Monday, 12/7:
We began our discussion of the Sephardic Diaspora. The Jews who were expelled from Spain and later Portugal found refuge in many different countries. We looked at several maps that illustrated the various routes (often dangerous) they took to escape the Inquisition.
We will focus on the growth of the Jewish communities in the Ottoman Empire.
Monday, 11/30:
No sessions
Monday, 11/23:
Due to a 1:30 dismissal, only 8th period JH was able to finish watching the film. 8th period JH received a homework assignment on the film. We discussed the film maker's use of irony through a repeating image in the documentary.
7th and 9th period JH will finish the film next week and receive the assignment.
Monday, 11/16:
Continue documentary film and discussion.
Monday, 11/9:
For those of you who had Jewish history (7th and 8th periods), we began watching a powerful documentary film, "Tears of Spain". This film is based on the documents locked in the archives of the Vatican for 400 years! These "secret files of the Inquisition" were only opened to historians in 1998. Pope John Paul II finally asked forgivenesss for the crimes committed by the Inquisition in 2004. We will continue to watch and discuss the film next week.
Monday, 11/2:
When Ferdinand and Isabella succeed in conquering Granada, the last Muslim stronghold in Spain, in 1492, they decide it is time to definitively cleanse Iberia of all heretics. The Inquistion has not been able to do this, despite using torture and the "auto da fe" to destroy many crypto Jews. They sign the "Edict of Expulsion" also known as the "Alhambra Decree" which orders all Jews or crypto Jews to leave Spain in three months time.
In our primary source workshop, we examined the actual Edict of Expulsion as well as a first hand account of the expulsion from the diary of Don Isaac Abravenel. We answered questions on these sources.
Monday, 10/26:
The Catholic Church is faced with a huge problem with the forced conversion of tens of thousands of Spanish Jews. 1. How can they educate these converts and how can they monitor the religious practice of these "New Christians"?
2. The "purity of blood" doctrine states that converts receive all the rights due to other Christians. The .Conversos, therefore, are no longer subject to the discriminatory laws placed on Spanish Jews. They are now free to hold any job, live anywhere, marry anyone etc. This will soon create a culture of competition, jealousy and hatred as Old Christians feel threatened by the growing wealth and power of the New Christians.
3. How can the Church differentiate between genuine Conversos, those that have sincerely taken on their new religion and Crypto Jews (anussim)-- those Conversos that continue to secretly practice their Jewish traditions?
The answer to these challenges comes with the Office of the Inquisition, brought to Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1478.
The Inquisition uses many tools to uproot heresy within Christian Spain. We will examine these methods and the terrible tragedy they bring to the Jews of Spain next week.
Monday, 10/19:
Review of Golden Age of Jews in Spain, 950-1150 CE(from 7th grade JH). During the Reconquista, the Christian armies sieze control of Spain from the Muslims. An interesting interactive map showed us how and when this occurred. As the Catholic church continues to gain power in Spain, tolerance and coexistence become a thing of the past. The events of 1391, beginning with riots in Seville, present many Spanish Jews with a terrible choice: to convert or die? The results of this choice will create a society of suspicion, secrecy, jealousy and intolerance; in turn, leading to the Spanish Inquisition and the tragedy of 1492.
Monday, 10/5, 10/12 Sukkot Break..
Monday, 9/28 Yom Kippur- no class.
Monday, 9/21 Tzom Gedalia
Although your "Ezer Weizman" assignments were due today, you have been given an extension (due to the fast day schedule) until this Wed. 9/23. You may e-mail it or find me in school on Wed. afternoon.
For those of you who had JH today, we had an interesting discussion about "fast days" and why they help us remember and commemmorate tragic events. We talked about the fact that many people did not commemorate 9/11 this year, even though it happened 8 short years ago.
We read chapters 40-1 in Sefer Yirmiahu (Jeremiah) which tell of the tragic events surrounding the murder of Gedaliah, the governor of Judah.