ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – This week’s trivia question:  What connection does Zamora, Spain have to yeshivas that were founded in Amsterdam, North Africa and the Ottoman Empire after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492?

Dr. Jesús Jambrina is a Professor of Spanish and Latin American History, Language and Literature at Viterbo University in Wisconsin.  Dr. Jambrina has done extensive research into the Jewish history of Zamora, Spain.   He was responsible for the establishment of the Centro Isaac Campantón there and also for the organization of annual international conferences about Jewish history and presence in that region. This year the Centro Isaac Campantón held their tenth conference, and to commemorate this milestone they recently published a selection of the presentations given over the years.  The subjects range from the history of the conversos and Crypto-Jews in Spain and Portugal to the influence of Crypto-Judaic musical traditions in the area of Portugal that borders on Spain, known as “la Raya”.  Related topics such as Spanish prisoners in Nazi concentration camps and Jewish presence in Latin America are also included. In this program we are speaking with Dr. Jambrina about Zamora, the Centro Isaac Campantón and the book.