Association of Friends of theJewish Culture of Tarazona "Moshe de Portella"Sepharad´s return to Tarazona
Sepharad´s return to Tarazona
The "Moshe de Portella" Association of Friends of the Jewish Culture of Tarazona presents its Cultural Days under this motto during the next 21st and 22nd July (2.000)
Although born very recently, we proudly can state that our association is doing very well. Little by little, it is becoming more and more established, profiling its philosophy and making real some of the projects and desires of its restless members. Just four months ago,during the organisation of a Sephardic Conference, the real core of this pioneer project, the association itself seemed a distant dream without much concretion among the numerous ideas and projects related to Tarazona and its Jewish heritage. Today, the association has gained the support of Israel´s embassy to Spain, has a provisional head office, and presents its Cultural Days, to be held next July 21st and 22nd. under the motto "The return of Sepharad to Tarazona", and with the kind support of the City Council of Tarazona, the Dept. of Culture of the Provincial Government of Zaragoza and the Embassy of Israel, among other institutions.
Sepharad, "the paradise" was to the Jewish culture what Al Andalus represented to the muslim one. In words of Mr. Javier Bona, "alma mater" and secretary of the "Moshe de Portella" Association, Aragón was the heart, the core of Sepharad, that is, the Jewish Spain. And Tarazona was, during centuries, an exemplary town for a pacific and fruitful coexistance at that time of three cultures on Spanish soil: the cristian, Jewish and muslim ones. The Jewish presence in Tarazona possibly dates back to roman times, and the first documentary proof of an important Jewish quarter in the town can be found in the 13th. Century.
As a proof of this coexistence, in this city at the river Queiles you can find different arquitectural styles as well as other remains of the three cultures and lifestyles, which gave her its atypical and, at the same time, original image. The upper town, known as Cinto, housed the proud cristian aristocracy, while the muslim population, known as Mudéjares when living under cristian rule, occupied the San Juan quarter.
Tarazona´s Jewry dwelled under the defensive walls and in the quarter called Zuda, and was the economic motor of the town lower Middle Ages.Mr. Ángel Alcázar, President of the "Moshe de Portella" Association, stated his satisfaction for the excellent the association had had not only in Tarazona itself, but also via Internet or in the (Spanish) media, and thanked for the numerous messages of support they had received. " We expect these first Cultural Days to be very succesful; it will give us energy to go on with our project".
Mr. Javier Bona explained the philosophy of the "Moshe de Portella " Association: "We expect that from "Tornator", that is , the Return (of Sepharad to Tarazona), a new encounter between different cultures in this new millenium has to be born. This is the project. Tarazona has to open its doors and heart to its (own) Jewish past. It has to recognize, accept and love this part of its own history, unjustly forgotten. We have to be able to generate new human relations, symbolized by the traveller who follows the path of a cultural tourism and will later create new values that enrich and unite the different peoples and their cultures.
The Cultural Days
These Cultural Days, during which the association will be officially presented, will count with lectures held by the historian Mr. Angel Motis Dolader, the most important authority on Jewish culture in Aragón. Mr Motis has recorded over 6000 index cards related only to the Jewish life in Tarazona, which shows the outstanding importanced of the sepahrdic culture in the history of the town. There will be also different photographic expositions, showing pictures taken by Jewish artists, ceded by courtesy of the Embassy of Israel in Madrid, which also participates in tall the activities. For the first time after 600 years, sephardic music will heared again in Tarazona, thanks to the voices of Mr. Santiago Blasco and Mrs. Adela Rubio, returning the city to its past through a magic, harmonious and enriching present. The concert will be the finishing touch of these Cultural Days. "We proudly announce the offer of Judith Cohen, one of the world´s best performer of sephardic music, to act in concert, here next year".
There will also the presentation of an graphic artwork, dedicated by Maturen to our association, as well as the presentation of the "Guide to the Jewish Quarter of Tarazona", edited in cooperation with the Dept. of Cultural Affairs of the town council of Tarazona..
The whole programme of these Days can be viewed in the Internet clicking http://portella.pvirt.com.The gastronomy will be another very important component of these Days. Mr. Javier Latorre, a member of our association and cook at the Las Hotel Brujas de Becquer in Tarazona has been investing and experimenting with regional products a Jewish cooking that, during so many centuries, was used in places like sephardic Tarazona. One of the main aspects of Jewish cooking are its religious uses and principles. It is well know the prohibition of working, and followingly, lighting a fire during shabbat, the 7th. day of the week. There is also a list of animals considered impure, which contents not only pork, but also horse- or haremeat, as well as seafood without scale, like shellfish. Following biblical rules, it is the prohibited to mix food like milk or other dairy products with meat. "As you cannot mix up or combine dairy products with meat, I had to look for other alternatives, like filling lamb with fruits and mushrooms from the Moncayo-Mountain*. My experiments consist in trying to adapt the products of our region to the rules of Jewish cooking", explains Javier Latorre. But Jewish cooking hasn´t been a great surprise to this cook. Jewish cooking makes use of many products typical for the so called "mediterranean diet", like leguminious vegetables or aubergines. "I haven´t found (in the Jewish cuisine) exotic dishes like snake, which for the chinese is a delicacy. Even he most fanatical adherents of Spanish cooking will enjoy Jewish dishes", continues Javier Latorre. Pickled olives or an icy sorbet of lemons where usual on the tables of Tarazona´s Jewish upper class. Another central aspect of Jewish cooking is, following Javier Latorre, its "fundamento", its consistence. Many dishes are heavily ellaborated . Jews everywhere enjoy the "Jamin", a real miracle of culinary alchemy which reaches its height of delicacy after a 24-hour-broiling.
Our sephardic meal will consist of 8 courses, all in all for 4000 Spanish Pesetas. A unique opprtunity to be introduced to a forgotten cuisine (in this region). You can make your reservations until July 19th. at the Hotel Las Brujas de Becquer in Tarazona.* Natural Park near to Tarazona
