In 2014, I had the opportunity to present a brief lecture on comparisons between Conversos and Samaritans in rabbinic literature. … More
Author: rambam442013
George Washington’s Letter to the Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island
Visiting the Touro Synagogue this week was an amazing experience. I knew about its history but actually walking into the … More
The Touro Synagogue
This video shows my recent visit to the Touro synagogue in Newport Rhode, Island. I stopped by the historic Spanish-Portuguese … More
The Toleration of Jewish Life in Christian Territory
This position of Jews in the medieval period stood in contrast to their positions under the Visigoth codes in Spain … More
Forced Converts and Contemporary Coercion
The problem of conversion under physical duress may seem relevant to history of Spanish and Portuguese Jews forced to convert … More
The Position of Spanish Jews as Royal Property
Religious issues aside, there was another issue which made Jews vulnerable in the late 14th and 15th centuries. As in … More
13th Century Portrait of a Spanish Jew
The Jewish Journal reported that archaeologists in Spain have identified a drawing of a Jewish man on a pottery fragment from … More
Vicente Ferrer and the Post 1391 Era
The Dominican friar Vicente Ferrer had participated in the onslaught of the Jewish communities in 1391 by eagerly accepting Jews at … More
A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs
Anyone interested in learning about the minhagim/customs of the four groups that historically lie within the framework of Sephardic Judaism … More
The Jewish Population of the Kingdom of Castile
Despite changing conditions, from the 13th to the 15th centuries, the Hispanic kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula were home to … More