Seminario "Synagogues, Jewish Public Spaces, and Late Medieval Iberian Society"

Evento online a través de Zoom (enlace)

Por Javier Castaño (ILC-CSIC)

A lecture as part of the departmental seminar From the Researcher’s Diary

Organiza: Prof. Mirjam Rajner (Department of Jewish Art. Faculty of Jewish Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)

Recently published historical documentary sources written in Latin, vernacular, and Hebrew provide insight into the lives of late medieval Iberian Jews against a backdrop of social and cultural coexistence with their neighbours. A careful reconsideration of identities, geographical spaces, and social structures helps to contextualize the various functions of synagogues, especially considering the limited number of standing buildings and the concomitant need to resort to written texts.

The lecture will discuss the recent publication of a vernacular text in Hebrew characters describing the provisions for the 1469 renovation of the panelled ceiling of Huesca’s Grand Synagogue. Diverse aspects of Jewish religious life and patronage in this Aragonese city will be reviewed. The participation of Christians and Muslims in the renovation work will be explored, as well as the role of women.