Sos del Rey Católico (Aragón, Spain)
The traditional Mezuzah, the Jews and the Catholic Monarchs
All photographs by Larissa Kierscht, June 2024
The Mezuzah is a scroll containing the scripture from Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11 that is rolled up and affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes. The custom dates back to biblical times and is still followed by Jewish families today. It declares that the people who dwell here live Jewish lives. I remember seeing the Mezuzah on the door frames of several apartments in New York City and was always curious about them. So when I read about how some of the medieval Jewish homes can still be identified today by a hole in the door jamb used to place the mezuzah, I was intrigued and went in search of one.
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I was in the Spanish village of Sos del Rey Católico. It is the birthplace of King Ferdinand, whom most American school children know as the monarch that financed, along with Queen Isabella, Christopher Columbus’ voyage of 1492. But what most American history books leave out about the infamous year of 1492 is it that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, known as the Catholic Monarchs, are responsible for expelling the Jews from Spain with the Edict of Expulsion, and for defeating the last Muslim kingdom in Spain thereby ending the over 700-year Muslim presence on the Iberian Peninsula. 1492 is a watershed year in Spanish history.
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In a touch of historical irony, the Jewish neighborhood (Judería Medieval) of Sos del Rey Católico was located directly behind the palace in which King Ferdinand was born. The narrow streets, and the hidden nooks and crannies make it seem more of a labyrinth than a neighborhood. The name of one of the streets says it all, “Sal si puedes” … “go out if you can”. The tiny plaza named “Plaza de la Sartén” …”Frying Pan Square” is one of the only open spaces in the Jewish Quarter.
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Plaza de la Sartén
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