folder.
- The letter "C" (for "Call") has been used for its identification, paired with a route number.
- The explanation comes in three languages: Catalan, Spanish and English
- The signposting comes with a supporting folder, also in blue, whose texts are complementing the information on the boards.
- The signs feature the logos of the City Council of Barcelona and the "Museo de Historia de la Ciudad", as well as the logo of the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters. The latter tells the visitor that he/she is in a city belonging to the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters
More Information: barcelona@redjuderias.org
New gastronomy section in the web site
Cultural information and Jewish recipes
The Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters' web site will have, shortly, a new section on gastronomy and Jewish culture, with information about the festivities and culinary traditions, written by the well-known Mrs. Débora Chomsky, doctore in History and Anthropology of the Foods.
We offer you a preview of this section, which will be available very soon and will have Jewish recipes regularly updated.
"Shavu'ot or Pentecost is a spring celebration imbued with a profound spiritual meaning. It commemorates the presentation of the Torah (‘Pentateuch’, the Book that contains the Ten Commandments) to the people of Israel. In the Bible it has also been an agricultural celebration and a day of pilgrimage to the Temple of Jerusalem. It is celebrated on the days 6 and 7 of the month of Sivan of the Hebraic Calendar (May 22nd and 23rd of the Christian calendar this year).
The name “Shavu'ot”, which means ‘weeks’ in Hebrew, alludes to the seven weeks that separate this celebration from “Pesah”, the Jewish ‘Eastern’. This period is a time of spiritual preparation to receive the Torah, our Law, our universal wisdom.
Shavu'ot, in the Bible, is also an agricultural celebration: the Harvest feast - Jag Ha Katzir- because it coincides with the reaping of wheat (katzir), the last cereal to be ripe for harvesting. And it is also the feast of New Fruits –Iom Ha Bikurim-, because on those days of pilgrimage to the Temple, offerings of wheat –symbolized by two loafs of bread-, and other fruits from the new harvest were made.
his celebration is also the closure or End of the Cycle – Atzeret, or abstention, by rabbinic disposition, of that period of spiritual and physical preparation to receive the Torah, the Holy Scriptures, who are the foundations of the Jewish nation and of the relationship of mutual faithfulness between the people of Israel and God as only deity."
We offer you a preview of this section, which will be available very soon and will have Jewish recipes regularly updated.
"Shavu'ot or Pentecost is a spring celebration imbued with a profound spiritual meaning. It commemorates the presentation of the Torah (‘Pentateuch’, the Book that contains the Ten Commandments) to the people of Israel. In the Bible it has also been an agricultural celebration and a day of pilgrimage to the Temple of Jerusalem. It is celebrated on the days 6 and 7 of the month of Sivan of the Hebraic Calendar (May 22nd and 23rd of the Christian calendar this year).
The name “Shavu'ot”, which means ‘weeks’ in Hebrew, alludes to the seven weeks that separate this celebration from “Pesah”, the Jewish ‘Eastern’. This period is a time of spiritual preparation to receive the Torah, our Law, our universal wisdom.
Shavu'ot, in the Bible, is also an agricultural celebration: the Harvest feast - Jag Ha Katzir- because it coincides with the reaping of wheat (katzir), the last cereal to be ripe for harvesting. And it is also the feast of New Fruits –Iom Ha Bikurim-, because on those days of pilgrimage to the Temple, offerings of wheat –symbolized by two loafs of bread-, and other fruits from the new harvest were made.
his celebration is also the closure or End of the Cycle – Atzeret, or abstention, by rabbinic disposition, of that period of spiritual and physical preparation to receive the Torah, the Holy Scriptures, who are the foundations of the Jewish nation and of the relationship of mutual faithfulness between the people of Israel and God as only deity."
More Information: secretaria@redjuderias.org
Announcements
Cultural activities in Casa Sefarad-Israel
Series of cinema and book fair
CONTEMPORARY ISRAELI CINEMA
On June 5th 2007, at the Círculo de Bellas Artes of Madrid
17:00 Ha-hesder (The Deal). 102’Dir: Joseph Cedar, 2000
19:00 Conference An introduction to israeli cinema by Hervé Hachuel (director and producer)
19:15 Afula Express. 95’Dir: Julie Shles, 1997
22:00 Broken Wings. Knafayim Shvurot. 87’Dir: Nir Bergman, 2002
MADRID BOOK FAIR
PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK “DULCE LO VIVAS” BY ANA BENSADON
On june 8th 2007, at 12:30PM, the RTVE´s journalist Cristina García Ramos introduces the book “Dulce lo Vivas” at Madrid´s book fair. The presentation will be followed by a short debate between the autor and the journalist, and a tasting of sefardi sweets.Ana Bensadón, a spanish writer born in Tanger, is an excelent cook who has been abble to gather recipies from Tanger, Montreal, Buenos Aires, Lisbonne and Tel Aviv.
