Urban Cultours in the Media
Let us take a look into the life of Dominique Tomasov: we will have a better perspective of Judaism and Barcelona. Born in New York,… almost immediately (her family) returns to Buenos Aires, where she grew up and studied architecture… We now have Dominique settled in Barcelona (since 1991), following perhaps a mysterious mandate by Yaveh. Being Jewish did not take a prominent place in her life. But one
day…
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Jewish
Barcelona
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Sepharad
in Barcelona |
A route in the Call becomes the “star of the European Day of Jewish Culture”: "We are here to explain a history common to all of us, Barcelonians and Jews." Thus opened Dominique Tomasov the visit "to the story of the Call", Barcelona’s Jewish quarter. This woman, who combines her architecture profession with the Hebrew heritage, lead the participants through the lights and shadows of Sephardi Barcelona. Her description and Catherine Favret’s story telling turned the walk into a real discovery. The route was the main course of the European Day of Jewish Culture, celebrated yesterday in Barcelona for the third year and organized in 26 European countries the same day. |
The walks in the Call, the website and the study, take a lot of her time; but Dominique Tomasov Blinder does not mind it “because it gives me a lot of satisfaction.” “Some time ago, Jewish North American visitors gave me this advice: tell us the Jewish history of Barcelona, do not allow this heritage to be lost….” “I then realized that there was a very rich Jewish past here but, on one hand the local Jewish community was shy and introverted for a long time, and on the other the conversions had left very deep scars… It is about not forgetting all of this.” |
Our
own Barcelona
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Back to Sepharad |
Dominique Tomasov Blinder found a Jewish Barcelona that changed her life. Today, more than ten years after her departure from a secularised life in New York, she is one of the leader's of Spain's liberal Jewish community and has an opinion in a lot if issues when it comes to Jewish culture. The municipality of Barcelona is in a process of renovating the old Jewish quarter and excavating the old Jewish cemetery on the Montjuic (mountain of the Jews). However, the local Jews has not been informed about any of this. “Our culture is taken as something of the past, to be displayed in cases as interesting objects for tourists.” Jewish life in Spain is everything but free of problem but seems to be on its way back again after more than 500 years of exile and will probably give the country an additional attraction above the beautiful churches and the dried ham.
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In 1871, only 21 identified Jews were resident of Spain and very few lived in Barcelona. As intermarriage is at least 50%, ATID liberal congregation is the only place where a Jewish person can participate with a non-Jewish partner. With the occasional support of visiting Rabbis of the WUPJ, ATID was founded in 1992 by a dozen of young families who had been holdings services and activities in the houses. ATID became involved in the restoration of the historic synagogue seven years ago, when Miguel Iaffa, a friend of the congregation, bought the basement of a building identified as the mayor synagogue in XIV c. documents. Thanks to a website launched by Dominique Tomasov Blinder –member of ATID– and to her assistance, the first bar mitzvah was celebrated there after 600 years. “We really want to put Atid on the map for Jewish people all over the world, so that they can share their experiences with us” says Rabbi Edery. “Come and see us, meet our family of congregants.”
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Rebirth in Barcelona
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Barcelone - the - Jewess
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REGARDS.
Revue du Centre communautaire laïc de Belgique Barcelona is grand, vibrant and multiple. Under the deviled rhythm of a city that never sleeps, centuries of history are found, days of human tragedies, specially so when we evoke the Jewish community, kicked out of these walls like of the rest of the country since the Inquisition. … Dominique Tomasov Blinder is one of the instigators of the rediscovery of the Jewish past. Architect by profession, she started Urban Cultours, from scratch, thanks to her passion for architecture and her new home city, stimulated by the promise she made to her mother of not breaking the chain of memory. Little by little, the Spaniards also join interested in this part of their history. |
Andre Aciman's visit to Barcelona had a deeper reason:
“… to look for remnants of my Jewish ancestry in Spain …”
Physical reminders of the Jewish life from 1000 years ago being scarce*,
he is unfortunately unsuccessful in his quest. As he participates in one
of Urban Cultours’ visits, he catches himself, while standing outside
of an alchemist’s house … … looking for what I imagine every Jew secretly hopes to find. I am not a believer, and there is something verging on kitsch in the gesture, but with my hand I feel the right jamb of the door in the hope of touching a telltale indention marking the spot of an absent mezuzah. I know that my guide has seen and understood my gesture, but is tactful enough to say nothing. I know-she-knows- I-know-she-knows … I grew up with such converso antics. * the oldest synagogue remains have been restored |
BARCELONA
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BEAUTIFUL BARCELONA
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Lisa Alcalay Klug, travel writer Lisa Alcalay enjoyed the Urban Cultours routes, and
also had the chance to meet other visitors as well as community members,
participate in morning services and have lunch at the Chabad with more
tourists. She had very kind words about us. Multi-lingual guides such as Dominique Blinder Tomasov of Urban Cultours help make a visit worthwhile, however. I appreciated her expertise during a recent visit hosted by the Spanish Board of Tourism and several Catalan organizations. http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=5276 |
If you want to know the Barcelona Jewish Call better, says Mario Weinstein, then you really need a guide. … If you visit the Museo de la Ciutat in the Plaça del Rei, and you climb downstairs to visit the archaeological remains, ranging from the roman times to the Middle Ages - check this as you meander through this fascinating museum: near the exit, at the point where you have to make a left turn, look up and you'll see a stone wall; some of the stones bear inscriptions - look closely you'll see its hebrew. … I wouldn't have found it, had my guide Dominique Tomasov Blinder not alerted me … |
DISCOVERING JEWISH BARCELONA |
JEWISH BARCELONA |
Silvia Riu and photographer Dani Codina visited the Call with Dominique Tomasov, (Urban Cultours project) before writing this very detailed account of the history of the Jewish quarters. This article is the first, after many years, to feature Catalonia’s Jewish heritage again in the local press. Riu’s article makes very enjoyable reading: … The small, narrow and labyrinthine streets of the old Call – the layout of the streets has changed slightly since then – form a dark area, which entices you into it. It is said that in the very narrow streets, during times of maximum population density, a small living area was built from façade to façade – forming tunnels in the lower part to allow access – so as to provide shelter for any new members who entered the community … |
| SPAIN and BARCELONA TO BILBAO
… Walking Tours For the best English-language walking tour of anything from Gaudi's Sagrada Familia to the medieval Jewish quarter. Contact Dominique Tomasov Blinder at Urban Cultours. |
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JOURNEYS IN THE PAST AND PRESENT TENSE … Visitors in search of Jewish sites in Barcelona, and elsewhere in Spain, should be aware that Urban Cultours specializes in Jewish tourism offering an excellent service and high quality tours. This project is designed by Dominique T. Blinder, Barcelona. |
Trudie Trox for … The streets are not narrower, the houses are not grander nor poorer than in other areas of the Gothic quarter. Barcelona's Jewish quarter (Call, from "kahal" in hebrew, assembly) housed about 4000 persons in the middle ages … … The Jewish traces in the Call are today less than meager. Urban Cultours offers special visits (in Spanish and English) with very high cultural and historic content. |
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