three faiths, three cultures

Two thousand years ago Jews fled from Israel to Spain after the Romans destroyed the Second Temple. Since Roman times there has been evidence of Jews in the Iberian Peninsula, which from the time of the writing of the Torah they referred to as “Sefarad.” In the year 589 the ruling Visigoths made Christianity the official state religion. Exercising repression in the form of forced baptism and death threats, these new Christians forced thousands of Jews to leave the Iberian Peninsula. As a result, those Jews who remained behind viewed the Islamic conquest of Spain, known to the Moors (Arabs) as “Al-Andalus,” or Andalusia, in the year 711 more as liberation than threat.

In Three Faiths, Three Cultures Gerard Edery explores the rich cross-fertilization that occurred in Medieval Spain between people of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. This fascinating mosaic of songs, poems, stories and historical anecdotes from the Golden Age of Spain tells of a rich cultural heritage that invites the possibility of coexistence, respect and peace among all peoples.

This program is available with background projections, which include original artwork and film footage.