Sephardic Museum: museums in Toledo at Spain is culture.

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Museums / Sephardic culture / Toledo

Sephardic Museum

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Front page

Interior of the Tránsito synagogue. Sephardic Museum. Toledo © Ministerio de Cultura
Wedding dresses. Sephardic Museum. Toledo © Turespaña
Display case with documents, books and steles. Sephardic Museum. Toledo © Turespaña
Exterior of the Sephardic Museum and Tránsito synagogue © Ministerio de Cultura

Sepharad: history of a living culture

The Sephardic Museum preserves the legacy of the Spanish-Jewish and Sephardic culture as an essential part of the cultural heritage of Toledo, where the historic quarter has the World Heritage designation.

The Sephardic Museum is situated in an emblematic building in the Jewish Quarter in Toledo - the Samuel ha-Levi or Tránsito synagogue - built in the 14th century, authorised by Peter I of Castile. Since then, historical events have brought the building to life and every culture and generation has left an imprint: it went from being a synagogue to a Christian church, as well as a shelter, a hospital, a private home, a chapel, a military barrack, a national monument and finally, a museum. Its masonry and brick walls and its wooden roof provided shelter to Jewish artisans, Moorish alarifes (master builders) and Christian craftsmen. The building summarises perfectly the melting pot of cultures in Toledo. A visit to the rooms in the museum enables visitors to discover the secrets of our most unknown heritage.

Essential works

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Bible (Torah)

Torah made of gazelle skin, sown with the animal's tendons and with large writing. It is kept in a richly decorated box.
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Box for the Torah

Jewish law or Torah is the most sacred object to Jews and for this reason it is usually either safeguarded in a special box or covered with an ornamental cloth.
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Capital

Capital with bilingual inscription (Hebrew, Arabic) carved in limestone.
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Grogger

Children use them during the Purim (lots) celebration. This one was possibly made in America around 1800.
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Necklace

A necklace worn by the bride on her wedding day.
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Etrog container

A container with etrog, the citron that is used in the Sukkoth (huts) festival.
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Excelente

A coin called gold excelente, double ducat or Granada excelente.
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Hanukkiyah

Bronze lamp used during the celebration of Hanukah, which commemorates when Judas Maccabeus restored Jewish worship in the temple in Jerusalem, after it was defiled by .
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Megillah

Scroll or megillah with the Book of Esther, which is read during the Purim celebration.
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Mezuzah

Cylindrical receptacle that is placed on the main doorpost to protect the family's home.
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Collections

The museum's collection is part of the collective catalogue of the Digital Network of Spanish Museum Collections (CERES), conceived as a space for dissemination which enables visitors to browse the various museum collections using the identifying features of each item (author, type of object, iconography, etc.).

Go to museum's collections