chener's 'Iberia' Traces Spar's !Decline to Inquisition
Wines li-listoric Record of Jews' Expulsion and Sufferings

z

Franco -refused to issue anti-Jewish
minorities: The Moors, thejews, Jews in her kingdom must,either .cated."
Deservedly retaining 'a very
argued that Jews could not edicts. a n-d instead provided a
' high rating among the current the Bituninati, the Jesuits and convert to Christianity or go into
the Protestants were • expelled • exile. It is strange, in this day; be a c c epted into the Spanish sanctuary, never violated, for' Jews
best sellers, Iberia!' by James A.
toe- read on the interior wall• of society because they stole children whO managed 'to. make it to .,Spain.
and their ideas with them. Spain
of
the
Is
one
Michener
(Rapdom),
•
the cathedral a huge sign which
crucified them and made" Many thousands of Jews owe their •
thus
became
the
next
nation
in
very fascinating books of the. year.
commemorates
the
expulsion!'
much
of the case of Yuce Franco, lives to Franco, and this is not :
a
tragic
series
who
decided
to
Dealing w it h
(The text of the commemorative . who, in June 1490 was charged with forgotten."
fence out new ideas rather than
Spanish travels
The reference . to the Treat:),
sign is quoted herd by Michener): Sikh- a crucifixion and was exe-
welcome them, and she suffered
and the eminent
the inescapable pen a It y. An ,‘ Michener not only retraced thei cited after detention for 16 months. of Utrecht deals • with Spanish
a u t hor's. •reflec- • ' oyster can live to itself, but with- historic steps of Jewish experi .1 Even though there was no visual British - relations and England's -
tions, with many
out grains of sand for agitation ences in Spain, of their sufferings proof of the crime, Silio held that promise, "out of respect for 'Span-
scores ,Itif photo-
it cannot produce pearls."
under the Inquisition and of the the decision against Franco was ish sensibilities," not to allow Jews
Michener graphs by Robert
Michener's encyclopedic work is Spanish regulations affecting JeWs, just, and he defended the leader or MoslemS to settle in Gibraltar,
- Vavra, Michener defines the im- thorough in- its general: relation to Moors and others, but also ex- of the Inquisition, Tomas de Tor- a pledge that was in some measure
pact his 40 years of trave,l.through Sp ai n, its people, its creative plored the cultural aspects of life quemada, as a just, "agreeable, violated.
* *
Spain have had upon him.
artists, ,the JeWS, • the Inquisitioik in Spain, reviewing inter alia the lovable" man.
impressive
Spanish
bigots'
resort to the
is
a
remarkably
It
and his experiences during
life and activities of Maimonides.
As far as he could ascertain,
work, filled., with anecdotes, de- travels, Which het links also to "There are several references to having been obliged to read every- ritual murder charge against.Jews
scribing episodes that throw light -Israel. As an instance, describing the great philosopher-physician- thing he could on the Inquisition, is Mentioned by.Nlichener. Ile tells
on history and on events as they the works of El Greco, making ref- commentator, among them this Michener states that no JelV, as a about `stubborn anti-JeWish propa-
..,:,. liljelate -to the present time.
erence to the synagogue which still observation when describing Cor- Jew, ever was executed' by the ganda," about the-writings of Agus-
For. the Jewish reader and is a tourists' attraction at the El doba:
... '
Inquisition, that if. a person tin Serrano , de Haro and his "yo
those who are interested in the Greco .exhibit -in his old home and
affirmed his Jewishness, his gold soy espanol" ("I, am a Spaniard").
a
corner
of
the
Jewish
sec-
"In
Inquisition and • the expulsion of studio,. -he states
Michener states about this- book:
„...n . neither of (his) powerful tion, opposite to the one where and silver were confiscated and he "One of its chapters -dealt with a
the Jews from Spain, this volume
"In
Seneca presides, appears one of was banished from Spain, and
. is especially meritorious.
pictures do I find anything of Jesus the gentlest and most attractive those who were subjected to the case of supposed. ritual murder by
Michener adheres to the view the religious figure nor of the Holy statues in Europe. . . . It is Cor- torture. were Jews who became Jews of • a - Christian child, this
that the Inquisition caused Spain's Land as I knew it in Israel and doba's memorial to a brilliant man Christians and "committed apos- time 7-year-old Domingo del -Val'
"decline:, acid he elaborates upon Jordan; I doubt that in the strict- whom the city treated shabbily, tasy by reverting to JeWish prac- de. Zaragoza; who in the 13th Cen-
it, differing with the. contrary view est sense they ought to be called the Jew Moses Maimonides (in tices." He states: "These were tury was. supposed .to have 'been:
presented in "The Spanish Inquisi- religious pictures. But in each I Spanish Moises de Maimon, 1135- rooted out with great Severity, but" crucified, t h u s attaining 1 o-c al
tion" by H e n r y Kamen, who .find an infinite amount of Spain in 1204), a worthy partner to Seneca when they were burned, it was as sainthood, Serrano's -inflammatory -
teaches history„ at Edinburgh Uni- ,its basic manifestations, the mysti- and Hosius. I suppose that intel- Catholics, not as Jews." Such is text was accompanied by .three
