This year marked our inaugural study-seminar through Spain – and we couldn’t be more excited about it!
Approximately 25 teachers – some from public schools, some from private or Catholic schools – took part in the 10-day seminar. And they came from a broad cross-section of disciplines, running the gamut from history and social studies to art, languages, and more.
The seminar was led by a world-class Jewish educator from Australia – Paul Forgasz – who has years of experience running top-notch educational seminars in Spain. Forgasz took the group, systematically and step-by-step, through the whirling narrative of the Spanish-Jewish trajectory, from the conquest of Iberia by the Muslims and the re-conquest by the Catholics, down to the final tragedy of Inquisition and expulsion. The modern issues – post-expulsion, Franco, fascism & the Civil War, Spain’s role during the Holocaust and the rebirth of a small, local Spanish community — were covered by Avi Ben-Hur, our scholar-in-residence.
“I was told it [would be] life changing. I hate to say that was my expectation but it is what I was hoping for,” said Brice Hostutler of Pittsburgh Perry High School. “I expected to not only see the places we visited but to ‘feel’ the emotions that are often tied to such places … The seminar exceeded my expectations. The experience has forever changed the way I look at the world both as an educator and as a person. The relationships I was able to form on this trip and the caliber of people I was able to spend time with was humbling. For me, being able to spend time and reflect with other teachers and to celebrate life was something far more valuable than I expected.”
Educators attending the seminar learned about the special status afforded to Jews and Christians under Islamic rule – the Dhimmi status as protected (second-class) peoples of the book – and how the intellectual classes of Spain brought Classical Greek and Roman knowledge and science to Europe. The “best of times and worst of times,” as Paul referred to Jewish life under both Muslim and Christian rule, produced some of the greatest and most influential Jewish scholars in history – Maimonides and Nachmanides, among many others – in Spain.
At the same time, participants were disheartened by the terrible ending to 1,500 years of Jewish life in Spain, which culminated in mass, forced conversion of Jews to Christianity and mass expulsion accompanied by torture, humiliation and ostracism. Sites that made a huge impact on all of us included the great cities of al-Andalusia – Cordoba, Granada and Seville – with their mosques or synagogues converted into churches. The visit to the so-called “Valley of the Fallen,” a Fascist Civil War commemoration, and Franco’s tomb generated a lot of discussion and raised more questions than they answered.
Michele Halloran, a department chairperson at Taylor Allderdice High School, said the seminar was powerful and she “absolutely” would recommend it to others.
“I believe that regardless of the subject taught, this seminar can help any teacher,” Halloran said recently. “First of all, the history of several religious groups is relevant in the world today as we watch how they interact in the present. Teachers can always look for ways on the local level to bridge some of the gaps between groups to bring students together. This trip helps to provide an appreciation for others and a respect for different backgrounds that translates well into the classroom. Even the different people who attended the trip were amazing and from all walks of life and different backgrounds-and talking to others within the group taught me a lot.”
Some of the themes we focused on together included tolerance and its limitations in the Middle Ages, the relationship and policies of dominant powers with their subjects, looking for a (Jewish) presence within absence, creating an inclusive narrative, and commemoration and reconciliation in scarred societies (Spanish Civil War and Franco).
We are looking forward to seeing the curricula produced by our wonderful group of educators as a result of this excellent seminar. For more information on our 2019 seminars, visit www.classroomswithoutborders.org.