Approximately 100 Rabbonim from around Europe are gathering today in Madrid for a three-day conference of the Sephardic Jewish communities to mark the revival of Jewish life in Spain since their expulsion from the country in 1492. Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, (oldest son of Chacham Ovadia Yosef), will also attend the event.
The first days of the seminar will be held in the Spanish capital where the Rabbonim will discuss the Spanish Jewish heritage. They will be hosted by the local Jewish community lead by Rabbi Moshe Ben-Dahan.
The highlight of the gathering will take place on Wednesday, when a special Tefillos will be recited in memory of the inquisition martyrs at the Spanish Jewish museum in Toledo.
An estimated 15,000 Jews live in Spain.
(Source: EJP Press)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
12 Responses
Wow. Amazing. We have really come full circle in a way. I just read an article concerning the amount of hatred in Spain for muslims is extremely high and how the government is looking for a “solution to this radical problem”. Interesting…
i thought there’s a cherem on going there…
This is great news to hear,but chacham yitzchak is his second oldest son the oldest is yaakov yosef who is extremly involved in the bucharian quarter! (source my family so i know)
This is great news to hear note that Chacham Yitzchak Yosef is his second eldest son and his eldest son is Rav Yaakov Yosef!
skazm
Rav Ovadiah Yosef wrote a lengthy Teshuvah in Yabiah Omer saying that there is no cherem on going to Spain.There are many Teshuvos on this and the overwhelming consensus is that there never was any ban on travel to Spain.Egypt bis much more problematic because of 3 pesukim in the Torah and a Yerushalmi.av Ovadiah also wrote on that,Clearly people like the RAMBAM and the RADBAZ lived there as did Rav Ovadiah
Daat Torah – My family is from Egypt and Chacham Ovadia lived there for a few years so clearly he doesnt hold that its asoor to travel there bc he did more than that. Not sure if thats what you meant or not
#2 — I thought the Cherem was for 500 hundred years, ending in 1992. I could be wrong
If you read the Poskim you will see that there is a clear Torah prohibition to live in Egypt.But they have about 7 exceptions e.g. RADBAZ you can go to teach Torah like he did or theRAMBAM was there under duress and he served the Jewish people with his influence with the Sultan or you may go to do business or some other temporary reason or the prohibition was only on the dor hamidbar or the prohibition was to go back to the “old” Egypt.After Sancheriv that no longer existed.Rav Ovadiah deals with most of these issues.There is aquestionable comment in Kaftor VaFerach who claims that the RAMBAM’s son said that his father used to sign letters with his name followed by the caveat “who violates the Torah prohbition of living in Egypt every day”.The problem with that is that we have hundreds of letters of the RAMBAM and none of them are signed with that phrase.
#9 I heard the same as you. 500 years and that ended in 1992. The question I always had that there were other countries that threw us out also and we did not put them into cherem.
the inquisition along with the expulsion may have had something to do with the cherem
#12 There was an inquisition in Portugal also yet there was no cherem on Portugal. I heard it was because of the expulsion that took place on Tisha Bav, 1492.
could be. not sure.