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Flip a coin.
--J
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An inscription on a synagogue wall in Spain.
Discovering History
OfSpain's Jews
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in Girona, Spain; but in the
narrow, lane-like streets in
the old Jewish area, the
"Call" (translated from the He-
brew into the Catalan word for
community) darkness and shad-
ow pervade.
It has been several years since
the symbolic gesture of King Juan
Carlos and Queen Sophia openly
cancelling the 1492 law of expul-
sion.
As early as 4 B.C.E., there is
mention of Jews in Spain, al-
though it is purported that the
first Jews arrived in the time of
King Solomon. Certainly by the
end of the Roman Empire, Jewish
communities were firmly estab-
lished in Spain, eventually grow-
ing to a population of 60,000.
Girona's importance as a cen-
ter of Jewish culture (it once had
the largest Jewish population in
Catalonia outside Barcelona) re-
lies heavily on one man: the fa-
mous 12th-century doctor, rabbi,
philosopher and kabbalist Nah-
manides.
Today, despite Girona's 70,000
inhabitants, there are no syna-
gogues nor are there Jews living
in this northeastern Spanish town.
There is, however, some fascinat-
ing archaeological evidence of their
existence.
After crossing the Onyar River
on the edge of Girona by way of
the Eiffel Bridge, past the wide
pedestrian shopping street, one
enters the Call. Up the steep, cob-
blestone twisting alley is the new-
ly established Jewish museum,
the Isaac el Cec Center, where doc- AIM
uments date to the 10th century.
Buildings here — which usual-
ly had all the communal services _
including a synagogue and school,
small government, ritual baths,
burial grounds and a kosher
butcher — are being renovated
thanks to a resurgence of interest
41P-'
in the history of Spanish Jews.
At the bottom of each of the
dark streets are the ancient re-
mains of gates, closed when there
was a special religious fete for
Catholics. While the gates kept
the Jews out, they also served as
protection for the community.
"Sometimes the relationship
was very good and sometimes it
got so bad almost all the Jews
were killed," said my guide. From
the shadowed street, we enter a 40
bright square. The cobblestones
have been replaced by a huge Star
of David mosaic.
Here in the Jewish Quarter,
there are three more ally-like
streets, but none is yet open to the
public. Some archaeological re-
mains have been found which in-
dicate the presence of a synagogue.
The restoration is progressing
very slowly.0
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