More Information: amparo.ramirez@sefarad-israel.es
Jewish Film Festival in Barcelona
From May 30th to June 10th, 2007
From May 30th to June 10th, Barcelona will hold the 9th edition of the Jewish Film Festival. The theme will be people's feelings and the way people share them, through a comical point of view.
The Festival will show 18 films, most of them documentals, and also fiction movies. This event, which is related to different cities from the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters, will include two lectures on Jewish culture, and also other activities, such as a concert, a theatre play, a painting workshop for children and a guided tour to the Jewish quarter of Barcelona.
More Information: www.fcjbarcelona.org
Forthcoming Events
Centre for Jewish Studies in Córdoba
Opening of a new investigation centre
The city council of Córdoba, with collaboration from the Jewish Community of Madrid, will create an investigation centre dedicated to studying the influence and contributions of Judaism to such subjects as philosophy, poetry or science during the Middle Ages.
More Information: cordoba@redjuderias.org
Exhibition Ávila's Jewish Memory
From July to October, at the Exposition hall of the Episcopio
The exposition features different works of art which highlight the importance of Jewish Culture in the life of the town. Ávila has been a point of reference of Jewish Mystics, since it was here that the Jewish mystic Moshé de León wrote the Zohar, or Book of Splendour, which is considered one of the peak works of Sephardic literature.
The royal decree ordering the eviction of the Jews from the town of Ávila, an original document which normally is kept at the town's archives, will be on show at the exposition.
More Information: avila@redjuderias.org
VI International Sephardic Music Festival, Córdoba
June 2007
From June 20th to June 23rd, Córdoba will celebrate the sixth edition of the International Sephardic Music Festival, at the Botanic Garden in Córdoba.
Programme: Wednesday, 20th: Paco DíezThursday, 21st: Rania "Legado Sefardí"Friday, 22nd: MashaláSaturday, 23rd: Klezmática Trio
The entrance fee per day is five euros and reservations can be made in advance through: turismo@ayuncordoba.es
More Information: cordoba@redjuderias.org
Competition 'Ávila en Tapas'
The 8th edition of
During the last week-end of June some of the most traditional tapas bars, 'mesones' and restaurants of Ávila take part in a popular competition. On this occasion, the jury will award a special mention to the establishment which prepares the best Sephardic tapa.
Information and competition rules at the Tourist Council
More Information: avila@redjuderias.org
Simultaneous exhibitions Plasencia hebrea
Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters' exhibitions
Plasencia plays host to a series of exhibitions from the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters until May 26th, which are on show simultaneously at different cultural venues of the town: Centro Cultural Las Claras, Complejo Cultural Santa María y Espacio de Creación Joven.
The exhibitions Esencia de Sefarad (Essence of Sefarad), Jardines de las Culturas (Gardens of Cultures), El secreto de los libros (The Secret of the Books) and Arquitecturas Simbólicas (Symbolic Architectures) at the same time are a frame to two landmarks of the town's Jewish heritage: the restoration of the Jewish Cemetery, in collaboration with the Junta de Extremadura, and the exhibition of historical Jewish documents, which are normally kept in the archives of the council and the cathedral.
More Information: plasencia@redjuderias.org
The Converts show
Theatre in Hervás
Since 1997, on the last week-end in June the town council of Hervás organizes an event called LOS CONVERSOS (The Converts), which has a singular importance in the fields of Culture, Tourism and Society.
Through an original popular celebration, where practically all inhabitants -directly or indirectly, take part in, these days take as a means of expression the theatre, exploring and recreating habits, behaviors and events that had happened in Hervás, during the last decades of the fifteenth century and the first half of the sixteenth century. At the same time a period-inspired market is held throughout the network of alleys and streets of the Jewish quarter of Hervás.
More Information: hervas@redjuderias.org
Touristic Resources |
Last News |
Agenda |
Gastronomy |
Newsletter |
Press |
Exhibitions |
Publications |
Blog
Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters is a non profit public association with the goal of protect urbanistic, architectonical, historical, artistic and cultural Sephardic Heritage in Spain.
© Copyright 2001-2013, Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters. All rights reserved.