Jewish Tours

 Certain historians have identified Cádiz with the biblical Tarshish ; Jews may have been living there during the period of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula. A Jew, Samuel of Cádiz, was among those allocated properties in the area after its reconquest and resettlement in the 13th century.
The Jewish settlement increased in importance when the island on which Cádiz was situated became linked with the mainland by silt from the Guadalquivir. More about Cádiz Jewry is known during the 15th century. The Inquisition ruthless handling of cases from Cádiz tried in 1481 in Seville shows that a community of Conversos existed there at this time.
When the Jews were expelled from Andalusia, those of Cádiz moved to Castile. A number of Jews – Moses and Isaac Aben Zemerro among others – were granted safe conducts to settle their affairs in the city.

According to the chronicler Bernaldez, 8,000 Jews left from Cádiz, mainly for North Africa, on the expulsion from Spain (1492). The 1877 census showed 209 Jews in Cádiz, mostly from Morocco, but no permanent community was formed.
During World War II, the port of Cádiz became one of the escape routes for Jews who crossed Spain clandestinely fleeing Nazi barbarism.
Cadiz is one of the oldest cities in Europe, founded by the Phoenicians at the time of the reign of King Solomon Cadiz has an unknown but fascinating Jewish history.
This tour is part of the Jewish Andalusian Heritage Route, a cultural project recognized by the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage, AEPJ, and the Council of Europe.

Discover with us Jewish Cadix.
For more information and reservations for our Jewish Cadiz tour, contact us at info@makomsefarad.org

Cordoba plays a pivotal role in the history of Jewish life in the Middle Ages. In the tenth century it became the seat of Jewish learning, scholarship and culture, gradually eclipsing the Babylonian academies of Sura and Pumbeditha. Its preeminence was undoubtedly the result of the grand achievements of one man, Hasdai Ibn Shaprut (915-970). A doctor, diplomat and scholar, Hasdai served the courts of Caliph Abd al- Rahman III and his successor Hakam II. His meteoric rise to power and influence brought acclaim to the Jewish community.
The Jewish quarter of Córdoba, knows as la Judería, is one of the best preserved medieval Jewish quarters in all of Europe. Home of great thinkers and unsurpassed beauty, its streets and houses keep secrets that fascinate both locals and visitors. In it we can visit the only medieval synagogue preserved until today in Andalusia. Discover with us the fascinating history of this neighborhood, declared a world heritage by the UNESCO, as well as the life and work of its most famous inhabitants such as the great thinker Maimonides.
This tour is part of the Jewish Andalusian Heritage Route, a cultural project recognized by the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage, AEPJ, and the Council of Europe.

Discover with us Jewish Cordoba.
For more information and reservations for our Jewish Cordoba tour, contact us at info@makomsefarad.org

The mythical origins of Seville date back to the Phoenicians, who, it is said, established an ancient city with the aid of Hercules. An ancient tradition places Jews in Seville at the time of the destruction of the first Temple (586 BCE). In fact, several influential Jewish families of Seville (Abrabanel included) claim to be descendants of King David. Amazingly, there is even some speculation that Jews settled in this region as far back as the 11th century B.C.E. The source of this belief rests on the identification of Seville with the distant port of Tarshish which is mentioned in the Bible. For the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea, along with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years, the Tarshish fleet came in, bearing gold and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks(I Kings 10:22).

During the Ummayad Caliphate, Seville prospered and the Jews who lived there were engaged in commerce, medicine and the dyeing industry. Under the Abbasid dynasty (1023–91) prominent Jews served in various capacities at court. Under the rule of Al Mutamid (1024–69), the city maintained a wealthy, picturesque and vibrant society. The wealthy scholar Isaac b. Baruch Albalia served as court astrologer and head of the Jewish community. His son, the scholar Baruch b. Isaac Albalia, uncle of the historian Abraham Ibn Daud, was born in Seville. Abraham b. Meir ibn Muhajir also served as vizier and head of the Jewish community under the Abbasid king. Important families included the Ibn al-Yatom, Ibn Kamneill, Ibn Mujahir, and the Abrabanel families.

When Seville was reconquered by the Christians (1248), the Jews welcomed them with open arms. They presented Ferdinand III with a key to the city, which has been preserved in the cathedral treasury. For a period of time, the Jewish community was revived. Though they were taxed heavily, they received real estate, and good land for farming. Those who participated in annual fairs and were granted freedom to trade and exemption from taxes. At one point, tax registers indicate that the Jewish community of Seville paid 115, 333 maravedis and 5 solidos; a staggering sum for a community of about 200 families.

The Jewish quarter of Seville is probably the Jewish quarter with the largest urban area in the Iberian Peninsula. A beautiful neighborhood that fell in love with the romantic European travelers of the 19th century and that continues to fascinate all those who visit it today.

Seville also witnessed the birth in the year 1478 of the Spanish Inquisition. The foundation of the Inquisition in Seville is not by chance, since the end of the 14th century this city had an important community of New Christians. The suspicion that many of them continued to practice Judaism in secret encouraged Queen Isabella of Castile to find this terrible institution in the city, destined to watch over the purity of Catholicism.

Without a doubt, Jewish Seville has a fascinating story to tell us.

This tour is part of the Jewish Andalusian Heritage Route, a cultural project recognized by the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage, AEPJ, and the Council of Europe.

 Discover with us Jewish Seville.

For more information and reservations for our Jewish Seville tour, contact us at info@makomsefarad.org