versity..-Waraeti hzfieves, Michener cal of El Greco and the practical lectually he is the most brilliant the defense of the Inquisition.
horrendous illustrations, the-laSt of
points out, that the Inquisition of Goya."
which showed' the ;hideous - Jews •
Resuming
his
argument
w
ith
man
that
Spain
has
produced,
a
* it *
"helped create a closed society
medical doctor of wide reputation Kamen, Michener differs with that catching' the - child's blood in - gob-
from which alien elements were., There is an interesting reference who wrote basic treatises on such author, retains the view that "the lets. When- first Saw the book ,
expelled and into which- no new to Gonzalo Jimenez de Cisneros subjects as asthma, Jiving health- Inquisition caused Spain's de- the chaPter 'ended with this tag
ideas were allowed to enter. . . • ! ; (1436-1517) who, when King Fer- ily without medicine and -the prin- cline," declares that "all Spanish line, 'So now you• know, children,:
He contends that although the In- nando died in 1516, was named ciples of sexual intercourse. In life was corrupted" by the - mania what Jews are like.' After- disen-
quisition may have begun as a regent of Castille until Fernando's fact, his medical knowledge was -and asserts that "thousands were chantment with Nazi Germany set
solution to a religious_ 'problem, it son, Carlos I of Spain and V of so comprehensive and his skill so drawn into the ,net of the -Inquisi- in, thiS line was dropped, and when-
quickly became an instrument for the Holy Roman Empire, should highly regarded that he spent the, tion because friends reported that in the spring of 1967 I saw the 26th
enforcing a pernicious theory re- reach Spain. Michener .rates Cis- last years of his life as personal they had hidden their Jewishness." edition of the text, I found - that
garding 'purity of blood,' which neros as his hero and he offers doctor to Saladin in Cairo.
* * *
the whole chapter had been elim-
meant that any family whose an- this historical data: "When Carlos,
Spain's attitude toward Israel inated."
"His chief fame, however, was
cestors had been either Moorish writing from: Flanders prior to his as a religious philosopher, in which forms another interesting com-
With reference to Henry - Kamen
or Jewish was contaminated. Since arrival in Spain, suggested to Cis- capacity he helped 'establish the ment by Michener. He states:
and Silio,- Michener states that the
Moors had married.- in Spain for neros that reforms in the inquisi- norms of Judaism. He wrote bril-
"Spain is one of the few nations former differs little with Silio;
700 years and Jew,t, for 1,100, and torial process might be advisable, liantly, argued persuasively, and in the world which has refused to "except of course regarding the
since there had been forced con- the cardinal wrote back: 'The In- laid down a body of principles recognize the State of Israel. Three Yuce Franco ritual murder, which -
versions of both, there had to be quisition is so perfect that there which had much effect on non- reasons have been given: the gov- modern scholars know to have been
much impure blood in Spain, and ' will never be any need for reform Jews like Thomas Aquinas, Herbert ernment's'reluctance,to exacerbate an invention."
its eradication provided a chance and it would be sinful to introduce Spencer and Gottfried von Leib- Muslim feeling since Spain's colo-
Thus, the spread of the ritual,
for informers to appropriate jobs, . changes.' It was also Cisneros who nitz. If ,one wants to savor medieval nies - contain mostly Muslim inhabi- murder lie is attributable to many
money ancl titles belonging to the supported Isabel's •expulsion of the thought at its best, I recommend tants; the understandable desire of Spanish sources.
* *
-
Jews from Spain, but later, when Maimonides' Guide to the Per- a Catholic country to have the holy
impure. . . ."
* * * -..,
planning his Poliglota, he searched plexed' in which he takes a be- city of Jerusalem governed by an
Michener's immense w o r k is
Michener's views are:4f g r e a t Europe for Jewish scholars expert` wildered applicant step by step international commission to ; which unique for many other reasons. He
interest. He comments in relation in Hebrew and brought them to t h r o u g h the religious process, the Pope would appoint a large develops, for example, _ the adven-
to such charges regarding the im- Alcala de Henares, where he pro- providing rational explanations for proportion of the representatives, ture of traveling . and devotes con-
pure blood: tected them as they taught."
the existence of God and for lesser rather than to have it as it long siderable space to the story of the
"It is difficult to imagine what
Many of the incidents related by theological problems. It is a beau- was, half in Muslim hands, half famous Jewish traveler of the 12th
such a charge entailed. The fam- Michener are most revealing. Thus tifully composed work and explains in Jewish; and the inconsistency Century, Benjamin de Tudela,
ily could have been practicing he tells about Vicente Ferrer, the why Jews consider him the fore- that would result if Spain were to
In relation to the story of
Christians for 300 years and with- "inspired Dominican orator," who most Jewish intelligence since the recognize a Jewish state while in- Maimonides, he describes the role
out blemish so far as their Catholi- was "famed for his ability to con- time of Moses : 'Between . Moses voking against England the anti- of Jews and Muslims in advancing
