How can a government apologize for an atrocity?
In 2015, the Spanish and Portuguese governments began accepting applications from the descendants of the Jews once forcibly converted, massacred, and expelled from the Iberian Peninsula.
But why offer citizenship?
Why not leave the past in the past? Because Sephardic Jews still carry the memory and the legacy of the centuries of vibrant Jewish life in Spain. This video honors the astonishing resilience of a community that refused to be destroyed.
Big Ideas
- Sephardic Jews are proud of their heritage and have managed to maintain their culture despite persecution and expulsion.
- Forced conversion did not spare the Jews of Spain from the consequences of the Inquisition.
- Jews whose ancestors were expelled from Spain, may choose to accept Spanish citizenship without forgiving historical wrongs.
Essential Questions
- Why were the Jews of Spain and Portugal expelled?
- Should governments apologize for historical atrocities? And can they?
- How have Sephardic Jews maintained their heritage even though they were expelled from Spain many centuries ago?
video Transcript
