The history of the Jews of Spain is a remarkable story that begins in the remote past and continues today. For more than a thousand years, Sepharad (the Hebrew word for Spain) was home to a large Jewish community noted for its richness and virtuosity. Summarily expelled in 1492 and forced into exile, their tragedy of expulsion marked the end of one critical phase of their history and the beginning of another. Indeed, in defiance of all logic and expectation, the expulsion of the Jews from Spain became an occasion for renewed creativity. Nor have five hundred years of wandering extinguished the identity of the Sephardic Jews, or diminished the proud memory of the dazzling civilization which they created on Spanish soil.This book is intended to serve as an introduction and scholarly guide to that history.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A great introduction to the history of a great nation:
I came to this volume as part of a project to further my education about Islam and its relationship with the rest of the world, which had led me to an interest in the Golden Age of ha Sefarad, and to inform myself further about Judaism, about which I have had too little information to understand its relationship with the world at all. This book serves both purposes beautifully. While serious in tone, it is very readable indeed and provides what I would judge to be a good, neutral perspective. My purpose and... more info
Important and informative:
Much has been written about the Jews of Spain and much of it idealizes the experience and pretends that Al-Andalus, or Islamic Spain was a utopia for Jews. Among these fantasy books are God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215 and The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain. However this book, which is scholarly and informative gives a much deeper understanding. It is more than a history of the Sephardim of Spain, it is a... more info
The best book of Sephardic Jewish History:
This is a wonderful book. It is well written, objective, and there is a lot of interesting information. I've had this book for several years and I learn something new each time I read it. I've read many books about Sephardic history and it is by far my favorite. It's the book that inspired me to learn more and even study in Israel.
Excellent summary of Sephardic History, well told and well paced.:
I knew little of Sephardic Jews, but a trip to Spain prompted me to buy this book. It is a sad, but amazing story and fills me with great respect for these people and their ancestors. Jane Gerber seems pretty objective, but clearly cares deeply for her subject. I found myself wanting to learn more, but fear that other books might be too academic.
