Jew in Medieval Iberia, 1100-1500

Scholars have tended to either characterize the Middle Ages as agolden age for Iberian Jews or one of persecution that culminatedin their expulsion in 1492. Ray (Jewish studies/theology,Georgetown U., Washington DC) provides historical context to adozen essays that examine the diversity of Jewish life in ChristianSpain and Portugal and the complexities of relationships betweenthe majority and minority cultures. International contributorsdiscuss the responses of leading Hispano-Jewish figures andgroups to their opportunities (e.g., roles as royal advisors, traders,physicians) and challenges (forced conversion). The volumeincludes illustrations of haggadah by unknown Jewish artistsand church art as examples of contrasting works of the period. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Jonathan Ray (Ph.D. Jewish Theological Seminary) is the Samuel Eig Associate Professor of Jewish Studies in the Theology Department at Georgetown University. He specializes in medieval and early modern Jewish history, focusing on the Sephardic world. Dr. Ray is the author of The Sephardic Frontier: The Reconquista and the Jewish Community in Medieval Iberia (Cornell University Press, 2006), and a frequent lecturer on Jewish history and inter-religious relations at the Smithsonian Institution and the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute.