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| Spanish village remembers Jewish expulsion
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MADRID (EJP)--- Some 8,000 people have attended the tenth anniversary production of a play written to remember the fate of the Jews forced to leave Spain or convert to Christianity of 1492.
The Convert of Hervas was performed last weekend during the popular celebration of the “Fiesta de Los Conversos” in Hervas, a small village of Caceces (Extremadura) that has never forgotten about its Jewish roots.
As has become tradition, members of the local community performed different parts of the play in the Ambroz Valley.
The town's mayor, Jose Enrique Ribes, and President of the County council of Caceres, Juan Andres Tovar were amongst the large audience watching the production of Solly Wolodarsky's text.
The piece was written especially for the people of Hervas, so they could remember the tragic moments that Jews lived through when they were forced by the Inquisition to leave Spain or to convert to Christianity.
The story takes place in 1535. It dramatizes the murder of Manuel Alvarado, a convert to Christianity who hid his Jewish faith, by the another convert destroyed physically and psychologically by the torture of the Santo Oficio Santo or Inquisition.
In the style of the classic tragicomedies of the Spainsh Golden Century, the piece shows the complicated relations between “old” and “new” Christians.
Beautiful setting
The event was held on the shore of the Amboz River, with six decorated scenic spaces, using 60,000 watts of light.
People sat on the steps installed by the Town hall, on the nearby walls and gardens, enjoying the beautiful natural stage.
They enjoyed the performances of the 60 community members of all the ages, transformed into Christians, prostitutes and shepherds, all under the direction of Miguel Nieto.
The production was part of an intense weekend of recollection of Hervas's Jewish roots, which included centralised activities in the handcraft market in the Jewish neighbourhood held on Saturday.
Earlier in the week Canadian ethno- musicologist Judith Cohen performed a session of Sephardic music.
Also on offer was a Sephardic food tasting, traditional plays for the children and the staging of the Hervas legend ' Maruxa, the Jew'.
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