The "Identity" of Sephardim of Medieval Christian Iberia

Identity formation among national and ethnic groups is usually dated by European historians to the onset of modernity, when traditional social structures fashioned by nation, church, and socioeconomic class began to break down. Similarly, the beginning of modernity for students of Jewish history is linked with the downfall of the medieval corporate society and of the organized Jewish community that had characterized a Jew's identity from cradle to grave. With the entry of Jews as citizens into the civic life of the modern nation-state, Jews became free to create their own religious and national affiliations. Modern Jewish historians have been fascinated by this process of identity formation, chronicling how Jews began consciously to construct their own sense of identity from both Jewish and non-Jewish elements. They have further argued that modern Jewish identity is not uniform; a modern Jew has been able to fashion his or her own sense of Judaism and Jewish peoplehood from a mélange of ideas, practices, ideals, and social connections. 1

Aesthetics · Art · Humanities · Identity (music · Hispanic-African Historical Relations · Historical Studies of Medieval Iberia · Sephardic Jews and Inquisition Studies

• Images of the Jewish community in medieval Iberia

  Jonathan Ray•Journal of Medieval Iberian Studies•2009

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