Spain 10B -- Seville

oses Hassan
He was born in Seville, his parents in Morocco.

In Morocco, there werent movements, just more traditional and less traditional.

Seville is the oldest modern Jewish community in Spain since the Expulsion.

Jews were here in end of 2nd century CE. 1st remain a tombstone in Latin, which shows that there was already some organized Jewish life during the Roman

Rome then became Christian and replaced by Visigoths, Aryans who tolerated the Jews. In 586, the Visigoth king converted to Roman Catholicism and turned on the Jews, enslaved them.

Jewish life under Islam was better. They weren't free per second but were able to live their lives, and some to succeed to a very high degree.

Rambam actually came later when Islam was intolerant. He was just 13, left Cordoba and went to Morocco, then Egypt, so Rambam isn't really part of the Golden Age, but perhaps a product of it. Europe is going through Dark Ages, but Islam is promoting learning.

Seville in Christian times 2nd only to Toledo in Jewish population. How do we know what we know about population? Census and taxes. Not very complete info. Once 700,000 Jews in Spain. Today 45,000 in a population of 29(?) million.

After 1483, no Jews left on Seville
Massacres of 1391. Started in Seville 6 June. 15th century was a disaster for Jews. Nobody likes the Conversos. The Inquisition happens under the authority of the Monarchy. 1st trial in Seville 1491.  Last burning 1781.
Inquisition lasted until 1834. The 1812 Constitution stated clearly that Spain is Catholic. Not until the 1960s is full tolerance proclaimed. 1968

Today 25-30 families. Jews used to meet once a week (when his father came to town) at someone's house on Friday night and on Yom Kippur.

1991 Jewish community buys an apart, and to today, this is where we have services. Most of the time we don't get a minyan.

So few of us ... but we have 2 congregations. 10-12 families have created an egalitarian liberal congregation.

Gets kosher stuff from Marsha, Gibraltar, US.

Future? I don't know. Government over counts Jews by about a factor of two. Europe is becoming a tough place for Jews again. "I don't know what will happen." Only growing community is frum Gibraltar.

"I don't see why I should leave, but I don't see why I should stay."

Then a "Moroccan Maariv" led by Aaron Bensoussan and colleagues and an El Malei Rachamim sung by Dov Keren in memory of all the Jews of Sepharad.