Sefardi Museum

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Created on Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:33

Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 October 2012 19:00

Written by Greg

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SEFARDÍ MUSEUM (APRIL 5TH 2011)

Moving to Toledo to visit the CLM University Campus (specifically, the Physical education degree classrooms, pool and other facilities) we passed through the Sefardi Museum, one of the best in the world to learn about the Jewish culture and history, so much linked to our Spanish middle age and modern history.

The building itself, built under the Castilian Christian king Pedro I, paid by his economic minister, Samuel Levi Abulafia, and made by Moorish artisans, reflects and summarises that productive and difficult union of the ‘three cultures’, being one outstanding example of the mudejar (Hispanic Moorish) art, considered our national style.

Besides, our students were able to learn about the Jew tombs, in the outside graveyard, the Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, and other typical Jewish ceremonies, the exodus of this people from the ancient times, their living in Spain, and their expansion –as sefardíes- on the Mediterranean coast cities. Costumes, pieces of art, maps, jewelry, and video tapes complete the more interesting resources to get –at least- a better comprehension of this Spanish speaking people.

To repeat, for English speaking groups, we should have before affordable information in English, because the explanations included in the audio guide were too long (about 100 minutes) and too extensive and not in a basic English for our students. On this way, we can get more profit from an historical point of view, and not only the intercultural experience.

By Fidel Cordero