cism was concerned, but merely vince Jews of their error and was and Moses, there was no one like Jewish terms of the Treaty of the science of medicine.
because they had a touch of Moor- responsible for converting many," Moses.' "
Many incidents relating to the
Utrecht. I suppose the last reason
ish or Jewish blood they could not who in 1405 delivered a series of
(Reviewer' Note: Michener's is the operative one. It is ironic religious sentiments of the peoples.
send their sons to a university, or sermons against the Jews in Toledo reference to Spain's interest in that Spain should refuse this ges- involved are recorded here.
work in certain jobs, or hold office "which caused one historian to
Historical data, many anecdotes,
Maimonides is a correct one. ture to the Jews, because Gener-
in a cathedral, or become officers describe him as 'the bloodthirsty When the 800th anniversary of alissimo Franco is highly regarded occurrences of a dramatic nature '
in the army, or dignitaries in the enemy of the Jews, intolerant and the birth of Maimonides in Cor- by Jews; during the worst days of are incorporated in "Iberia," which
Church. . . . All Spanish life was vehement, with an oratorical style
World War II, when pressures emerges as one of James A. Mich-
doba (Cordova) was commem-
corrupted by this mania, and thous- both vibrant and tempestuous and
from Hitler were at their heaviest, ener's most impressive works.
orated,
Spain
participated
in
it
ands were drawn into the net of a destructive eloquence without
and showed a deep interest in
the Inquisition principally because par.' " Infuriated by his sermons,
friends reported that they had hid- and with the obstinacy of the one of its most distinguished
den their Jewishness . . . Incred- Toledo Jews to heed Ferrer, the native sons. But Maimonides
ible as it seems, laws policing mob burst into the building that did not stay in Cordoba. He was
purity of blood continued in force was then serving as a synagogue, born in 1135 and when, in 1148,
until Jan. 31, 1835; in the army "hauled all Jews they could find, Cordoba was captured by the
the application of the principle con- dragged them to the promenade Almohades, he and his family
tinued to 18F9, and in the obtain- overlooking the river, cut their escaped, they were for a short
ing of marriage licenses, to 1865. throats and . threw them onto the time in Acre and Jerusalem,
and they settled in Egypt where
It was this continuing battle for rocks below." -
"In o n e tremendous spa s in Maimonides died in 1204).
conformity that punished Spain so
* * *
severely; although the role played the Jews of Toledo were practi-
In his treatment of the Inquisi-
by the Inquisition in religion could cally eliminated, and no sooner
be matched in other countries, its were they gone, than their syna- tion, Michener takes into consider-
part in eradicating those social ' gogue was consecrated a church, ation the views of Cesar •Silio
variations which interact to build and so it remains to this day." - Cortes, a member of the Royal
As a commentary to this, Mich. Academy of Moral and Political
strong nations was here unique.
ener wrote: "One would suppose Sdiences, whose "Isabel the Catho-
Spain was driven by a mania for
that after such a tragedy the lic, Founder of Spain" was pub-
homogeneity, not realizing that no
Jews would have had enough of lished In 1954. Dr. Silio held. that
one group of people can generate
Toledo, but a few years later •the the; Inquisition' was centuries old
all the concepts necessary for its
quota was again about normal. and originated not ih Spain but
survival. . . ."
,: 4: *
Jewish traders flourished, and in Italy, that it operated in Spain'
although their original synagogue since 1232, that under Isabel it was
Michener is very emphatic in his
had been lost to them, since a only a fifth as harsh, in the • num-
adherence to his views. He asserts
building once consecrated could ber of persons 'condemned ..to
in his explanation why he believes
not revert to a prior use, they death, that in punishment§ adiniri-
that Spain declined because of the
Mrs..Rose Kaufman (rear), national president of Pioneer women,
were encouraged to worship in istered the Spanish Inquisition was
Inquisition:
another building nearby, which less severe than in other countries, joins Mrs. Ruth Tekoah (left), wife of Yosef Tekoak Israel ambas-
"The decline -was real and I
still stands as Spain's finest and he offered other defenses of sador to the UN; _and Mrs. Avita Amir, wife of Rehaveam Amir, the
believe; in spite of Kamen's
example of a synagogue. Thus the •nquisition. Among the shock- new Israel consul-general in New York • City, at a luncheon held
argument to the , contrary, that
•
matters stood until 1492, when ing excuses for the persecutions is during Pioneer Women's national board meeting -recently in New
the Inquisition was largely to
Queen Isabel, acting under that "the Inquisition was necessary York.
blame. For almost four cen-
guidance and pressure from Car- because the Jews had infiltrated
turies it enforced an intellectual
'THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
conformity and reject e d all dinal Cisneros, decreed that all national life and had to be eradi- 48-4riday, SeptembeK 13, 1968

-

-

'

'

-

Pioneer Women Hosts Diplomats' Wives

1