1. The water Synagogue José Javier Lozano Lemus Alfonso Rodríguez Sánchez Manuel Jesús Marín Sabariego

2. Introduction O To deepen in the Jewish culture and religion in order to understand their influence nowadays. O To discover the construction techniques used by the ancient Jews in their religious buildings and symbology. O To introduce various current buildings around its symbolism.

3. Summary O Sefarat: It was the name the Jews gave to the Iberian Peninsula. O It had many hidden places as the Water Synagogue, which was one of the only that had a mikveh inside (ritual bath). O This proyect deepens on the synagogue, its structure and the water traditions.

4. Sefarat O Jews made a cultural connection between the religions in Spain. O The Jews were expelled from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492. O There were no Jews until 1967, they spent about 475 years out of the peninsula.

5. Sefarat (II) O Hasdai Ibn Shaprut created a rabbinical school. O Shaprut, born in Jaén, had a great influence. O Jews were brilliant in Medicine and translations. O The traditional Jewish poetry was written both in Hebrew and Arabic. O Jews and Muslims moved to Córdoba where Abderramán I reigned. O Jewish centers were formed South in Peninsula. O Sefarat, and specially the school in Córdoba, became important points for the Jews worldwide.

6. XI Century O Jews had to flee to the northern christians territories O In the second half of the eleventh century, the mystical poetry is created (Yehudah Halevi). O In the late eleventh century, the Taifa kingdoms come to an end. Christians reconquered the whole Spanish territory after winning in Granada. O Toledo became an important Jewish center of knowledge because of the translations. O Coexistence between Jews and Christians was very uneven. With the arrival of wars, pestilence and famine, Jews were blamed for them.

7. Expulsion O The Catholic Kings conquered Granada and then they forced the conversion of Jews to Christianity. O The converted Jews began to reach a great importance in Christian. O The Catholic Kings created the Inquisition, his goal was to see if the converts continued practicing their original religion.

8. XIX Century O Despite not having a Jewish community for centuries, anti- Semitism kept present in the Spanish culture. O The Inquisition was removed in 1813 but restored by Fernando VII and not removed at all until 1834. O At last, in 1869, the new Constitution allowed the freedom of religions.

9. XX Century O Ángel Pulido Fernández tried to create a relationship between Spain and the european and north-african Jewish communities. O In 1910 it was created the Spanish-Hebrew Union and almost 4000 people subscribed to it in Morocco. O In 1915 was established in Madrid the first chair of Hebrew for the professor Abraham Yahuda. O In 1916, a group of liberal intellectuals and politicians asked the king to intervene in Palestine to help the Jews threatened by the anti-Semitic policies of the government of Turkey.

10. XX Century (II) O In 1920, it was created the Universal House for the Sephardic Jews. O During the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, some members of this community had the opportunity to acquire the Spanish nationality, during the World War II.

11. The water Synagogue O It was discovered by Fernando Crespo Valenzuela during the contruction of some apartments. O It dates from the XIII century when the one of the most numerous Jewish communities was located in Úbeda. O It was buried when the Jews fled so that it wasn’t destroyed as a sacred place.

12. The water Synagogue O It occupies the space of three houses. The Synagogue is on the first room, the Inquisition room, (called like that for a shield on the front of the building).

13. The water Synagogue O The second house corresponds to the courtyard of the synagogue and the rabbi's house. O To go to the Synagogue itself from the courtyard, people have to go through the “Soul door”, with a Star of David above it.

14. The water Synagogue O From the Synagogue there is a pomegranate above the “Soul door” with 613 grains, as the mitzvot (the number of Jewish precepts). O The synagogue is facing East (Jerusalem) as most synagogues. It is divided in two galleries, the men and women's gallery (mechitsa).

15. The water Synagogue O The inside could have been richly decorated. O The room also contains 4 wells and a Genizah, a well- like structure where sacred damaged documents awaiting decomposition were deposited, because its destruction is against Jewish precepts.

16. The water Synagogue O Under the synagogue there is a mikveh, a traditional Jewish bath. Each summer solstice the mikveh is directly illuminated by sunlight for 20 minutes, giving this room a great religious and architectural significance. O Under the rabbi’s house, we find the clay pot room or pantry. The clay pots are in perfect shape due to the burial.