Join Professor Aron-Beller to explore Sicilian Jewry, and uncover the little‑known cultural heritage of communities that have long ceased to exist and whose memory has almost faded. We will study the Jews in Sicily from Roman times until their final expulsion or conversion in 1493. Particular emphasis will be placed on their distinctive culture that developed on the island following the Muslim conquest, drawing on sources preserved in the Cairo Geniza. Jewish life under the Normans, the Hohenstaufen and the Catalano‑Aragonese rules will also be examined. The seminar will conclude with the expulsion and conversion of the Jews, as well as the crypto-Judaism they practiced.
Learn more about the instructor here.
This course is a part of the Exploring Jewish Italy Series
This course is sponsored by the Annual Enid and Irving Kushner Lecture Fund