Toledano & the Ancient Synagogue

Founded in the year of 1180 (according to the inscription on a beam) the ancient Synagogue Santa Maria La Blanca in Toledo, Spain was designed and decorated by Mudejar architects (defined as Moors working on Christian soil on non-Islamic buildings) as the Islamic influence is readily apparent. Toledo was a gathering centre for the harmonious cooperation of jewish, muslim and christian religions. Its stylistic and cultural classification is not simple, because it was constructed in Christian territory in the Kingdom of Castile, by Islamic constructors, for Jewish use. It is considered a symbol of the cooperation of the three cultures who populated the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages. Among Ladino-speaking Sephardi Jews, in their various diasporas, the family name Toledano is still prevalent, indicating an ancestry traced back to this city. The name was also retained among non-Jews in various Spanish-speaking countries). Photography by Minerva Bloom.